פירוש על עבודה זרה 109:2
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
Agrippas essentially questions the monotheistic nature of the Torah—how can God be jealous of other gods if other gods don’t exist? Moreover, God’s jealousy seems to reveal the fact that foreign gods are at least our God’s equal. Otherwise, why would God be jealous of them.
Rabban Gamaliel seems to shift the meaning of jealousness to something closer to scorn. When Israel takes another god by worshipping idols, it is akin to a man taking a second and inferior wife. The first wife will be scornful of the second wife because she fails to understand why her husband took this woman, when she, the first wife, was superior. But if the second wife was superior, the first wife would not be scornful. She would understand why her husband took a second wife (I would not try this out at home). If Israel was worshipping truly powerful gods, their God would not be jealous. But they worshipped powerless stone, wood and metal. God’s jealously is the sign of their lack of power.
Rabban Gamaliel seems to shift the meaning of jealousness to something closer to scorn. When Israel takes another god by worshipping idols, it is akin to a man taking a second and inferior wife. The first wife will be scornful of the second wife because she fails to understand why her husband took this woman, when she, the first wife, was superior. But if the second wife was superior, the first wife would not be scornful. She would understand why her husband took a second wife (I would not try this out at home). If Israel was worshipping truly powerful gods, their God would not be jealous. But they worshipped powerless stone, wood and metal. God’s jealously is the sign of their lack of power.
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