What does it mean קנאה, Jealousy?

Question

שמות לג:יד. Rashi explains the verse that says G-d is a Jealous G-d. My understanding of how Rashi explains: the root of the word Jealousy means is "my way goes, and every other way suffers". וְזֶהוּ כָּל לְשׁוֹן קִנְאָה – אוֹחֵז בְּנִצְחוֹנוֹ וּפוֹרֵעַ מֵאוֹיְבָיו: See Rashi Here

How does this relate to the term Jealousy that is used to describe getting back at someone for wronging you? All thoughts welcome, please?

Another question: why is G-d a Jealous G-d. As long as we keep the commandments why does G-d care about himself that he and only he be served? If I am the owner of a business I don't really care to be recognized that the employees are working for me, I just want the job done. I also don't care if they have other jobs as long as they also get my job done? What is this obsession in the Torah about idol worship? All thoughts Welcome plz!

( Although one could say true, G-d would be fine if we kept the commandments, and the Jealousy means when we start doing what the other G-ds want and not G-ds commandments, the fact the Torah stresses many times that G-d is a Jealous G-d seems to me there is something wrong with serving another G-d even if you are serving Hashem as well and doing all his commandments)

Answer 1

Why are husbands "jealous" for their wives? As long as they get to bear children with their wives, who cares if their wife prostitutes herself to other men who are not her husband? What is the point of the covenant of marriage?

This is the question you are asking, because God describes His relationship with His people Israel as a relationship between Husband and Wife, Bride and Groom, not between employer and employee merely.

Ezekiel 16:8, 26, 32 And I passed by thee, and saw thee: and behold thy time was the time of lovers: and I spread my garment over thee, and covered thy ignominy. And I swore to thee, and I entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God: and thou becamest mine. ... And thou hast committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours ... And as an adulteress, that bringeth in strangers over her husband.

A husband will give his life for his wife, and vice versa. The husband cares for the wellbeing of his wife, and is not merely interested in the satisfaction or wellbeing she brings him. Thus is so with God also. God cares for the wellbeing of souls, and therefore, to worship falsehood, and not truth (that is, to worship idols) can only bear bad fruit, or defective fruit, never good fruit; or, if such accidentally bears some good fruit, it is by way of theft of the author of all good, who is the author of all that is true and good.

Are we to believe that the commandments reflect arbitrary dictates of God which are divorced (no pun intended) from His love for His people? If not, then this commandments, and His insistance on them, reflects His care and love: and as Father, He knows best what is in our best interest — we, however, do not always.

Devarim 4:24 For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

If God who alone is true and good in the truest sense, then He consummates in Himself all that is required of truth-lovers, and everything else is a distraction and herdle in the path towards Him. This is why He hates idolatry. What father or husband sets a herdle in front of his child or wife on purpose, with a view only to hinder them in fulfilling their fullest potential and happiness? What father, knowing what is best for his wife, enables or permits her to whore herself to other men?

This is the question you are asking, because God is the husband of His people.

Answer 2

the word nekama - revenge is different from kin'ah, often translated as jealousy or zealousy or standing up for one's principles unequivocally.

Nekama for humans may be more about getting back at someone who wronged you.

Whereas Kin'ah is more about following through with a promised punishment. Like a boomerang - if you do X, rest assured, Y WILL happen. G-d says, if you do wrong, there IS a consequence.

G-d says don't serve idols because that is what He says. We just obey. The first 2 of the ten are the only 2 commandments we received at Har Sinai so perhaps they can't be explained with logic, we just must listen for the echoes to experience the truth of this.

However, if you would like a taste of this - if you met the king and were standing right in front of him, would you bow to his secretary? I suggest that would be insulting to the king, and also - destroying your subject to royalty relationship.

please remember though that He will give a negative consequence - unless we repent, and He is always doing things to waken us up and help us repent.