Idolatry

Years ago, a little boy in my 2^nd grade class who had traveled to India to visit his grandparents returned home with a gift for me.  It was a statue of an elephant wearing a crown and human clothing.  It never struck me that the object was anything more than an eclectic art piece until he said, “ I brought you the elephant god that we pray to.”  I had never really thought about the fact individuals in modern times still prayed to idols.

In fact, when many of us look at the 2^nd of the ten commandments we might wonder if it has not lost its significance in this modern day and age.  “You shall not recognize the gods of others in My presence.  You shall not make yourself a carved image nor any likeness of that which is in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the water beneath the earth.  You shall not prostrate yourself to them nor worship them, for I am Hashem, your G-d.”  It hardly seems to be an issue that individuals are still praying to carved or molten images, if those practicing Hinduism are discounted.  So shouldn’t we just be content with saying that there are only 9 commandments that really have any meaning in our time?

Obviously others must have already dealt with this question because Moses Maimonides and other medieval Jewish philosophers taught that idolatry “is not bowingto a graven image that you have made with your hands but rather believing in an image of God that you have concocted in your mind” (Kenneth Seeskin,No Other Gods, p. 17).  According to Maimonides’ definition, if one believes that one’s own concepts of G-d incorporate all that G-d can possibly be, then that individual is guilty of idol worship.  If as we proclaim daily in the Shema, that G-d is totally unique, then G-d’s singularity cannot be captured by our minds. Our images of G-d, as a father, a warrior, a nurturer, a creator, etc. are merely just that images.  We cannot reduce G-d to a state of being totally comprehendible by the human mind.

Let’s leave the philosophical arguments behind, however, and look at idolatry in a way that might make more sense to us.  What about countries that idolize their leaders, giving them power to rule as dictators?  Aren’t they guilty of idolatry?  How about the tendency to idolize wealth and material success?  Isn’t it a problem when money becomes so important that even if one must lie or steal to succeed, the acquisition of the dollar becomes the ultimate goal?   If you go into a gym, might you not walk out thinking that there are some individuals who have placed too much emphasis on the pursuit of beauty?  Have you ever sensed the way sports have become a center of meaning in many lives?

Leadership, wealth, beauty, and sports are in no way negative in and of themselves.  The problem arises when they are no longer means for reaching an end but become the end goal.  Certainly Judaism understands the role of the leader of a nation as one who is supposed to promote the core values of justice and righteousness,Tzedek and Mishpat, not as one who is to be venerated and given unlimited power. Wealth is not a problem from a Jewish viewpoint unless it is not shared to alleviate the suffering of individuals who have not the means to provide for themselves and their families .  We say brachot when we see beauty in the world and we are cognizant of the importance of our bodies as gifts that are not to be abused.  We do not negate these means but they are not to be worshiped .

One last thought, you will notice that we do not worship Moses or the Torah.  It is no accident that our greatest prophet is given negligible/or as some prefer to say, no billing in the Haggadah as we discuss the redemption from Egypt on Pesach. And as you know according to Torah his final resting place is not marked.   When visitors walk into our sanctuary they may see us parading the Torah through the aisles and individuals lining up to kiss it. Perhaps they might think we are worshiping the Torah.  This does not happen,(except on Yom Kippur) however, if we do not read from it.   The end goal of the parade is to read from the Torah while we listen and try to understand the meaning contained within it.  Why grapple with the content?  In order to try to figure out a path for living that gives honor to G-d by treating our fellow human beings with kavod.  That seems to be the meaning behind reciting the Ten Commandments while reading the book of Exodus today, while reading the book of Deuteronomy later during the year, and while celebrating Shavuot. 

Shabbat Shalom.