When the Torah describes various events that appear to be rooted in a concrete time and place, its account is more a retelling than a reconstruction. Each one of them said, I will eat first until the largest of them picked up the staff and shattered the others. [Terah] responded: Why are you trying to fool me? These events occurred at some point in the past, and the Holy Author (God) describes them from the unique perspective of the divine. See:The Complete Works of Achad Ha-Am(Tel Aviv, 1947), p. 342 [Hebrew]. Exodus 34:13 - Bible Hub The first and simplest is, What the Torah says about the event is what is important. The second is shorter but sharper, What the Torah says is what is important.. Smashing Jewish Idols | My Jewish Learning the literary character. [27]See Rambam,Mishneh Torah, Laws of Repentence, 3:7. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me. But every first offspring of a donkey you shall redeem . As I was leading a discussion in the beit midrash on this subject, one of the participants pushed back against this approach. Rambams approach here applies to our case as well. Abraham emerging unscathed must have been a compelling and humbling sight. 43 And Abram answered his father and said to him, And how canst thou then serve these idols in whom there is no power to do any thing? In my book, I explore a middle position that distinguishes between cases where it is necessary to free ourselves from a historicity that strangles the spirit of the text and cases where the historicity of the story would actually make the spirit of the story that much brighter. Thus, we can say that there is no reason not to ascribe great literary prowess to God. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! Is it less true than a simple chronology of events describing the beginning of the world and of humankind? (For instance, not to say that God uses rational and beneficent thinking. that we are sacrificed to the Lord for this end, that our former life being destroyed in us, we may be raised up to a new life. Scripture strongly advises against the following of idols other than God. 20Hezekiah did this throughout Judah; and (W)he did what was good, right, and true before the Lord his God. What does the Bible say about idolatry? which benefit does a community experience when its members have a high level of health literacy? Enter your email to subscribe and receive notifications of new content. idols of any kind. If I were pushed to offer some sort of response to this question anyway, I would say that just as any great author can breathe life into his or her characters and describe them from many angles, so too can the Divine Author, the greatest of authors. and have I not myself made them? Nevertheless, see his comment further on in the piece, The words ofaggada, which can have such good and blessed effects are literally the words of the living God. This statement seems to be very much in accord with what I called the highest level of faith, the belief in the ahistoricity of the narrative. Abraham chose to follow God alone, and he demonstrated his commitment by circumcising every male in his household. Exodus 20:3 - Thou shalt have no other gods before me. When his father saw that his son Abraham had broken his gods he was very angry with him. Then all the sons of Israel returned to their cities, each to his possession. And Abram hastened and went from the chamber to his fathers outer court, and he found his father sitting in the court, and all his servants with him, and Abram came and sat before him. Numbers 33:52 Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places: Judges 2:2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? Smashing Idols: A Paradoxical Semiotics - RCNi Company Limited These were the feelings of Abraham, and he taught his father's house, and all around him, as far as he had the privilege. One reason why they did so was, that he had gone into those places which his father considered sacred, and among the wooden gods which were there, and, being filled with anger that his father should bow down and worship gods of wood and stone, he broke them. For an overall discussion of his approach by other scholars, see: Yosef Ofer (ed. Abraham is to be killed for his righteousness, and is saved by God Inasmuch as Abrahams fight against idolatry is a common theme in the Bible, so is the prophet of God, in the face of adversity, being persecuted for his beliefs. The Bible says we should put living in a righteous manner above all other pursuits of the flesh and mind. Nimrod the mighty hunter was one of the sons of Kush. ),Shitat ha-Beinot shel ha-Rav Mordechai Breuer: Qovetz Maamarim u-Teguvot(Alon Shevut: Tevunot, 2005). The only similarity that one finds here is Abraham advising his father about the futility of idol worship. And why wilt thou not sense the God of the whole universe, who created thee and in whose power it is to kill and keep alive? Abraham, the Father of Faith | True Faith - JW.ORG This Midrash can be interpreted as an example of persecution against those of monotheistic beliefs during a time when polytheism dominated.