Parashat Re-ei – Why Idolatry

In this week’s Torah portion, Moses asks the people to choose between two paths, the path of G-d and the path of idolatry. “I place before you on this day a blessing and a curse.” The blessing is if they follow G-d, and the curse if they do not.

It’s interesting to note, that it’s only in modern times that Jews fully choose the curse. We know from the writings of the prophets that even when Jews strayed from G-d, they did so by practicing idolatry in addition to worshiping G-d, not in place of. They ate Glat Kosher, fasted on Yom Kippur, kept the Shabbas, and then worshiped the idol Baal the rest of the week. Isaiah says “How long will you sit on the fence.”

The question is, if you have a blessing and a curse in front of you, why would someone choose the curse. The question can be paralleled by asking why would someone choose to take drugs when they know that they can cause serious physical and mental harm. The answer is instant gratification.

Everyone wants the good that comes with the blessing. We all want spirituality, meaning and happiness. But if I were to offer you a plan that would guarantee you get those things, and all you have to do is spend 10 years studying Torah, then 20 learning Talmud, then 20 more learning Kaballah, how many people would sign up of my 50 year plan. Even if you know it would work, most people choose not to take that path. People choose the path of instant gratification, even if there is no long-term gain (and potentially long term loss).

Idolatry is instant gratification. When the Jews entered Israel, idolatry was everywhere, on every mountain and under every tree; they were selling it on every street corner. It was a quick high. The Jews that partook weren’t ones who rejected G-d, they just needed a quick fix. They were looking for shortcuts to combine with their worship of G-d.

This choice is easier for Jews today. Because Judaism is not an integral part of so many Jew’s lives, when they want some meaning in life, when they need spirituality, it seems too hard to embrace their traditions, and they look for the quick fix.

Why do we need to pray everyday? Why do we need to follow all the commandments all of the time? What if things are going well and we don’t need G-d’s help. Can we put Juaism on hold and bring it back when we need it (since G-d accepts repentance)? The trick is, that if we let our relationship with G-d get stale, then when we need him, it’s going to be too chard to reconnect, and we’ll look for the quick fix. If we maintain that relationship, then when we need G-d, he’s right there for us.

Shabbat Shalom.