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Why does Rashi (רש"י) call idols "acherim" - estranged gods who never respond? The shiur contrasts idolatry's abuse - total self-negation for a deity who ignores you - with Torah (תורה)'s vision: serving God purely out of love, yet knowing He appreciates and reciprocates. "L'sofa kavod lavo" means reward comes not as motivation, but as proof the relationship isn't abusive.
The shiur opens with the first of the Ten Commandments: "Lo yiheyeh lecha Elohim acherim - You shall not have other gods." The language is puzzling - it seems to acknowledge the existence of other gods, when in reality only one God exists. Rashi (רש"י) offers two interpretations. First, "acherim" means "others made them into gods" - they are not truly divine, just objects that people treat as gods. Second, Rashi reads "acherim" as "estranged" - these gods are totally distant from their worshipers; when people cry out to them, there is no answer, as if the god has never known them at all. Rabbi Zweig focuses on Rashi's second interpretation and asks a fundamental question: If idolatry is defined by the idol's complete indifference to its worshipers - the person feels utterly estranged, receives no response, has no relationship - what possible motivation could drive anyone to serve such a god? Yet idolatry has been a widespread phenomenon throughout history, even among Jews at times. Why would anyone choose to worship something that acts as if it doesn't know them?
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Why didn't Noach daven for his generation while Avrohom advocated for Sedom? Noach viewed each person as an independent island responsible only for their own teshuvah. Avrohom understood that all humanity is interconnected through shared perspective and values, making prayer for others both possible and necessary.