[8]. This is a false dichotomy. When a man would come to buy [an idol], [Abraham] would ask him: "How old are you?" 13 And in the fiftieth year of the life of Abram son of Terah, Abram came forth from the house of Noah, and went to his fathers house. For an English version explaining Breuers approach, see: Mordechai Breuer, The Study of Bible and the Primacy of the Fear of Heaven: Compatibility or Contradiction, inModern Scholarship in the Study of Torah(ed. Abraham and the Idol Shop - Wikipedia [18] Is it less significant than a partial biography of a given individual, who lived 3500 years ago in some insignificant part of the world? How is one to deal with such a tremendous challenge? 3He also appointed (D)the kings portion of his property for the burnt offerings, namely, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths and for the new moons and for the appointed festivals, (E)as it is written in the Law of the Lord. 4 The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. It is this perspective in particular, and the interpretation of the event expressed in it, that is of interest, religiously speaking, for within this retelling of the event lies its religious value. 52 And the king sent three men of his servants, and they went and brought Abram before the king. Can those idols in which thou trustest deliver thee? See: Tamar Ross,Expanding the Palace of Torah: Orthodoxy and Feminism(Waltham: Brandeis, 2004). The interpretive strategy of the accepted rendition is paramount emphasizes the importance of our mediated encounter with the text, the reading that I was taught by my teacher, and he his teacher, going all the way back to the law given to Moses at Sinai. In short, the tradition is of utmost value. 32 And he called out and said, Wo unto my father and this wicked generation, whose hearts are all inclined to vanity, who serve these idols of wood and stone which can neither eat, smell, hear nor speak, who have mouths without speech, eyes without sight, ears without hearing, hands without feeling, and legs which cannot move; like them are those that made them and that trust in them. [3]See the long discussion inResponsa Rashba(1:414), where Rashba uses strong language to criticize various sages who suggested a philosophical-allegorical understanding for a number of biblical characters, including Abraham. Donate. Why is Abraham is cutting up all these animals in Genesis 15? Abraham burns the idols unlike the Qur'anic account where we find Abraham smashing all but the largest idol. [12]In this case, it isnt about writing per se, as it makes little difference whether it is reported by radio, TV, or newspaper. And Abram answered the king, saying, And if there be no power in them why dost thou serve them and cause the sons of men to err through thy follies? Abraham went thence to his mother, and he spoke to her, saying: Behold, my father has shown those unto me who made heaven and earth and all the sons of men. [9] Kugel's interpretation continues in the tradition of looking at this midrash as part of the analysis of monotheism. Abraham responds that wind pushes clouds. what makes muscle tissue different from other tissues? Abraham responds that clouds hold water. For another angle on the problem of ahistorical interpretation, made in modern times, see words of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe (Iggerot Kodesh7:996): [9]We will leave, for now, the difficult questions engendered by the issue of the slippery slope and return to them indirectly when we deal with the other basis for challenging the ahistorical interpretation, namely the problem of truth. Additionally, the slippery slope problem is discussed more fully in chapter 4 of my book, which deals with the historicity of a different biblical story, namely the revelation at Mount Sinai. 6The sons of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and (I)the tithe of [d]sacred gifts which were consecrated to the Lord their God, and placed them in heaps. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it." However, see the words of Maimonides about Adam, Eve and the serpent inGuide of the Perplexed(2:30). [1] Many commentaries throughout the generations have taken up this question; see, for example, Ramban on Genesis 11:28 and Maharal of Prague inNetzah Yisrael, ch. [28] Although they believed that the great and majestic body of God was not comparable to their small and weak bodies, nevertheless, they could not let go of a God with some sort of a physical body. I expected my father to punish me, but he never said a word. 1. Rabbi Amit Kulaisthe rabbi of Kibbutz Alumim as well as of Beit Midrash Daroma at Ben Gurion University. What was Abraham's religion before God called him? If the stories about the ancestors of the nation had not been included in the Torah at Sinai, it seems likely that they would be without any religious implications. [8]In fact, seeResponsa Rashba1:116, where Rashba makes this point. The commentary explains what happened to Abraham when he was a young boy working in his father's idol shop. Rabbi Yehudah said: It applies even to unclean animals. Rabbi Yehudah said to them: But wasnt the sciatic nerve forbidden to the sons of Jacob, and they were permitted to eat unclean animals! They said to him: The law was stated at Sinai but was included in its proper place. For a summary of the issues surrounding pre-Sinaitic rules, see the entry in theEncylopedia Talmudit, One may not learn [rules] from the time before the giving of the Torah, (vol. [16] Only from the time of its inclusion in the Sinai covenant could a given law become the Archimedean point for the spiritual makeup of a person. Later, a woman walked into the store and wanted to make an offering to the idols. 