קדושים / אלוהי מסכה לא תעשו לכם

He states, ‘Al tiphnu’ (Turn ye not) unto the idols, the term tiphnu (turn ye) being of the expressions: and if thy heart ‘yiphneh’ (turn away); whose heart ‘poneh’ (turneth away) this day. The verse [here] is thus stating that one’s heart should not turn away to the idols, to believe that there is some benefit in [worshipping] them, or that the events that they foretell will really transpire; rather, they and all their activities should appear to him as things of nought, and vanity, and future events occur only by decree of the Most High. And so also have our Rabbis said: “It is forbidden to look at the statues [of the idols] themselves, because it says, ‘Turn ye not’ unto the idols.” Thus the Rabbis included within this prohibition even looking at the statues, so that one should not allow one’s thoughts to dwell on their matters at all.
He states, nor make to yourselves molten gods, thus prohibiting them from the very moment that they are made. Admonitions against idolatry are stated in the Torah in many places.
In the Midrash of Vayikra Rabbah the Rabbis mentioned concerning this section [of the Torah the following text]: “Rabbi Levi says: Because the Ten Commandments are included in this section [therefore it was proclaimed to the full assembly]. I am the Eternal thy G-d, and here it is written, I am the Eternal your G-d. Thou shalt have no other gods, and here it is written, nor make to yourselves molten gods. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Eternal thy G-d in vain, and here it is written, And ye shall not swear by My Name falsely. Remember the Sabbath day, and here it is written, and ye shall keep My Sabbaths. Honor thy father and thy mother, and here it is written, Ye shall fear every man his mother and his father. Thou shalt not murder, and here it is written, Neither shalt thou stand idly by the blood of thy neighbor. Thou shalt not commit adultery, and here it is written, Profane not thy daughter, to make her a harlot. Thou shalt not steal, and here it is written, Ye shall not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness, and here it is written, Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people. Thou shalt not covet, and here it is written, and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Thus far is the text of the Midrash.

“… do not make molten gods for yourselves ….” (Vayikra, 19:4)
A “molten god” is a composite of melted metals that cannot move. So too we find in man that he becomes so accustomed to receiving benefit from this world to the point where he cannot even do without a small delight. This is called a “molten god.” Therefore God commanded us not to say that we are so used to something that we cannot be separated from it. Rather, with all the enjoyable things in life that man receives, he must remove himself from any negiot (personal motive, partiality),. Then, after the negia is removed, if the desire still remains, then he knows clearly that it is from God. This is as we find with the prophet Yirmiya (see Yirmiya, Ch. 42), when they asked him if they could return to Egypt, and he warned them to heed his voice and trust him, not to turn from his counsel in any way. Then when he said to them not to return to Egypt they said, “Baruch ben Neriya incites you against us” (Yirmiya, 43:3).
This was because they suspected that it was not God’s command to tell them this, but rather from his own mind, for they esteemed him as a prophet of God, and this matter was not written in the Torah. Thus they suspected that he wanted them to remain in Israel out of his love of Baruch ben Neriya. This was because he wanted Baruch to attain the level of prophecy, and all levels of prophecy begin only in the land of Israel, as is known. So out of his love he leaned in this way, and it seemed also as if God’s will leaned in this direction. Prophecy must also undergo great birrurim (clarifications), in order to verify that it is truly from God. We find this with Yirmiya himself at the time when he was in prison, and he received a prophetic message that he should buy a field from his uncle Chanamel ben Shalom. Then after, when his uncle came and offered to sell his field, Yirmiya said, “And I know now that this is the word of God” (Yirmiya, 32:8). The meaning is that until now he was uncertain whether the matter was really from God, or if he just wanted to buy the field.
Therefore (with the matter of the people wanting to go to Egypt), it seemed to him that this was also God’s will. This is called “a molten god,” meaning stubbornness over a single desire. Therefore with all matters a man needs to undergo birrurim within himself, and to remove any personal negiot (personal motives, partiality), that may impede the clarity of his vision. Yirmiya also went through this process of self-refinement, and afterwards it is said, “and it was, at the end of ten days,” he answered them not to go back, saying (Yirmiya, 42:10), “If you will still remain in this land, then I will build you, and not pull you down.” He then received a prophecy that Baruch would not attain the level of prophecy, as it is written (Yirmiya, 45:4–5), “Thus shall you say to him … And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them,” etc.
In this, he clarified and proved his righteousness to them, for he was no longer swayed (in this case, his negia) by his feelings for Baruch, for all he wanted was for Baruch to become a prophet, and now he knew that this would never happen. All the effusion of prophecy to the prophets was only for Israel, and while Israel is in exile the spirit of prophecy does not come to the prophets. Even though his warning not to go to Egypt (in Chapter 42) happens before this birrur took place (in Chapter 45), (this is of no consequence,) because “there is no before or after in the Torah.”