Rabbi Jason Bonder
Parashat Re’eh
“Did you see anything?!” Rick Moranis asks in his role as Dark Helmet in the 1987 Mel Brooks classic, “Spaceballs.” “No sir! I didn’t see you playing with your dolls again,” answers George Wyner as Colonel Sandurz.
On the surface, this week’s portion, Re’eh, warns against the kind of behavior in which Dark Helmet was engaged: idol worship. The Torah states, “Tear down their altars, smash their pillars, put their sacred posts to the fire, and cut down the images of their gods, obliterating their name from that site.” (Deuteronomy 12:3)
The Israelites were unsuccessful in accomplishing this goal. Those sites were not entirely destroyed and remain known to us today. Why didn’t the Israelites fulfill Moses’ instructions? Perhaps they failed, or maybe the survival of these sites and idols indicates something significant about the message Moses conveyed. It could be that, despite the mandate to destroy these places, the Israelites recognized that Moses was talking about something much more profound than altars, sacred poles and images. Perhaps idolatry isn’t solely about physical idols.
I don’t believe that figurines are inherently bad. In defense of the ancient Canaanites, the ancient Israelites and even Dark Helmet, any reasonable human at any time in history likely understood that playing with dolls or worshipping them would not change the natural world or alter the course of history. I believe that, deep down, Dark Helmet knew that he was not going to win the heart of Princess Vespa, played by Daphne Zuniga, in the end.
Similarly, while the ancient figurines likely represented something important to the ancient Canaanites, they must have realized that carved rock could not save them from sorrow or provide abundant blessings.
Therefore, while Dark Helmet was embarrassed to be caught playing with his dolls, it was not a sin. His true failing was allowing himself to be distracted from his goals. That is a form of idolatry: prioritizing play time when hard work is required, pouring our attention into social media feeds while our children sit in front of us asking for our attention, or letting our email inbox consume us instead of engaging in conversation with our spouse.
These are examples of idolatry in our times, but we often fail to see these moments for what they are. Perhaps that is why this portion is called Re’eh, which means “see.”
The danger that those ancient idols present in the 21st century lies in the belief that those physical objects are the only things we must guard against when it comes to idolatry. This kind of thinking allows for the other, more modern, forms of idolatry to infiltrate our lives through screens and distractions all around us. Not too long ago, technology and social media were presented as the promised land of human connection and progress. We are quickly learning that this new promised land, like the one Moses described in this portion, is filled with both blessings and curses. Full of connections and distractions all at once.
On my bookshelf in my office, I have a little figurine of the television character, Ted Lasso, holding a yellow sign that says, “Believe.” I keep it there as a reminder of the kind of leader I aspire to be. The Apple TV hit series, “Ted Lasso,” arrived at the moment, during the pandemic, when we needed it most. The show is about optimism in a world of pessimism.
It beautifully displays the power of sticking to our values even when times get tough. The show is an argument for believing in ourselves and in each other. If we keep our values in sight, we can achieve anything together. We can find our way closer to the promised land.
This summer, I moved into a new role at Congregation Beth Or. Upon Rabbi Greg Marx’s retirement, I became our senior rabbi. That Ted Lasso figurine serves as my reminder to keep my eye on the values that our Jewish community holds dear, especially in the face of many challenges facing the Jewish people. In that way, I believe that little Ted Lasso statuette helps me fulfill Moses’ instruction.
Rabbi Jason Bonder is the Senior Rabbi at Congregation Beth Or in Maple Glen. The Board of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia is proud to provide diverse perspectives on Torah commentary for the Jewish Exponent. The opinions expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Board of Rabbis.
