The Sin of The Golden Calf | Rabbi Neil Winkler

that I shared with you last week. I will review quickly because we're going to continue with that. the approach that I've taken based upon based upon the um analysis of of um please 15 minutes later was taking the text of um the Torah when it revolves uh the text of the Torah as it relates the story of the uh sin of the golden calf the essentially he he points out and I've shared that with you that what we have thought had to be true was simply not found in the text. So many of us have learned that the sin of Ben Israel were based upon the fact that they made the mistake of miscounting if you would that God had told that Moshe would return on the 40th day. They miscounted the 40 days. And the result being that when Moshe did not return on what they thought was the 40th day, they felt that he was gone. And that's what the text says. And therefore, they looked to get something else to get a really they they at least the I'm not going to say the text, but the the assumption was they're looking they looked to change God. another god because God had left them which of course is not what the Torah says and many of you know that uh but rather that they looked for someone to replace Moshe who was no longer there. What we um did show you in the text itself is that nowhere does the text mention neither God to Moshe nor Moshe to the people of Israel. Nowhere did it find any source that said that Moshe would return within 40 days or odd at 40 days. Never mentioned. In fact, what it does mention is in the earlier times when Mosher Raenu went up to Harai, he did so for maybe a half a day, a few hours before the uh pronouncements of the Ten Commandments where he had to go back and forth and bring um discussions from God to the people of Israel. And there it was clear they were they were up for a number of hours. So when Moshe goes up and does not return not only in a half a day or a day or a week or two weeks or 3 weeks or four weeks or five weeks uh but almost 6 weeks he does not return. It was understandable that the people would begin to panic which is exactly what happened. And as um I I I uh also suggested the idea that God is going to destroy all of Israel because they couldn't count the days well is a very difficult concept unless one has a very very strict idea of who God is. the Kuman known as a merciful God can imagine that this was a mistake but it wasn't a um a mistake that should bring to the destruction of all of Israel. Um we went on to discuss these different things. Among the things were sort of h ended with and uh some proofs to show that really all they cared about was to continue going to to Egypt. I'm sorry. Going from Egypt, going to Israel. And that without the Malak, this agent that God promised would lead them whom they thought was Mosher Rabenu. And now that he is gone, they were stuck saying, "We can't go back to Egypt. God certainly does not want us to do that. Nor do we. It makes no sense to stay here and sit and do nothing. It only makes sense to let's go forward giving the fact that going forward forward to Erit Israel was uh dependent upon what God's promised to give a mala to send an agent to lead them and they had none. That was how they got to um have the golden calf. Now together with that at the end of the class I showed uh I I I'm sorry I touched upon the reason why it was a calf and I think I quoted it was Izzra or maybe theim uh it's not fair and that is that the um the idea of a calf came about from the first that we'll be reading as a Torah for the first day of for us here for the and uh the depiction of the throne of God included also that uh the uh there was kafra regel ael that at the underneath the throne holding a throne was a um kafra the very palm you say of the the foot foot was that of a regal ael was that of the feet of an ael and it said therefore that um I'm going to say exactly who it was was a very very interesting approach which says that exactly why they thought it was an ago um why they I'm sorry why they thought uh they would make it an eagle which would be the work of God. It would be in effect part of the throne of God and that would be their agent. Um I'm sorry was the you came up with that. I wanted to get exactly it was a very interesting view but it helps us understand a number of things. Why did they need somebody? Why did they even form something like this? They needed an agent. They needed an agent because God promised them. I also needed it because the only possible logical thing for them to do was to continue on to Erit Israel and they needed an agent for that. And when out of the flames or fire or whatever cames the came this golden calf, it made sense to them because if as we learned in Schmote also the that the people of the zukim saw that they viewed God or at least a a vision of God or of the throne. And incel it says that throne included the feet of the of the ael and therefore they thought okay this is why logically it should be done. So there you had the thing but the reason why they had it given that we have the right to ask okay you you defended Israel nicely now you got to defend Kavako God himself if this was a mistake and a mistake that they felt was based upon God's visions why did God get so angry. And here again, we turn to the text, believe it or not, to find out that if you look at the words of the Torah, you find out that it