Free to be, to do, and not to do
This remarkable passage is nestled in the midst of a long litany of detailed legislative instructions about how the chosen people of God are to live. It is a strong attack against the prevailing polytheism of the day. As continues to be the case to this day where it survives and thrives, polytheism calls for appeasement of a panoply of gods and other powers which are thought to have control over various aspects of one's life. There are endless forms of magic and superstition. Any contact with her neighbor would mean a temptation for Israel to embrace these practices.
