Shalom Rav!
I was learning this daf with my brother and he asked a number of nice questions, which I'd like to ask your help with:
1. I assume it is OK to bow to a person if it is just to show respect. But what if that person is a religious official? E.g. priest or monk. Then wouldn't it look like I am showing honor to their beliefs?
2. What about if at the start or end of a martial arts class, the instructor tells all the pupils to bow to a portrait of the founder of the movement. E.g. I believe in Aikido they bow to the picture of Osensei. So -- assuming that a Jewish person can take the class -- is he allowed to bow to the picture?
Thank you for all that you do!
Warm regards,
Yishai
Yishai Rasowsky, Israel
Dear Yishai,
The Braisa in Sanhedrin (61b) says that one is allowed to bow to a person unless the person is considered to be a deity similar to Haman. Therefore, it should follow that bowing to an official of another religion - even if that religion is bona fide Avodah Zarah - is permitted, and this, in fact, is the Psak of the Shulchan Aruch (Rem"a, YD 150:3). What if the official is wearing a crucifix around his neck? The Chachmas Adam (85:1) says that a crucifix that a clergyman wears (as opposed to one that stands by itself) is not considered a graven image, only a remembrance of their deity. Nonetheless, one should avoid bowing to him because bowing is treated very seriously in the laws of Avodah Zarah. There is a lenient opinion that says that it is permissible because even the non-Jews are not bowing to the crucifix but rather to the person. The Rem"a says we should not rely on this opinion unless it is very difficult to avoid bowing (certainly if it would be life threatening not to bow to him, one would not be required to give up his life to avoid doing so (Rem"a, ibid)).
Regarding bowing in the martial arts to a portrait - it must be determined how the founder of Aikido is viewed by his followers. Is he venerated or is he worshipped? If the former, then it should be okay (of course, always worth avoiding the whole business if possible). If the latter, then it would be forbidden even according to the lenient opinion mentioned above because here he is bowing to an image, not a person with an image around his neck.
Kol Tuv,
Yonasan Sigler
This is not a Psak Halachah