Q&A: Idolatry
Idolatry
Question
I have a strong feeling that all the forces of nature are manifestations of an independent spiritual power. I turn to the sea and ask it to act one way or another; to the wind, to the mountains, to the fire. In my eyes, every flame obeys the authority of the power of fire, and that power has awareness and will and goals and influence. But I do believe that there is a God who created the whole world. I just think that nature too has souls. And you can ask it, just as you ask a human being. I’m not religious, but I still want to ask: according to Jewish law, am I considered an idolater? And why?
Answer
As long as you do not worship them, this is not idolatry. But asking things of them is definitely problematic.
Discussion on Answer
The question whether this is a slippery slope or not is a factual question, and Maimonides’ words carry no weight on that issue. Unless you say that this was forbidden as a matter of Jewish law, with the reason being that it is a slippery slope—then you could learn something from him. But I do not see that from this halakhah, and I also do not think this claim has any real basis.
From Maimonides’ words at the beginning of the laws of idolatry, it seems that this is a slippery slope:
“ In the days of Enosh, mankind made a great error, and the counsel of the wise men of that generation was confounded; Enosh himself was among those who erred. And this was their mistake: they said, since God created these stars and spheres to govern the world, and placed them on high, and allotted them honor, and they are attendants who minister before Him, they are worthy of being praised and glorified and honored. And this is the will of God, blessed be He—to magnify and honor those whom He has magnified and honored, just as a king wishes to honor those who stand before him; and this is honor to the king. Once this idea arose in their hearts, they began to build temples to the stars, to offer them sacrifices, to praise and glorify them with words, and to bow down before them, in order to attain the will of the Creator according to their evil understanding. And this was the essence of idolatry. And thus its worshippers would say—those who knew its basis—not that there is no God except this star. This is what Jeremiah says: ‘Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For to You it is fitting; for among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like You. But in one thing they are brutish and foolish: the instruction of vanities is but a tree’—meaning, everyone knows that You alone are God; but their error and foolishness is that they imagine that this vanity is Your will.”