also isn't exactly what we may have been taught. So, I'm going to go with that right now. If you recall, I showed you why the Bet Israel were not setting aside. They were not uh completely ignoring nor are God uh claiming that there was no God and they needed another god. Not at all. It was a celebration that they had after the calf was formed where Aaron himself says we'll have a celebration for God for he had done this for us and they said goodlashem it wasn't an a denial of God or the need of another one but rather it was they felt the work of God here and Therefore, they were going to celebrate him. But it's and by the way I said at the very end I showed you that the only other the when you look again the last time they had a celebration to God was after they heard the find at the end of and there it says specifically that they um that they had brought they they built altars and made uh they made different types of um sacrifices and offerings to God and they built the pillars and all of the 12 uh pillars if you wish uh that you know as a celebration. And what they did in celebrating uh the god for the golden calf uh was very much the exact same step for step just about of what they had done before. They were just repeating the proper celebration that was done with Moshe and our own and all of them and they were celebrating it. Aon calls for this celebration and follows the those exact uh steps. It's understandable that they really felt this was a way of celebrating or at least of sacrificing to God. It was not a denial of God, but what they mistakenly thought was a way that they should celebrate him and thank him. Obviously, uh they were wrong. But again, we go back to survivors got so angry. And if this approach was such a powerful one and such a meaningful one and more importantly such a logical one, why in the world would God have gotten so angry? And in order to to be able to resolve that type of thing, once again, we go into the text. And now when celebrating God at which I told you was very parallel to what was done earlier, you'll find I think it's number five is it? Yeah. You saw you see in source number five the two celebrations. the one um that was after the ten commandments after the bro was pronounced and then some weeks later after the the now you think about this really it's we shuote was when the boat happens and this is now basically six weeks later you know so they were doing the same Any rate um we read the following and look at the sources in the uh number five what that uh when they celebrated God having said and they committed themselves to follow the it says again I said to you in English early in the morning healing Moses set up an altar at the foot of the mountain with 12 pillars for the 12 tribes of Israel. He appointed assistance from the Israelites and they offered burnt offerings and they sacrificed bulls as offerings to Hashem taking those things step by step. Now Aaron does this after the egel and look what he does. Um it says he get up. We will get up early in the day and it says he'll s um he built an altar before God. Um and he had a called for a festival. Early next day the people offered up burnt offerings, brought sacrifices, sat down to eat and drink almost word for word. And even by the way the 12 pillars they saw that the pillar they what resembled was supposed to be God was the the golden calf. They we had everything that we had before. That could have been their logical understanding so far again. So what was so terrible? Well, there are two words that are ants that are mentioned in the celebration after the golden calf that not found in the first celebration of the two words. Last two words that that actually depicted this celebration. They and they rose. Now would mean to um to laugh is different um because doesn't simply mean to laugh. It's a to cause laugh. exact our second um the forefathers was called right because they also had a brother by the name of Ishmael and Right. Excellent. Good. And uh Sah saw that uh Ishmael was mit. He was simply um making fun of teasing, mocking. Mcking is a much better word. You're right. Thank you very much. Uh so means that. But it also means later on in Tanakh it can often you used for not only frivolity and even murder. [Music] Um it means more like lentiousness, wild cheering and crazy celebrating. Um and what happened therefore theem that was proclaimed by our own to be a uh religious moving spiritual uh thanksgiving to God had become into a wild lensious party. That's what happens. two words and those two words is what caused God's anger. And I'll show you the proof of that. By the way, when that party got out of hand, God said, "Gnug," as he would say in good Yiddish, "That's enough. I've had it." In fact, when Moshe comes down the mountain and he is now met with he already knows what happened because God had told him. So he says to what did these people do to you that you brought on a terrible sin because of what he did? Um you know how can you have done such a thing? You know what answered he said you know you know well this nation key veru not that he they were wicked ra but rather they were corrupted they were twisted. What they thought was kagashem and he thought was kagashem were different things. This was a slave nation who just weeks earlier had spent 200 plus year with within the Egyptian um culture religion exactly how they worshiped and they were