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Rosh Kollel: Rabbi Mordecai Kornfeld
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[REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE TO DISCUSS THE DAF WITH THE KOLLEL]
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Re: Melachim II 011: Jewish worship of the Ba'al in the times of Izevel
David Goldman asked:
>>I cannot understand how it was possible for there to have been literally
several thousand neviim and kohanim of the baal within such a relatively
short time that Izevel was married to Achav. I mean, if the yetser harah
for avodah zarah was so strong, then it would not have required Izevel to
import her Baal religion from across the border a few miles away! On the
other hand, if prior to her the Jews were so loyal to Hashem despite the
yetser hara, then what does it mean that thousands were able to fall into
baalism within literally a few years (Achav married Izevel and was king for
only 22 years)??!! Did these Jews suddenly say, "Ah, this is just what I
was looking for all this time, and thanks to Izevel I found it." Or were
they already disloyal to Hashem even BEFORE the arrival of Izevel?<<
The Kollel replied:
>>1) The Sefer Chasidim #1159 describes how the Ba'al prophets managed to
gain such a hold over the people. They used to prepare an idol statue for a
Jew and practice magic on him. Then they would make something similar to a
wax image of their victim and afflict him with suffering. When the sick
person would come to the magician to be healed, the magician would tell the
patient that if he will go and worship Avodah Zarah, he will be recover.
Once the Jew bowed down to the idol the magician would break the image of
the victim and he would recover from his illness.
2) The Sefer Chasidim asks that it appears from the above description that
the victims of the Ba'al magic potions were not so much to blame for what
happened to them. It sounds like there must have been a "Gezeirah Min
ha'Shamayim," that the victim would be made to suffer by the Ba'al prophets
and it was only to alleviate his suffering that he started worshipping the
Ba'al. If so, the Sefer Chasidim asks, why were the people punished for
worshipping the Ba'al?
3) The Sefer Chasidim answers by explaining an important concept, that of
"Megalgelin Chovah Al Yedei Chayav" (see Bava Basra, beginning of 119b). If
a Gezeirah is decreed on someone, this suggests that there was a reason
that this happened to the sufferer. The Sefer Chasidim writes that if
someone possesses a perfect heart, such a Gezeirah would not be decreed
upon him. He cites the Gemara in Chulin 7a that says that Hashem does not
cause a disaster to happen even to animals that belong to Tzadikim. Such a
thing would certainly not happen to a Tzadik himself.
4) So the adoption of Ba'alism by so many people was speeded up by these
magic coercion techniques. The people who got swept up by it did not
usually want to do it in the first place, but on the other hand the
Heavenly decree that caused this process would not have happened had there
not been some kind of prior tendency to this way of life, even if
subconsciously.<<
The Kollel added:
>>I would like now to come back to a passage in the Kuzari that sheds a lot
of light not only on the period of Achav, but also on the period of
Yeravam, and generally speaking on the entire phenomenon of idol worship in
the era of the first Beis ha'Mikdash.
1) The Kuzari (4:14) writes: "We must make a major distinction between the
followers of Yeravam and the followers of Achav. Those who worship the
Ba'al are total idol-worshippers. This is what Eliyahu ha'Navi said
(Melachim I 18:21), 'If Hashem is Elokim, then go after Him, but if it is
the Ba'al, then go after him.' It is only about the Ba'al worshippers that
our Sages (Chulin 4b) were in doubt concerning how Yehoshafat could have
eaten from the feast of Achav. Chazal did not say the same thing about the
followers of Yeravam. In addition, when Eliyahu said (Melachim I 19:10), 'I
have been zealous for Hashem Elokei Tzevakos,' he did speak out against the
calves that Yeravam set up. This is because all of the actions of the
followers of Yeravam were directed towards Hashem, Elokei Yisrael. The
prophets that they possessed were prophets of Hashem. On the other hand,
the prophets of Achav were prophets of the Ba'al. Yehu ben Nimshi rose up
to eradicate the deeds of Achav. He invested great efforts until he wiped
out any rememberance of the Ba'al. However, Yehu did not touch the calves
of Yeravam. The people who made the original Golden Calf (Bnei Yisrael in
the wilderness), the followers of Yeravam, the people who worshipped on the
High Places, the Bamos, and the statue of Michah, intended only to serve
the G-d of Yisrael except that they did this together with a transgression
for which one is culpable for the capital penalty."
2) We see in the Kuzari here a clear description of the difference between
the Avodah Zarah of Achav and the other straying forms of worship that had
been practiced before his time. Achav's way was 100% idol-worhsip. In
contrast, Yeravam and the other wayward break-off groups basically believed
in Hashem and in the Torah, but for different reasons went against certain
specific Mitzvos of the Torah, but they believed in the Torah as a whole.
3) In addition, David, this addresses a point which you raised a while
back: Why did the Nevi'im not give Tochechah against the calves of Yeravam?
It seems that the answer of the Kuzari is that the Nevi'im gave rebuke only
about the three cardinal sins, but not against other Aveiros, even Aveiros
for which the transgressor is Chayav Misah.
4) The Kuzari continues, "The intention of Yeravam etc. was entirely for
Hashem, but they did their service together with a transgression for which
the capital penalty applies. This can be compared to somebody who marries
his sister for a certain need, or out of lust, but aside from this he
carries out all the Mitzvos that are part of a marriage, exactly as Hashem
commanded. Alternatively, this can be compared to a Jew who eats pork but
is particular to slaughter the pig according to all the laws of Shechitah,
and is careful not to consume the blood of the pig."
