Is Hashem the G-d of the Jews Only?
Question
Dear Rabbi,
According to the Jewish sages, G-d gave Noah and his sons seven commandments, which apply to Jews and Non-Jew. One of these laws is not to worship idols such as the sun or what have you. However, this seems to contradict earlier biblical texts, which seem to indicate that while Israel is to worship Hashem alone, the other nations have their own appropriate gods. For example, Deuteronomy 29:26 shows that Hashem allotted other gods to the nations (Deuteronomy 32:8 as well), and Deuteronomy 4:19 tells us that the sun, moon and stars were given to the nations, and this seems right and good. I could, of course, give more examples. This contradicts both the idea of the Noahide Laws as well as the idea that the mission of the Jewish people is to spread monotheism. This idea, though, makes sense to me that the God of Israel is just that, the God of Israel, for he seems to show little concern for other nations ( with the notable exception of Jonah) except in how they interact with Israel, which makes sense if he gave that Job to another god like Chemosh.
I was hoping you could help me sort through this.
Sincerely,
Adam. A
Answers
Hashem is the God of the entire creation, including every single nation and person. It is true that the Jewish nation has a different relationship with Hashem. Our relationship is much closer than any other nation’s, but it comes with enormous responsibilities and obligations.
According to the Seven Noachide Laws, any form of idol worship is forbidden, which would include believing in a god other than Hashem. I am not quite sure what you are referring to in Deuteronomy 29. The section teaches that if the Jews worship idols, they will be punished severely. The section is not suggesting, in any way, that it is permissible for non-Jews to worship idols. It is simply delineating to us what the repercussions will be for us if we worship anything other than Hashem.
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team