The Sin of Nadav & Avihu (Pt II) | Rabbi Neil Winkler

say about Nadava Navi who I see that you know there were only three people here and one of them wasn't even there last week. I saw you on the YouTube because I couldn't be here. Oh, you weren't here either, right? So I I but I'm going to do with your permission. Why not? Um I want to go to what I really had uh would have ordinarily done because I as I said I we did not finish with um with I have a thing about um which I not going to speak about now but I think one of the most powerful powerful um reveals that's a good word um is what I'm going to give you now and I tell you why I say reveals I know a lot of these sh and I hear Rabbi Tal thank god it's wonderful he has terrific sh about um uh the he was speaking about what's going to be and the thing and my focus is primarily um not oh this is what's going to be which is but I'd love to see what we have in our hands and that is the text itself and primarily what but so many misunderstanding of the text have come around uh over these years. Kazal had very important reasons to say certain things and so often that becomes the text itself which is which it is not. This is basically what I say. I always start with the story that you know if I were to tell the average person that you know what Rifka was not three years old necessarily when she married Yitzk I'd get stoned I said and you know what we don't see anywhere that Abraham broke idols now these are things that of course we learned and most people know it's not in the Torah but much of what we learned and we assume is correct because we've learned it is not necessarily close to the text and if kazal are giving us an approach different from the text they have a very good reason but before you understand their reason is it not proper to read the text what does the Torah say and then we can say well why do the rabbis say it in this way and I think almost every time it isn't because they saying, "Oh, that's not what the it means this." It's not true. It means what is saying there's another way of looking at this and that's very important because you can't ignore this is what the Torah says. And that's going to be what some of you already heard this lecture, but you know what's important? Uh not going to remember all of it. The story of the golden calf, the sin of a zahab, the golden calf is one of the most um completely misunderstood stories that has led us to almost ignore what the Torah says and merely accept everything that we've learned. of them were young. Now I had therefore prepared new um uh source sheets. Unfortunately, uh I actually I sent it to the OU and asked them to run off and I got a call back. Sam McCarti is actually in the army now. He's going that. Yeah. And Oh, how nice of you. See, thank you. Now I don't have to open my own bottle. Um on the chair, huh? That helping? Okay. No, it's it helps more than I put it in my throat. I want to present to you the approach that really opened my eyes and years ago by Manakim Liptag and then what I've sort of provided myself in my own studies um about this uh story about this event this terrible event of the sin of the golden calf. I shouldn't say that because the golden calf didn't sin. The skin the sin of the worship of the golden calf. Um and I want to open up be questions and problems just by what even what the text says and how we understand it and which will I believe bring us to well let's look again what indeed the text is saying and why some of these problems really are not problems. We learned in the Gumar in Sanhedrin. Oh, did I give up? I give out these. Uh, no, I did not give out. I'm sorry. Oh, they have Oh, okay. Fine. Do you want mine? I'll get it. No, look, I had eight of them over here. Even more. Thank you. I'll give them to do that. I got the instructions. It's okay. [Music] Um so these are statements in says we also find it in later on throughout history whatever punishment we suffer has always a little bit a grain of the punishment because of the sin of worshiping the golden calf. Um, it's payback. It's payback. But the events that lead up to it and the sin itself really leave us perplexed. Now explain what exactly was the um the sin and we always think well they worship the golden calf really which means it was a sin of um aod but um which is the the the majority of paran believe that is the thing but if so how do we understand Um the the the challenge of understanding that behavior the famous story that we all go crazy about how in the world could ben Israel we're talking two three million people okay 600,000 adult males left Egypt So let's take you had a couple of people that weren't adults. You got equal amount if not more who were women. So and uh and so we're talking about about 2 to three million people. So how is it that this huge group who actually went through they experienced not one not 10 plagues miracles that were rained down upon their enemy and they saw the especially the death of the firstborn. It was this crowd who had seen the drowning of the huge military of the powerful