Exodus 20:3-5 - Prohibition Against Idolatry

Exodus 20:3-5

1) You shall not have 2) the gods of others 3) in My presence.

You shall not make for yourself a graven image or any likeness which is in the heavens above, which is on the earth below, or which is in the water beneath the earth.

You shall neither prostrate yourself before them nor worship them, for I, the Lord, your God, am a zealous God, Who visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons, upon the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me..

לֹ֣א יִֽהְיֶ֣ה־לְךָ֩ אֱלֹהִ֨ים אֲחֵרִ֜ים עַל־פָּנַ֗י

לֹ֣א תַֽעֲשֶׂה־לְּךָ֣ פֶ֣סֶל | וְכָל־תְּמוּנָ֡ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם | מִמַּ֡עַל וַֽאֲשֶׁר֩ בָּאָ֨רֶץ מִתַּ֜חַת וַֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּמַּ֣יִם | מִתַּ֣חַת לָאָ֗רֶץ

הלֹֽא־תִשְׁתַּֽחֲוֶ֣ה לָהֶם֘ וְלֹ֣א תָֽעָבְדֵם֒ כִּ֣י אָֽנֹכִ֞י יְ-הֹוָ֤ה אֱ-לֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ אֵ֣ל קַנָּ֔א פֹּ֠קֵ֠ד עֲוֹ֨ן אָבֹ֧ת עַל־בָּנִ֛ים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֥ים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִ֖ים לְשֽׂנְאָ֑י

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Rashi

You shall not have: Why was this said? Since it says, “You shall not make for yourself, etc.” I know only that one may not make [graven idols, etc.] How do I know that one may not keep what was already made? Therefore, Scripture states: “You shall not have.” -[Mechilta]

...the gods of others: Heb. אֱלֹהִים אִחֵרִים, which are not gods, but that others have made them for gods over themselves. It is impossible to interpret this passage to mean: gods other than I, since it is a disgrace for Heaven to call them gods along with Him. Alternatively: strange gods, for they are strange to their worshippers. They cry out to them, but they do not answer them, and it appears as if it [the god] were a stranger, who never knew him [the worshipper]. — [from Mechilta]

...in My presence: Heb. עַל-פָּנָּי [This means] as long as I exist [signifying forever. God states this so] that you should not say that only that generation was commanded [prohibited] concerning idolatry. — [from Mechilta]

Ramban

You shall not have the gods of others in My presence: Rashi wrote, "Why was this said? Since it says, “You shall not make for yourself, etc." I know only that one may not make [graven idols, etc.] How do I know that one may not keep what was already made? Therefore, Scripture states: "You shall not have."

This Beraisa is indeed taught in the Mechilta. If so, this prohibition only means that a person is not allowed to have idols in his presence, for which he is not liable for the death penalty (because he did not actually make the idols). Therefore why did the Torah precede with the passive prohibition against having idols instead of the prohibition against bowing and worshiping them, which requires spiritual excision and the death penalty (i.e, the latter is more severe than the former. It would have made sense for the Torah to state the more severe sin before the lesser severe sin.)?

According to my understanding, this is not the intended halacha of this Beraisa, because it (20:3) is speaking about an individual's injunction, as is taught in Sifra (the beginning of Kedoshim), "...nor shall you make molten deities for yourselves," (Leviticus 19:4) implying that they can be made for him by others, and therefore the verse says, "nor... for yourselves" (to also prohibit you from having them made for you by others).

However, the verse says only "nor... for yourselves," which implies that you can make them for others, therefore the Torah uses the words "you (shall not make (plural)," to include both for yourselves or for others.

This is the basis of the principle that one who makes an idol for himself transgresses two prohibitions: 1) "you shall not make," and 2) "for yourselves." Rabbi Yosei's view is that making an idol transgresses three prohibitions: 1) "you shall not make" (for others) 2) "for yourselves," and 3) "you shall not have" (in your possession idols made by others). Therefore when Rabbi Yosei is among others, he is the one who says that "you shall not have" refers to the prohibition of owning idols, which is not the case according to the first opinion.

And this is also true according to the plain understanding from the wording (of the verse) "and the Lord will be my God..." (Genesis 28:21), and "...to be your God" (Leviticus 11:45). I.e, these are the positive injunctions opposite to the negative injunction discussed so far. That is to say that we shall not have aside from God any other gods from among any of the supernal angels or from among the hosts of the Heaven, which are called elohim (powers, forces). As it is said, "He who slaughters [a sacrifice] to the gods shall be destroyed, except to the Lord alone." (Exodus 22:19) The purpose of this is to prevent him from believing in any of them, to not accept any of them as his god, or to say "you are my god." This comports with the view of Onkelos, "Elah acherah bar mini."

What Did The Pharaoh Do Wrong?

February 12, 2021 - 28 Shevat 5781

The Ramban explains that God prevents evil people from repenting under extenuating circumstances. This is the case with the Pharaoh, whom God wanted to punish for enslaving the Jews with severe labor (Midrash Rabbah 5:6). According to this, this is the meaning of the verse in Exodus 7:3 as the introduction to the plagues, "But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and I will increase My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt."

The Ramban recognizes that this approach seems unjust. He therefore says, "And here is the answer to the question that everyone asks: If God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, what then was his transgression [since he had no choice]?"

To this end he provides the following two answers, both of which are true:

Firstly, because Pharaoh unjustifiably treated the Jews with terrible labor, He removed the path of repentance from him.

The following is a direct quote from the Ramban regarding the second answer:

Secondly, only the second half of the [ten] plagues were brought upon Egypt due to Pharaoh’s transgressions, as the Torah states, And Pharaoh’s heart was strengthened, (Shemot 7:13, 22; 8:15), and Pharaoh hardened his heart (ibid. 8:28, 9:7).