corrupted and twisted. And you look again at the text itself and it says that very clearly. Um there we read sorry that I can't get the cloak but yeah that um when Mosha comes down from the from the mountain the first person he sees is not Aaron. Aaron together with Hur were down with the people according to Medash was killed. That's why Aharon felt he had to do something. But um it's not in the text itself, but that was the accepted view of what happened. But the first one to come down was the only one who was still up on on the on the mountain. Who was still up on the mountain? Anyone know? Moshe. Moshe had Mosha was coming down from the mountain. No, very good. Yoshua was still there waiting waiting for his rebi to come down. He was not part of the nation. He was not there which is interesting in itself. And when he comes down, you know what he said? He says to uh to mo to Moshe to his reb he says to him he says I'm on the mountain and the the two three million are down there but I hear the shouting screams. It sounds like a war cry. There must be somebody either a war going on that they're dying or they're killing. It's something. There's a war cry cry emanating from the camp. He doesn't know about it cuz he's not there. He just hears the noise and the screaming. And um Moshe said, "No, no, no." Moshe, I've pointed this out and maybe we start learning about Yeshua. I will repeat that. It's a very interesting thing. One of the first things that we read of any words that that Yeshua says are wrong. This great Na'vi becomes a prophet and everything. First thing he says, "Oh, it's a a war cries over there." And says, "H war cry." He said, he says, "This is not the cries of victors or of those who've been defeated. It's just wild yelling, screaming, maybe a cry of distress, but it's not war." Um and in fact Moshe has been told about what happened by God. God said they worship they worship worship a golden calf and saying this is God and so on and so forth. And um and yeah and um when it comes down he sees he sees the people are sounds like parro it's the same letters for means wild when it comes to cutting the hair we're told that that that word is used for letting the hair uh grow long, grow wild. Anyway, that's perua peruahu. Um so he goes comes down and when he comes down he shatters the um the tablets as it says clearly. Um uh he um the Torah says look at the eighth the eighth source and see some of you or none of you have the source if you want one. I have it here for you. Uh if you'd like here one yeah of course doesn't mean you brought it back. I'm sorry. Um, and there we read what the text says that when Moshe comes down and he sees what happens, he shatters the tablets and he says, um, I'm sorry. This is not this is not eight. That's that's actually that's the that's what I said yesterday last time. Um nine. Yeah, we'll do nine in a second. Moshe is told what they are do doing, right? And uh after all, and that's a number nine, right? Hashem spoke to Moshe. He said, "Hurry down, for your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted basely. They've quickly returned away from the path that I enjoined them. They have made a molten calf and bowed down to it and sacrificed to it, saying, "This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of Egypt." Hashem further said, "Moshe, I see that this is a stiff necked people. Now let now let me um am I let my anger blaze forth against them so that I can destroy them and make of you a great nation. Okay, powerful words. So Moshe knows very well what's happening down there. And look what happens. Moshe comes down. He tells him, "I know what's happening there." He says anything, he doesn't break the tablets. One would have imagined that he would have done so there in front of God or at least on the way down from the mountain knowing that God told him what's going. He doesn't do that. When he saw the golden calf, he doesn't do it. Listen to what the Torah says. And you don't have this. I don't think I don't have this over here. Um this source comes also in the same story of the co a golden calf. It says when Moshe came down he saw the craft and he saw the dancing. That's when he got angry. He knew about the golden calf. Didn't break it. didn't break the didn't get angry, didn't break the tabs, but when he saw then not just the golden calf, but when he saw the wild dancing and the and the celebration if you wish, right? Then he didn't simply drop the tablets. He threw them down with great anger and vayote and shattered them at the foot of the mountain. In effect, the events of the golden calf had proven that the slave nation really had uh not despite God's miracles were still had, as we said, they may have left Egypt, but Egypt never left them. And that's what was happening. And so therefore, if you look carefully at these two things, the golden calf and the dancing, we find that the sinful actions were divided into two stages. Uh certainly the supposed physical um representation of God was wrong and God says that um and um maybe understandable given the what I told you before or what I said about um what happened before why they thought that they should or could do that. Um but secondly the frivolous the thoughtless behavior at this supposedly let alone by the way was also they just found out that Moshe had died. You think they wouldn't hold back a little bit of the celebration, right? But that