© 2020 by Rabbi Dr. Zvi Aviner
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IDOLATRY-13/
Building Adam for the IDOLATRY Trial 2
Know your CREATOR, know yourself and know the difference
1: An inventory check
When ELKM spoke in plural before creating Adam, saying “Let Us Make Adam in Our Form and Our Image,” He opened the door for IDOLATRY to exist. Whoever ELKM consulted with to make Adam us, would serve as our potential IDOLATRY TRAP. Overcoming the traps would make Adam Very Good in ELKM’s eyes.
Last class we discussed the first Consultation of ELKM-with the Six Days. By this He paved a road for IDOLATRY through history. We should not wonder why ELKM the JUDGE opened that door. For anything that ELKM the JUDGE does is for a trial. On one hand ELKM gave us precious gifts, such as awareness of Nature so that we can rule over it. Yet the same gifts may also serve as potential IDOLATRY traps for our trial.
Next to the Six Days, we’ve said, ELKM consulted the “Wisdom by Which He had Created the Universe” and made our BRAIN accordingly. By this He gave us a most precious gift, for which we should be thankful; yet by speaking in Plural He made “Wisdom” our “Most Successful Idol.”
2: Wisdom and Science as our IDOLS
Why is Wisdom (and Science) such a successful idol? Because Science is built on success. A good result in the lab, would open up new technologies by which we can improve our lives. Step by step, using scientific methods, humanity has progressed from Cave Man to Modern Man. Science has not only widened our comprehension of the Universe but also increased our life span and health.
Science is so successful that people are often led to believe it can solve all our problems. Wisdom and Science are not idols like wood and stone idols. Those ancient idols were transient, reflecting ignorance. But Science may serve as an idol when it pushes aside the true CREATOR from our heart and mind. Science may become an idol when the scientists subjects his life to it, neglecting the Torah and the CREATOR. The 20th century witnessed how scientific society turned into sheer evil.
Who else did ELKM consult?
3: Worshiping Art
As we’ve learned, next to Wisdom, ELKM consulted His “Spirit”- His Art. It was certainly a most precious gift, enriching our lives tremendously, yet the Consultation has made it a potential, attractive idol. People may subject their lives to it , forgetting the true CREATOR- ELKM.
4: Worshiping Our Selves
Next in ELKM’s consultations was His “Self.” He Consulted His Self and made our self – consciousness and ego. A precious gift from ELKM it was, yet a potential idol, in fact the sweetest of all idols since we tend to love ourselves. Yes, even worship ourselves.
Our Self-consciousness is of divine origin. We are INDIVIDUALS, besides members of society. Our “self” allows us to stand before ELKM’s SELF. We are engaged in a trial of KINGSHIP. Either we enthrone Him, or ourselves.
When the Angles asked ELKM why He speaks in plural, He responded that “teaching Adam modesty is paramount.” Of all Adam’s faults, our inflated ego is the most powerful, sweetest idol. We need to be taught modesty first and foremost.
The Ego and the Mirror Test of the Prophets
The following legend tells it all. When ELKM said “Let Us Make an Adam in Our Form and Our Image,” He “set” in front of a Mirror and saw His Image in that Mirror. He then created Adam according to His Image in the Mirror. And ever since then, He sits s on His Side of the Mirror, whereas we dwell in our side of the Mirror, our World.
So, when Adam aspires to peek at the CREATOR through that Mirror, all that Adam would see would be his own reflection peeking at him back from the Mirror.
The stronger Adam’s ego is, the thicker his image in the Mirror would be, and the more he would see his own reflection rather than of the CREATOR.
But a modest person with an ego subjected to the CREATOR, would be able to peek at the CREATOR, at His side of the Mirror. For there would be nothing to interfere between the person and the CREATOR.
Most peoples, as righteous they might be, would NOT see much through the Mirror to the other side. Only Moses, the modest of all people on earth, could talk to the CREATOR face to face, with almost no partition.
This would be a most difficult test of a prophet. He/she may hear voices and see visions, yet he/she should decide whether it is his/hers own words and visions that are reflected back at them from the Mirror, or whether these words and visions are Divine.
5, 6: The Drives for Sex and Power as our idols
Having consulted the Angles, the Six Days, and with His wisdom and Science, ELKM turned to things mentioned in the rest of Chapter One, even after creating Adam. These items would propel Adam forwards. Thus, He turned to PASSIONS AND DESIRES and said:
“Let Us Make and Adam in Our Form and Our Image.”
He consulted them like a BUILDER consulting his master plan and made Adam accordingly. Adam would be driven forwards by strong PASSIONS AND DESIRES to procreate and rule over. It is a gift from ELKM, but also an IDOLATRY TRAP.
Who is stronger, :
The Desire to procreate,
or the Desire to rule over, gain power ?
You see the answer in the verse that says:
“ELoKiM blessed them saying: be fruitful and multiply,
conquer the earth and rule over….”
The stronger blessing is placed up front. Like a strong horse that is placed at the front of a carriage,
Thu the Drive to Rule Over is more powerful than our Drive to multiply and have sex!.
Hence according to Moses, Professor Young prevails over Sigmund Freud. Seeking power drives Man more than sex!
Some more words about PASSIONS AND DESIRES.
Powerful Drives they are, for our benefits, yet also powerful IDOLATRY TRAPS. Moses warns us that Adam would be tempted to surrender his life to these idols rather than to the true G-d.
In summary so far: to be Very Good, Adam need to
- Emulate ELKM and rule our habitat as a King Who Consults rather than a Tyrant
- Be Modest, control our Ego
- Accept the CREATOR Kingship
- Withstand the IDOLATRY traps
Can Adam achieve that goal and be deemed Very Good in ELKM’s eyes? The stakes are high. If we’ve failed, we would not see the next Day, and the entire world would be “finished,” terminated
END OF IDOLATRY CLASS 13