Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Kabbalah for Exodus 34:17

אֱלֹהֵ֥י מַסֵּכָ֖ה לֹ֥א תַעֲשֶׂה־לָּֽךְ׃

Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.

Reshit Chokhmah

Keri comes because of a few reasons and we need to explain them. The first is what Rabbi Shimon said in the Zohar in Kedoshim regarding “Do not turn to the idols” and it is the issue of looking at women, since that leads a person to negative thoughts and impurity, and he goes against the precept of “do not make for yourself molten gods” (Leviticus 19:4) since after his entire body warms up from the spirit of defilement it is considered like he made himself into a molten god. And the meaning of “for yourself” is like saying “do not make yourself into a molten god”, as it explains in the Zohar in Tetzaveh regarding anger, that it says anger is different from all other defilements: 60. Other impurities are different, for they cannot do more THAN DEFILE HIM ON THE OUTSIDE, but one WHO GETS ANGRY is different from them all, for his whole body becomes defiled inside and out, and he contaminates the soul and everything else. 61. Therefore, it is written: “You shall make you no molten Elohim” (Shemot 34:17). “Make you” MEANS you shall NOT harm yourself.
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