Sin of the Golden Calf

Exegetical Approaches

Foreign God

The nation viewed the calf as a god and worshiped it either together with or instead of Hashem.

"עֲשֵׂה לָנוּ אֱלֹהִים" – These sources understand the word "אֱלֹהִים" to mean deity. However, they disagree whether, in building the calf, the nation was totally forsaking Hashem in favor of a new god,¹ or if they were planning on worshiping the calf together with Hashem (שיתוף).‎²

Why does Moshe's delay spur the sin?

Lost access to Divine – R. Avraham b. HaRambam claims that the Israelites believed that only someone as perfect as Moshe could access Hashem and that without him, they did not have the power to do so. As such, when they assumed that Moshe was not coming back,³ they decided to return to the idolatry they had known earlier.⁴
Lost a perceived deity – Alternatively, this position could posit that the nation had actually perceived Moshe Himself as a god, thinking that all the miracles he performed stemmed from his own powers. Thus when they believed him gone, they created a new god to take his place.

Why a calf? Philo and R. Avraham b. HaRambam assert that the choice was intentional as a bull held significance for the people from their time in Egypt:⁵

Egyptian god – Philo maintains that the people chose a bull to imitate the Egyptian God, Typhos, with whom they would have been familiar.⁶
Astrological sign – R. Avraham b. HaRambam cites his father who posits instead that the people might have asked for a calf thinking that it was under the influence of that astrological sign that they left Egypt. Thus, they refer to it as, "אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלוּךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם".

"חַג לַי"י מָחָר" – This position must explain why Hashem's proper name is used here, if the people were looking to the calf as an alternative god:

People's shorthand - This approach could understand this phrase to mean that "tomorrow there will be a feast [for the god who is replacing] Hashem".
Aharon's perspective – Rashi, however, asserts that, in contrast to the nation, Aharon had no idolatrous thoughts, and really was speaking about Hashem Himself when he said "חַג לַי"י מָחָר". He was certain that by the morrow, Moshe would arrive and the people would return to serving Hashem.

Offering sacrifices and "צחוק" – The fact that the people bow down⁷ and offer sacrifices before the calf supports the idea that they were worshiping it as a god. Rashi maintains that the "" refers to sexual intercourse

"וַיָּמִירוּ אֶת כְּבוֹדָם בְּתַבְנִית שׁוֹר" – According to this approach the honor of the people referred to in this verse is Hashem. The psalmist, too, reads the sin as one of foreign worship, claiming that in building the calf the nation replaced Hashem with the likeness of an ox and bowed down to it.

Breaking of the Luchot – According to Rashi, after Moshe saw how the people had betrayed Hashem he considered them unworthy of receiving the Torah. This position might also suggest, like Ibn Ezra below, that the tablets were like a marriage document; when the people proved unfaithful it was torn up.⁸

Drinking of the calf's ashes – Rashi, following R. Yose in Bavli Avodah Zarah, asserts that this was comparable to the test of a suspected adulteress (sotah). Moshe used the water to test and punish who had been unfaithful to Hashem.⁹ One might also posit that in destroying the calf and having the people actually eat it, Moshe highlighted how powerless and unworthy of worship it was.¹⁰

Role of Aharon – These sources agree that Aharon did not worship the calf, but defend his active role in different ways:

Test the people – R. Saadia compares Aharon to Yehu,¹¹ who gathered the people to worship the Baal so as to test who was guilty and then kill them. So, too, Aharon only acquiesced to the nation's request so as to determine who was guilty of idolatry.
Delay tactics – Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer and Rashi, instead, maintain that throughout Aharon tried to delay the people, hoping that Moshe would arrive before they sinned. Thus, he asked the women specifically for their jewelry, assuming they would not give them up so easily,¹² and pushed off the feast until the next day.

