either making or worshiping idols or "other gods.". Abraham married them according to the Book of Genesis). NASB 1995 Now Rachel had taken the household idols and put them in the camel's saddle, and she sat on them. 31 And in the evening of that day in that house Abram was clothed with the spirit of God. The question the rabbis are trying to answer with the Midrash is why and how did Haran die in the presence of his father. Contrast this with the literary Abraham, the Abraham who is the fruit of the spirit of God and the divine pen. How is one to deal with such a tremendous challenge? script>. Instead, the full power of the divine message comes once the message finds its place within a persons heart. 21 And Terah said to his son, Behold these are they which made all thou seest upon earth, and which created me and thee, and all mankind. Establishing the pillars of faith upon the bedrock of the historicity of past events requires an honest person to evaluate, without bias, the question of the historical reality of the Torahs claims. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! When his father returned, he asked him: Why did you do this to them? [Abraham] replied: Would I hide it from you? He is the father of three children including the Patriarch Abraham. [19] The various literary layers identified by biblical scholars in the text do not contradict its status as divine. But Abraham, inspired by the Lord, went on a certain occasion into the temple of these gods and smote them right and left, upsetting and breaking them in pieces. I discuss this halacha in greater detail in the book. Abraham is known to have done something similar. 29 And Abram took the savory meat from his mother, and brought it before his fathers gods into the chamber; and he came nigh unto them that they might eat, and he placed it before them, and Abram sat before them all day, thinking perhaps they might eat. This can be seen clearly in the rich collection of essays, edited by Lee Levin and Amichai Mazer,The Polemic about the Historical Truth of Scripture(Jerusalem, 5761) [Hebrew]. 61 And when Abram had ceased speaking before the king and princes, Abram lifted up his eyes to the heavens, and he said, The Lord seeth all the wicked, and he will judge them. 24 Now, therefore, hasten and fetch a kid from the flock, and make of it savory meat, that I may bring it to my fathers gods as an offering for them to eat; perhaps I may thereby become acceptable to them. This claim, however, can be countered by making recourse to the premise of comparative literature, where it is one and the same whether a given story has a historical basis or not: comparison between texts always offers useful and challenging insights. [2]For a discussion of the phenomenon of filling the gaps see Yonah Frankel,Midrash ve-Aggada, (5753), 41 [Hebrew]. Rijksmuseum 1 The Midrashic Abraham Rabbi Chiyya said: Terah was an idol worshiper. 47 And how can you continue to do this and serve gods of wood and stone, who cannot hear, or speak, or deliver you from oppression, thereby bringing down the anger of the God of the universe upon you? Is it less true than a simple chronology of events describing the beginning of the world and of humankind? So Nimrod declares they worship clouds. Delivered at Provo, Sunday Afternoon, August 28th, 1881, Reported by Geo. 1, pp. Terah was the father of Abram (his name was later changed to 57 I thought thou wouldst teach thy servants the upright way, but thou hast not done this, but hast filled the whole earth with thy sins and the sins of thy people who have followed thy ways. Does the Torahs Abraham really need the historical Abraham in order to claim an important role in Jewish religious consciousness? So Nimrod declares they worship wind. Regarding this, seePinkasei Ha-Raayahvol. 19Also for the sons of Aaron, the priests, who were in (U)the pasture lands of their cities, or in each and every city, (V)there were men who were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to everyone genealogically enrolled among the Levites. And why wilt thou not sense the God of the whole universe, who created thee and in whose power it is to kill and keep alive? Shalom Carmy; Orthodox Forum; Northvale: Aaronson, 1996), 159-180. 50 And Terah, seeing all that Abram had done, hastened to go from his house, and he went to the king and he came before Nimrod and stood before him, and he bowed down to the king; and the king said, What dost thou want? The Midrash has also been discussed in the contexts of complete, unquestioned faith. Scripture strongly advises against the following of idols other than God. 41). The plot point of Abrahams fattempted murder for his beliefs is found in four source texts. So, one day when I was very young, I went to our basement and smashed on the concrete floor every bottle of liquor! 5 From . the literary character. If the religious value of events comes from their being included in the word of God, let us allow God to speak to us in Gods own language, and to tell us the divine story with its entire force. A woman came carrying a plate of fine flour and she told me to offer it before them. Terah is a Biblical figure from the book of Genesis. This comes from the idea that Abraham did not need proof of God before being cast into the fire, which is why God saved him. Abraham is the first patriarch and is seen as the father of the four Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the Bah Faith. This point can be expressed in two different ways. The main purpose of contracts and newspapers, for example, is to translate the real worldwhere a deal was struck or something worth describing occurredinto writing. Psalms 135:15 - 127:17 - The idols of the . The Torah crafts its story line purposefully in such a way as to support the aims of the Narrator, including the Narrators values and moral lessons. Rambam, in contrast, uses this claim to explain why God commanded humans to act in certain ways and forbids them to act in others.) This story is taken from The Book of Jasher 11:21-49, Terah, in response to Abrahams question to him about who the God was that had created heaven