# The Idol Within  Va’Etḥanan

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/parsha-with-rabbi-david-bibi-4336127/the-idol-within-va-et-anan
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/parsha-with-rabbi-david-bibi-4336127/the-idol-within-va-et-anan.md
Podcast: [Parsha with Rabbi David Bibi](https://stenobird.com/podcast/parsha-with-rabbi-david-bibi-4336127)
Published: 2026-07-24T16:12:23+00:00
Episode link: https://jewishpodcasts.fm/rabbidavidbibi/120671
Audio file: https://records.jewishpodcasts.fm/protected/957/1784909242942.mp3?show_id=405&episode_id=120671
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/parsha-with-rabbi-david-bibi-4336127/episodes/the-idol-within-va-et-anan
Duration seconds: 1047

## Resource

Parashat Va’Etḥanan is filled with warnings against idolatry, even though few of us feel tempted to bow before a statue. Rabbi Frand explains that the ancient idol may have disappeared, but another form of worship remains very much alive: “I-dolatry.” When our need for control, honor, and recognition becomes so strong that we cannot tolerate frustration or disagreement, the ego quietly takes the place that belongs to HaShem. In this morning's class, we explore the Gemara’s comparison between anger and avodah zarah, the deeper meaning of performing a mitzvah because it was commanded, and the Ḥasidic distinction between unhealthy self-erasure and genuine humility. The goal is not to disappear, but to place our talents, needs, and personalities in the service of something higher—and to remember, especially when life refuses to follow our plans, that there is a G-d, and it is not us.

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## Transcript

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