Egyptian Empire. The Torah says he saw them. They were dead and they said they believed God. This is the seventh day of Pes basically that's when it happened. So there it is middle of Nissan one month is er one month next month is the next month is tamuz in the middle of tamos they wash the golden calf three months by the way I just gave you those miracles what about the miracles of bringing water when they had none and God brought it down what about the daily miracle of the man the mana is you know you But they eating it in a man in a manner of speaking you know they they actually had to live only because the of the ma man that falls each so every morning a miracle was happening let alone the sloav one they had the quail that came over them they had they saw these miracles I can go on and on so you mean and and then they said oh let's worship a god this concept that they were worshiping god vodara It's difficult to understand it. It's it's really very difficult the whole story. How could they they it was they heard God saying and that you're not allowed to do this. They heard it. They said this was the ultimate sin to reject God to somebody else or something else. Very difficult. And Kazal go crazy about it. They're very very upset about this whole thing. I'm upset though. It's just not logical. Not logical. And if you know the story, and I think you do, who was it who formed that golden calf? Aron. Aron. The Coen Gad. You know, we have a hala um that any coin who worked of Zara could never become a coin. He could never serve in the Mishkan. and then the mikdash and I honed in he be still became the adult but he he fashioned it give me you can give me all the excuses he threw it in it happened that way but they came to him and his response was okay give me a gold and you know so he was involved here and who was the one person who wasn't really punished a He doesn't get a punishment. It's a very very thing. What's going on? It's it's very difficult. So we have to take another view. Well maybe maybe the sin was not that of of odazara. But if that's true, if there wasn't idolatry, what is it that made God so angry to give the punishment? And as the Gomorrah says, every punishment in the whole history of Israel had a little bit of punishment because of that terrible thing. So what is it? So in order to understand that, let's see the story. And if that takes us a little more than today, then that's fine. That's fine. It's a very important thing to understand. So let's see first source this comes from the Torah from Schmote the story how it begins. First of all number one started. Yeah. So first of all let's see how this happened. Well I mean after all Moshe wasn't around. So, so what was happening? I'm giving you a little introduction. The Torah tells us why this occurred at least the whole uh who was there, who was not there. So we said see that God God said to Moshe come up to me on the mountain meaning at hari mount si and wait there and I will give you the stone tablets with the teachings and commandments which I have inscribed to in instruct them meaning Israel meaning this was after they heard the ten commandments but have not yet received the physical thing the uh uh and they were going to receive the commandments as they are etched in stone but they had not yet received that and tells Moshe, "Come on up and I'll give them to you." So Moshe and his attendant Yoshua uh get up. Moshe ascended this mountains to the top of the mountain and he tells the elders he had at the time no helpers in effect we know he had 70 elders he said wait here for us until we return to you and you and you have here I am and Aaron and uh with you anyone who has a legal matter can approach them they're taking over for me I spoke spoken a number of times. I noticed that Joshua was not the next leader of Israel was not left there for that is he went with with he was still like a student. He went up to up to certain point with Moshe but Aram and H um they were there. Okay. Very nice. So we that's what happened. Good. [Music] Um first question next thing and as we see next Moshe went up to the God much of them what did God say and Mosha say and I'll come back when will I come back he never says he never says it this is crucial fact number one those who've heard this for Noah. Of all the things I said, that's the one thing I think remained with you. You did. What does everybody know for sure what was the sin? Because you know say well Moshe said he's coming down 40 days. They miscounted it and they and therefore the by a half a day and therefore that's why they did this. So between you and me, just because the w something was wrong somebody's watch, God's going to punish them this awful thing, it was a mistake. They didn't not that they had they were panicked because they didn't know he was okay but it was a mistake. Why was God so angry and number two more than actually number one not number two? They are never told that Moshe would be there for 40 days and come down on the 40th day. Never. The text never says that. And in order to to make it