and earth and the children of men, took him to the hall wherein stood twelve great idols and a large number of little idols, and pointing to them he said, Here are they who have made all thou seest on earth, they who have created also me and thee and all men on the earth, and he bowed down before his gods, and left the hall with his son. Thus, such a God can be greater than any image of a god based upon said Gods great size and dimensions as envisioned by those who assume that God is physical. Why did God choose to limit the divine creative impulse to the (apparently) inadequate framework of narrative? [27] Putting this view forward before those who believed that God had a body probably caused those believers a crisis of faith. When Terah returned, he asked Abraham what happened to all the idols. Recounting the Census: A Military Force of 5,500 (not 603,550) Men, Reconstructionism Reconciles Rationalism and Revelation, Rabbi Chiyya said: Terah was an idol worshiper. Rav Kook believed that this model should be copied when wrestling with notions that were current in his day, like the theory of evolution. Cautiously, I would like to suggest that doing so is not important. and have I not myself made them? Even for such a person, something still lingers from the dissonance required in reframing the story as ahistorical. Bible verses about False Idols. [1] According to Jewish tradition, Terah was an idolater. 55 Dost thou imagine that they can deliver thee or do anything small or great, that thou shouldst serve them? 52 And the king sent three men of his servants, and they went and brought Abram before the king. The first statement, the simpler one, would probably be acceptable to anyone. Abraham took a stick and shattered all the idols in the store, and then he placed the stick in the hand of the largest idol. Abraham's father in fact agrees with Abraham regarding idol worship unlike the Qur'anic version! According to many Jewish and Islamic sources, the two did meet, and their meeting was symbolic of the confrontation between either: And Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.. Abraham asked him how old he was and the man responded 50 years old. Abraham then said, You are 50 years old and would worship a day old statue! At this point the man left, ashamed. Nevertheless, see his comment further on in the piece, The words ofaggada, which can have such good and blessed effects are literally the words of the living God. This statement seems to be very much in accord with what I called the highest level of faith, the belief in the ahistoricity of the narrative. 13 And in the fiftieth year of the life of Abram son of Terah, Abram came forth from the house of Noah, and went to his fathers house. Commentating on this verse, Mufti Muhammad Shafi, the late Grand Mufti of Pakistan, writes, "According to Imam Qurtubi, this verse shows that to destroy the idols and other icons of paganism is Waajib (mandatory). Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural, Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural, Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural, Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun, Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural, A Phoenician goddess, also an image of the same, Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun, Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct, gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative, Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural, Holy things must be eaten in the holy place, and holy things must be eaten in the holy place, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT Law: Deuteronomy 12:3 And you shall break down their altars (Deut. Heis a member of the rabbinic organizations Tzohar and Beit Hillel, has written a number of onlineresponsa,and is the author ofExistential or Non-Essential: History and Literature, Religious Language and the Nature of the Deity. In his view, such an approach implies a weakness of faith and a deviation from the authentic approach of the Jewish tradition. Discourse by President John Taylor, Duties of the SaintsThe Atonement, etc. [28]Rambam himself understood that this was the way his opponents conceptualized the issue. 48 Now therefore my father refrain from this, and bring not evil upon thy soul and the souls of thy household. Start for FREE. The text designates Terah, Abraham's father, as a "manufacturer of idols." One day, while Terah is away from his workshop, he entrusts it to young Abraham. To attempt an answer, I suggest that dry mechanical lists of rules, such as do not murder and do not steal, couldnt accomplish the transmission of lofty values to humankind. Bible verses related to Idols from the King James Version (KJV) by Relevance. Continue Learning about Religious Studies. (Q) 24What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? 18The genealogical enrollment included [k]all their little children, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, for the whole assembly, for they consecrated themselves [l]faithfully in holiness. 15 And Terah his father was in those days, still captain of the host of king Nimrod, and he still followed strange gods. Oops! When Abrahams father learned what had happened, he of course was greatly exercised; he inquired of Abraham who had done it. My suggestion avoids this problem altogether. 3 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. [25] Freeing the Torah from its historical crutches not only frees the narrator from having to keep the narrative in line with past events, but it also neutralizes the basis for the attack against the validity of a person maintaining his or her faith. ORLOV 'The Gods of My Father Terah' 35 Testament of Abraham, also deny the possibility that God has a human- like form. [6]In my book, I deal with this in chapter 4. When Terah. Once he went on a trip and he placed Abraham in charge of the store in his place. [10]In my opinion, which is based on multiple encounters with a number of different groups, this critique can be found at the heart of many peoples objections to ahistorical reading of the Torah, and feeds their intuitive rejection of this paradigm. They meant the world to me and taught me crucial lessons. [15]With regard to the sciatic nerve, the Mishna states (m.Chullin7:6): The rule applies to clean animals but not to unclean ones. Abram Rescues Lot. On its own, the sentence can be understood as conveying the opposite meaning, as a call for those involved in studying the exodus from Egypt to remove themselves from the present, to transport themselves through time and view the event the way it would have been viewed by Moses and Aaron, Datan and Abiram. See:The Complete Works of Achad Ha-Am(Tel Aviv, 1947), p. 342 [Hebrew]. 