A Simple Task

Ask the average person his view of present day mankind in contrast to those of a thousands of years ago, and it is quite possible the opinion will be couched with a sense of smugness and assurance. We are an advanced society, our morals evolved and fine-tuned, and would never succumb to the silly practices of yore. The Torah considers the prohibition of idolatry the worst of all sins, and yet the modern person sees the very idea of bowing to an idol as being the actions of primitive man. Is the appeal to idolatry still present in today’s world? The prohibition of Molech, as understood by Rambam, tells us the drive for idolatry has never changed; its temptation is a fixture in our makeup.

The prohibition of worship of Molech appears first in the Torah portion of Acharei Mot (Vayikra 18:21):

“And you shall not give any of your offspring to pass through for Molech. And you shall not profane the Name of your God. I am the Lord”

In the following Torah portion of Keodshim, a more detailed and emphatic warning is given (Vayikra 20:1-5):

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, And to the children of Israel, you shall say: Any man of the children of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among Israel, who gives any of his offspring to Molech, shall surely be put to death; the people of the land shall pelt him with stones And I will set My attention upon that man, and I will cut him off from amidst his people, because he gave of his offspring to Molech in order to defile My holy ones and to profane My holy Name. But if the people of the land ignore that man when he gives of his offspring to Molech, not putting him to death I will set My attention upon that man, and upon his family, and I will cut him off, and all who stray after him to stray after Molech, from amidst their people.”

When looking at this specific religious performance through our 21st century lens, it is quite conceivable to relate to such a practice as outright revolting. Offering children to some type of false god? Our sense of modernity cannot begin to address why this practice might have any relevance today. Yet the Torah does focus a lot of attention, relative to the description of other idolatrous practices, on Molech. Why? And what possible lesson could sustain relevance to today?

Rambam offers an explanation in the Moreh Nevuchim (3:37):

“We must also point out that originators of false, baseless, and useless principles scheme and plan for the firm establishment of their faith; and tell their fellow-men that a certain plague will befall those who will not perform the act by which that faith is supported and confirmed for ever; this plague may one day accidentally befall a person, who will then direct his attention to the performance of that act, and adopt idolatry. It being well known that people are naturally most in fear and dread of the loss of their property and their children, the worshippers of fire spread the tale, that if any one did not pass his son and daughter through the fire, he will lose his children by death. There is no doubt that on account of this absurd menace every one at once obeyed, out of pity and sympathy for the child; especially as it was a trifling and a light thing that was demanded, in passing the child over the fire.”

Later on, he writes that vestiges and variations of the practice were still in existence during his time:

“Know that traces of this practice have survived even to the present day, because it was widespread in the world. You can see how midwives take a young child wrapped in its swaddling-clothes, and after having placed incense of a disagreeable smell on the fire, swing the child in the smoke over that fire. This is certainly a kind of passing children through the fire, and we must not do it. Reflect on the evil cunning of the author of this doctrine; how people continued to adhere to this doctrine, and how, in spite of the opposition of the Law during thousands of years, its name is not blotted out, and its traces are still in existence.”

Two key points can be derived from what he is writing. The first is that the critical problem here seems to be the duping of the individual, preying on his insecurities to entice him to join the idolatrous practice. The second is that there is no actual killing of the child according to Rambam.

There is a debate as to the exact historicity of this type of idolatrous practice. Many maintain that the practice involved sacrifice of the child, rather than the “mere” passing over the fire. While this debate may entice the curiosity of the academic, is there a timeless idea we can extract from the words of Rambam? How do we draw a thread from this foreign practice to today?

Rambam’s focus is primarily on the method of attracting the individual to the idolatry. If one was asked today whether they would succumb to such a tactic, the response would most probably would be an emphatic denial. However, nobody today would question the immense power in the insecurities present in the parent/child relationship. Parents naturally want what is best for their children. With that comes a certain desire for control over the natural world, shielding the child from potential harm. However, a person also recognizes there is a limit to any extent of control. When challenged about one’s child, no matter how absurd the challenge may be, these insecurities rise to the surface. The rational part of the person correctly questions the efficacy of a ceremony dedicated to another deity somehow presaging a healthy outcome for the child. But what if…maybe…what do I have to lose? The feeling of helplessness emerges. The parent may see the act of worship as benign, an act of insurance to make sure no tragedy befalls the child. It is tempting to think such an action as harmless. God’s strong condemnation of this act contradicts the given assumption. The reason could be related to the source of idolatry. The turn to idolatry is not only about the acceptance of a false ideology; exposing the fallacies of the claims of these charlatans is quite simple. The temptation is rooted in solving the intractable problem of the feeling of insecurity that is a part of the human condition. When we lack control, we search for remedies to that feeling of helplessness. Our willingness to succumb to the absurdity of any power other than God is driven by the need to feel secure. The insecurity of the parent’s relationship to child personifies this very concept, accepting what is false for the sake of “ensuring” the safety of the progeny. Rambam’s words were prescient, but not in the assessment of the continuation of this specific practice. He understood human nature, and even today there are those within Judaism who seek out that feeling of security and control in false sources.

We must do our best to heed the warning set forth by God in this week’s Torah portions. While overt displays of idolatry are not normally found in Judaism today, there are many who succumb to false promises and claims made by seemingly devout religious people. The need to feel secure is powerful, but to sacrifice truth for the sake of assuaging one’s conflicted psyche is not an appropriate justification. We must reject such practices and place our security in God – it is as simple as that.