Rachel stole her father's idol according to Rashi to separate him from Idolatry

[edu]

Rachel stole her father's idol according to Rashi to separate him from Idolatry.
In contrast to the view of a well known JTFer, our opposition to idolatry is not limited to the land of Israel, just as Rachel's opposition to idols was not limited to the land of Israel.
It is true that in the land of Israel our opposition to idols is more intense.

[Ephraim Ben Noach]

Thanks edu, I was trying to figure out how to ask about this...

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

 I think their were some Rishonim (Mayaritz Hayot comes to mind- or actually an Aharon) who said that a gentile who breaks one of the 7 Noahide laws is evil except when it comes to idol worship. I would need to double check this, but I think perhaps this is where it comes from.

 OTOH I think it was Rav Kahane ZTL HYD who wrote that the punishment of the nations for idolatry is in effect after when they know what Israel is, what it stands for and the message. I'm also not sure in exact words but would have to check Or Harayon.

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

I just overheard on this topic and searched it from Chillin 13B
 
נכרים שבחוצה לארץ לאו עובדי עבודת כוכבים הן NOCHRIM SHEB'CHUTZAH LA'ARETZ LAV OVDEI AVODAS KOCHAVIM HEN - the Nochrim outside of Eretz Yisrael are not genuine idol-worshippers (rather, they serve idols out of habit and not out of conviction).

(R. Chiya bar Aba): Nochrim in Chutz La'aretz are not true idolaters. They merely continue the customs of their ancestors.

[muman613]

My question on this whole episode is :

Why did she have to take it with her? If she wanted to separate Laban from his idol she could have just destroyed it (burned it, smashed it, etc.) or discarded it on the path.... Why did she have to keep it with her possessions?

[muman613]

http://www.torah.org/learning/lifeline/5762/vayeitzei.html
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There is one other example of deceit in our parsha, that illustrates this idea. When Yaakov and his family flee from the house of Lavan, Rachel steals her father's idols in order to try to stop him from this brand of pernicious spirituality. When he catches up with Yaakov's camp, he searches all of the tents for his stolen idols. Rachel's tent is the last one he searches (perhaps because she is the least suspicious). But she has learned the trait of truth; she knows that for the purpose of destroying idol worship, one must deceive if necessary.

What is her deceit? The idols are hidden in the camel's packsaddle. She is sitting on them and doesn't get up when her father, Lavan, comes into the tent. She excuses herself from rising for her father because "the way of women" was upon her (Gen. 31:35).

A camel is symbolic of kindness. Its ability to carry water for such great distances is a great gift. Also, the root of the word camel in Hebrew (gamal) is the same as the word to bestow (gomel).

In mystical thought, the female energy is the energy of gevurah, the energy of setting limits in order to further development. Through our holy mother Rachel, these ideas all culminate. She perfects the harnessing of the chesed and gevurah, symbolized by the camel and her own femininity, to help destroy an aspect of idol worship. She understands all of these ideas of what truth is, and she knows that she needs to be deceptive if that's what the Divine truth calls for. She understands that truth is bringing out the glory of G-d.
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[Ephraim Ben Noach]

My question on this whole episode is :

Why did she have to take it with her? If she wanted to separate Laban from his idol she could have just destroyed it (burned it, smashed it, etc.) or discarded it on the path.... Why did she have to keep it with her possessions?

Maybe, because her children would carry it with them... Just a thought!

[Zelhar]

The time of the patriarch is different, it was prior to matan Torah. There are also midrash abour Abraham destroying his father Terach's idols. I noticed all these stories are concerned about purging idols from the Abrahamic lineage, and it is different from starting a universal campaign to purge all idol worshiping.

[edu]

See Ramban to Breishit/Genesis 34:13 that Gentiles are held responsible for their idol worship.
See also Rambam (Maimonides) Hilchot Melachim (Laws of Kings) chapter 8 (in the Mossad Harav Kook edition) halacha 9 where he also agrees.
Tag-MehirTzedek stated:

I think their were some Rishonim (Mayaritz Hayot comes to mind- or actually an Aharon) who said that a gentile who breaks one of the 7 Noahide laws is evil except when it comes to idol worship. I would need to double check this, but I think perhaps this is where it comes from.

Although the name you quoted is not spelled correctly but I think I know who you are referring to and he is not a Rishon. I also did not hear him say exactly what you said.
Although I didn't read his words inside, but I was told he follows the minority and I stress the minority opinion, that Gentiles outside the land of Israel, who believe in "Shituf" are not violating idolatry.
The majority say they are.
Issue #2
Tag-MehirTzedek, the quote you brought from Chullin 13B is not meant in the context to exempt them entirely from the sin of idolatry.
The Gemara in Chullin goes on to explain (quote from the Soncino English Translation)

R. ‘Ukba b. Hama said: The rule applies to the matter of accepting sacrifices
from them.

Some based on this Gemara, also relax certain halachic restrictions against doing business with the idol worshipers.
I currently don't have the time to go into detail.

[edu]

This is a quote from an article encouraging us to restore the sacrificial service, which also has relevance towards the issue of getting rid of idols even outside Israel (in a situation when no harm comes to the Jewish people as a result).

What is the reason for the mitzva of Slaughtering the Pessach Sacrifice?
According to the viewpoint of Sefer Hachinuch [mitzva 5] “the root of this mitzva is in order that the Jews remember forever, the great miracles that the Holy One Blessed be He, did for them during the exodus from Egypt”.

Even though it seems obvious to me, there are those that find it difficult to understand how the slaughtering of the Pessach sacrifice helps us to remember the great miracles that Hashem did for the Jews during the exodus from Egypt. Therefore, I will quote from the midrash [Shmot Rabba 16:3] to clarify the connection, between the two concepts.

Another explanation,” Draw out [your hand] and take for yourselves lambs”, this pertains to what is written [ Psalms/Tehillim chapter 97 ] “let all the idol worshippers be embarrassed”. At the time that the Holy One Blessed be He, said to Moshe to slaughter the pessach, Moshe responded, Master of the Universe, this thing how can I do this ? Is it not known to you that the lambs are the gods of Egypt. For it was said [Exodus/Shmot chapter 8 ] “could we sacrifice the abomination of Egypt, before their eyes and they would not stone us?”
The Holy One Blessed be He, said to him, by your life! [the nation of] Israel does not go out from here until they sacrifice the gods of Egypt before their eyes that I make it known to them that their gods are of no significance.

And thus do we find, that he did. That in that very night he smote the first-born of the Egyptians and in that night Israel slaughtered their pessach lambs and ate. And the Egyptians were seeing their first-borns slain and their gods slaughtered and they were not able to do anything. For it was said [ Numbers/Bamidbar 33 ] “And Egypt was burying them which Hashem had smitten among them, every first-born and against their gods, Hashem executed judgments”. Namely, “let all the idol worshippers be embarrassed”.

So too, for the subject of eating the pessach sacrifice, it is written in Rashi on the phrase “in order that you remember the day of your going out from Egypt all the days of your life”, [ Deuteronomy/Dvarim 16:3 ] , “by means of eating the pessach and the matza”.