Sin of the Golden Calf/1/en
Sin of the Golden Calf
Introduction
Moshe's Absence
The story of the Golden Calf opens with the backdrop for the nation's sin:
(א) וַיַּרְא הָעָם כִּי בֹשֵׁשׁ מֹשֶׁה לָרֶדֶת מִן הָהָר וַיִּקָּהֵל הָעָם עַל אַהֲרֹן וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו קוּם עֲשֵׂה לָנוּ אֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר יֵלְכוּ לְפָנֵינוּ כִּי זֶה מֹשֶׁה הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלָנוּ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֹא יָדַעְנוּ מֶה הָיָה לוֹ.
(1) And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him: 'Up, make us a god who shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.'
Ostensibly, Moshe's tardiness in descending from the mountain motivates the nation to request that Aharon make for them an "אֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר יֵלְכוּ לְפָנֵינוּ" ("a God who will go before us"). What, though, is the connection between Moshe's absence and their request? Is the Calf born out of an existential angst in which the people are searching to fill the theological void left by Moshe's disappearance? Or, is it merely the product of a practical need for visible leadership to help them navigate the travails of the wilderness? Does the term "אֱלֹהִים" used here have a sacred ("god" / "gods") or a secular ("ruler" / "judge") connotation? Are the words "יֵלְכוּ לְפָנֵינוּ" meant in a spiritual sense or a physical one? Either way, how do the people think that a molten calf will provide the solution to their problems?
Sins of the Nation and Aharon
Throughout their stay in the Wilderness, the Children of Israel repeatedly waver in their faith, testing both Hashem and Moshe. The Sin of the Golden Calf is a prime example. As Moshe tarries on Mt. Sinai, they build a golden calf, bow down to it, and offer sacrifices. Tehillim 106 describes the sin as an attempt to replace Hashem:
(יט) יַעֲשׂוּ עֵגֶל בְּחֹרֵב וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְמַסֵּכָה. (כ) וַיָּמִירוּ אֶת כְּבוֹדָם בְּתַבְנִית שׁוֹר אֹכֵל עֵשֶׂב.
(19) They made a calf in Horeb, And worshipped a molten image. (20) Thus they exchanged their glory For the likeness of an ox that eateth grass.
The Israelites' actions are astounding. How could they forsake Hashem for other gods a mere forty days after Hashem revealed Himself? And even if the nation might err, how could Aharon not only blunder but actually lead the people in sinning?1 Is it possible that just over a month after Hashem declared, "You shall not have any gods before Me", the people were ready to make an idol and switch allegiances?
Additional Questions
- "חַג לַי"י מָחָר" – Throughout the story the people refer to the Calf as an "אֱלֹהִים",2 yet when Aharon builds the altar he announces that there will be a feast for "Hashem" tomorrow. Is there a significance to this difference? Is Aharon using the proper name of Hashem to refer to a newly made god or to Hashem Himself?
- Why a calf? Why is the specific form of a calf chosen? Is Aharon's choice arbitrary or intentional?3
- Destroying the Luchot – How can Moshe break the Tablets, the handiwork of Hashem Himself? Is this action simply a manifestation of fury, or is it a more symbolic representation of the breaking of the covenant?
- Drinking of the Calf's ashes – Why does Moshe spread the remains of the burnt Calf into the water and give of it to the nation to drink? Is this a punishment, a test, or an educational tool?
- Aharon's self defense – In explaining himself to Moshe, Aharon seems to simply repeat the facts and then blame the "evil" nature of the nation, while belittling his active fashioning of the Calf. How is this defense to be understood?
- How many people sinned? When Hashem speaks to Moshe while still on the mountain (verses 9-10), He speaks of destroying the whole nation, suggesting that all participated in the sin. Nonetheless, when the Levites heed Moshe's call to kill the perpetrators, only 3,000 are killed. On the other hand, the chapter ends by stating that Hashem smote the nation. What percentage of the nation actually sinned? Did all commit the same crime, or were there varying attitudes towards the calf and perhaps different punishments meted out?