2And Hezekiah appointed (B)the divisions of the priests and the Levites by their divisions, each according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, (C)for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to serve and to give thanks and to praise in the gates of the camp of the Lord. Recounting the Census: A Military Force of 5,500 (not 603,550) Men, Reconstructionism Reconciles Rationalism and Revelation, Rabbi Chiyya said: Terah was an idol worshiper. 21Every work which he began in the service of the house of God in the Law and in the commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and (X)prospered. Considering this, insofar as observance is concerned, is it important to defend the belief that all of the stories narrated in the book of Genesis actually happened? So Nimrod declares they worship wind. Genesis 11:26 After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the See also the words of Maharal of Prague about Abraham and Sarah in hisGlosses on Aggadot(part 3, p. 83), but compare these with his comments inGevurot Hashem(ch. 23 And when Abram had gone from them he went to his mother and sat before her, and he said to his mother, Behold, my father has shown me those who made heaven and earth, and all the sons of men. 47 And how can you continue to do this and serve gods of wood and stone, who cannot hear, or speak, or deliver you from oppression, thereby bringing down the anger of the God of the universe upon you? Nimrod and Abraham - The Two Rivals - Chabad.org One time a woman came carrying a dish of fine flour. Abraham's father in fact agrees with Abraham regarding idol worship unlike the Qur'anic version! why would the ancient Greeks have Worshipped Demeter. If this is a story, he said, it is a very human story. 31 And in the evening of that day in that house Abram was clothed with the spirit of God. 15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great." 2 But Abram said, "O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue[ a] childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 And Abram said, "Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of This understanding is reminiscent of the approach of Peter Winch, which requires a historian to enter into the past and to view it from within. When I ask myself the question, What is more important: that Abraham lived in Ur 3500 years ago, or that he should live for 3500 years in the hearts of the people of Israel, I choose the second option. Why did Abraham destroy the idols? - Answers Abraham at last thought he would teach his father a lesson by making a clean sweep of his gods. returned from his journey, he found his merchan- The plot point of Abrahams fattempted murder for his beliefs is found in four source texts. Kula was formerly the Rosh haYeshiva of Yeshivat HaKibbutz HaDati in Ein Tzurim. Bible verses related to Idols from the King James Version (KJV) by Relevance. 54 And the king said to Abram, Had they power to speak and eat and do as thou hast said? // Javascript URL redirection Save 15% for life! As our rabbis taught us, all is in the hands of heaven except for fear of heaven (b. Berachot 33b); even the historical Abraham would have to fit into this rubric. Abraham's brother Haran sees what happened and says that he believes in the God of Abraham. My Jewish Learning is a not-for-profit and relies on your help. There is also a third option, of course, that the Abraham who lived in Ur continued to live in the hearts of Israel. Cautiously, I would like to suggest that doing so is not important. Save 15% for life on BibleGateway+ with code SPRINGSTUDY15. Muhammad describes Abraham's anguished attempts to reason with His father and persuade him to accept a new divine Message this way: "O my Father! 37 And when Terah saw this his anger was greatly kindled, and he hastened and went from the room to Abram. Lord. 41 And Terahs anger was kindled against his son Abram, when he spoke this; and Terah said to Abram his son in his anger, What is this tale that thou hast told? So he got a club, or some other weapon, and knocked off the heads of some, the arms and legs of others, and made a general wreck among the idols, but left the biggest untouched. Anyone who accepts the seven mitzvot (of the Noahides) and is careful not to violate them should be considered one of the righteous gentiles and has a share in the World to Come. 14Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the eastern gate, was in charge of the [h]voluntary offerings for God, to distribute the contributions for the Lord and the most holy things. I cannot thank them enough for the happy homelife they created for me and my siblings. [23]My view here stands in stark contrast with that of Rav Kook, who criticizes the ahistorical approach to biblical narratives. Dr. [11]It is virtually impossible to exaggerate the political, sociological and emotional implications of this assertion. What does the Bible say about child sacrifice? | GotQuestions.org either making or worshiping idols or "other gods.". According to this second phrasing, the events described in the Torah are part of Gods narrative; whether this narrative has a basis in historical fact doesnt matter. (C) 18Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation,(D) and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. Nevertheless, this possibility brings to mind the old joke about the elephant and the ant. 36 And Terah entered the room and found all the idols fallen down and broken, and the hatchet in the hand of the largest, which was not broken, and the savory meat which Abram his son had made was still before them. 71C11132 Haran, Abraham's brother, having witnessed the miracle, decides to undergo the test of fire as well, but is immediately consumed. