Thursday, April 26, 2007

licentiousness and idol worship

Parshat Acharei Mos

In 18:21 the Torah warns us of passing our children through the fires of Molech, as a form of idol worship.
The Torah just listed numerous details of the prohibitions of עריות, then it throws in this passuk of idol worship, then it continues with a few more of עריות before it moves on to other topics.

What is the connection? Why in the middle of all this עריות do we throw in the idol worship verse?

The only connection I can think of is that among the commentaries we often find explained (commonly by the Golden Calf for example) how עריות and idol worship are very much connected. We do not understand idol worship that well, because the gemara tells us that the Great Men of Assembly cancelled the desire for idol worship due to what they saw as an increased threat, we often find idol worship going hand in hand with licentiousness.

That could be the reason for the proximity of the psukim here.

Anybody have an explanation?

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