[Avodah] The Difference Between Idolatry and Moral Degeneracy

[Professor L. Levine]

Pasuk 24:4 in Bereishis says

    4 But you shall go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for
    my son, for Yitzchak.

RSRH comments:

    Eliezer is to be guided by two considerations: First, l'vni;
    she should be worthy of being the wife of my son; she should
    justify my hope that she will become my daughter even as he is my
    son. This is the general requirement regarding her character. But
    two people can each be of the most excellent character and still be
    incompatible. Hence, l'Yitzchak; Eliezer should make sure that the
    woman is compatible with Yitzchak's individual character.

    Avraham rejected the daughters of Canaan, preferring an Aramean
    woman for his son. Let us bear in mind, though, that the Arameans,
    too, were idolaters. Thus, the reason for Avraham's decision was
    not the idolatry of the Canaanites, but their moral degeneracy.

    Idolatry is basically an intellectual error, and that can be
    corrected. Moral degeneracy, however, takes hold of the whole
    individual, heart and soul. Hence, even a man such as Avraham could
    not hope to find among the Canaanites a modest, morally pure woman
    as a wife for his son, a woman who would bring with her a nobility
    of spirit and the purity of morality, as a pearl for his home.


[Email #2. -micha]

Someone who is a rabbi with broad based knowledge sent me the following
in response to my earlier message with this subject line.

It is amazing how RSRH always can find something so very thoughtful
and true.
The Rambam alludes at the same matter: that moral failings may be much
worse even than Hillul Shabbos and AZ, because they corrupt a person to
a degree that he will never be able to do t'shuvo, and so he will lose
his Chelemer in the Olam HaBo, while it is very possibly that he might
do t'shuvo for hillul Shabbos, even if only on his deathbed.

RSRH was indeed the kind of very special and unique person that only
comes around every few generations.


YL