Modern Day Avoda Zara

Avoda Zara is anything a person is bound to even if it is contrary to the will of G-d. Some examples in modern day America.

1] Money. People will do anything for money - even if it is less than honest. Many a parent raises their children that to be successful means to make lotsa money. To be Holy? That is not on the radar screen.

Money is a means - not an end.

2] The body. Exercise. People will go to a gym even if according to Jewish law it is forbidden to be there [i.e. women dressed up as a newborn baby]. For many, exercise is more important than learning and davening.

Good health is a means - not an end. The body eventually ends up being breakfast for the worms so let us not overestimate its importance. Let us also stop drinking soda, eating white sugar, white flour, fried foods, fast foods and junk food. Don't abuse your body for a momentary thrill.

3] Sports. People are constantly going to their blackberry's to check up on the latest scores, spend large amounts of time and money on this goyishe nonsense and will ignore their family to watch the game.

[Reports that ESPN was invented for me may be true but I am trying to do tshuva:).]

4] A college education. Secular education has supplanted Torah as primary. See 1] above. One may go to college [according to those poskim who allow it] but Torah study must always remain the center of one's existence. Why one year in Yeshiva in Israel vs. at least three in college?

A Jew will die for Torah. NOBODY will die for sociology.

5] Looks. Boys - even SOME [not all] Yeshiva boys - are less interested in her values and spiritual strivings and more interested in her external appearance. This writer assures you he is as male as anyone else but is disgusted with this phenomenon. NOBODY remains happy with a woman because she is blond and slim but that is what people are looking for. Too many movies.

Sweetest friends!!! Adar is the month of Tshuva May'avhava. This means that we love Hashem more than all of the world's silliness.

No.

Not we love Hashem "more"!

We love Hashem exclusively.

Love, blessings and a MILLION requests for forgiveness from the many people I surely offended.