type of wild wild celebration was neither understandable or excusable. That was the second part of the sin. And because of that, Rab Rabbi Leeag says very well, very powerfully, there's a double double respect response by God. A double punishment if you wish. And I told you the punishment. Therefore, there was a dual punishment. If we look at the what number four the nine uh I think that's what it is. uh where it's where God says um you know uh let me here this I have it here in the English good where God says hurry down for your people whom I brought out of Egypt like I said we some of that uh and so he has two parts of the first statement that he says that um that they made anal. They sinned because they made the form of the calf, a golden calf. That's number one, right? Such a sin was terrible. It would come with a rebuke, perhaps a punishment, but not destruction. Not destruction. But the second part of that uh statement where it says um that um where it goes on that they danced in front of him and they actually that that really refers not just to the the corb but rather to the wild behavior that they had. It was that that really um made God angry because that reflected Israel's return to Egyptian culture. That was what was unforgivable. Everything God had done. You have a difficulty believing in a uh a a a god that has no form that you can't see that is I understand that even when miracles happen. I understand that. I understand that. But how can you go back to Egypt? How can you actually go and start uh behaving according to Egyptian culture when that was the exact thing that you had rejected and that God had destroyed? Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know. Uh, no, you but it's it's what you know that is wrong that so it makes no sense that they allow them to do it. And um it's exactly at this point that God calls Israel an amash or it's a it's it is repeated a number of times throughout the Torah. Amash or I'm sure you know it means a um stiff necked people. Stiff necked people. You're stubborn. That's all I always say. Thank God. If we weren't stubborn, we wouldn't. That's right. We wouldn't be here. But to be stubborn against God's will, that's not too good. And that's exactly what happened. And that's why if you go through the text once again and you look at what was the the the punishment God gives, God gives a double punishment. Same reason for the serious sinners and we can use that term. uh those who uh accord kazal actually said that they're the ones who really uh instigated not the the golden calf but the lentious behavior for those God said they are create uh God gives them death 3,000 are put to death for for having done that um that's the first um uh because you know such a rebellious gang could not be forgiven but the rest of Israel. So Mosher Rabenu um prays for them and he receives ultimately a pardon from um Sam. But it won't be that simple. It will not be that simple. and it would not be complete. God says, "When time comes on the day when I have to make an account, I'm going to punish them for this sin." Receives a punishment. It is a delayed punishment because Mosher Raenu was able to get forgiveness from God. And therefore Ben is are able to continue their journey to Israel. But it isn't that simple. It is not that simple because there is a very specific punishment that the people were very unhappy about. If we look at the 10th source that I have there after you know giving the um punishment and telling the people what the punishment would be we find in source number 10 as I said Hashem uh said to Moshe okay I've I've punished you in effect Go from here, you and the people that I have brought up from the land of Egypt, uh, go to the land of which I promised or swore to Abrakov, telling them that to your offspring I will give it, and I will send a messenger before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Persites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites into a land flowing with milk and honey. And here comes the crucial thing. What was the punishment? But I will not go in your midst since you are a stiff necked people lest I destroy you on the way. I can't trust that you won't sin again. And given the fact that I'm a tale noimm I am a punishing god I can't guarantee that Moshe is gonna win and and convince me. So best be that I not be with you. I'll give you an agent. Maybe it's Mosha who will lead you. But up until now even though I promised you there would be an agent who would meet lead you and you had I was with you also. I was in your midst in the Mishkan. Ah, that'll happen later on. But yes, that's correct. That's exactly correct. Um, there was a Mishkan was not yet built. We're not yet built. Um, so that was it. You'll go on. I'll have a someone help me, but I ain't going to be there. How do the people react to that? I would imagine. And I said, "Oh, feel bad." But okay, so we're still going to go to Israel and you'll be watching us and we'll have Okay, that's your agent and I'll be there. That's not what they do, though. They're very upset. That crit critical condition that I will not go with you cancels the very promise he made to Israel some weeks earlier at Britzy night when he promised there that Amala would lead them. He warned the people to listen to this agent because he says these words. He says, "Don't sin with against this agent because I am with him. I will