Says the Rambam [Avoda Zara 10-4 - 10-4 is one of the so-called ten-codes, or radio signals, invented by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO). 10-4 is an affirmative signal: it means “OK.” This Rambam is OK!!馃槉馃榿]:
讜诪驻谞讬 诪讛 讗讬谉 诪讜讻专讬谉 诇讛谉 砖谞讗诪专 讜诇讗 转讞谞诐 诇讗 转转谉 诇讛诐 讞谞讬讬讛 讘拽专拽注 砖讗诐 诇讗 讬讛讬讛 诇讛诐 拽专拽注 讬砖讬讘转谉 讬砖讬讘转 注专讗讬 讛讬讗 讜讻谉 讗住讜专 诇住驻专 讘砖讘讞谉 讜讗驻讬诇讜 诇讜诪专 讻诪讛 谞讗讛 注讜讘讚 讻讜讻讘讬诐 讝讛 讘爪讜专转讜 拽诇 讜讞讜诪专 砖讬住驻专 讘砖讘讞 诪注砖讬讜 讗讜 砖讬讞讘讘 讚讘专 诪讚讘专讬讛诐 砖谞讗诪专 讜诇讗 转讞谞诐 诇讗 讬讛讬讛 诇讛诐 讞谉 讘注讬谞讬讱 诪驻谞讬 砖讙讜专诐 诇讛讚讘拽 注诪讜 讜诇诇诪讜讚 诪诪注砖讬讜 讛专注讬诐 讜讗住讜专 诇讬转谉 诇讛诐 诪转谞转 讞谞诐 讗讘诇 谞讜转谉 讛讜讗 诇讙专 转讜砖讘 砖谞讗诪专 诇讙专 讗砖专 讘砖注专讬讱 转转谞谞讛 讜讗讻诇讛 讗讜 诪讻讜专 诇谞讻专讬 讘诪讻讬专讛 讜诇讗 讘谞转讬谞讛:
Why is it forbidden to sell them [land or anything attached to the land]? Because [Deuteronomy 7:2] states: "Do not be gracious with them." [This phrase can also be interpreted:] "Do not give them a resting place in the land." As long as they do not have a resting place in the land, their stay will be a temporary one.
[This prohibition also] forbids speaking about [idolators] in a praiseworthy manner. It is even forbidden to say, "Look how beautiful that idolater's body is." How much more so is it forbidden to praise their deeds or to hold their words dear, as [the phrase states]: "Do not be gracious with them." [This phrase can also be interpreted:] "Do not look at them graciously," for doing so will cause you to draw close to them and learn from their wicked behavior.
[Also implicit in the above phrase is that] it is forbidden to give them a present. A present may, however, be given to a ger toshav, [as implied by Deuteronomy 14:21:] "You may give it to the stranger in your gates so that he may eat it; or sell it to a gentile," [i.e., to an idolater]; it should be sold, not given.
What about "praising their deeds" or "holding their words dear" after the idolator dies? Is it permitted to eulogize an idolator?
[Note - The Rambam here talks about 注讜讘讚讬 注讘讜讚讛 讝专讛 but many other Poskim say that it is talking about any Nochri, as discussed here. Anyway many Nochrim today are 注讜讘讚讬 注讘讜讚讛 讝专讛 because bi-pashtus, according to many poskim, Christianity is Avoda Zara].
Is it permitted to say "Germans make GREAT washing machines"? Isn't that 诪砖讘讞 诪注砖讬讜??
What about "Michael Jordan was the BEST basketball player EVER"?
What about "She [Ms. Nochris] is beautiful!!" [Not that we men should ever discuss a woman's beauty, unless we are complimenting our mothers, wives or daughters].
Saying "Dr. Chiconchito is a GREAT doctor". [Of course he probably has at least a Jewish mother if he is such a good doctor, but take a rare case where the doctor is fully Gentile].
What about [a woman] working in a beauty parlor or the like and serving Nochrios? Isn't that "giving them 讞谉"? [See Yerushalmi Avoda Zara 1-9 that seems to forbid this]
Giving a tip. Is that 诪转谞转 讞讬谞诐?
Someone discussed with me giving a foul ball at a ball game to a Goyish kid.
Praising them if we can learn mussar from them?
Praising them in our hearts without verbalizing?
Verbalizing the praise but not feeling it in one's heart?
Praising or giving gifts 诪砖讜诐 讚专讻讬 砖诇讜诐? What qualifies as 讚专讻讬 砖诇讜诐? What about doing so in order to make a Kiddush Hashem?
Living in a friendly environment of Nochrim as many of us do, poses many 诇讗 转讞谞诐 challenges. It is kedai to learn the halachos.
See Ateres Paz 1 Even Haezer 5, Tzitz Eliezer 15-47, Mishne Halachos 7-116, Bitzeil Hachochma 1-46, Ohalei Yaakov on Parshas Vo'eschanan and much much more.
