They Have Quickly Turned Aside from the Way

They have quickly turned aside from the way... they have made a molten image (9:12) Not every transgression causes a Jew to immediately abandon the straight and narrow and completely forfeit his connection to the Jewish people. The sin of idol worship, however, is so elemental and consequential that the very first step in its direction tears the Jew away from everything that is holy. As it states in the Talmud (Chulin): "An apostate who commits idolatry thereby rejects the entire Torah." (The Rebbe, Reb Heshel)