In Deuteronomy 4:19 what does Moses really mean when he says that G-d alloted the sun, moon, and the stars to the non-Jews? I know He is the only true G-d, but does this mean that He tolerated that kind of worship as reasonable (at least for the non-Israelites)? What I know is that G-d intended to bring all the nations to Him through the testimony of Israel. If I am correct, then is it right to conclude that the verse I just cited is a tolerance by G-d, until the nation Israel has been formed to be a witness for Him?

The Talmud (Tractate Megillah 9a) details a historical incident that relates directly to your question. Ptolemy II, the King of Egypt (285-246 BCE) once gathered together 7O Jewish sages and placed them each in separate rooms without revealing to them his purpose in doing so. He then went into each of the rooms and told the sages to translate the Five Books of Moses into Greek. Now, each of the Sages were aware that changes had to be made to the text in order to avoid misunderstanding and according to the Talmud, a miracle occurred whereby all 70 sages made exactly the same alterations to the text. One of these alterations was to the verse you are asking about.

The original says:

“...and lest you raise your eyes to the heaven and you see the sun, the moon and the stars…and bow down and worship them – [those things] that Hashem, your God has apportioned to all the nations under the entire heaven…”

The Sages translated it as:

“...has apportioned to PROVIDE LIGHT FOR all the nations under the entire heaven…”

The commentators explain that if the Sages hadn’t added in these words, people would have misunderstood the verse, using it as a proof that star worship is permissible for the non-Jews – exactly the same conclusion you came to!

The simple meaning of the verse is exactly as the Sages translated it – G-d was telling the Jews: ” Don’t bow down to the things that I created to provide light for all the peoples of the earth” – in other words: ” Don’t serve those things that were created with the sole function of serving you!”

According to Jewish tradition, G-d gave Adam six commandments in the Garden of Eden – foundational laws which were to be the minimal requirements of the Human Race living in the world G-d provided for them. One of those laws was the prohibition against all forms of idol worship and thus we see that G-d never found idolatrous practices tolerable – we were warned against them from the beginning of time.

Yours sincerely,
Ari Lobel