Torah Portion: Acharei Mos

“ומזרעך לא תתן להעביר למולך” (ויקרא יח כא)

It is a negative commandment that we not present any of our children to pass them before a type of idol worship that existed at the time the Torah was given which was named “Molech,” as it is written: You shall not present any of your children to pass through for Molech (Vayikra 18:21). This practice was done as follows: the father would hand the child over to the Molech-priests for the sake of their abomination and then they would return him to the father. They then kindled a great fire in front of the Molech and the father would take the child and pass him through the flame. Some opinions are that the father did not actually burn the child, but only passed the child through, while others maintain that the father would pass him through the flame until the child’s soul gave out.

The reason why the Torah singled out this form of idolatry is because it was a particularly malicious form of worship and people at that time were especially attached to it. The Torah therefore made a special warning about it in addition to all the other admonitions in the Torah  about idolatry.

This mitzvah applies in all places and at all times, to both men and women. The prohibition against idolatry applies to all mankind, not only to Israel.