"Put away the strange Elohim"

Synopsis

While walking, Rabbi Chizkiyah questions Rabbi Yehuda as to why the crown of Malcam was considered the crown of an idol and "an abomination," and why it was permitted to be set on David's head. After Rabbi Yehuda explains that the image of the idol on the crown was broken, thus making it permissible to wear it. Rabbi Yitzchak proceeds to interpret the title verse. He reveals that Jacob hid the idolatrous gold and silver images so that his people could not derive any benefit from these representations of false deities. There follows a discussion of man's responsibility to thank and praise God for His miracles and His goodness. This is why Jacob alone prepared the altar at Bethel - although his sons were with him, Jacob alone suffered the tribulations that run throughout his story, making him worthy and deserving of the task.

Relevance

It is a man's natural tendency to worship his own ego and credit himself for all of his accomplishments. This is true idol worshipping. The concept of praising and thanking God is a code denoting the need for true appreciation and awareness of the existence of The Creator' s beneficence. Appreciation is for our own benefit and not in any way for The Creator, who has no need or desire for praise and thanks. Appreciation and awareness are spiritual forces that help to protect all that we have received from negative entities. The goal of an evil entity is to lower our guard and make us vulnerable. When there is no consciousness of The Creator's role in our good fortune, dark forces can loot us of our spiritual Light. This manifests physically as the loss of blessing, whether in relationships, health, or financial prosperity. This passage stirs appreciation for The Creator within us. This gratitude is derived through Jacob, who recognized and warned his children about the idols in their midst.

Deities Gold Idolatry Images Jacob Shechem Silver Vessels

154. הָסִירוּ אֶת אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר וגו.' הָסִירוּ אֶת אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר, אִלֵּין אִינוּן דִּנְטָלוּ מִשְּׁכֶם, מָאנֵי כַּסְפָּא וְדַהֲבָא, דַּהֲוָה חָקֵיק עֲלַיְיהוּ טַעֲוָא דִלְהוֹן. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אֲמַר, טַעֲוָון הֲווֹ מִכַּסְפָּא וְדַהֲבָא, וְיַעֲקֹב אַטְמֵין לוֹן תַּמָּן, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְהַנּוּן מִסִּטְרָא דַּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, דְּאָסִיר לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ, לְאִתְהַנֵּי מִנֵּיהּ לְעָלְמִין.

Amon Crowns David Gold Head Idolatry Malkam Samuel Stones

155. As Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Chizkiyah were walking along the road, Rabbi Chizkiyah asks, Why is it written, "And he took the crown of Malkam from off his head and its weight was a talent of gold, with the precious stones; and it was set on David's head" (II Shmuel 12:30)? We have learned that Milkom was the abominable idol of the children of Amon, as it is written, "the crown of Malkam." Why, therefore, was it set on David's head, and why it is called 'abomination?' While other dieties of the heathen nations are called the 'Elohim of the people,' 'other Elohim,' 'strange El,' 'another Elohim,' and the like, only Malkam is called an 'abomination.'

155. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה הֲווֹ אָזְלֵי בְּאָרחָא, אֲמַר רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה לְרִבִּי יְהוּדָה, מַאי דִכְתִיב וַיִּקַּח אֶת עֲטֶרֶת מַלְכָּם מֵעַל רֹאשׁוֹ וּמִשְׁקָלָהּ כִּכַּר זָהָב וְאֶבֶן יְקָרָה וַתְּהִי עַל רֹאשׁ דָּוִד. וְתָנִינָן, שִׁקּוּץ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן מִלְכֹּם שְׁמֵיהּ, וְדָא הוּא עֲטֶרֶת מַלְכָּם. מ"ט וַתְּהִי עַל רֹאשׁ דָּוִד. וּמַאי טַעְמָא כְּתִיב שִׁקּוּץ, דְּהָא בִּשְׁאָר טַעֲוָון עַמְּמַיָא עע"ז כְּתִיב אֱלֹהֵי הָעַמִּים, אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, אֵל נֵכָר, אֵל אַחֵר, וּבְהַאי אֲמַר שִׁקּוּץ חַד.

Amon Crowns David Deities Head Idolatry Itai Malkam Serpent

156. He answers that the Holy One, blessed be He, calls all the deities of the idolatrous nations, NOT ONLY MALKAM, by this name, as it is written, "And you have seen their abominations, and their idols" (Devarim 29:16). What of the verse, "And he took the crown of Malkam" the idol Milkom? HE ASKS, HOW COULD DAVID SET IT ON HIS HEAD? Assuredly, IT WAS THE CROWN OF AN IDOL, but before Itai the Gittite became a proselyte, THAT IS, WHILE HE WAS STILL A HEATHEN, he broke Milkom's heathen crown, destroying the image engraved on it. He thereby made it permissible for use. THEN DAVID put it on his head. Come and behold, the abomination of the children of Amon was a serpent deeply engraved on the crown. It was therefore called an 'abomination,' WHICH MEANS filth. THIS IS THE SECOND ANSWER FOR THE QUESTION THAT RABBI CHIZKIYAH ASKS RABBI YEHUDA: WHY IS THIS IDOL CALLED AN ABOMINATION?

