Jews Encountering Buddhists: Who are the Idolaters? Rabbi David Almog I. A Biblical View on the Idolatry of the Nations תהלים פרק קטו ,Why do the nations say 2 )ב(לָָּ֭מָּה יֹאמְר֣ ּו הַ ּגֹוי ִ֑ם אַ יֵּה־נָָּ֗אאֱֹלהֵּ יה ֶֽ ם: ”?Where is their God“ 3 Our God is in heaven; )ג(וֵֶּֽאֹלהֵֵּ֥ ינּו בַשָּמָּ ִ֑ י ם לכָֹ֭ אֲש ר־חָּפֵּ ֣ץעָּשֶָּֽ ה: he does whatever pleases him. 4 )ד( עֲֽצַבֵּ יהםכ֣סף וְזָּהָּ ִ֑ במַַ֝ העֲשֵָּ֗ יְדֵּ ֣יאָּדֶָּֽ ם: ,But their idols are silver and gold made by human hands. )ה(פֶֽה־לָָּ֭ ה ם וְלֹ֣ איְדַבֵּ ִ֑רּו עֵּ ינַ ֵַ֥֥י ם לַָּ֝ה םָ֗ וְלֹ֣ אי רְאֶֽ ּו: ,They have mouths, but cannot speak 5 )ו(אָּזְנַ ַ֣֥י ם לָָּ֭ םה אוְלֹ֣ י ִ֑שְמָּ עּו ֵ֥אַ ף לַָּ֝ה םָ֗ וְלֹ֣ א יְריחֶֽ ּון: .eyes, but cannot see 6 They have ears, but cannot hear, )ז(יְדֵּ יה ֶ֤ ם׀ וְלֹֹ֬ א יְמ ישָ֗ ּון רַָ֭ גְלֵּיה ם וְלֹ֣ איְהַלֵּ ִ֑כּולֶֹֽ א־י ַ֝הְ ּגָ֗ ּו ב גְ רֹונֶָּֽם: noses, but cannot smell. 7 )ח(כְָ֭ מֹוה ם י הְ יּ֣ו עֹשֵּ יה םִ֑ כָֹ֭ לאֲש ר־בֹטֵּ ֣חַ בָּה ֶֽ ם: ,They have hands, but cannot feel feet, but cannot walk, )ט(י ָ֭שְרָּאֵּ ל ֣ בְטַ חבַ יקֹוָּ ִ֑קע זְרָּ ָ֖םּומָּג נָּ ֣ם הֶֽ ּוא: nor can they utter a sound with their throats. 8 Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. 9 All you Israelites, trust in the LORD— he is their help and shield. ירמיהו פרק י Jeremiah 10 )ח(ּובְאַחַָ֖ת י בְ עֲר֣ ּווְי כְסָּ ִ֑ לּו ֵ֥מּוסַ ר הֲבָּל ָ֖ים עֵּ ֵ֥ץ הֶֽ ּוא: But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the 8 vanities by which they are instructed are but a )ט(כ֣סףמְ רֻקָָּּ֞ ע מ תַרְש֣ יש איּובָָּ֗ וְזָּהָּב֙ מֵֶּֽ אּופָָּ֔ ז מַ עֲשֵּ ֵ֥החָּרָּ ָ֖ש ;stock וידֵּ֣יצֹורֵּ ִ֑ף תְכֵֶּ֤ל תוְאַרְ ּגָּמָּן֙לְ םבּושָָּ֔ מַ עֲשֵּ הֵ֥ חֲכָּמ יםָ֖ כֻלֶָּֽם: 9 Silver beaten into plates which is brought from )י( וֶַֽיקֹוֶָּ֤קאֱֹלה ים֙ אֱמ ָ֔ ת הֶֽ ּוא־אֱֹלה ֵ֥ ים חַיָ֖ים ּומ ֣ ל ְךעֹולָּ ִ֑ם מ ק צְפֹו֙ Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the תרְעַ֣ש הָּאָָּ֔ר ץ וְלֶֹֽ א־יָּכ ֵ֥ לּוגֹוי ָ֖ם זַעְמֶֽ ֹו: ס ;craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith blue and purple is their clothing; they are all the work of skillful men. 10 But the LORD God is the true God, He is the living God, and the everlasting King; at His wrath the earth trembleth, and the nations are not able )יא(כדְנָּה֙תֵּ אמְר֣ ּוןלְהָ֔ ֹום אֱלָּ ֣הַ יָָּ֔א דֶֽי־שְ מַיָּ ֵ֥א וְאַרְקָּ אָ֖ לָּ ֣א עֲבַ ִ֑דּו {to abide His indignation. {P יֵּאבַַ֧ דּומֵֶּֽאַרְעָּ ָ֛א ּומ ן־תְחֵ֥ ֹות שְ מַיָּ ָ֖א אֵֶּֽ לה: ס 11 Thus shall ye say unto them: 'The gods that )יב(עֹשֵֵּ֥הא֙רץ֙ בְ כֹחָ֔ ֹו מֵּכֵ֥ ין תֵּבֵּ ָ֖ל בְחָּכְמָּתִ֑ ֹו ּובתְ בּונָּתָ֖ ֹו ֵ֥ נָּטָּ ה have not made the heavens and the earth, these שָּמֶָּֽ ים: shall perish from the earth, and from under the heavens.' {S} )יג(לְק֨ ֹול ת תּ֜ ֹו הֲמֵ֥ ֹון מַ֙ י ם֙בַשָּמַָ֔ ם י וַיַעֲל ֵ֥ה נְש אָ֖ ים מ קְצֵּ ֣ה ארץ הָּאִָּ֑ר ץבְרָּק ֶ֤ ים לַמָּטָּר֙עָּשָָּ֔ הוַיֵ֥ ֹוצֵּארָ֖ ּוחַ מֵּ אֹצְ רֹתֶָּֽ יו: He that hath made the earth by His power, that 12 hath established the world by His wisdom, and )יד(נבְעֶַ֤ר כָּל־אָּדָּם֙ מדַָ֔ עַ תהֹב ֵ֥ יש כָּל־צֹורֵּ ָ֖ף מפָּ לִ֑ס כ ָ֛ י ש ֵ֥קר hath stretched out the heavens by His נסְכָ֖ ֹו וְלֹא־רֵ֥ ּוחַ בֶָּֽ ם: ;understanding )טו(ה֣בל הֵָּ֔ מָּ המַ עֲשֵּ הָ֖ תַעְ תֻע ִ֑ יםבְעֵּ ֵ֥ת פְקֻדָּתָּ ָ֖ םיֹאבֵֶּֽ דּו: At the sound of His giving a multitude of waters 13 in the heavens, when He causeth the vapours to )טז( ללֶֹֽא־כְאֵּּ֜ ה חֵּ ֣ לק יַעֲקָֹ֗בכ ֶֽ י־יֹוצֵֶּ֤ר הַ כֹל֙ הָ֔ ּוא וְי ל֨שְרָּאֵָּ֔ שֵּ ָ֖בט ascend from the ends of the earth; when He נֶַֽחֲלָּתִ֑ ֹו יְקֹוָּ ֵ֥קצְבָּאָ֖ ֹות שְמֶֽ ֹו: ס maketh lightnings with the rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of His treasuries; 14 Every man is proved to be brutish, without knowledge, every goldsmith is put to shame by the graven image, his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. 15 They are vanity, a work of delusion; in the time of their visitation they shall perish. 16 Not like these is the portion of Jacob; for He is the former of all things, and Israel is the tribe of His inheritance; the LORD of hosts is His name. {S} I. A Rabbinic View of Idolatry: Abraham Smashes the Idols (Genesis Rabbah 38:13) אמר ר' חייא תרח עובד צלמים הוה, חד זמן נפק לאתר .R’ Hiyya said: Terah was an idol manufacturer הושיב אברהם מוכר תחתיו, הוה אתי בר נש בעי דיזבון, He once went away and left Abraham to sell אמר ליה בר כמה שנין את, אמר ליה בר חמשין, אמר ליה ווי לההוא גברא דאת בר חמשין ותסגוד לבר יומא, והוה .[them. A man came and wished to buy [an idol מתבייש והולך לו, Abraham asked him “how old are you?” The man responded “fifty.” Abraham said, “Woe to this חד זמן אתת איתתא טעינא חד פינך דסלת אמ' ליה הא לך קרב קדמיהון, קם נסיב בוקלסה ותברהון ויהב ההוא man! You are fifty years old and would worship בוקלסה בידוי דרבה דבהון, כיון דאתא אבוה אמר ליה מה .something a day old!” The man left ashamed עבד להון כדין, אמר ליה מה נכפור לך אתת חדא איתתא טעינא חד פינך דסלת ואמרת לי קרב קומיהון, דין אמר One time, a woman came carrying a plate of אנא אכיל קדמאי ודין אמר אנא אכיל קדמאי, קם הדין רבה נסיב בוקלסה ותברהון, ]אמר ליה[ מה את מפלה בי, ידעין flour. She said to him “Go, make an offering to אינון, אמר ליה ולא ישמעו אזניך מפיך, them.” Abraham took a stick, smashed them and placed the stick in the hand of the largest idol. When his father came arrived, he asked him “Why do you do this to them?!” “I cannot conceal it from you: A woman came in with a plate of flour and told me to offer it to them. This one said, “I shall eat first,” and that one said, “I shall eat first”. Then the largest idol took the stick and broke them. [Terah] said, “are you messing with me? Do these have awareness?!” “Do your ears hear what your own mouth is saying?!” II. How Idolatrous are Idols? How Idolatrous is Torah? a) Story about Rabbi David