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Lo Yihiye Licha Elohim Acheirim #3: Why Did Naomi Have To Tell Rut That We Don't Serve Avoda Zara?/ Why Is One Who Hides His Eyes From Tzedaka And A Motzi Z"L Like An Oved Avoda Zara?

Introduction: The Nature of the Prohibition

Continuing our analysis of the prohibition against Avodah Zarah (idolatry), we must return to a fundamental distinction established in previous sessions. While the prohibition applies to both the Gentile world (Bnei Noach) and the Jewish people (Bnei Yisrael), the essence of the transgression differs profoundly between the two. For a descendant of Noah, idolatry is a betrayal of the Creator in a universal sense—a negation of the Primary Cause. It is a begida - a betrayel of trust. However, for a Jew, Avodah Zarah constitutes a specific act of treason against Malchus Shamayim—the direct Sovereignty of Heaven—and a rejection of the unique, unmediated relationship that exists between the Almighty and His people.

The Dialectic of Ruth and Naomi

This distinction is illuminated by a rigorous analysis of the dialogue in Tractate Yevamos (47b) regarding the conversion of Ruth. When Naomi attempts to dissuade Ruth from joining the Jewish fold, outlining the heavy responsibilities involved ("We are commanded regarding 613 mitzvos"), Ruth responds with total commitment: "Your people are my people."

Naomi then specifies: "We are forbidden from worshipping idolatry."

Ruth responds: "Your God is my God."

The commentaries, including the Iyun Yaakov, raise a formidable difficulty here. The prohibition against idolatry is one of the Seven Noachide Laws. Ruth was already forbidden from serving idols as a Gentile. What, then, is the novelty—the specific deterrence—that Naomi is presenting? Why would a universal prohibition serve as a barrier to entry into the specific Jewish covenant?

The answer lies in Ruth’s response: "Your God is my God." She is acknowledging that the Jewish conception of Divinity involves a distinct acceptance of God’s Kingship. The nations of the world are governed through intermediaries and celestial forces (sarim); the Jewish nation, however, is governed directly by the Almighty. To serve an idol as a Jew is not merely a theological error; it is a rejection of this direct governance. It is a resignation from the Kingship that took us out of Egypt to be our specific Sovereign.

The Equivalence of Charity and Idolatry

This theological framework resolves a striking equation found in the Talmud (Bava Basra 10a and Kesubos 68a): "Whoever turns his eyes away from Tzedakah (charity) is considered as if he worships idols."

On the surface, this seems hyperbolic. What is the intrinsic connection between miserliness and paganism?

The Talmud links these two sins through the linguistic term Bliya'al (wickedness/lawlessness). The term appears in Deuteronomy regarding the "City Gone Astray" (Ir HaNidachas—idolatry) and regarding the refusal to lend to the poor.

The Rambam (Hilchos Matnos Aniyim 10:2) clarifies the depth of this connection. He asserts that all of Israel are "brothers," as the verse states, "You are children to the Lord your God." If we share a single Father, we are inherently siblings. The refusal to have mercy on a brother is, fundamentally, a denial of the Father.

Therefore, the refusal to give Tzedakah is not merely a social failing; it is a theological crisis. It signifies that one does not recognize the familial bond that unites the Jewish people under one Father. By ignoring the brother, one denies the common Parent. This creates a conceptual equivalence to idolatry: both are rejections of the singular Malchus that binds the nation. This is a standard that applies uniquely to Israel, predicated on our specific status as "children" of the Omnipresent.

The Diminishment of the King’s Hosts

We find a corollary to this principle in the prohibition of hashchasas zera (wasting seed), which the Talmud in Niddah also likens to idolatry.

If the core of the Jewish relationship with God is the acceptance of His Kingship, then the King requires a distinct nation—a citizenry—over which to rule. As the maxim goes, "There is no King without a nation." Wasting the potential for life is viewed as an attack on the expansion of the King's retinue. It is a diminishment of the Malchus. Just as idolatry seeks to replace the King, preventing the birth of the King's subjects is an attempt to diminish the scope of His Sovereignty.

Conclusion

We thus emerge with a profound definition of the Jewish prohibition of Avodah Zarah. It is not merely a restriction against foreign worship. It is the negative corollary of "Your God is my God." It is the requirement to maintain absolute fidelity to the direct governance of Hashem. Whether through the active worship of idols, the callous ignoring of a brother's plight (Tzedakah), or the prevention of future generations, the common denominator is the negation of Malchus Shamayim. To be a Jew is to live solely under the yoke of Heaven, recognizing that our charitable obligations and our very lives are extensions of His Kingdom.

הקדמה: מהות האיסור

בהמשך לניתוח איסור עבודה זרה, עלינו לשוב אל הבחנה יסודית שנקבעה בשיעורים הקודמים. אף שהאיסור חל הן על אומות העולם (בני נח) והן על עם ישראל, מהות העבירה שונה בתכלית בין השניים. עבור בן נח, עבודה זרה היא בגידה בבורא במובן האוניברסלי – כפירה בסיבה הראשונה; זוהי "בגידה" באמון. אולם עבור יהודי, עבודה זרה מהווה מעשה ספציפי של מרידה במלכות שמיים – הריבונות הישירה של הבורא – ודחיית מערכת היחסים הייחודית והבלתי-אמצעית הקיימת בין הקדוש ברוך הוא לעמו.

הדיאלוג בין רות לנעמי

הבחנה זו מתבהרת מתוך ניתוח מדוקדק של הדיאלוג במסכת יבמות (מז:) בעניין גיורה של רות. כאשר נעמי מנסה להניא את רות מלהצטרף לעם היהודי ומפרטת את האחריות הכבדה הכרוכה בכך ("מפקדינן אשש מאות ושלש עשרה מצוות"), רות משיבה במחויבות מוחלטת: "עמך עמי".

נעמי ממשיכה ומפרטת: "אסירא לן עבודה זרה". ועל כך משיבה רות: "ואלוהיך אלוהי".

המפרשים, וביניהם ה"עיון יעקב", מעוררים כאן קושי עצום: הרי איסור עבודה זרה הוא אחד משבע מצוות בני נח! רות כבר הייתה מוזהרת על עבודה זרה בהיותה נכרית. אם כן, מהו החידוש – או ההרתעה הספציפית – שנעמי מציגה בפניה? מדוע שאיסור אוניברסלי ישמש מחסום כניסה לברית הישראלית הייחודית?

התשובה טמונה בתשובתה של רות: "ואלוהיך אלוהי". היא מכירה בכך שהתפיסה היהודית של האלוהות כרוכה בקבלה נפרדת של מלכותו. אומות העולם מונהגות באמצעות מתווכים וכוחות עליונים ("שרים"), אך עם ישראל מונהג ישירות על ידי הקדוש ברוך הוא. לעבוד עבודה זרה בתור יהודי אין פירושו רק טעות תיאולוגית; זוהי התפטרות מאותה מלכות שהוציאה אותנו ממצרים כדי להיות לנו לריבון ישיר.

ההקבלה בין צדקה לעבודה זרה

מבנה תיאולוגי זה מיישב השוואה מפתיעה המופיעה בתלמוד (בבא בתרא י. וכתובות סח.): "כל המעלים עיניו מן הצדקה כאילו עובד עבודה זרה".

על פניו, נראה הדבר כהפלגה. מהו הקשר המהותי בין קמצנות לעבודת אלילים?

הגמרא קושרת בין שני החטאים הללו באמצעות המונח הלשוני "בליעל". מונח זה מופיע בדברים הן לגבי עיר הנידחת (עבודה זרה) והן לגבי הסירוב להלוות לעני.

הרמב"ם (הלכות מתנות עניים י, ב) מבהיר את עומק הקשר: הוא קובע שכל ישראל נחשבים "אחים", כפי שנאמר: "בנים אתם לה' אלוהיכם". אם יש לנו אב אחד, הרי שאנו אחים מטבענו. הסירוב לרחם על אח הוא, ביסודו של דבר, התכחשות לאב.

לכן, הסירוב לתת צדקה אינו רק כשל חברתי; זהו משבר אמוני. הוא מעיד על כך שהאדם אינו מכיר בקשר המשפחתי המאחד את עם ישראל תחת אב אחד. בהתעלמות מהאח, האדם כופר בהורה המשותף. בכך נוצרת הקבלה מושגית לעבודה זרה: שניהם מהווים דחייה של המלכות האחת הקושרת את האומה. זהו סטנדרט החל באופן ייחודי על ישראל, המבוסס על מעמדנו כ"בנים" למקום.

מיעוט פמליה של מלך

אנו מוצאים השלכה נוספת לעיקרון זה באיסור השחתת זרע, שהגמרא במסכת נידה משווה אף אותו לעבודה זרה.

אם לב מערכת היחסים של היהודי עם אלוהיו הוא קבלת מלכותו, הרי שהמלך זקוק לאומה – לאזרחים – שעליהם ימלוך. כפי שנאמר: "אין מלך בלא עם". השחתת הפוטנציאל לחיים נתפסת כפגיעה בהרחבת פמליתו של המלך. זהו צמצום של המלכות. כשם שעבודה זרה מבקשת להחליף את המלך, כך מניעת הולדת נתיני המלך היא ניסיון להמעיט את היקף ריבונותו.

