Avodah Zarah (Idolatry)

Avodah Zarah is a negative commandment, the second in the Torah's list of commandments and the second of the Ten Commandments: "You shall have no other gods before Me." Non-Jews are also obligated in this commandment, though with fewer restrictions than Jews.

While for most commandments the rule is that if someone is forced to transgress, they should transgress rather than die (since the Torah says "you shall live by them"), there are three severe transgressions - idolatry, forbidden relations, and murder - for which one must give up their life rather than transgress. The source for this is the verse "And you shall love Hashem your G-d with all your heart and all your soul," which our Sages interpret as "even if He takes your soul." For these three commandments, which represent the core of love for Hashem, one must fulfill "and you shall love" even when it involves "with all your soul" - giving up one's life.

This severity applies not only to these commandments themselves but even to related matters that aren't the core prohibition but lead one to transgress or contain a trace of the prohibition. These too require martyrdom rather than transgression, both for idolatry and the other two severe prohibitions.

The Nature of Idolatry

The perspective of idolaters was that creation is supposedly disconnected from Hashem, believing He is too lofty to be involved with it. Therefore, they believed in intermediaries and other creators. However, a Jew is commanded to believe in the Creator and His providence - that He alone creates and oversees every detail of creation with individual providence, and there are no other powers (meaning rulers or leaders) besides Him.

The Root of Idolatrous Thinking

Their mistake stems from the conception that G-d is too exalted from physical created beings, and due to His greatness, the categories of physical creation don't apply to Him at all. Therefore, they believed creation and providence over it would be beneath Him and couldn't be done by Him directly.

Rejection of Idolatry

However, they erred because Hashem created the world ex nihilo, meaning even the highest creations are completely incomparable to Him. Their creation by Him is something from nothing. Therefore, the creation of heaven and earth are both incomparable to Him and their creation is in a way that is completely beyond their level.

The Obligation

While non-Jews derive their spiritual vitality from levels that don't allow them to sense Hashem's true exaltedness, they are still obligated in this commandment not to worship other gods. This is one of the Seven Noahide Laws. This unity - believing that Hashem oversees everything with individual providence - is the commandment we were given: "You shall have no other gods before Me," meaning we shouldn't think that Hashem has abandoned the earth to be run by other powers.

Pharaoh and the Miracles

Chassidic teachings explain that Pharaoh's claim "I do not know Hashem" and his refusal to release the Jews from Egypt stemmed from his mistaken belief that the Creator is too lofty for worldly matters. This was the basis of his statement "I do not know Hashem" - believing He had abandoned the world to the stars and constellations. The plagues, signs and wonders came to prove to Pharaoh that Hashem rules both heaven and earth, as Moses declared during the plagues "so that you shall know there is none like Me in all the earth." Through changing nature's course, it was revealed that Hashem is the sole ruler of the world, even the physical earth below.

The Golden Calf

The Mixed Multitude (Erev Rav) rejected this truth and wanted to convince the Jews of their error. Therefore, when Moses delayed in returning, they misled the Jews into believing that the celestial bodies rule the world. They claimed that Egypt and Pharaoh were struck due to a war between the celestial powers themselves - since Egypt's constellation is Aries, they argued that Taurus fought and defeated it. This convinced the Jews to make a calf.

Nullification of Idolatry

The Talmud in Yoma recounts how the Sages eliminated the desire for idolatry from Israel. The Jewish people asked Hashem to remove the evil inclination completely, even though they knew they would receive reward for resisting temptation. A note fell from heaven with the word "Truth" written on it - indicating Hashem agreed to their request.

The Jewish people fasted for three days and nights, after which a lion emerged from the Holy of Holies. Following the prophet Zechariah's instruction, the people killed it.

Idolatry's Severity

The prohibition of idolatry is equivalent to all other commandments combined. The Rebbe explains three aspects of this:

1. Since the prohibition of idolatry is connected to faith in Hashem (as one who worships idols denies Hashem), it forms the foundation for all commandments
2. The prohibition itself, as an individual commandment, equals all others
3. Violating the prohibition of idolatry contains the same essential rejection found in violating all commandments

Personal Worship and Modern Applications

The following are considered subtle forms of idolatry in personal conduct:

• Considering business as the source of livelihood is subtly idolatrous, and investing excessive thought in it is like bowing to it, as one lowers their head and mind to be consumed by it
• One must believe everything is from Hashem and no created being has the ability to harm or affect them of their own power and choice
• The error of idolatry is considering things as independent existences that influence through their own power. Considering any existence as independently real is subtle idolatry

Talmudic Sources

• "Jews outside Israel are like those who worship idols in purity" - The land of Canaan represents submission and nullification, while outside the land represents a place not nullified to Hashem, thus constituting subtle idolatry
• "Whoever gets angry is like one who worships idols" - Because if one truly believed everything was from Hashem, they would not get angry at all

The Pope's Visit

After rabbis visited the Pope, the Rebbe spoke painfully about this "shocking event" where "representatives of the Jewish people" went to honor the Pope and bowed before him - acts for which one should give up their life rather than transgress. The Rebbe said there must be protest against this. While there was protest at the time, it wasn't adequate.

The Olympics

The Olympic Games began over 2,700 years ago as part of idolatrous worship to a Greek deity. When the Olympics were held in Munich in 1972, the Rebbe addressed this in a talk on Shabbat Chanukah 5733, determining it was a matter of idolatry.

When the Olympics were held in Montreal in 1976, local Chabad Chassidim did not conduct any Jewish outreach activities there. Eight years later, when the games were in Los Angeles, Chabad activists proposed opening a kosher restaurant to reach Jewish participants. However, they received clear, strong instructions from the Rebbe not to participate in any way.

Additional Topics

• Unity of G-d
• Divine Providence
• Partnership with other powers
• Existence
• Nations of the world

Sources for Reference

• Maamar Dibur Hamatchil "Mayim Rabim" 5717
• Toras Shmuel Sefer HaMaamarim 5640 Part 1, Maamar Dibur Hamatchil "L'havin Inyan Rosh Chodesh"