Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah

Sforno on Leviticus 19:4/ספורנו על ויקרא י״ט:ד׳

אאַל תִּפְנוּ אֶל הָאֱלִילִים. בֵּאֵר שֶׁכַּאֲשֶׁר הִזְהִיר וְאָמַר ״לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לְךָ פֶסֶל״ (שמות כ:ד), לֹא בִּלְבַד אָסַר לְקַבְּלָם עָלָיו לֵאלֹהִים, אֲבָל אָסַר אֲפִלּוּ לְכַבְּדָם וְלַעֲשׂוֹת מַסֵּכָה בְּשָׁעוֹת יְדוּעוֹת לְהַשִּׂיג בָּהּ הַצְלָחוֹת קִנְיָנִים מְדֻמִּים וְזוּלָתָם.
1When the Torah now continues with the second of the Ten Commandments by warning us אל תפנו אל אלילים, the Torah elaborates that it is not only forbidden to make oneself such deities in order to worship them, etc., but that it is equally prohibited to display respect for such deities worshipped by other peoples as their gods. Nothing is to be done which would indicate that one invokes the supposed “power” of such deities to further one’s personal interest and concerns.