427. "You shall not make for yourself any carved idol, or any likeness" (Shemot 20:4). This was already explained. Rabbi Yosi added any form of a face one can make, except that of a man, for a man's face rules over all things.
428. There is also another explanation of the verse, "You shall not make any carved idol or any likeness." Rabbi Yitzchak opened the discussion with the verse, "Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin" (Kohelet 5:5). How careful one must be not to err in regard to the meaning of the words of the Torah, and not to attach interpretations to the Torah without knowing the correct meaning or having learned them from his teacher, for of whoever speaks of scripture without knowledge or learning from his Rabbi, it says, "You shall not make any carved idol or any likeness." The Holy One, blessed be He, will punish him in the World to Come, when his soul shall desire to enter its place. It will then be repelled and it will be cut off from that region which is bound up with the bundle of life, wherein are the other souls.
429. Rabbi Yehuda said, From this we understand the verse, "Why should the Elohim be angry at your voice?" (Kohelet 5:5). "Your voice" signifies a soul of a man. Rabbi Chiya said, Of this it is written, "For I Hashem your Elohim am a jealous El" (Shemot 20:5). He is zealous above all for His Name when He sees an image of a face, or one who is false to His name, or when the Torah IS MISINTERPRETED WITH AN EXPLANATION ONE HAD NOT LEARNED FROM HIS TEACHERS.
430. We have learned that the whole Torah is a Holy Name, for there is not a word written which is not included in the Holy Name. Therefore, one must beware of erring in regard to His Holy Name, and one must not be false to it. He who is false to the Supernal King will not be allowed to enter the King's palace, and will be driven away from the World to Come.
431. Rabbi Aba cited the verse, "You shall not make for yourself any carved idol (Heb. pesel)," and in another place it is written, "Hew (Heb. pesol) for yourself two tablets of stone" (Shemot 34:1), MEANING you shall not hew another Torah which you neither know, nor have learned from your master. Why? Because "I Hashem your Elohim am a jealous El" and I shall punish you in the World to Come, MEANING it is I who will punish you in the World to Come when your soul shall long to stand in My Presence. How many emissaries will then be ready to frustrate its desire and thrust it into Gehenom.
432. Rabbi Yitzchak said, "You shall not make..." means that one should not be false to the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, for Yisrael entered into the first Covenant and union with the Holy One, blessed be He, when they circumcised, for this was the first condition to enter the Covenant of Abraham, the bond with the Shechinah. And one must not be false to that Covenant, for he that is false to that Covenant, is false to the Holy One, blessed be He. What is this falsehood? The bringing of the covenant into a foreign domain, as it is written, "And has married the daughter of a strange El" (Malachi 2:11).
433. Rabbi Yehuda said, Hence, "They have dealt treacherously against Hashem, for they have begotten strange children" (Hoshea 5:7). Whoever is false to the Covenant is false to the Holy One, blessed be He, because the Covenant is united with Him. Therefore, it is written, "You shall not make for yourself any carved idol, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above..."