Sinning so soon after Matan Torah

Influence of mixed multitudes (ערב רב) – Tanchuma, Rashi and R. Avraham b. HaRambam (in the name of his grandfather) attempt to defend the people by suggesting that the idolatry was not really their initiative, but that of the mixed multitudes who had joined the nation upon leaving Egypt. Tanchuma claims that it was their magic which produced the calf and animated it leading the people to believe in it.¹³ As support, Rashi points to the fact that the people say "אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל", speaking from the perspective of outsiders and non-members of Israel.¹⁴
Influence of Satan – Tanchuma, Rashi and Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer also suggest that the Satan further negatively influenced the nation, leading the people to believe that Moshe had died, or helping to create the calf.
Slow to change – Alternatively, it is possible that the people had never really forsaken the idolatrous beliefs they held in Egypt.¹⁵ One time miracles, even on the scale of Hashem's revelation, are not enough to change a person's mindset for good. To instill long lasting belief the people needed continuous education and miracles.¹⁶ Thus, as soon as Moshe left, without a teacher to guide them, the people naturally fell back into their old ways.

Aharon's self defense – R. Avraham b. HaRambam asserts, in the name of his grandfather, that Aharon was blaming the ערב רב. Aharon's words, "כִּי בְרָע הוּא" are understood to mean that the nation was mixed with evil people.

Severity of punishment – According to this approach, Hashem's initial desire to wipe out the nation is understandable, as they sinned severely. Both Rashi and R. Avraham b. HaRambam assert that even after Moshe's prayers, many people were punished by death. Though only 3,000 were killed by the Levites,¹⁷ many more died at Hashem's hand through the plague.

Graven Image of Hashem

The people viewed the calf as a means through which they could worship Hashem. They did not transgress the command of "you shall have no other gods besides me" but only the prohibition against making a graven image, even one which represented Hashem Himself.

Sources:Kuzari, Ibn Ezra, Radak, Cassuto,

Why does Moshe's delay spur the sin?

R. Yehuda HaLevi asserts that when Moshe ascended the mountain, he was supposed to return with the Tablets and Ark which would serve as a tangible object to which the nation could direct their service to Hashem. Since the nation was used to people who worshiped their gods via idols, they, too, felt a need for some concrete representation of God's presence, and greatly anticipated Moshe's descent. However, when forty days passed they feared that Moshe would never return,¹⁸ and decided to create their own physical symbol of Hashem instead.
Cassuto explains similarly but suggests that the nation looked to create a throne for Hashem's providence, similar to the role played by the Keruvim (cherubs) in the Mishkan.¹⁹

Why a calf?

Image of Hashem seen at Sinai – Lekach TovShemot 32:4About R. Toviah b. Eliezer posits that the people chose a calf since that was the image of Hashem that they saw at Sinai²⁰ and was thus the logical form to represent Him.
Hashem's choice of "throne" – It is possible that in building a throne for Hashem, Aharon decided to make Keruvim,‎²¹ or an image of a bull, as this is what Hashem Himself had designated as the site of His presence in the Mishkan. R. Bazak²² points to the parallel verses in Yechezkel 1:10 and 10:14 to prove that "שור" and "כרובים" are identical²³ and to the entire vision there which suggests that these were meant to be Hashem's "chariot" and the foot of his throne.
Convention of the time – N. Sarna²⁴ points out that throughout the Ancient Near East, deities were often depicted as standing on pedestals of beasts, often a bull. Aharon might have simply copied the standard artistic convention, with the important difference of not adding any image of Hashem Himself atop the pedestal.

Sinning so soon after Matan Torah – According to this approach, Hashem's revelation at Mt. Sinai might itself have contributed to the sin. The experience left the nation with a desire for continued connection. Having heard Hashem's voice, they had a need for a more tangible expression of His presence.

Aharon's role – This approach is largely motivated by a desire to defend Aharon and present him as acting in the name of Hashem throughout. He made the calf with the sole intention of using it to serve Hashem. R. Kasher²⁵ portrays him as making an understandable mistake; if Keruvim were allowed in the Mishkan, Aharon thought that they or their equivalent should be allowed outside as well. R. Kasher²⁶ even suggests that the prohibition "לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן אִתִּי אֱלֹהֵי כֶסֶף" found at the end of Shemot 20 is written out of place and was only given in the aftermath of and as a corrective to Aharon's error.²⁷

"עֲשֵׂה לָנוּ אֱלֹהִים" – These sources understand the word "אֱלֹהִים" to refer to Hashem. The people were not requesting that Aharon create a new deity, but a vehicle through which they could access Hashem.

"אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלוּךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם" – The people refer to the calf as the one who took them out of Egypt because the calf was representative of Hashem who did in fact do so.²⁸

"חַג לַי"י מָחָר" – As Aharon and the people never intended to worship anyone but Hashem, Aharon naturally announced that there would be a feast for Hashem tomorrow.

Offering sacrifices – Ibn Ezra explains that the sacrifices were intended not for the calf but Hashem.²⁹

Severity of punishment – If the people were acting for Hashem and not intending any disloyalty to Him, it is not clear why Hashem would desire to annihilate the nation. As a result, these sources all suggest that despite the positive intentions, people did end up worshiping the calf itself. It was this minority that led to Hashem's anger.³⁰

"וַיָּמִירוּ אֶת כְּבוֹדָם בְּתַבְנִית שׁוֹר" – This approach would suggest that this verse is referring to those members of the nation who forgot that the calf was supposed to represent Hashem and viewed it as a deity in its own right.

Breaking of the Luchot

A lesson to the nation – This approach might claim that Moshe realized that before bringing another concrete symbol of Hashem's presence to the people, he needed to make sure they recognized that it was just a symbol, and not itself worthy of worship. Destroying the tablets was a lesson to the people, dispelling any notion that it was a power on its own.
Nullifying the covenant – Since the nation transgressed one of the conditions of the covenant, "לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לְךָ פֶסֶל וְכׇל תְּמוּנָה", they voided the covenant as a whole.³¹

Drinking of the calf's ashes – Ibn Ezra, like Rashi above, asserts that this was similar to the test of the suspected adulteress (Sotah). Since it would have been impossible for the Levites to distinguish which of the worshipers acted for idolatry and which for Hashem, the water tested and marked the former.

Difference between the Keruvim/Ark and calf – The Kuzari suggests that the only difference between the two is that one was commanded by Hashem, and thus t legitimate, while the other was not, and thus prohibited. One might add that Hashem did not fear lest the people come to worship the ark/keruvim since they were hidden away from the public eye. Cassuto (in contrast to R. Bazak above) further asserts that the Keruvim were intentionally made as fantastical rather than realistic creatures to safeguard against the people worshiping them as deities.

Biblical parallels – Cassuto compares this sin to the calves set up by Yerovam,³² which he claims were also originally meant only to represent Hashem's presence. The Efod established by Gidon³³ was similarly intended only to remind the people that Hashem was their true King. In both cases, however, with time the people mistook the representation of Hashem for an alternative god and began to worship it.³⁴

People's perception of Moshe

Purpose of the mishkan – This approach might suggest that the sin confirmed the need for a Mishkan as a physical symbol of Hashem's presence, but also the necessity for it to be structured in a way that would distance the people from coming to mistake it for Hashem or an alternative god.

Aharon's self defense

Guide in the Wilderness

Bereft of Moshe's leadership and his connection to the Divine, the people looked for an alternative to guide them in the wilderness.

Why does Moshe's delay spur the sin? According to these sources, the connection between Moshe's delay and the desire to make a replacement is obvious. Moshe's prolonged absence led the people to conclude that he was never to return, prompting them to look for a substitute to lead them.³⁵

Perceptions of Moshe – These sources suggest a variety of possibilities regarding the people's perceptions of Moshe. Each could have potentially played a role in their actions:

Moshe as Prophet – Ramban assume that the people viewed Moshe as a prophet with special access to the Divine, giving him the ability to perform miracles and knowledge of their future path. Without such access, they felt lost, leading them to look for an alternative "איש אלהים".
Moshe the magician – Abarbanel posits that throughout their travels, the nation constantly doubted Hashem and even attributed the Exodus to Moshe and Aharon rather than Him. They assumed that Moshe on his own had special powers to work miracles. Thus, with his absence, they looked to aharon, whom they thought knew Moshe's secrets, tocreate a different being which might call on similar powers.
Moshe the fraud – R. Ashkenazi, in contrast, asserts that the people did not doubt Hashem but rather Moshe. Aware of the prophecy that they were supposed to be in Egypt for 400 years, they worried that the early Exodus was proof that Moshe was not sent by Hashem but rather that he was acting on his own. As such, they took his disappearance as proof that he must not have been Hashem's messenger. The next step was to look for an alternative.