be with him." So he promised he's going to be with this agent. Now he says, "I'll have an agent. I'm not going to be with him." Uh that seems that promise that promise is being broken. The malak will not be the hand of God. Um but almost like a replacement if I can say that. Um and um that's what God says. He says before and before that in uh source 11 we see that God promises earlier in the chapters he says um I'm going to send you a messenger to guard you in the way to bring you to the place I've made it play he pay heed to him obey him don't defy him for he will not pardon your offenses since my name is in him. But if you obey him and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes. So that is the promise that I will be with him. And now he says, "No, I will not." And this is a problem. So not that he's not going to be with Moshe. Um, another Malik, right? That was God's decision. Well, no, it'll be Moshe, but maybe. But I'm not going to be with you. But the agent he's not sending is not Moshe. He's sending an agent. It might be them. Moshe. But whereas before God was with him on the travel, now he's going to be, you know, busy doing other things, looking down, but he won't be with them. He won't be bum. He won't be in their midst. That was crucial for the people as we'll see. And that's what happens here. Moshe hears that and and and one of the great moments of by Mosher Raenu, he refuses to accept that. He refused it and he almost he threatens God and he says he said if you will not lead us with you if you are not going to be with us God don't bother taking us I'm not going to let them go they won't go without you unbelievable but that's what he says that's what Moshe says to God I refused to allow that punishment. I won't accept it. He says um so now God in effect is s is facing a predicament, right? He cannot allow his to return to the people because the people are sinful and he might have to destroy them, right? On the other hand, he cannot allow Israel to remain in the desert because he had to fill the promise he he made to Abra and Yako. He had to bring them there. How? But he can't because Moshe told them that he won't lead them unless the is with them. What is he going to do? And this is I have moments to do it. Perhaps the most powerful thing I'm going to tell you today. Unbelievable. God changes history. God decides to get rid of the problem by literally changing history. And that we find at the end. I think I had do we have it on the back p page? Yeah, I have it good on the chart. Good. You see when I'll do it because we only have a few minutes or maybe one, two, three minutes. So, I can't do it fully, but I'll finish with this. the the asser had wrote and some statements after before made it very clear God's uh God's um oh what's the word I'm looking for his his justice God's concept of justice and how he will do it and it says um and had you see in chart in fact on For example, it says that first thing it says that God is a kale. He is a vengeful God. It says he's going to uh he is going to punish the future generations uh of those who listen. uh he says I'll do I'll do I'll do kindness to the oh the people who listen to me and are fine and it's a very clear uh it's a very clear type of justice of it's yes or no that's it he says in the thirdra God will not will not forgive anyone who takes his name in vain And he says in the 23rd chapter also he says as we just said my agent is not going to is not going to forgive you. He says that can't forgive you and um over here you see he said he told Moshe let me get angry with them and destroy them. Exactly what he says along he comes and says just kidding I've changed my mind and he says the most crucial things probably for these sub for the um ability for us to survive the survival we have and what is that what he calls the yud the yudim mido the 13th hashem hashem say you know you say that all the time you say that why is it so important say why do you keep yelling it over and over again my god at night and then in the we keep on repeating why because that's why we survive whereas he said and he's a kale vengeful god here it says he's a kale he's a merciful god where it says says um he says here it says doesn't mention that he says in the other one he says not just not just those who are good but to thousands of people he never limits it to only those who are good and he's changing his his attributes it says but in the in The 13 attributes it says he will forgive or sometimes he won't but you have that option before there was no option and it says there then it says no God will forgive you and as opposed to saying I'll get angry and destroy them he now calls himself an era a long and merciful God. This was a change of history. That's why this whole story of the golden calf was worth it if nothing else to realize this terrible sin. Eventually, thanks to Mosher Raenu brought survival for the Jewish nation and God God changes his attribute of only gin. It's yes or no to Rahim changes the way he will deal the people realizing that people are not perfect and certainly not the Jewish people and therefore he now will use his attribute of mercy to forgive Israel and that perhaps more than anything else is the best the most important lesson lesson we can learn from the story of the golden cap. Thank you for coming. I'm sorry I took a little longer. That's the sirens mine. Huh? Next week is