Idol Worship

One of the biggest hazards the Torah warns about is engagement in idol worship, called Avodah Zara. There are many words with a nuanced understanding of various specifics, but in short, Avodah Zara means 'foreign worship'. In a practical sense, this is casting honor and worship to something other than G_D.

In addition to a multitude of scattered discussions, there is an entire tractate of the Talmud that deals with how one should avoid and remedy the spiritual contamination that radiates from people, places, and things that are involved in this activity.

Spiritual Impurity

Often, many modern people consider these ideas to be old-fashioned superstition. It actually surprises me when I find it is a Christian or a Messianic Jew who share this position as the New Testament seems to spend a lot of time warning against Avodah Zara as it was a very real hurdle for them - particularly as they sought to integrate Gentiles into the synagogue communities. Another point of concern for them was that the temple still stood in Jerusalem for much of the time contained within the New Testament. This would require special attention ahead of making a pilgrimage back to the Holy City for major holidays.

Also remember, it is Paul who warns his gentile audience not to eat food sacrificed to idols (1 Corinthians 8:9-10), likewise, the Jerusalem council lays out a strict set of categorical bans (for gentiles to observe) on many things related to food, all of which have strong connections to Avodah Zara.

Declaration of One-ness

But, why is this so bad? We know it is a problem, but the mechanics are not exactly clear. The underlying problem with Avodah Zara is that is is the antithesis of what Israel should be all about.

Two or three times a day a religious Jew will affirm the unity of the Creator through the recitation of the Shema. Not so much a prayer as it is a reminder and declaration of the one-ness of G_D. The opening lines declare:

Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our G_D, The Lord is one. You shall love your G_D with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. - Deuteronomy 6:4-5

You shall love the Lord with the [full unity] of your creation - your heart, your soul, and everything you have.

Additionally, we read in Zechariah that the whole world will one day recognize this truth, and all of the nations will be upgraded to this knowledge.

And the LORD shall be King over all the earth; In that day shall the LORD be One, and His name one. - Zechariah 14:9

This is why Paul asks, in Romans...

is G_D the G_D of Jews only? Is he not the G_D of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also
- Romans 3:29

Disconnect

We can now see how Avodah Zara is counter-productive to establishing ourselves within G_D's unity. In essence, Avodah Zara is stopping short and worshipping that which has also been created. Humans were created with the responsibility to subdue, create, and bring chaos to order; darkness to light. Avodah Zara only creates more separation, more darkness.

This short-circuits our very being, upending our mission, and detracting from the flow of energy we receive from the Creator. We know how bad this can get when we allow ourselves to delve further into this worldview - simply look at what happened to the tribes of Israel. The Psalms indicate this is also the source of sickness, pains, ailments, and death.

The Science

Modern science has demonstrated that places and objects can actually carry energetic residue from emotionally traumatic experiences. If you have ever visited the site of an historic battlefield, the sadness and death are palpable.

Our body is powered and also influenced by electromagnetic frequencies. It is possible that these disruptive energy fields can cause misdirections to our natural function. Over time, these disturbances can also adversely influence the function of our body and mind.

Understanding this, our sages tell us (through a beautiful midrash) that the temple location in Jerusalem was selected precisely because it was the place of brotherly love. So powerful was this gesture of love, that this became the foundation stone for Solomon's temple. We're also told of a place of brotherly hatred that occurred later became the prime site for a temple of Idol worship.

We're all connected

Though we do not have the same context of idol-worship in our time, (though some nations still do), we have a world of new idols that continue to divide and separate us from higher consciousness.

When we recognize the connectedness of all things, we are living into the purpose of our creation. Through conscious awareness of this reality, we play our part in the universal wholeness of creation, tapping into the subtle and ever-present energy that has always been.

As Albert Einstein remarked:

“Try and penetrate with our limited means the secrets of nature and you will find that, behind all the discernible laws and connections, there remains something subtle, intangible and inexplicable. Veneration for this force beyond anything that we can comprehend is my religion.  To that extent I am, in fact, religious.” - Albert Einstein