Torah from Rabbi Saunders

Parshas Re’eh opens with a stark choice, “See, I place before you today a blessing and a curse” (Devarim 11:26). The Torah then launches into a detailed discussion of how to live a life of blessing, chief among the warnings is the prohibition against avodah zarah, idolatry.

In ancient times, avodah zarah meant bowing to statues, sacrificing to foreign gods, and engaging in ritual practices that denied Hashem’s oneness. But in our modern world, the idols are subtler, and perhaps more seductive.

 Modern Forms of Avodah Zarah

Today’s avodah zarah isn’t found in temples of stone, it’s found in temples of ego, consumerism, and ideology. Here are a few examples:

Materialism: When wealth becomes the ultimate goal, it replaces Hashem as the source of security and meaning.

Celebrity Worship: When influencers and public figures are treated as moral authorities or objects of obsession, we risk replacing divine values with human vanity.

Ideological Absolutism: When political or social ideologies are treated as infallible truths, they can become idols that override Torah values.

The parsha begins with “Re’eh”, “See.” It’s a call to clarity. Hashem asks us to see the world not just with physical eyes, but with spiritual discernment. What are we really worshipping? What do we prioritize? What do we sacrifice for?

The Torah’s warning against avodah zarah is not just about foreign gods, it’s about anything that displaces Hashem from the center of our lives.

Parshas Re’eh reminds us that we have the power to choose. Every day, we stand at a crossroads between blessing and curse. By identifying and rejecting modern idols, we reaffirm our commitment to a life of kedusha, of holiness.

Let us use the lens of Torah to examine our lives. What do we serve? What do we sacrifice for? And most importantly, what do we see when we look at the world?