Idol Worship - Based on Rambam's Sefer Hamitzvos (Negative Mitzvah #1)

As I have written before, I would much rather add than subtract. Because of that, the positive mitzvos feel easier to write about. Still, this mitzvah matters, so here goes.

Growing up, idol worship never felt real to me. I remember learning about Terach, the father of Avraham, who owned an idol shop. One day, he left Avraham in charge. Avraham questioned the customers about worshipping statues and discouraged them from buying the idols, pointing out how strange it was to worship statues that had just been made.

He later smashed all the idols except one and placed an ax in its hand. When Terach returned and objected, Avraham exposed what Terach already knew. Those idols had no power at all.

For a long time, I treated that story as funny, almost like a fairy tale. Idol worship felt distant and irrelevant. But learning this mitzvah more carefully made me realize how narrow that view was.

In our generation, idol worship looks different. It shows up in where we place trust. Money. Jobs. Systems. Plans. I notice it most when I feel pressure or anxiety. If I am honest, it usually comes back to where my trust actually is.

Rabbeinu Bachya writes in Shaar HaBitachon about misguided trust. Trust placed in effort or systems that quietly replace Hashem. When a person relies too heavily on these things to feel calm or secure, Hashem slowly moves into the background.

Reading that made me uncomfortable. I like to think I trust Hashem. But I can usually tell what I really trust by how I react when something feels uncertain. This mitzvah pushes me to notice where my sense of safety actually comes from.

When I feel anxious or out of control, I try to pause and ask myself what I am leaning on right now. Am I leaning on Hashem, or on my own ability, or on someone or something else stepping in?

How do you relate to this mitzvah?

All the best,

Avroham Y Ross