Musar for Avodah Zarah 15:17
תניא רבי ישמעאל אומר ישראל שבחוצה לארץ עובדי עבודת כוכבים בטהרה הן כיצד עובד כוכבים שעשה משתה לבנו וזימן כל היהודים שבעירו אע"פ שאוכלין משלהן ושותין משלהן ושמש שלהן עומד לפניהם מעלה עליהם הכתוב כאילו אכלו מזבחי מתים שנאמר (שמות לד, טו) וקרא לך ואכלת מזבחו
It was taught: R. Ishmael says: Israelites who reside outside of Israel are idol worshippers in purity. How so? An idolater gives a banquet for his son and invites all the Jews in his town. Even though they eat of their own and drink of their own and their own attendant waits on them, Scripture treats them as if they had eaten of the sacrifices to dead idols, as it is said, “And he will call you and you will eat of his sacrifice” (Exodus 34:15).
Shenei Luchot HaBerit
We must ask why the four empires , hosts of Israel in its various exiles, are mentioned in this Midrash at all? Our sages have described the Jewish people as serving idols in purity while in exile. Pardes Rimonim explains this by pointing out that G–d's bounty to Israel while they are in exile is directed via the respective שר, celestial representative of our host nation. G–d (16,16) is on record that: אני ה' השוכן אתם בתוך טומאתם, "I remain their G–d while dwelling amongst them in their impurity" (cf. Rashi on this verse). This is proof that sanctity still adheres to the Jewish people even in exile. The reasons for this, partially, is that G–d's praises emanate from the mouths of the Jewish people by reason of the food they consume. The Jewish people realise that it is G–d Who orders all food to grow in order that it may become the instrument of the people's sanctification.
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