powerful, let's say, how long do you think he's going to have? Well, did Moshe ever go up to Hi before? And the answer is yes, he did before the Ten Commandments were pronounced. It says there God says, "Come up. I have to talk to you." And it goes up for maybe a couple of hours. Then it comes down. It brings back the answer that the people said back to God. God said, "Come up. come out and then to come out and he came back on a second time. So let's say it was a half a day. Let's say it was a day. Say two days. Doesn't say the time in the Torah. Certainly wasn't a long time because it was during the same first six days. So he goes up, comes down in a couple of hours. Second time, same thing, right? So now he goes up a third time. He goes up a third time. And what are the people thinking? Well, he went up a couple of hours, you know, then last a week and it's come down in a few hours until they wait. Wasn't the two hours, 3 hours, a day, two days, two weeks, a month, and he's not there. They wait patiently for Mosha to return. They have no idea when he's going to return. And yet they wait. And if you think they're nervous because he didn't come down, they had good reason to. He went up to Mount Si, God is there. He comes right down. But at this time when he goes up, how does hari look? [Music] It's depicted in the Torah that Har was smoky with fire all over the place and clouds and rumbling. And it says that Moshe goes into the fire. He goes into this volcano type of and walks in. Most people can't survive that. in case you didn't know that was going to survive that. So they see their leader going up to in this unbelievable thing very nervous but he'll come down in an hour or two because he did last time and but now we have even worse they have a and doesn't come down. So now they look at each other not at 30 days later but at this point already it's approximately uh we're talking about oh I don't know uh seven not not that's quite 7 weeks we'll say almost six weeks later 6 weeks would be 42 days 40 days right what are we going to do what are we going to do they wonder well what are our options One, we'll stay where we are. We'll stay. We'll just stay here for what? You know, we've waited for 40 days. What are we supposed to do? Just do nothing. Option two, we'll go back to Egypt. I know. Where else are we going to go? We can go back. Well, of course they don't want to do that. but to be reinslaved. And if we're afraid God will be angry, he'll he'll be more angry if we go back to Egypt. Can't do that. To what's the third option? Let's go onward. That's right. Let's go onward. Let's travel onward to the promised land. Like Hashem has told us numerous time. They think it's a great idea. Oh, wait a minute. We don't want God to be angry. But God had just told them, if you look at um the third source, he says uh in chapter 23, which is before he goes up to he says, God says, "Behold, I am sending a messenger before you." He tells Israel to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place I've made ready if I show you in the Hebrew what I as I translate as a messenger it says mal what's a malak what's a malik a malik angel an angel it's really means a an agent also but it's Number three. So they were promised that who would lead them to the pro promised land? Moshe. An an angel or a messenger of God. Well, who's the messenger of God who's leading them? Moshe. Moshe. Uh he ain't around. How can we now go? We should go to the promised land but God promised us to have someone who is going to lead us. That's what they said. And that is why they then did what Moshe told them to when you have problems go to whom? Who did he leave there? Aram. So they right. So they went to Aaron just like Moshe told them they should do that, right? And um the idea that oh well they wanted to rebel against God. Would they have gone and do done what Moshe told them to do? Go to Aon. They're following the exactly the directives they were given. Go to Aon. And that's exactly what they did. And their complaint to our own was therefore not give us another god. What did they want to replace? A new leader who would lead them to the promised land. They believed that God would lead them to a promised land, but the supposed angel or leader that God promised that we thought was Moshe clearly was not. So they go to our own. Sorry about your brother, but uh you know, we need a leader. What should we do here? So carefully, let's read exactly in the fourth source what exactly they did say to Aaron. When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered against our own and said to him, "Come, make us a god who shall go before us. for that fellow Moshe who brought us uh from the land out of the land of Egypt, we don't know what happened to him. So the the fact that it says uh a god. So that's what made especially say well they wanted another god. The idea of uh Elohim as it says here um yeah Elohim does not mean a god. The idea of Elohim does not mean gods alone. It means leaders. It means powerful people. Does that mean how are there any gods like you