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities. In verse 7 God said the covenant He established with Abraham was to be everlasting and that He alone was to be God to Abraham and his offspring. [13]Even if its conclusions will, in the end, be rejectednot always and not necessarilyby practical halacha. I loved learning about the gospel. Will you really sweep it away and not spare[c] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Terah is a Biblical figure from the book of Genesis. Contrast this with the literary Abraham, the Abraham who is the fruit of the spirit of God and the divine pen. Start for FREE. 2 Chronicles 31 NASB - Idols Are Destroyed - Now when all this - Bible Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places. 5. Terah responded by saying that they are only statues and have no knowledge. that there is a real God, then that God will save him. Seeing the Torah as the story of God establishes a persons faith in Torah from Heaven at its highest and purist level. [20]For more discussion on this question, see the position of R. Mordechai Breuer as he expressed it first inDeot12 (Winter 5720): pp. This can be seen clearly in the rich collection of essays, edited by Lee Levin and Amichai Mazer,The Polemic about the Historical Truth of Scripture(Jerusalem, 5761) [Hebrew]. Terah, having heard the crash of the hatchet on the stone, ran to the room of the idols, and he reached it at the moment when Abraham was leaving it, and when he saw what had happened, he hastened after Abraham, and he said to him, What is this mischief thou hast done to my gods? Abraham answered: I set savory meat before them, and when I came nigh unto them, that they might eat, they all stretched out their hands to take of the meat, before the big one had put forth his hand to eat. Nations Descended from Noah. In essence, we exchange a conversation about God for an encounter with God. "You shall not delay the offering from your harvest and your vintage. Genesis 31:34 Now Rachel had taken Laban's household idols - Bible Hub New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. 14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. The giving of the Torah at Sinai turns a story or mitzvah included in it into the barometer for proper religious behavior. [15]With regard to the sciatic nerve, the Mishna states (m.Chullin7:6): The rule applies to clean animals but not to unclean ones. 20 And Abram said to his father, My lord, shew them to me I pray thee; and Terah brought Abram into the chamber of the inner court, and Abram saw, and behold the whole room was full of gods of wood and stone, twelve great images and others less than they without number. 1, 14:53, p. 163. [5]A lot has been written about the principle of the slippery slope. See, for example, the essay by Yuval Cherlow, Halacha and the Slippery Slope,Akdamut23 (5769): 33-48 [Hebrew]. Rijksmuseum 1 The Midrashic Abraham Rabbi Chiyya said: Terah was an idol worshiper. 2 Kings 18:4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. 9Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. It is this difference, which lies at the heart of the distinction between the two interpretive methods described above. Deuteronomy 9:21 And I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small, even until it was as small as dust: and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount. But the Lord inspired Abraham to leave there. [21]An ant and an elephant are running through the desert. Whether our actions motivate us to work for labor and the downtrodden or peace in Israel, we activate a certain "Abraham" within to destroy the idols of prior perspectives and belief systems, and . New American Standard Bible (NASB). When he or she reads the accounts of our father Abraham in the Torah and wishes to understand their significance, what he or she wants is not to find out more about the (possible) historical character behind the story but to encounter the protagonist of the narrative, i.e. 27 And Abram mocked them, and said, Surely the savory meat that I prepared has not pleased them, or perhaps it was too little for them, and for that reason they would not eat; therefore tomorrow I will prepare fresh savory meat, better and more plentiful than this, in order that I may see the result. The Torah describes various events from its own unique perspective. Will not the Judge(V) of all the earth do right?