1. Plague of Blood - And the necromancers of Egypt did likewise with their secret rites, and Pharaoh's heart was steadfast, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had spoken. (Exodus 7:22).


2. Plague of Frogs - When Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart, and he did not hearken to them, as the Lord had spoken. (Exodus 8:11)


3. Plague of Lice - So the necromancers said to Pharaoh, "It is the finger of God," but Pharaoh's heart remained steadfast, and he did not hearken to them, as the Lord had spoken. (Exodus 8:15)


4. Plague of Beasts - But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go. (Exodus 8:28)


5. Plague of Livestock - And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not even one of the livestock of Israel died, but Pharaoh's heart became hardened, and he did not let the people out. (Exodus 9:7)


6. Plague of Boils - But the Lord strengthened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not hearken to them, as the Lord spoke to Moses. (Exodus 9:12)


7. Plague of Hail - Because this time, I am sending all My plagues into your heart and into your servants and into your people, in order that you know that there is none like Me in the entire earth. (Exodus 9:14)


8. Plague of Locusts - But the Lord strengthened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go out. (Exodus 10:20)


9. Plague of Darkness - The Lord strengthened Pharaoh's heart, and he was unwilling to let them out. (Exodus 10:27)


10. Plague of Death of the First Born Child - Moses and Aaron had performed all these miracles before Pharaoh, but the Lord strengthened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the children of Israel out of his land. (Exodus 11:10)

When Life Gives you Lemons, Eat Locusts

September 9, 2020 - 19 Elul 5780

In the story of the Exodus the Egyptians get a bad rap, and rightfully so because they are so clearly the perpetrators of evil.

However, we occasionally can attest to the attempt of even evil people to bring order into chaos, to bring some good into the equation when all they see is bad.

The Midrash Shemos Rabbah 13:7 says that the Egyptians tried to catch the locusts in barrels during the eighth plague:

...and the Lord reversed a very strong west wind, why does it say that "not one locust remained?" Rabbi Yochanan said "Because the Egyptians rejoiced when the locusts came, saying 'Let us gather and fill up barrels with them.'

וַיּהֲפֹךְ ה' רוּחַ יָם, מַהוּ לֹא נִשְׁאַר אַרְבֶּה אֶחָד, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן כֵּיוָן שֶׁבָּא אַרְבֶּה שָׂמְחוּ הַמִּצְרִיִּים, אָמְרוּ נִקְבֹּץ וּנְמַלֵּא מֵהֶם חָבִיּוֹת

Locusts were (and in some places are) a delicacy, and so the Egyptians saw an opportunity in the destructive onslaught of the locusts for some fine dining. And it may certainly be that this is a redeeming factor among the Egyptians, for although they brought great evil upon the Jews they at least sought to minimize their own suffering and to "turn lemons into lemonade." It attests to the human will to survive, which is part and parcel of what it means to be "made in the Image of God."

Further, we cannot completely ignore the attempts of even evil people with evil motivations to find construction within destruction, and we may even learn from them. For as we know, the Midrash says that although the people who built the Tower of Babel were, in their minds, declaring war on God, their one redeeming factor was their express unity with each other in this literally misdirected endeavor. To this end we may appreciate the attempts of the Egyptians to improve their dismal situation in any way they knew how. Contrast this with the behavior of the generation of Noach, who manipulated and cheated each other, for which God brought destruction upon the entire face of the earth in contrast to one lone edifice in the generation of Babel.

But therein lies the rub - it is not always appropriate to look for the good in the bad. This is specifically true when God is sending the bad for the purpose of inspiring repentance, which was one of the reasons for the ten plagues. So while it is generally true that one should look for whatever good he can find in whatever difficulties he experiences, sometimes the most appropriate action is to pause, think, and introspect as to what may be causing him to experience this particular set of hardships, and to plot out a plan of reconciliation and improvement.

The continutation of that Midrash is as follows:

The Holy One, Blessed is He, said, 'Evil ones! This plague that I brought upon you, and you rejoice in it,' He immediately reversed a very strong wind," this is an easterly wind. "And picked up the locusts." What does it mean that "not one locust remained?" Even those that were in their jars and barrels, which were pickled, flew away and went away, and God hardened Pharoah's heart.

אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא רְשָׁעִים בַּמַּכָּה שֶׁהֵבֵאתִי עֲלֵיכֶם בָּהּ אַתֶּם שְׂמֵחִים, מִיָּד וַיַּהֲפֹךְ ה' רוּחַ יָם חָזָק מְאֹד, זֶה רוּחַ מַעֲרָבִית. וַיִּשָֹּׂא אֶת הָאַרְבֶּה וגו', מַהוּ לֹא נִשְׁאַר אַרְבֶּה אֶחָד, אֲפִלּוּ מַה שֶּׁהָיוּ בַּקְּדֵירוֹת וּבֶחָבִיּוֹת מְלוּחוֹת פָּרְחוּ וְהָלְכוּ לָהֶם, וַיְחַזֵּק ה' אֶת לֵב פַּרְעֹה

And now the folly of the Egyptians becomes clear, as it says in Koheles (Ecclesiastes), "A time to cast stones and a time to gather stones." (Koheles 3:5) By their frenzied focus on gathering as many barrels of locusts as possible they missed the meaning of the experiences that was right in front of their faces - the call to teshuva, repentance.

The Pirkei Avos (Ethics of the Fathers) says,

"Ben Zoma says, 'Who is wise? He who learns from every man, as it says (Psalms 119:99), 'From all my teachers I gained understanding...'"

בֶּן זוֹמָא אוֹמֵר, אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם, הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קיט) מִכָּל מְלַמְּדַי הִשְׂכַּלְתִּי כִּי עֵדְוֹתֶיךָ שִׂיחָה לִּי