god? No. There's no other god. What is aim? means the powerful ones. when when um Brait in the end of Perk of Pash Vets when Lavan chases after Yakov who was escaping from his home and before the night before he catches up to YaKob and the the clan, God appears to Laben to Lavan in and tells him um how Israel You know, you better not start up with Yako. Don't you dare harm him. He comes the next morning, catches up to Yakov and he attacks him and among the things he says, I have al doesn't mean God. I have the power to do something bad to you but your god told me I can't the idea of ale or elim does not only mean gods or it can mean power things you have that also but everything you know god sings in he's found in as judges it's also meant as a judges okay so when they said here does not mean make us another god find us another leader is what they really were asking for. That's very, very clear. And that was no more than wanting to carry on God's plan. God did say, I'm going to send you a leader, someone who's going to lead you to the promised land. And he says it more than once. you know, that's also in the well, I didn't I didn't mention it include it in the third one, but that's what it is. More than once, um, God promises, I'm going to give you a leader who who will lead you. They thought, you know, completely logically that that leader is going to be Moshe. It seems it will not be Moshe. they now realize or think and therefore say okay our own we're going to you as our the late Moshe has uh asked us to so so we got to find a leader we got to find somebody who's going to lead us in that's what happened uh and if that's not enough to understand what happens What happens when [Music] um that they come to him and he says, "Okay, give money." Aron was very very clever. You know, the Jews weren't going to go for a a fundraiser at this point, but they did. And they sent um well, you know, they send them a lot of lot of gold, right? And [Music] um so I mean just like a let me go back a half of a step. Again, remember what they asked is we want you to do something Elohim who will who will walk in front of us who will lead us but that's what they wanted not to whom we can pray. So I just so okay fine. Um so when that however it happens which I'll get into uh that this this golden calf comes out from what is done whether it was fashion whether it was come from a mold we don't know exactly but it did happen right [Music] um and and again why does that does say hey cool it off. He's coming down another half another half hour. He'll be here. That he argue with them. Don't worry, he's going to be here a little late. He's Jewish. What can I tell you? He never argues with them. It would seem that Aaron also was wondering, isn't it? And that's why Aaron agrees to do what they want, figuring with a shrug of the shoulders, I guess this is God's way, and I don't know what. That's why he allows to do this. Throw it into the fire and this comes out. And when that happens, he he provides them with whatever they wanted. He even announced, "Don't worry." Um, not today, but those are crucial words. He says to the people now that we have this golden calf, he says, let us celebrate for God. So they didn't look look to replace God or deny God. They're going to actually celebrate also means sacrifice, you know, for God. That's who they were worshiping. They weren't denying God. It wasn't a matter of denying of that's not what was happening. The text makes it clear if we read the text. And they said that even as powerful as these arguments are, there are also uh powerful go arguments as to why not. Because when they have this golden calf, um, believe it or not, um, the people proclaim when they see it, they said, "This is your whatever God that took you out of Egypt." That's a powerful statement that seems to deny God. Um, but what it that meant because everything else proves that it's not true. This is a representation of the god who took us out of Egypt. What did they know about a about a invisible god? I know we know it because we know all about the invisibility studio. There was never any any belief in any uh god that didn't have something to see idols to look at. Suddenly they told about this wonderful power who's doing all these things. But yeah, what does he look like? You know, what is he wearing? Do you have a big hat? Does he have a long beard, a short beard? Pay us. Didn't know. What does he look like? That's what they want to know. And they accepted that. So they didn't see him. Fine. But they haven't seen him. They haven't seen their leader. They saw Moshe not as God. What if they see him as correctly? A messenger. God's messenger. What do they want now? Therefore, God's messenger. And if they would just as if they would they would say this is the man or the the God's messenger who took us out of Egypt when they were pointing to Moshe. Now they have a golden calf and they said okay now this is it. They needed simply a representation that this this must be whom God has chosen to lead them to the promised land. But there's a huge difference