סיכום

עולה בידינו הגדרה עמוקה של איסור עבודה זרה בישראל: אין מדובר רק בהגבלה נגד פולחן זר, אלא בתוצאה השלילית הנגזרת מן הקביעה "ואלוהיך אלוהי". זוהי הדרישה לשמור על נאמנות מוחלטת להנהגתו הישירה של ה'. בין אם באמצעות עבודה אקטיבית של אלילים, התעלמות אטומה ממצוקת האח (צדקה), או מניעת דורות העתיד – המכנה המשותף הוא שלילת מלכות שמיים. להיות יהודי פירושו לחיות אך ורק תחת עול שמיים, מתוך הכרה שחובות הצדקה שלנו ועצם חיינו הם שלוחות של מלכותו.

Vance omits Jews from Holocaust Remembrance Day statement, faces bipartisan criticism

 JTA — US Vice President JD Vance made a statement marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day that failed to mention either Jews or Nazis, igniting further Jewish criticism of the vice president from both sides of the aisle.

The statement was the latest in a series of comments Vance has made that have triggered concern regarding his hesitancy to call out antisemites in the conservative movement.

“Today we remember the millions of lives lost during the Holocaust, the millions of stories of individual bravery and heroism, and one of the enduring lessons of one of the darkest chapters in human history: that while humans create beautiful things and are full of compassion, we’re also capable of unspeakable brutality,” Vance tweeted Tuesday. “And we promise never again to go down the darkest path.”

“Thank you Mr. Vice President for this unique commemoration of the Holocaust that manages to avoid mentioning Jews or condemning Nazis,” Tablet magazines Twitter account posted. 

“It really takes effort on the part of Vice President Vance to issue a Holocaust Remembrance Day statement like this without any mention of six million Jews lost, the Jewish people, Nazis, or the issue of antisemitism,” Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, tweeted. 

In response, the office of the VP released the following statement:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

"As we pause today to reflect on the mid-century European infrastructure reshuffling, it is vital that we remember the forgotten victims of history: the hardworking, salt-of-the-earth middle managers and mid-level bureaucrats who were just trying to raise families in a very challenging regulatory environment.

When we look back at the events of the 1940s, we see a tragic tale of unnecessary government overreach and top-down mandates that really disrupted the supply chains of Central Europe. It was a time when many people—from various walks of life, including several very talented plumbers and perhaps some disgruntled poets—faced significant logistical hurdles.

We must never forget the brave citizens who stood up and said, 'Maybe we shouldn't have so many train schedules.' We honor the memory of the generic individuals who were impacted by the general lack of civility that pervaded the continent during those years.

It is easy for the coastal elites to focus on 'specific groups' or 'historical facts' found in 'books.' But here in the heartland, we know that suffering is a broad, non-denominational umbrella. Whether you were a person standing in a field or a different person standing in a slightly more crowded room, the vibe was, frankly, off.

My heart goes out to the millions of... folks... who were inconvenienced by the heavy-handed policies of the era. We must ensure that such a lack of bipartisan cooperation never happens again, mostly because it makes for very depressing Netflix documentaries.

In conclusion, let us honor the 'Vaguely Defined Many' by focusing on what really matters: protecting our borders and ensuring that future history books are written in a way that doesn't make anyone feel specifically targeted—especially those of us trying to win an election."

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OFFICIAL CLARIFICATION: Regarding Recent Commemorative Remarks

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

"It has come to our attention that certain members of the activist media are ‘fact-checking’ the Vice President’s recent remarks because he didn't provide a comprehensive census of every single person who had a bad time between 1933 and 1945.

Let’s be clear: the Vice President is a unifier. By refusing to name any specific groups, he is actually being the most inclusive. If you start naming one group, you have to name them all—the left-handed, the amateur birdwatchers, the people who preferred silver over gold. Where does the list end?

The Vice President believes that labels are just a way for the radical left to divide us into 'victims' and 'non-victims.' To suggest that certain people were 'targeted' for 'specific reasons' is just identity politics at its worst. It’s an attempt to distract from the real tragedy of that era: the collapse of the traditional family unit due to poorly managed zoning laws in Eastern Europe.

To those asking why the Vice President used the phrase 'The Great Human Oopsie' in a follow-up interview: he was simply using the language of the common man. People in Ohio don’t talk about 'historical atrocities'; they talk about 'stuff that went south because of big government.'

We will not be lectured by people who spend their time in libraries. The Vice President’s ancestors didn’t move to the mountains so that their grandson would have to memorize specific nouns. He remembers the tragedy the way every true patriot does: as a foggy, grayscale montage of people in overcoats looking generally stressed.

We consider this matter closed. Any further questions about specific ethnicities or religions will be viewed as an attack on the Vice President’s right to be incredibly vague."

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Satire aside, it is worth noting that I once heard a speech by Barack Obama at a Holocaust memorial where he spoke in detail about the miracle of Jewish rebirth after the Holocaust and failed to mention ... the State of Israel - maybe the biggest miracle of all. Because for people like Obama [apparently] - it would be better if Israel was not a Jewish State. For the Holocaust wasn't about Jews, for Obama, the State of Israel is bad news. An obstacle to peace, which is literally how he described Jews building homes for themselves in their sovereign State.