Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (the
Rambam) [Maimonides] held that worship of an intermediate is idolatry.
I claim that this does not
include going to a prophet or a saint for a blessing.
The reason for my claim is
that we find lots of people in the Old Testament going to a Jewish saint
for a blessing. Avimelech was commanded by God to go to Abraham and ask him to
pray for him. Naaman, the Syrian, went to Elisha the prophet to ask a blessing to be cured
of his leprosy. The examples are far too many to bring here.
Be that as it may
with the Rambam we get the idea that worship of a mediator is idolatry. With
the Nefesh
HaChaim [the disciple of the Geon from Vilna] get the idea that
tying ones soul to the Divine spirit in a tzadik is also idolatry.
These are two independent
variables. Now what happens I ask if these two variables intersect? One ties
his soul to the spirit of an intermediary? The Rambam did not say anything
about the tying of ones spirit but rather referred to straight forward worship
of an mediator which means either one of the for types of service pouring
burning bowing and sacrifice or service according to its way. But it looks like
he would agree that tying in spirit is what Reb Chaim also thought --the
essence of service. At least we know that Reb Chaim from Voloshin would say
that tying oneself in spirit to the spirit of a mediator is idolatry.
I wanted to make clear that
this does not imply that this is not an area of disagreement. All I am doing
here is what you hear "It is an
argument among the Rishonim [Medieval Authorities]." While this approach
does not answer any question it is important in order to clarify issues.
I was discussing some of theses issues with an elder person at the synagogue of Nachman in Uman on Shabat and he asked me to write some of my basic sources after Shabat. So it occurs to me that there could be others interested in the source material here. So here is the list in a nutshell:Talmud Sanhedrin 60b and 61 a. Talmud Avoda Zara, chapters three and four and the very beginning of each chapter. Nefesh HaChaim by Chaim From Voloshin, the major disciple of the Geon. The Mishna Torah of the Rambam, chapter 3 of hilchot teshuva. Perush Hamishna of the Rambam on Perek Chelek in Sanhedrin. Ikar 5. Shaar Ruach HoKodesh written by Reb Chaim Vital the major disciple of Isaac Luria.
Now the relevance of this subject is vast. But it is not the same thing as the subject of the Sitra Achara (the Dark Side). [Or cults.] And that is a subject I tried to tackle a few years back with no success.
We can also see now why some people make an exaggerated attempt to be extra careful about Jewish rituals. The reason is they think this will clear them from the charge that they are doing idolatry. But clearly one can be dressed religious and be careful in lots of rituals and still be doing idolatry.