The Spirit Of Idolatry

"And they cried with a loud voice to the LORD their God" (Nehemiah 9:4). What did they say? Rav said, and some say it was Rabbi Yochanan: Woe, woe! This is the one that destroyed the Temple, and burned the Sanctuary, and killed all the righteous, and exiled Israel from their land, and still it dances among us. Have You given it to us for any purpose other than to receive reward for resisting it? We want neither it nor its reward! A note fell to them from heaven, on which was written "truth." Rav Hanina said: Learn from this that the seal of the Holy One, blessed be He, is "truth." They sat in fasting for three days and three nights, and it was handed over to them. A young fiery lion came forth from the Holy of Holies. The prophet said to Israel: This is the inclination toward idolatry, as it is said: "And he said, This is wickedness" (Zechariah 5:8). As they seized it, a hair fell out from its mane and it let out a cry, and its cry traveled four hundred parasangs. They said: What shall we do? Perhaps, God forbid, they will have mercy upon it from heaven. The prophet said to them: Throw it into a leaden pot and seal its mouth with lead, for lead absorbs sound, as it is said: "And he said, This is wickedness, and he cast it into the midst of the measure, and he cast the lead weight upon its mouth" (Zechariah 5:8). They said: Since it is a time of favor, let us pray for mercy concerning the inclination toward sin. They prayed for mercy and it was handed over to them. He said to them: See, that if you kill this one, the world will be destroyed. They imprisoned it for three days, and they sought a day-old egg in all the land of Israel, and none was found. They said: What shall we do? If we kill it, the world will be destroyed. If we pray for mercy over half, half is not granted from heaven. They blinded its eyes and released it, and this helped, in that a man is no longer aroused to sin with his close relatives.