We think we've found G-d, when it's just a metal box
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arshah after parshah in the Torah deals with avodah zarah. Indeed, the Rambam (Moreh Nevuchim 3:28) explains that the purpose of most of the mitzvos is to eradicate idolatry from among us and foster belief in Hashem, the One G-d, to the extent that we can understand Him.
In our times, idolatry seems to be one of the more difficult behaviors to understand. It’s been millennia since idol worship was the dominant form of religious service in the world, but in its time, it was embraced by the smartest and wisest of people. We wonder how this could be. How could people who were smart and wise attribute supreme power to idols, to wooden or stone carvings of fictional figures?
Yeshayahu’s prophecy (perek 44) provides a devastating mockery of idolatry: He describes a person who chops down a tree and uses half the wood to bake his bread, roast his meat, and warm his house. He then carves the other half into a god. Could anything be more ludicrous than that? Even the most ignorant of people should note the absurdity of that deed.
So, what was it that drove people to worship these deities? And is there a message that is still relevant?
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