between a man who's actually able to speak to God to command the nation and a calf that just sits there and does nothing, right? Well, I didn't know him personally, you know. No, the reason is very simple. That's true. But it was thrown into a fire. Who made it come out that way? Must have been God. God has created this. That was the belief. I'm sorry. Yeah. Was this after God spoke to them on the mountain? Oh, yeah. Yes, it's after. Exactly. Which brings up even more questions. I mean, I have a a lot of questions on what you're saying because they felt that they had to make a leader since the story. Have they ever done as I brought out themselves? As I brought out more than once, God told them, I'm going to make a leader for you. That leader no longer is them. For you and Hashem did everything. Now they're taking matters into their own hands, which was a mistake. They nothing happened because of their hishad. Yes, they did. Aron said, "Give me." But they went to Aron. What should we do? He said, "This is what you do." That's his give. Yeah. He said, "Give me your gold." So they did what they were told to do. And Aaron was the agent from Moshe. Moshe said, "You take care of it." And he took that. So that was a histad. Oh, if you give me the the gold, so then we'll we'll get we'll find out who the new leader is. And when that comes out to a go golden calf, they said, "Oh, I I guess this is a new leader. Not as good-looking as Moshe, but this seems to be the good leader." Now, why they end up with a CF is something I'll get to later on, but it's a totally logical thing. I can't stand to saying they were perfectly right and everything like that. But I understand the panic of three million people whose leader who was doing all the miracles for them and doing everything they want for him is now suddenly gone and he was supposed to be the one to lead them and they know they have to. They want to go to the whole promised land. What do we do? Oh, our own the the substitute. What do we do? He said, "Give me give me money." Sounds like a Jewish thing. Fine. So he gets the money and then this comes out. So as much as you are correct in that this was their histad they were told by a just to give in money we take off your jewelry give to me. So they did and what comes out of it a golden calf. Why should they not think this was godly done? What I mean like a really dropped the ball here. You think they didn't think that the answer to their question was the gold? He was Jewish. I would Yeah. I mean, I just I just feel like Moshe basically put him in charge. I guess he doesn't know what to do. Yeah. And not only does he know what to do, he like really like really screws up and and then he Why do what can we say? It's a good point you're making. What can we say to defend Aron? I just put up a hey, it's all fault. They are the Don't give me a midrash. Okay. Think for yourself. Why do you think that might have been? Give me some excuse. Huh? Exactly. Right. Why did he say why didn't do it right now? Hoping will come back. Exactly. He said they mean so that's why Kazal who said this 40day thing is saying it because he was stoing it. He was doing it freaking number one I imagine they wouldn't give him the money and the gold then number two when they did he said I don't know I'll throw him to the fire and then they said oh something came out that he didn't imagine you know that so and let me see what he tells Mosha later on it begins to see that but I agree was he punished no well I mean how many ah when they something that happened and they were No, no, no, no, no, no, no. It happened afterwards. Um uh in fact it said in effect Moshe prayed for Aharon that he should not be punished. In effect also God said give you half of your request. He has four sons now we'll have two. It's almost also like the famous marshmallow test. It's like God puts a marshmallow in front of you and says, "Wait till tomorrow, not 24 hours, but later, and you get a second marshmallow if you wait." And all the toddlers. Yeah. Same story. Yeah. And they said that that that actually predicates many ways with decisions people will make. Yeah, that's true. you know, in a more mature way, you know, uh, I I have a half a million dollars here, but if you wait, I'll give you a million dollars tomorrow, right? And yeah, people say, I I say it in a story. Oh, good news. You just won the lottery. You can get the lottery right now. It's x amount of, but you can take it over the rest of your life, you get much more. And the bulk of the people, almost all of them say, "What? I'll take it now. Exactly. I don't know if I'm going to be around tomorrow. I'll take it right now. Slave thinking. So, huh. Isn't that slave thinking? I mean, we they're think a lot about how they thought like I want think now rather than I suppose. So, we can see as a slave thing. They don't know what's going to be. It could be. I can't deny that. What I'm saying though, which we're not putting into this, they were 3 months after slavery and they are panicked. What are we going to do? You have the child over here