VaYikra is the first reading of the month of Nissan. This month is the month of Redemption, in which we celebrate our being brought out of Egypt through the mighty hand of Hashem. It is said that Egypt was on the forty-ninth level (out of fifty) of defilement. This was in connection with her idolatrous practices. Indeed, when the People of Israel were brought out, it was said that Hashem defeated the Egyptians and their gods.

This parsha begins a detailed explanation of the mitzvot of the Torah with the sacrifices of the Mishkan. These sacrifices were to expiate the guilt of the nation before Hashem. Ancient peoples all had similar rites. Some of these rites have been preserved by, and are even practiced in, religions of our own time. However, there was, and is, a vast difference, in that Israel’s dedication was to the One Gd, the Creator of heaven and earth.

In our day most “rational” minds reject the concept of idolatry. It’s something they think passed with archaic thinking of superstitious, ignorant people of yesteryear. For these it’s hard to see the pitfalls that can lead to idolatry in its very many guises.

In Judaism we say Gd is One. In the Aleinu prayer we quote Zechariah 14:9: In that day the Lrd shall be One and His Name One. Comprehending the oneness of Hashem is absolutely essential. The Aleinu prayer is one for the day when all the nations will come to this understanding in order for the world to enter Redemption. So anything that detracts from this understanding of His oneness is, by definition, idolatry. It’s looking at the lower servant rather than at the King who sent him. It’s like revering the hand, rather than the whole body. It’s concentrating on one aspect of Hashem, such as His love, thus “splitting the shoots”. It’s limiting Him in some definitive way in our limited, finite minds. He is One.

Do not be frightened, do not be shaken!
Have I not from of old predicted to you?
I foretold, and you are My witnesses.
Is there any god, then, but Me? -- Yishiyahu 44:8

When Israel received the Torah at Sinai, the whole nation became witnesses of Hashem in the world. They heard His voice. They received His Torah, which is His revealed will on the earth. This experience set this nation apart among the family of all Mankind. While others might be able to question, Gd is saying to Israel: “You know, because you have witnessed My Presence.” This knowledge is Israel’s responsibility in the world. More than any other people, Israel knows there is no other god and brings this Truth into the world.

The Haphtorah elaborately condemns the foolishness of classic idolatry – the carving of a statue from wood, the bowing to a stone, the molding of something by hand, and then crying: “Save me, for you are my god!” Yishiyahu says: “He pursues ashes! A deluded mind has led him astray, and he cannot save himself. He never says to himself, ‘The thing in my hand is a fraud!’” (44:20). Once a person enters into that place of delusion, of wondering maybe, maybe, maybe... he’s susceptible to confusion and may find it very difficult to see what Truth is. In that place of conflict is the real danger of falling prey to the serpent’s aggrandizing promise that one may become “as Gd.” The universalist view of our time blurs the lines even more with: “It’s all one Gd.” There is truth in that statement, since everything is created by Him. However, there is a danger in this kind of thinking. It opens the way to take our eyes from Gd and revere instead the lower servants, such as the angels or great souls. That is why we have so many warnings against the sin of idolatry. It’s called “abomination”, and whole nations have been condemned to annihilation for the practices connected to it. While the teaching of tolerance is valid and praiseworthy, we must beware of our alliances and guard our own behavior.

On the other hand, we cannot ignore the importance of the condition of the heart. The story of Naaman, the commander of the army of Aram who came to the prophet Elisha for healing of leprosy, ends with him saying to Elisha that when he returns to his country, he will have to bow with the king to their local god (II Kings 5:18-19). The prophet answers him: “Go in peace.” This indicates that the intention of the heart is a definite consideration in heaven. We cannot assume that all who belong to “idolatrous” religions are necessarily idolaters. Some may have a very sincere heart toward Gd, regardless of what we see superficially. Only He can truly judge the heart of any of us.

Even within Judaism, we can fall into idolatry, because our hearts must be right in the manner in which we keep the mitzvot of the Torah. The sons of the high priest Eli performed the rituals of the Mishkan in such an abominable way that they were condemned as totally corrupt. Idolatry is a desecration of the Name of Hashem. It keeps us, and the whole world, in the fallen state of confusion and chaos. Performance of the mitzvot is meant to repair the state of Creation, but this must be done in the right spirit.

This isn’t an easy subject. It requires incredibly balanced understanding that can only come from Hashem. We live in a world so full of lies that we can easily be deceived and fall away. It can happen to any of us. We should stay constantly aware of this and remain humble, always praying to be protected and kept in Hashem’s loving hands. We have to always be ready to be shown where we have fallen even in the least and be very quick to return through tshuvah.

Shabbat shalom,
Miriam

Also see: "The Pollution of Idols"