(W), 26The Lord said, If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake. Although the Bible says Terah "worshiped other gods" 1, p. 164: Tamar Ross makes great use of this principle, primarily in dealing with the feminist critique of Torah. Nimrod 's Humble Heritage. What if only thirty can be found there?, He answered, I will not do it if I find thirty there., 31Abraham said, Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?, He said, For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it., 32Then he said, May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. So Nimrod declares they worship clouds. can they deliver thee from the hands of thy enemies, or will they fight thy battles for thee against thy enemies, that thou shouldst serve wood and stone which can neither speak nor hear? The interpretive strategy of the received text is paramount takes an entirely different approach, which attempts to encounter the word of God without any mediation. The Life of Our Forefather Abraham - Chabad.org father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. Which is the most important river in Congo? F. Gibbs. 16 And Abram came to his fathers house and saw twelve gods standing there in their temples, and the anger of Abram was kindled when he saw these images in his fathers house. 47 Bible Verses about Destroying Idols Deuteronomy 12:2-3ESV / 14 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. Idols Are Destroyed 31 Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, broke the memorial stones in pieces, cut down the [ a]Asherim and pulled down the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until [ b]they had destroyed them all. Although these events have halachic weight in Jewish tradition, this is not because they happened in the past (before the revelation at Sinai) but because they were included in the Torahs narrative at Sinai.[15]. went away on a journey, and he left Abraham in charge of the store. For it is hardly surprising that events that occurred in history would be recorded in the writings of various cultures that witnessed these events. why dost thou worship . 2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. Bible verses about False Idols. 15[i]Under his authority were (P)Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in (Q)the cities of the priests, to distribute their portions faithfully to their brothers by divisions, whether great or small, 16without regard to their genealogical enrollment, to the males from [j](R)thirty years old and upwardeveryone who entered the house of the Lord (S)for his daily obligationsfor their work in their duties according to their divisions; 17as well as the priests who were enrolled genealogically according to their fathers households, and the Levites (T)from twenty years old and upward, by their duties and their divisions. [7]Doubtless, this claim reveals an important educational principle whose significance is beyond reproach. In response to the first question, I admitted that I am not trying at all to prove that the biblical author was God. See, for example, the Gerrer Rebbe, R. Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter (Sefat Emeton Leviticus, Pesach 5631): In every generation there is an exodus from Egypt, but one relevant to that generation. There is much more to say about this, but here is not the place. Abraham told him that a woman came in to make an offering to the idols. 26 And Abram saw on the day when he was sitting amongst them, that they had no voice, no hearing, no motion, and not one of them could stretch forth his hand to eat. It is, furthermore, impossible to deny another benefit of the ahistorical model of understanding the Torahs narratives. "Turn from Thy burning anger and change Thy mind about doing harm to Thy people. Abrahams father had instructed him in the doctrines of these idols, and had sought to induce him to have faith in them and in their power, authority, and dominion, telling him what great personages they were. 19 And Abram asked his father, saying, Father, tell me where is God who created heaven and earth, and all the sons of men upon earth, and who created thee and me. This is the meaning of the phrase, In every generation a person must look upon himself as if he left Egypt.[14], This perspective is reflected in the world of halacha as well. Presenting the Torah as Gods narrative does not take away from its religious significance. 44 And now surely it is not good for thee nor for the sons of men that are connected with thee, to do these things; are you so silly, so foolish or so short of understanding that you will serve wood and stone, and do after this manner? 12They faithfully brought in the contributions, the tithes, and the consecrated things; and Conaniah the Levite was the officer in charge (N)of them, and his brother Shimei was second. what happens when you drink cold water when you are hot? 21. Nimrod came from a line which was cursed by Noah: "Cursed be Canaan, a slave of slaves shall he be unto his brothers." By birth, Nimrod had no right to be a king or ruler. 28 And it was on the next day that Abram directed his mother concerning the savory meat, and his mother rose and fetched three fine kids from the flock, and she made of them some excellent savory meat, such as her son was fond of, and she gave it to her son Abram; and Terah his father did not know of it. Bible. [26]It would be wrong to simplify the dichotomy by trying to distinguish between the simple person, who would wish to hide from contradictions since answering them would be beyond this persons ability, and the learned person, who, ostensibly, can deal with such tensions.
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