According to a report on Behadrei, the Rebbe related a story from his youth having been "tested" by his uncle Rav Yoel Teitelbaum on the very same parsha, Ki Tisa, about the story of the Golden Calf. He relates that his uncle, Rav Yoel, asked him how could it be possible for the nation to have worshipped the Golden Calf? He went on to explain that the Calf was not just a golden statue of a calf, but according to the medrash it had some sort of life force to it and the golden calf danced and did miracles and acted a live, which caused people to believe in it as some sort of deity and worship it. According to Rav Yoel there were three types of people worshipping the golden calf:
- those who saw the miracles and actually worshipped it as a deity like real avoda zara.
- those who did not actually worship it but hugged and kissed it and admired it
- this third category was most of the people, they were happy internally seeing the calf do amazing and wondrous things
Rav Aharon then took the lesson to today saying that we are standing on the side watching this war with Iran and we are watching the golden calf of today doing amazing and wondrous things - dancing, jumping...some are watching and worshiping the Zionist calf and others are not worrshiping it but are happy or even kissing the Zionist calf. Most of the people, like then, are happy internally about the successes of the Zionist calf and about the great wondrous successes it is having. Even just being happy internally is prohibited. Even those happy about the wonders and successes are following all day and checking the news to see this all and be happy about it. For this they all need a kapara.
Hashem should give us the wisdom, Rav Aharon prayed, to understand that avoda zara is prohibited even when it does wondrous things. It might dance and make us wonder, but it is still idol worship and is prohibited to kiss it, to worship it and be happy about it. ------
I always was, and still am, amazed at how, as religious people, and they might be considered super religious people, they can refuse to see God's hand in the formation and continued success of the State of Israel. I truly do not even understand it. EVen if God is behind it that does not mean you have to celebrate and say hallel and wave the blue and white flag and all that. You can still see it as needing improvement. To continue to see it as the work of Satan and not the hand of God behind it though is bewildering.
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