"עֲשֵׂה לָנוּ אֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר יֵלְכוּ לְפָנֵינוּ" – Though all these sources agree that the people were looking for something to guide and literally "go before them" in the wilderness, they differ regarding the nature of the guide requested, and hence of the meaning of the word "אֱלֹהִים":

Human replacement – R. Yosef Bekhor Shor posits that the nation requested a human alternative to Moshe, and that "אֱלֹהִים" here takes its secular connotation of judge or leader.³⁶ It was Aharon who decided to create an object instead of appointing a person.
Object of supernatural powers – Ralbag and Abarbanel³⁷ maintain that the Children of Israel requested a talisman which could foretell the future, and the word "אֱלֹהִים" refers to something with supernatural abilities.
Replacement for the Aron – R. Eliezer Ashkenazi posits Moshe had promised to bring them an Aron whose job would be to guide them until they reached settled lands.³⁸ and that it was this that they wished to replace. According to him, "אֱלֹהִים" might be short for "ארון אלהים", or simply means guide.

Why a calf rather than a person?

Aharon's initiative – According to R"Y Bekhor Shor it was Aharon's idea to create an inanimate leader rather than appoint a human one.³⁹ He feared that the people would be quick to switch their allegiance to a different human, leading to fighting when Moshe returned. However, if he made a golden form without any powers, as soon as Moshe returned they would abandon it and return to Moshe.
Nation's Initiative - Abarbanel, in contrast, maintains that the people specifically asked for an immobile object rather than a human, since humans are mortal and might disappear, as proven by Moshe. He suggests that they might have chosen a bull as that was the astrological sign following that of the ram which was held sacred by Egypt and that it might have been through it that Moshe defeated Egypt.

"אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלוּךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם"

Abarbanel asserts that the people did not believe that the calf they had just made actually took them out of Egypt, but rather that a form similar to it might have been the source of Moshe's powers that enabled him to successfully take the people out.
Ibn Ezra suggests instead that the people mean that this form is replacing he who took them out of Egypt.

"חַג לַי"י מָחָר" – R"Y Bekhor Shor suggests that Aharon was announcing that the next day when they would inaugurate their new leader, they would have a feast for Hashem to thank Him for it.

Offering sacrifices, feasting and "צחוק"

For Hashem – R"Y Bekhor Shor maintains that the sacrifices were for Hashem's honor, a natural part of any inaugural ceremony. He compares it to the celebration when Shaul was kinged, which was similarly accompanied by sacrifices and happiness (the "צחוק" of our verse).
For idolatry– Ibn Ezra, Ralbag and Abarbanel, in contarst, all assert that part of the nation erred and began to worship the calf as a deity, bowing and sacrificing to it.

Breaking of the Luchot

Intentional – Shadal posits that Moshe might have wanted to shock the nation back to their senses, while Ralbag suggests that this was a nullification of the covenant since people had turned the calf into a deity.
Unintentional - Rashbam, in contrast, asserts tht upon seeing the calf Moshe's strength left him and he dropped the tablets. E. Touitu suggests that Rashbam's somewhat difficult read of teh verse might have polemical motivations. Christians understood that the sin nullified the Sinai covenant and that subsequent commandments were given only to punish the nation for their betrayal of Hashem. As such, Rashbam goes out of his way to show that the sin was not a rejection of hashem and that it involved no breaking of the covenant.

Drinking of the calf's ashes

Aharon's role

Sinning so soon after Matan Torah

Severity of punishment

"וַיָּמִירוּ אֶת כְּבוֹדָם בְּתַבְנִית שׁוֹר"

Biblical parallels

Polemical motivations

Combination

As the nation was not a homogeneous group, it is possible that while some people viewed the calf as an alternative god, others believed that it was simply a tangible representation of Hashem and yet others looked to it to guide them in their travels.

Sin of the Golden Calf/2

Sin of the Golden Calf

Exegetical Approaches

Foreign God

Graven Image of Hashem

Guide in the Wilderness

Combination

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