One of the strongest taboos in Judaism is its revulsion of idolatry. Our Gemara on Amud Beis discusses another aspect of this intense aversion:
“They joined themselves also unto Baal of Peor, and ate zivchei meisim—the offerings to the dead” (Tehillim 106:28).
Just as a corpse imparts ritual impurity by means of a tent, so too idolatrous offerings impart ritual impurity by means of a tent.
This idiom for idolatrous sacrifices, zivchei meisim, “offerings to the dead,” is used most famously in Pirkei Avos (3:3):
Rabbi Shimon said: If three have eaten at one table and have not spoken there words of Torah, it is as if they had eaten sacrifices offered to the dead, as it is said: “For all tables are full of filthy vomit, with no place for Ha-Makom” (Yeshayah 28:8).
But if three have eaten at one table, and have spoken there words of Torah, it is as if they had eaten at the table of Ha-Makom, blessed be He, as it is said: “And He said unto me, ‘This is the table before the Lord’” (Yechezkel 41:22).
The Alshich (Vayikra 16:13) explains this idea in depth. He asks: Why does this teaching employ the particular name of God, Ha-Makom (the Omnipresent)? This Name signifies that God is the entire reality; that is to say, any place at all is really where God is—He is the place.
The use of this Divine Name explains not only the consequence but also the source of the problem. Keeping Torah away from the table represents an inability to acknowledge and maintain awareness of God’s presence during one’s engagement with mundane life activities such as eating.
This is why it is compared to idolatry—because it reflects a rejection of God’s omnipresence and divine flow. The metaphor grows even more vivid when we consider the rest of the verse: “filthy vomit” and “no place for Ha-Makom.” Vomit and excrement are the byproducts of the body expelling waste. Thus, one who refuses to bring Torah to the table aligns themselves with that which is expelled, with material that is alienated and detached from the life force of the organism, and in a cosmic sense, the divine flow to the universe.
Idolatry, then, is not just about bowing to statues. It is about disconnection—being unable or unwilling to acknowledge and live in contact with God’s divine presence. It’s about eating without awareness and living without tethering oneself to the Source.
Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation
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Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, LCSW-R, LMFT, DHL is a psychotherapist who works with high conflict couples and families. He can be reached via email at simchafeuerman@gmail.com