with the two marshmallows. It's not a matter of okay, you had nothing to eat for the last day and you might die. You might starving so you can have a marshmallow, but if you wait, I'll give you a two tomorrow. Then that would be a closer thing to what's happening here. then you can't deny oh just watch it now they and that's what you have to put us in that position I don't think I would have done anything as wonderful as I am I I wouldn't do anything different than they were doing there's a panic going on here frightening and I spent a lot of years learning about God and everything they have three months and Aaron's two sons killed already no it's before that's why I told you I'd said this before that's that's good before any Okay. Um, so what's interesting by the way does points out is when you look at the celebration that they then call because Iron says we're going to have a celebration right uh it was almost exactly the same ceremony and celebration that that they had followed 40 days earlier when they pledged 97 We promise we'll do anything that God has told us to do. And then they it says there clearly and they accepted the brought and we have actually I think I put it down. Yeah. If you look at the sources, uh although this is a a a side issue, you look at the sources where I see in the first source number five, the first paragraph, this is how they celebrated the acceptance of the ten commandments. Early in the morning, he set up an altar at the foot of the mountain with 12 pillars for 12 tribes of Israel. He it's Moshe appointed assistance from the Israelites and they offered burnt offerings and sacrifice bulls as off offerings to Hashem. That's happened when they accepted the ten commandments. What type of ceremony does Aon have the day later after the go golden calf was fashioned? And he said, "Okay, we're going to have a big ceremony and celebration tomorrow." When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it as they had before announced tomorrow. Okay. Next day, early next day, the same thing as it said there early next day, people offered up burnt offerings as they had burnt offerings there and brought sacrifices of well-being as they had over there. They sat down and they eat and roast to dance. So he actually built a ceremony of acceptance of God's um to be one like the acceptance of God's new leader. He made the same things shows them it's the same thing. It's to God. That's why this is very powerful to understand. Um what did they do in the first time? They they they first ceremony after they received the the debro they had what do I call it I guess a monument to show that this is really happening and they agreed with that was 12 m 12 pillars. What monument did they have the second time? The golden camp. the golden calf. If you see that parallel and look at in those terms, they saw it and as a a um what's the word I'm looking for? A worship of God. They said we worshiped God by sending as a sacrifice the first time when we said it three months ago and now we got going to thank God for this and we'll do the same thing. But it was it was not denying God. It was a worship of God as they saw it. Was it a proper worship? No. Because what do we call worship that is not proper in Hebrew? Anyone know? Abodar. Exactly. So we hear abodor. Oh, it's idolatry. Not necessarily. If you worship God not as he wants to be worshiped, that's actually alien worship. It's not the proper worship. It's aboda. That is zarat. But it doesn't mean that it wasn't the wor of worshiping God like Nandav with their agents. Okay, if you want to take that approach, that's correct. Also, I got news to you. The whole story of the 12 of the kings, especially throughout the kings, except for maybe three or four exceptions throughout after the death of Solomon, for example, um both the um northern and southern and southern kingdoms and their kings, like I said, 90% all had worshiped on the bamote. You weren't allowed to once the Betham Mikdash was built, you had to only worship on in the Betham Mdash. Not allowed to worship outside of that. They were worshiping God, but they weren't allowed to do it on the Bama, which were the sort of local, you know, your backyard altar. That's what it was. Was it a photo of Zora as an idal? know they were worshiping God. But that's what God not what the way God wants to be worshiped. God doesn't only tell you to worship him. He also tells you how you going to worship me, you know. So, so that's again I'm sorry. Yes. Is is this like Yeravo when he puts up when in Israel when he then put when after the kingdom was split? Very good. Yava also when he Yerav was the first of the northern kingdoms, he rebelled against the Davidic dynasty. And uh when when Solomon Mlmo died, his son uh took over. And by the way, the purposely Tanak uses these two names with the two different people to confuse you and it does it very well. um Ravam and Yaravam. Yavam was of the northern kingdom and Yavam really for political reasons. He had knew he had to break away from the worship of Behikdash. Why? Where was Behamed? In