5) I think that we could sumamrize this by saying that Achav did not
believe in the Torah or in the G-d of Yisrael, and his worhip was entirely
the way of the Nochrim who lived near Eretz Yisrael. Yeravam and the other
groups believed in Hashem of Yisrael and did not worship Avodah Zarah. They
transgressed frequently one of the Mitzvos of the Torah, but their basic
belief and practice of the Torah remined intact.<<
---
David asks:
Thanks as always. These sugyas get increasingly complicated.......in the
case of Achav chazal tell us how great he was in his knowledge of Torah,
and about his mesiras nefesh to keep his sefer Torah from the king of Aram
even if it meant giving him all his children and gold. The Satmar Rav in
Vayoel Moshe, Shalosh Shvuas #135 (kuf lamed heh) discusses Menashe and
makes the argument that he did not perform avoda zara in practice, but was
poygem in machashavos during tefilla that were considered equivalent to
actual actions.
And Achav was given respect by neviim as we have discussed, and even that
apparent machshefa shiksa was commended for her being mesameach chasan
vekala and mourning at levayas. Had Achav been performing actual avoda
zarah it would have been a mitzva to kill him right away just as Yehu later
killed his own sons who we know weren't as bad as he was. Indeed, other
people were killed quickly for less severe sins than was Achav.
And of course the affiliation with a great tsaddik such as Yehoshafat as we
discussed.
Achav was king for only 21 years, and we don't get information that there
were active baal centers all over the place, etc. etc. which would have
taken time to develop by Izevel anyway. Even by the time of Yehu (15 years
after Eliyahu) all the baal supporters could fit into one building out of a
large population of the whole 10 tribes. Achav's son wanted to engage in
fortune telling with the Baal Zevuv, and 2 Divrei Hayamim mentions "doresh
habaalim" which both seem to be a subtle distinction from actual avoda
zarah (i.e. as what we would call superstitions).
Of course we also don't have information about the fate of the ashera sect
(and why those people were different from the baalim), or even if all the
active baal prophets/priests were actually Yidden or imports from Zidon,
since based on chronology had they been new recruits after Izevel got
established, they would presumably not have been erliche Jews to begin
with, and not very old either since the time between her getting
established and the confrontation at Har Karmel would have only been around
10-12 years, which presumably would not have been enough time for veteran
recruits to have been long-time baalists.
Finally, why did the evil inclination have to wait for Izevel to import
baalism from Zidon to the area of Shomron for it to become widespread (if
it actually was) when the distance was hardly 50 miles - the yetser hara
could have brought it in anytime before that, especially since local
Canaanite goyim also worshipped Baal?
An outstanding kashe about all this is why didn't any neviim instruct the
Bnai Yisroel or at least the kings of Yehuda to use their huge armies to
destroy the checkpoints of the northern kings to keep people from going to
Yerushalayim??
Why didn't the neviim give specific tochacha about Yerushalayim itself,
thereby undermining the false assumptions held since Yeravam ben Navat??
DG
------------------------------------
The Kollel replies:
David, thanks once again for your very important insights.
1) We must be aware of the fact that we are dealing here with a very
important and difficult topic which spans decades or even centuries of
Jewish history, so we cannot hope to understand everything so quickly. We
will procede step by step and gradually reach a greater appreciation of the
period, b'Ezer Hashem.
2) I suggest that we also bear in mind what we mentioned in one of the
previous replies in the name of the Chazon Ish, that our understanding of
those people who were great in Torah, but nevertheless worshipped Avodah
Zarah, can be compared to trying to explain to a color-blind man what
colors are. It is very difficult for us to understand how this could
happen. So we will have to work to try and gain an appreciation of the
different color-schemes involved in understanding what happened in those
days.
3) After those words of introduction, I will suggest that the simple
explanation of why Achav was not killed for his worship of Avodah Zarah is
simply that the Sanhedrin did not possess the physical power to do this. On
the contrary, we know that Izevel killed all the prophets of Hashem with
the exception of 100 who were hidden away in a cave by Ovadyah. We find
that Ovadyah was quite aware that he was putting his life in danger by his
opposition to Avodah Zarah, and the life of Eliyahu ha'Navi was also
threatened.
4) I am not aware of examples of where the prophets gave respect to Achav,
with the exception of situations where it seemed that Achav might do
Teshuvah and respect the Torah (or possibly they gave him respect because
they were afraid that otherwise he would kill them).
There is an additional point: In the end, Achav did Teshuvah! This was an
amazing thing, which shows the power of Teshuvah -- that even though Achav
had done such terrible things and had wrecked such great spiritual
destruction in Klal Yisrael, nevertheless at the end of his life he
admitted that Eliyahu ha'Navi and the Torah were right after all. The very
fact that Achav eventually did Teshuvah in the end made all the efforts of
Eliyahu worthwhile.
5) Finally, I will point out that Chazal are very clear in their criticism
of Yehoshafat for his collaboration with Resha'im. In fact, Yehoshafat is
seen by the Mefarshim as the classic example of a great Tzadik who
nevertheless made the great mistake of joining up with evil. See Rashi to
Bamidbar 20:23. He writes there that as a punishment for Bnei Yisrael's
collaboration with Esav, they were punished by losing Aharon ha'Kohen.
Rashi cites another example of somebody being punished for collaborating
with Resha'im, namely Yehoshafat collaborating with Achazyahu.
6) In other words, when Rashi looks for an example of a Tzadik being
punished for collaborating with evil, the classic example he finds is that
of Yehoshafat.
Obviously there is still a lot left to discuss, but I must close here.
Kol Tuv,
Dovid Bloom
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