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5 reasons why a traditional rabbinic interpretation of Genesis 1.26 encourages idolatrous Angel worship
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'And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:
and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air,
and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it:
and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.'
Gen.1.26-28

'When G-d created the universe according to a pre-conceived divine plan, He did so while consulting no one. As a result the plan was executed perfectly and flawlessly. He spoke and it came into being. G-d's will was the deed itself. Only when G-d created man did He digress from this process: "Let us make man in our image." (Genesis 1:26) Our sages teach us that G-d was consulting with the angels whom He had already formed. It seems that in creating man G-d wanted to allow room for a multiplicity of opinions, a diversity of perspectives, a space for free will. In man G-d created a wild card.'
Chaim Richman's Temple Talk  20/12/13

Angel worship

If HaShem condescended to consult His creatures in the fashioning of man, as is often suggested,
it implies:

1. Angels are creator-associates, 'let us make man'. Angels played a direct role in the bringing of man into being.
What better reason could there be for adoring and admiring them?

2. That God Himself chose to consult with such Heavenly beings during His crowning work.
What better example could we have for praying to and enquiring from these Divine assistants?

3. That Angels too carry the original Image into which man was forged - we are fashioned in Angelic as well as Divine image.
Should we not then seek after, admire and emulate our prototype?

4. That the Likeness to which man was framed - was also the likeness of Angels.
What better foundation could there be for seeking to commune with, understand and adore our Makers?

5. Just as man was created to bear dominion - especially  in the power to name his associates and even his dear soulmate.
So we should seek to discover and celebrate the superior power and authority of those creating agents appointed to foreshadow us and name us.

We freely acknowledge none of these arguments are employed by orthodox rabbinic Jews, and they too would largely regard them as abhorrent and despicable,
but how easily these provide fuel for Satan's arguments.

One contributor to  Encyclopedia Judaica writes,
'The actual worship of superhuman beings, such as angels, is not explicitly proscribed in the Bible (cf. Judg. 13:16).
Indeed, in the earlier sections of the Bible there is considerable fluidity between angels and Yahweh (Judg. 6:1–24).'
This amounts to a tacit confession of the dangers explained here, and we profoundly disagree with him.

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