Abraham Bowing- When the three angels came to Abraham posing as guests, he bowed before them. He did the same before the Hittites when he purchased a burial site for Sarah. Isn’t bowing a form of idolatry? More »
Dolls, Figurines- Are having dolls or figurines a contradiction to the Torah’s command not to have images? More »
Enosh, Calling God’s Name, and the Origins of Idolatry- I was studying the book of Genesis and came across the statement that in the time of Enosh, Adam’s grandson, mankind began calling in the name of God (4:26). Can you explain to me what that’s all about and if… More »
Man’s Past Powerful Drive for Idolatry- It’s clear from the Bible and our knowledge of ancient history that idolatry was rampant among primitive man all throughout the world, roughly till it began to be replaced by Christianity in Roman times. What did our ancestors see in… More »
Prayer at Graves of Righteous- I often receive emails from different organizations offering that a rabbi will pray for me at this or that great rabbi’s grave. Does it really make a difference where one prays? Isn't praying to a dead rabbi for salvation practically… More »
Sacrifices versus Idolatry- I’ve never really been able to wrap my head around the concept of korbanot (sacrifices). To me it seems like such a primitive act, offering meat to God, a throwback to pagan practices. Where is the room for such a… More »
The Cherubim Versus Idols- What exactly were the Cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant? It seems strange to me that they were part of the Tabernacle and Temple. Aren’t they basically a form of idol? More »
The Evil of Idolatry- Why does God command us to so utterly destroy idols? We are told for example not only to cut down an asherah tree but to thoroughly uproot it. We may also not refer to idols by name but we give them derogatory… More »
You Know More Hebrew Words Than You Think
