Idol Worship is our Problem

Idol worship is not merely an ancient error confined to biblical times; it is a persistent spiritual ailment that continues to plague humanity. It is the root cause of confusion, disconnection, and the descent into a chaotic world, estranged from the divine light of Hashem.

The Nature of Idol Worship

Idol worship is not limited to bowing before graven images or physical statues. It encompasses any act of attributing power, authority, or divinity to entities or forces other than Hashem. This includes the worship of wealth, power, fame, science devoid of morality, or even human intellect when it is divorced from its source in the Creator.

In truth, idol worship is the ultimate betrayal of our purpose. Humanity was created to reflect the image of God and to recognize His presence in every facet of existence. When we serve false idols, we divert our hearts and energies away from this sacred mission, choosing instead to enslave ourselves to illusions that can neither hear nor save.

The Root of Confusion

The worship of false idols leads to confusion because it severs the connection between humanity and our Creator. When people place their trust in transient and flawed systems, they inevitably face disappointment and disillusionment. This disconnection manifests as moral decay, social strife, and a lack of clarity about our collective purpose. The false promises of idols scatter the soul and fragment society, creating a vacuum of meaning that chaos eagerly fills.

The Torah teaches us in the second commandment: "You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in the heavens above, or on the earth below, or in the waters beneath the earth. You shall not bow to them nor serve them, for I, Hashem your God, am a jealous God" (Exodus 20:4-5). Hashem’s jealousy is not akin to human jealousy but rather an expression of His deep desire for our undivided devotion, for only in cleaving to Him can we find true life and peace.

Idol Worship and the Descent into Chaos

When false idols replace Hashem, chaos becomes the inevitable result. Look around the world today: we witness conflicts born of greed, societies fractured by ego-driven pursuits, and families torn apart by the relentless pursuit of material gain. These are the fruits of idol worship. By placing trust in false gods, whether they be corporations, ideologies, or human leaders, we remove Hashem from the center of our lives and plunge into a spiritual wilderness.

Chassidut teaches that chaos arises when the vessels of creation shatter—when divine energy is misdirected or misused. Idol worship exacerbates this shattering, for it channels divine energy into unholy and fragmented vessels, increasing the spiritual and physical disorder in the world.

The False Idol of Money

Idol worship is alive today in the form of humanity's obsession with money and material wealth. When we place wealth on a pedestal, attributing to it the power to sustain, protect, and fulfill us, we commit the same transgression as those who bowed before stone and wood.

Money has become the golden calf of our generation. The Torah recounts how the Israelites, just weeks after experiencing divine revelation at Mount Sinai, fell into idolatry, crafting a golden calf to worship (Exodus 32:1-6). The error of their ways was not in the gold itself—gold is neutral, a resource provided by God—but in their ascribing to it power and divinity. They believed this man-made idol could guide and protect them, forsaking the God who had just redeemed them from Egypt.

Today, humanity’s worship of money mirrors this tragic episode. Wealth is pursued with relentless fervor, and those who amass it are exalted as modern-day deities. Yet, as the Torah teaches, material wealth is a test, not a purpose. "When you eat and are satisfied, and you build fine houses and settle down… you may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth" (Deuteronomy 8:12-18).h

The worship of money blinds us to the needs of others and the sanctity of life itself. It fosters greed, exploitation, and a worldview in which everything—including people and nature—is reduced to a commodity. In the Torah, the mitzvah of tzedakah (charity) serves as a counterweight to this selfishness, reminding us that wealth is entrusted to us by God for the purpose of uplifting others and sanctifying His name. "You shall surely open your hand to your brother, to your poor and to your needy in your land" (Deuteronomy 15:11).

But when wealth becomes an idol, generosity and compassion are replaced by hoarding and self-interest. The Torah warns against this explicitly, teaching that selfishness leads to spiritual and physical destruction. The prophet Ezekiel condemns the sin of Sodom as "arrogance, abundant food, and careless ease, but she did not strengthen the hand of the poor and needy" (Ezekiel 16:49). A society that exalts wealth while neglecting the vulnerable invites divine judgment.

The Height of Worship and the Threat to Life

The height of this idol worship is seen today in the exploitation of the natural world, driven by insatiable greed. Forests are cleared, rivers polluted, and the earth stripped of its resources, all in pursuit of profit. This disregard for creation is a violation of humanity’s role as stewards of God’s world. In Genesis, God commands Adam to "work and guard" the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15). We are entrusted not as exploiters, but as caretakers, responsible for preserving the integrity of creation.

When the pursuit of wealth becomes the ultimate goal, it threatens all life. The Torah provides a stark warning in the laws of the sabbatical year (shemittah), which call for the land to rest every seventh year (Leviticus 25:1-7). This commandment teaches us the importance of humility before God, recognizing that the earth belongs to Him, not us. Ignoring these principles leads to environmental collapse and societal disintegration, as the Torah warns: "The land will vomit you out because of your sins" (Leviticus 18:28).

Returning to HaShem

The antidote to the chaos of idol worship is to return to Hashem with all our hearts. This is the essence of teshuvah—a return not only to the Creator but to our true selves. The study of Torah, the performance of mitzvot, and the cultivation of faith in the One God provide the spiritual tools to dismantle the idols in our lives and restore harmony.

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might" (Deuteronomy 6:5).

To love God is to align our desires and actions with His will, recognizing that He is the source of all blessings. Wealth, when viewed as a tool for serving God and helping others, becomes a source of holiness rather than idolatry.

We must recalibrate our relationship with money, using it to build rather than destroy, to heal rather than exploit. The Torah calls upon us to pursue justice (tzedek tzedek tirdof—"justice, justice you shall pursue," Deuteronomy 16:20) and to prioritize the needs of the community over individual gain. Only by rejecting the idol of wealth and returning to God can we restore balance to the world.

In the end, the worship of money is a reflection of humanity’s search for security and meaning in the wrong places. True security comes not from accumulating wealth but from trusting in God. As the Psalmist writes: "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God" (Psalms 20:7).

The Torah teaches us a better way, one rooted in humility, gratitude, and an unwavering commitment to the divine. By rejecting the false idol of wealth and embracing the sacred mission of serving Hashem, we can heal the fractures in our world and bring it closer to the harmony it was created to reflect. May we merit to see that day soon.