However, the Talmud explains that there is a distinction in cases when the children continue the misdeeds of their ancestors. In such instances, the descendants may also be taken to task for having perpetuated a legacy of sin. Surely we do not bow down to idols nor have we the faintest desire to involve ourselves in such pagan activities. In his magnificent work, the Kuzari , Rabbi Yehuda Halevi, one of the most beloved poets and thinkers of the Medieval age, tackles the thorny question which has gnawed at the consciousness of casual readers of the Bible for thousands of years. To introduce his answer, the Kuzari establishes an important psychological and philosophical principle.
Human beings are finite creatures.
We interact and function in a dimension called space and are controlled by a concept known as time. Everything we know and interpret comes to us through one of our five senses. It is only natural for us to seek some physical representation, some object of focus for us to gaze at and sense the presence of the Eternal Being. Idolatry is only a corrupted form wherein the object becomes the end of our service instead of the means to sense Hashem. The people never intended that this molten image would serve as a replacement for Hashem.