in Yehuda capital, he could now have another country and make his own capital and then says, "Okay, and everybody go to USA for Davening." No. So he made himself in Dan uh and in Betel he made and put up two guess what golden calves imagine that you think they found the thigh and arm and have calves and they had two golden calves why unless this is a different sheer but since this is one they got another five minutes I can say it anyway why saysam I imagine he doesn't say that but if I were I figured this is what I'd say. Hey, what are you worried about? Didn't our own make a golden calf and Haron made a golden calf? I'm just doing what was so. You know that he ofam had two sons. You know what they were called? Nadav and Navya. the exact names of uh and he made himself not just the king but the coen gazelle he himself the leader of the religious right as well but he was worshiping God the wrong way I mean I didn't talk to God personally I'm sure he wasn't very happy but it's an important distinction oh yes what happened is exactly what God knew would happen We call it and it's a very common here a slippery slope. Once they start worshiping like everybody else started worship, they started worshiping what everybody else was worshiping. That eventually happens the Balim and so on and so forth. That's exactly what the God was afraid of. But at any rate, you understand now the impact of this of this golden calf and how it eventually years later, centuries later, still impacted Israel. Um and so so now we I'm trying to show you how there are two sides to this story. The idea the most powerful thing is that don't swallow the idea. Well, they were told 40 days and he was not on time because as I said to you, they never said 40 days and because because of there were there was a mistiming it wouldn't be why God got so angry. We'll go into why God gets angry but just for a moment here I'm not going to have time for that now but I will tell you this thing and that is why did it happened to be a calf? Why a golden calf of all things? Um there was an ingenious explanation given by the kiskuni. I think I have it here. Uh points to the verse found in [Music] um there is believe it or not just at Hari before the golden calf and about the the um there we read an amazing thing. Look at the sixth source. Then Moshe and Aaron Nadav and Aihu and 70 elders of Israel ascended. They went up part of Harina and they saw the God of Israel. They saw the God of Israel under whose feet was the likeness of pavement of sapphire and the very sky for purity. So they saw God. Interesting. What does it mean? Under his feet says ah you got to look in the Moshe saw God's glory through pm directly. say face to face. The elders now see it in in a lower spiritual level ra. It's as if they see what was under his, you know, his feet. Yeah. Well, not quite. What's under the god's throne? How are we supposed to know that? The throne or footprints? Oh, the foot but the but he was sitting on throne. So, it's where his feet were. They were saying, not God. Well, see, that's the assumption. How do I know this? It's it's a Torah first in the first the first per of as we call it. And there we read and in the seventh source. What does he see in the center of it were figures of four cre creatures. That's what he saw about the throne, God's throne. And this was their appearance. They had figures of human beings. However, each had four faces. Each of them had four wings. The legs of each were fused into a single rigid leg. And the feet of each were like a single calf's hoof. So what says what did the um the elders when they said they saw God, what did they see? They saw it was they saw the bottom and what did they see? They saw a calf's feet. You want to know why the golden calf that was made? They saw that as part of God or as God's throne. And that's why they used it to represent God who's going and and who would now lead them into the promised land. I wanted to leave that before. I told you it was going to take me more than one class. So, as troubled as you might be, I must tell you I'm glad I'm making you trouble. I want you to see not I'm not telling you I am right and everybody else is wrong, but rather there are different approaches. I do want you to know that the text itself was never said that they knew about the 40 days. And that's a a very very powerful way of saying that the approach to say oh they thought he's coming back let alone the fact that there were just a mistake they made in timing I have a doubtful that a a rahaman a merciful god would be so upset why he will be so upset we're going to see please God next week and uh it'll come a little more clear to you then I'm so glad that you came here today and don't get angry with me. Um, thank you, Rabbi. When when it says here that they went up to was this before um this whole before Hashem went up third time. It was before um Moshe went up for that third time to get the to get the written or the etched. It was it either before or after uh when God said give gave the uh but that's what it was. They were there.