Reply To: Q&A With Rav Avigdor Miller

Q:
How do you explain Chazal’s statement that כל הכועס כאילו עובד עבודה זרה – “One who gets angry, it’s as if he has worshipped idols” ?

A:
The plain meaning is the following: One who worships idols is being פורק עול מלכות שמים – He’s removing from himself the yoke of fear of Heaven. By ascribing power to a deity besides Hashem, by saying that there’s something else besides Hashem, then he is no longer afraid of Hashem.

Now when a man gets angry, at that moment the שכינה means nothing to him. His anger is more important to him than the Presence of Hashem that is looking at him and watching him. At that moment all that matters is his anger. He’s a פורק עול, because at that moment in time he has no G-d, no Master over him. And therefore during that fit of anger he is like a kofer (disbeliever) and like an עובד עבודה זרה, a worshipper of idols. Because, had he kept in mind that he’s standing in front of Hashem, then he surely would have checked himself.

I’ll give you a משל. Suppose there was a policeman standing right in front of you. Even if he’s not an important person. Let’s say he’s not even a sergeant. Now, if this policeman is standing right here, right in front of you, then in most instances, you wouldn’t become angry at somebody else in front of the policeman. Your respect for the authority of the policeman would check your anger. You wouldn’t fly into a fit of rage with the policeman standing in front of you. Now, if the policeman’s blue uniform, and his badge, is enough to help you overcome your anger, then why shouldn’t the thought that you’re standing before Hashem help you? And I’ll tell you the answer. Because Hashem is only a word in the siddur. The policeman is standing in front of you, but הקדוש ברוך הוא is only a word in the siddur.

Hashem should become a reality to you. And that’s a farfetched idea to most people. A person feels like he’s מתנדב, voluntarily, to serve Hashem. He thinks he’s being generous because he’s willing to obey the Torah. But to do it, to obey the Torah, because Hashem is standing in front of him?! No, that’s not what he’s thinking. Unfortunately, that’s not his motivation at all.

And therefore, a person must learn to keep in his mind, as much as possible, this great principle of דע לפני מי אתה עומד – “Know in front of Whom you are standing.” Not only during שמונה עשרה – all the time! Keep in mind in front of Whom you are standing! And it’s a good idea to practice this from time to time. Try it for a minute a day. Think that you’re standing in the Presence of Hashem. It’s a very good thing to practice. And if you practice enough, soon you’re going to start believing it. And then you’re on your way. And if you’re standing in front of Hashem, if you know that you’re standing in front of Hashem, it will be much more difficult to become angry.
[עיין נדרים כב· : כל הכועס אפילו השכינה אינה חשובה כנגדו]
TAPE # 901