Wolfe Blank z”l - The Jew in the Lotus (Rodger Kamenetz) p. 271 b) Zen Iconoclasticism cont. Tennen Zenji of Tan-hsia went to Lo-yang. When he visited Erin Temple, the weather was extremely cold. He took the wooden Buddha which was in the temple and made a fire to warm himself. The abbot saw this and upbraided him: "How dare you burn up my wooden Buddha!" Tennen poked the ashes with his staff, saying: "I burned it in order to make some relics." The Abbot said: "A wooden Buddha has no relics." Tennen said: "If it has none, I shall beg you for a few more images." And he took them and burned them. Whereupon the Abbot fell into hell. - Koan 5 (from Twenty Five Koans: Selected and Translated by Sokei-an Sasaki) c) Suzuki Roshi: A Japanese Zen Master in America As to all those images of various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and Devas and other beings that one comes across in Zen temples, they are like so many pieces of wood or stone or metal; they are like camellias, azaleas, or stone lanterns in my garden. Make obeisance to the camellia now in full bloom, and worship it if you like, Zen would say. There is as much religion in so doing as in bowing to the various Buddhist gods, or as sprinkling holy water, or as participating in the Lord's Supper. All those pious deeds considered to be meritorious or sanctifying by most so-called religiously minded people are artificialities in the eyes of Zen. It boldly declares that "the immaculate Yogins do not enter Nirvana and the precept- violating monks do not go to hell". This, to ordinary minds, is a contradiction of the common law of moral life, but herein lies the truth and the life of Zen. Zen is the spirit of a man. Zen believes in its inner purity and goodness. Whatever is superadded or violently torn away, injures the wholesomeness of the spirit. Zen, therefore, is emphatically against all religious conventionalism. ... – Suzuki Roshi http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/questionofgod/voices/suzuki.html III. Honoring the Torah שולחן ערוך יורה דעה הלכות ספר תורה סימן רפב Shulkhan Arukh YD 282 סעיף א I. One is obligated to act with great honor א[ חייב אדם )א( לנהוג כבוד גדול בס"ת. ומצוה לייחד לו towards a Torah Scroll. It is a mitzvah to set aside מקום ולכבד המקום ההוא ולהדרו ביותר. ב[ ולא ירוק כנגד a special place for it and to honor that place and ספר תורה. ג[ ולא יגלה ערותו כנגדו. ד[ ולא יפשוט רגלו decorate it. One should not spit in front of a כנגדו. ולא יניחנו על ראשו כמשוי. ה[ ולא יחזור אחוריו, ו[ Torah Scroll. One should not get undressed אלא אם כן >א< גבוה )ב( ממנו עשרה טפחים, ז[ אלא .before it, One should not extend his foot facing it ישב לפניו בכובד ראש וביראה ופחד, שהוא העד הנאמן .One should not carry it on his head like a bundle על כל באי עולם One should not turn his back on it unless it is ten hand-breadths higher than himself.