{"id":65718,"date":"2019-11-14T13:17:52","date_gmt":"2019-11-14T11:17:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=65718"},"modified":"2023-06-11T00:17:34","modified_gmt":"2023-06-10T21:17:34","slug":"drawing-distinctions-among-idolaters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/drawing-distinctions-among-idolaters\/","title":{"rendered":"Drawing Distinctions Among Idolaters"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[429,506],"acf":{"old_id":"65718","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":34243,"related_cahpter":"351","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Isaiah\u2019s call to return to the One","content":"

In this chapter, Isaiah addressed himself to Damascus, the capital of the kingdom of Aram, with which both Samaria and Judah interacted throughout the Book of Kings. Here, the prophet prophesied ruin for Damascus using \u201cthe rushing of mighty waters\u201d as a metaphor for its destruction.<\/span><\/p>\n

As usual, however, the physical and political dimensions were accompanied by a spiritual one, and Isaiah promised that \u201cIn that day, men shall turn to their Maker, their eyes look to the Holy One of Israel\u201d (7). In other words, they will abandon their idolatrous ways and return to the belief in one God. That, of course, is the simple understanding of the verse, to which Malbim,* wrote the following addendum.<\/span><\/p>\n

Amongst idolaters, there were two groups. One denied the very existence of a creator of heaven and earth; they would impute everything to an idol. The second group acknowledged the existence of a cosmic creator but denied his providence, saying that he had left matters on earth to the rule of the constellations. They regarded the idol as an intermediary between themselves and God, through which they would be influenced by God.<\/span><\/p>\n

Both groups were addressed in our verse. \u201cMen shall turn to their Maker\u201d was addressed to the first group which will come to recognize the existence of God the creator. \u201cTheir eyes look to the Holy One of Israel\u201d was spoken to the second group, which will acknowledge His direct providence over everything.<\/span><\/p>\n

A singular Rashi on this chapter also deserves mention. In regard to the eventual destruction of Damascus, Israel\u2019s foe, Rashi (v. 12) added the following theological note: \u201cA rule in force throughout the generations is that the staff with which Israel is beaten will eventually be beaten itself.\u201d In a Hebrew article from 1949, the Israeli historian Yitzhak Baer\u00a0<\/span>suggested that Rashi\u2014here and elsewhere\u2014was responding to the contemporary Crusades, and the context of his times.<\/span><\/p>\n

*For the significance of Malbim\u2019s commentary to the Book of Isaiah,<\/span> see our introduction to chapter 1.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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