156. אָמַר לוֹ וּבְכָל טַעֲוָון עַמְּמַיָיא עע"ז, הָכֵי קָרָא לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דִּכְתִיב וַתִּרְאוּ אֶת שִׁקּוּצֵיהֶם וְאֶת גִּלּוּלֵיהֶם. ומַה דַּאֲמַר וַיִּקַּח אֶת עֲטֶרֶת מַלְכָּם דְּאִיהוּ מִלְכּוֹם, הָכֵי הוּא וַדַּאי, אֶלָּא אִיתַּי הַגִּתִּי, עַד דְּלָא אִתְגַיֵּיר, כְּדֵין אִיהוּ תָּבַר לָהּ לְהַהוּא עֲטֶרֶת, דְּאִיהוּ מִלְכּוֹם, הַהוּא דְיוֹקְנָא דַּחֲקֵיק עֲלָהּ, וּפָגִים לָהּ, כְּדֵין אִיהוּ עֲבַד לָהּ הֶיתֵּר, לְאִתְהַנֵּי מִנָּהּ, וַהֲוַת עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ. וְתָא חֲזֵי, שִׁקּוּץ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן, חַד חִוְיָא, בְּסוֹרְטָא, הֲוָה חָקֵיק עַל הַהוּא כִּתְרָא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִקְרֵי שִׁקּוּץ זוּהֲמָא.

Deities Gold Idolatry Jacob Silver Women

157. רִבִּי יִצְחָק אֲמַר, הָסִירוּ אֶת אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר, אִלֵּין שְׁאָר נָשִׁין, דַּהֲווֹ מַיְיתֵי בְּגַוַּיְיהוּ, כָּל נְבַזְבְּזָן דִּלְהוֹן, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, וַיִּתְּנוּ אֶל יַעֲקֹב אֶת כָּל אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר, אִלֵּין נָשִׁין, כָּל נְבַזְבְּזָן, וְכָל טַעֲוָון דְּדַהֲבָא וְכַסְפָּא. וַיִּטְמוֹן אוֹתָם יַעֲקֹב בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְהַנּוּן מִסִּטְרָא דַּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה כְּלָל.

Altar Jacob Miracle Praise

158. Come and behold, how much Jacob was a perfected man, and how he cleaved to the Holy One, blessed be He. It is written, "and let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar to El, who answers me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way on which I went" (Beresheet 35:3). At once, "they gave to Jacob" (Ibid. 4). From this, we learn that it is incumbent on man to praise the Holy One, blessed be He, and give thanks to Him for all the miracles and goodness He did by him. This is the meaning of the verse, "and was with me in the way on which I went."

158. תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּיַעֲקֹב גְּבַר שְׁלִים בְּכֹלָּא הֲוָה, וַהֲוָה מִתְדַּבַּק בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מַה כְּתִיב וְנָקוּמָה וְנַעֲלֲה בֵּית אֵל וְאֶעֱשֶׂה שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לָאֵל הָעוֹנֶה אוֹתִי בְּיוֹם צָרָתִי וַיְהִי עִמָּדִי בַּדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר הָלָכְתִּי, מִיָּד וַיִּתְּנוּ אֶל יַעֲקֹב. מִכָּאן דְּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ, לְשַׁבָּחָא לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּלְאוֹדָאָה לֵיהּ, עַל נִסִּין וְעַל טָבָאן דַּעֲבַד עִמֵּיהּ, הה"ד וַיְהִי עִמָּדִי בַּדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר הָלָכְתִּי.

Altar Correction (Tikun) Jacob Nukva Prayer Tikun (Correction)

159. Come and behold, first it is written, "And let us arise, and go up to Bethel" IN THE PLURAL, because he counted his sons with him; then it is written, "and I will make there an altar" IN THE SINGULAR, and not 'and we will make,' because he excluded his sons from this act. Why? Because it was for him alone to do it. Jacob surely composed the evening prayer and built the altar,(BOTH ACTIONS BEING THE CORRECTION OF THE NUKVA). It was for him to do, NOT FOR HIS SONS, for his children were not born until after he had fled from his brother and had gone through the troubles that followed, as it is written, "and was with me in the way on which I went." Thus, he did not include them in PREPARING THE ALTAR, BUT SAID, "AND I WILL MAKE THERE AN ALTAR," INSTEAD OF 'WE WILL MAKE.'

159. תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּקַדְמֵיתָא כְּתִיב וְנָקוּמָה וְנַעֲלֶה בֵּית אֵל וגו,' אַכְלֵיל בְּנוֹי בַּהֲדֵיהּ. וּלְבָתַר כְּתִיב וְאֶעֱשֶׂה שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ, וְלָא כְתִיב וְנַעֲשֶׂה. דְּאַפֵּיק לוֹן מִכְּלָלָא דָא, מַאי טַעְמָא, בְּגִין דַּעֲלֵיהּ הֲוָה מִלָּה. יַעֲקֹב אַתְקֵין תְּפִלַּת עַרְבִית וַדַּאי, וְאִיהוּ עֲבַד מַדְבְּחָא, וַעֲלֵיהּ הֲוָה מִלָּה, וּבְגִין דְּאִיהוּ עָבַר כָּל אִינוּן עָקְתִין מִן יוֹמָא דְעָרַק קַמֵּיהּ דַּאֲחוּהָ, דִּכְתִיב וַיְהִי עִמָּדִי בַּדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר הָלָכְתִּי, וְאִינוּן אָתוֹ לְבָתַר לְעַלְמָא, וְעַל דָּא לָא אָעֵיל לוֹן בַּהֲדֵיהּ.

Altar Bread Jacob Miracle