More on Eliyahu Avinu

It has been pointed out to me that Rav Eliyahu's ruling is actually an attempt to address two prohibitions:

1- No other Gods.
2- No Graven Images.

I would add a third (had Eliyahu actually thought about this, which he probably didn't,) which is No covetting, ironically, probably the one issue with the materialization of American and Israeli societies that I agree is something of a problem.

So, let's examine each of these.

Number 1- There has been no evidence offered that people are worshipping, or in any way treating, these toys/art as Gods. There is also, as we said previously, no real argument that defacing or otherwise damaging these objects would lessen their veneration, even if they were being worshipped in the first place. (This applies equally to number 3.)

Number 2 actually deals with a physical question. Irregardless of what people are doing with their stuff (i.e., idolatry), graven images are not allowed.

Fine. One problem, though- who has engraved toys anymore? No one, as far as I can tell. Most dolls are stuffed, and most plastic toys are injected into molds. I guess things that are carved out of wood or metal could count, but that's about it, and I really don't think they're all that popular with the kiddies. (Hey! Does this mean that everyone has to start mutilating their gingerbread men?)

The one thing that IS a graven image is some kinds of sculpture (asuming it's been carved and not merely poured into a plaster-mold, like the toys), and I'd be curious if there's actually so much anthropomorphic sculpture in frum households that Eliyahu thinks it poses a danger to their frumkeit.

The proper way to deal with questions of idolatry, as I see it, is not to damage the physical object, but to address the roots of idolatry- the PEOPLE. If your kid is overmaterialistic, taking away his toy and giving him a rock is not going to fix anything. I had a rock collection, and would regularly subsitute school supplies for toys in the classroom (I had four highlighters who I pretended were King Arthur's Knights... anyway...). Like I said before, this is an easy target, and an even easier fix. The logic holes are gaping, not unlike Eliyahu's other semi-recent pronouncements.