43 And Abram answered his father and said to him, And how canst thou then serve these idols in whom there is no power to do any thing? Note: This essay was translated and adapted by Rabbi Dr. Zev Farber, with the approval of Rabbi Dr. Kula, from the introduction to his book, Existential or Non-Essential. According to this second phrasing, the events described in the Torah are part of Gods narrative; whether this narrative has a basis in historical fact doesnt matter. 59 Now therefore put away this evil deed which thou doest, and serve the God of the universe, as thy soul is in his hands, and then it will be well with thee. Even religious feeling, if it is possible to speak of this as a thing, is poised to gain from the intimate connection that is formed between humanity and God, when one understands the Torah as God telling a story just as a parent tells a story to his or her child. 35 And Terah, having heard the noise of the hatchet in the room of images, ran to the room to the images, and he met Abram going out. This is a false dichotomy. An event with significant import to the wider population that is never reported will end up being known by only a handful of people who witnessed it.[12]. Something went wrong while submitting the form. A business deal that took place before witnesses, but without documentation, can end up being a source of dispute and fraud if the witnesses disappear and never return. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it." [29] How should this believer relate to the fact that the very type of faith that he or she sees as inferior is exactly the one which sits best with the majority of the faithful? As such, writing is secondary to the event itself. Because of the signs in the heavens that were associated with his birth Nimrod tried to kill him at that time. These events are seennot without causeas being singular and special. what are the 3 odd numbers just before 200 003? returned from his journey, he found his merchan- Deepen your knowledge of Scripture for less than $5/mo. Later, a woman walked into the store and wanted to make an offering to the idols. Nevertheless, this possibility brings to mind the old joke about the elephant and the ant. Shouldnt we expect from God a more coherent story, one that is free of the subtle and even blatant contradictions that can be found within it? Another participant argued that he still couldnt see, despite my explanation, why the Torah chose to speak to us in historical language. [29]Continuing on with the example from Rambam with which we began: stating that God lacks any body means that God is not constrained by any physical limitation. 1, 14:53, p. 163. Abraham mocked them, and said, Surely, the savory meat that I prepared doth not please you, or perhaps it is too little for you! that we are sacrificed to the Lord for this end, that our former life being destroyed in us, we may be raised up to a new life. 40 And the large one saw their works that they did before him, and his anger was violently kindled against them, and he went and took the hatchet that was in the house and came to them and broke them all, and behold the hatchet is yet in his hand as thou seest. And Abram answered the king, saying, And if there be no power in them why dost thou serve them and cause the sons of men to err through thy follies? This understanding is reminiscent of the approach of Peter Winch, which requires a historian to enter into the past and to view it from within. Wisely, Abram was not looking back to the home and comforts he had left behind in Ur. It is thou that didst place the hatchet in his hands, and then sayest he smote them all. Is there spirit, soul, or power in these gods to do all thou hast told me? idols of any kind. In essence, we exchange a conversation about God for an encounter with God. But every first offspring of a donkey you shall redeem . When Terah saw his idols shattered and scattered all over the floor, he accused Abram. Writing, especially in the above examples, allows people who were not witnesses to the events to meet the reality of the event in a mediated encounter. These were the feelings of Abraham, and he taught his father's house, and all around him, as far as he had the privilege. Abraham had three wives: Sarah, Hagar, and Keturah (by date when The idols argued about which one should eat the offering first, then the largest idol took the stick and smashed all the other idols. For another angle on the problem of ahistorical interpretation, made in modern times, see words of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe (Iggerot Kodesh7:996): [9]We will leave, for now, the difficult questions engendered by the issue of the slippery slope and return to them indirectly when we deal with the other basis for challenging the ahistorical interpretation, namely the problem of truth. Additionally, the slippery slope problem is discussed more fully in chapter 4 of my book, which deals with the historicity of a different biblical story, namely the revelation at Mount Sinai. The opposite is the case. Abraham). 71C11131 Terah turns Abraham over to King Nimrod, who condemns him to be cast into the fire (or fiery furnace) of the Chaldeans; he is miraculously rescued by God. 13Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers [g]under the authority of Conaniah and his brother Shimei by the appointment of King Hezekiah, and (O)Azariah was the chief officer of the house of God.
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