Sin of the Golden Calf in Shemot and Devarim/0

Sin of the Golden Calf in Shemot and Devarim

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Introduction

The events surrounding the Sin of the Golden Calf are discussed in Shemot 32-34, and then reviewed by Moshe in his speech to the nation in Devarim 9-10. On the whole, Moshe's retelling is quite close to the original, though he omits certain aspects of the story, and emphasizes others. Exploring these differences can help the reader discern the specific message Moshe hoped to relay when recounting the episode.

Points of Contrast

There are a number of differences between the accounts:

• Context – Though Sefer Shemot tells how the sin occurred in the aftermath of Hashem's revelation at Sinai, Moshe does not connect the two events in his retelling. Instead, he brings the sin as one example of many instances of the nation's "lack of righteousness," pointing to the story as evidence that it is not due to the people's upright behavior that they are to inherit the land.¹
• Opening of the story – Shemot 32 opens with a description of the people's request: "עֲשֵׂה לָנוּ אֱלֹהִים", and the subsequent creation of the calf and its worship. In Devarim, Moshe skips this description, starting the story with Hashem telling him of the nation's sin and His desire to destroy the nation.
• Moshe's prayers – While Sefer Shemot presents Moshe as praying for the nation while still on the mountain, from Sefer Devarim it sounds as it Moshe prayed only afterwards.²  Moreover, Moshe speaks of praying for forty days and forty nights (and even repeats this fact three distinct times, in 9:18, 25 and 10:10)³ while Sefer Shemot says nothing about the duration of the prayer.  Though both books point out that Moshe prayed multiple times, only in Shemot is the content of Moshe's second prayer included (32:30-35ff).
  
• Yehoshua – Moshe's discussion with Yehoshua at the foot of the mountain is found only in Sefer Shemot.
• Chastisement of Aharon – Sefer Shemot tells how Moshe questioned Aharon regarding his actions and how Aharon attempted to defend himself. In Devarim, Moshe omits this conversation, but instead imparts that he prayed for Aharon since Hashem had wanted to destroy him.
•  Role of the Levites – In Devarim, Moshe makes no mention of the Levites' killing of those who worshiped the calf but he does say that "at that time" Hashem separated the Levites to serve him.⁴

Analysis

In this section of his speech, Moshe's main goal is to convince the people that it is not due to their righteousness that they have inherited the land. In fact, the opposite is true. They are a stiff necked, rebellious people⁵ whose sins almost led to their annihilation.  Had it not been for Moshe's prayers on their behalf, not only would they not have inherited the land, they would have been totally destroyed. Moshe implies that the people better change their ways in the future, for after they enter the land, Moshe will no long be around to intercede on their behalf. In light of this objective, many of the variations between the accounts can be easily explained:

• Context – Though Moshe focuses on the Sin of the Golden Calf (as it is one of the nation's most egregious sins), he does not limit himself to it and mentions also the people's complaints in Tavera, Masa, Kivrot HaTa'avah, and the Sin of the Spies in Kadesh Barnea (Devarim 9:22-23).⁶
• Opening – Moshe opens with Hashem's decision to wipe out the nation (rather than a description of the nation's idolatry) because this is the point he wants the nation to take home – the potential repercussions of their deeds. The specific sin is less important than the fact that the nation's rebelliousness constantly merits them destruction.
• Prayers – In Devarim, Moshe focuses less on the content of his prayers to Hashem and more on the duration of those prayers and the fact that he needed to implore God repeatedly (וָאֶתְנַפַּל לִפְנֵי י"י כָּרִאשֹׁנָה, וַיִּשְׁמַע י"י אֵלַי גַּם בַּפַּעַם הַהִוא ). Though the original arguments Moshe made to convince Hashem are no longer relevant, the nation needed reminding of the intensity of the effort required to attain forgiveness. Moshe stresses how vital his prayers were in keeping them alive, reminding them that when he dies, they will no longer have his intercession to rely upon.
• Change in order of the prayer – Commentators disagree regarding both whether or not Moshe's prayer in Shemot 32:11-14 and Devarim 9:25-29 should be identified, and if  so, when it was actually said.⁷ If the two sets of verses represent the same prayer and the true order of events is as presented in Shemot, it is possible that Moshe changed the order so as to juxtapose the prayer with mentions of other sins of the nation.  In so doing, Moshe implied that such prayers were required after each sin.⁸
• Aharon – Moshe speaks of his intervention on behalf of Aharon for the same reason, emphasizing that even Aharon would have been killed had it not been for Moshe's prayers.
• Role of the Levites – Moshe might not have desired to remind the people how they were killed at the hands of their brethren specifically, preferring only to hint to the fact that the Levites' role merited them reward.⁹
• Conversation with Yehoshua – As this conversation was not germane to the message Moshe was trying to impart he left it out of his account.

¹ See Devarim 9:6: "לֹא בְצִדְקָתְךָ וּבְיֹשֶׁר לְבָבְךָ אַתָּה בָא לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת אַרְצָם"."

² See Ibn EzraShemot Second Commentary 32:11About R. Avraham ibn Ezra and RambanAbout R. Moshe b. Maimon who disagree regarding which account represents the true chronology. Ibn Ezra posits that Devarim's chronology is the correct one and Mosh only prayed after destroying the calf, while Ramban claims that Shemot is more accurate and Moshe changed the order in his retelling.

³ It is not clear how each of these relate to each other and which of the verses refer to which forty day period. 

⁴ This verse seems to suggest that the Levites were rewarded for their role in abating Hashem's wrath after the sin by being appointed to serve in the Mikdash. See Selection of the Priests and Levites, though, for other readings of the verse and their appointment.

⁵ In this part of his speech Moshe mentions four times (with variations) that the people were "מַקְצִפִים... אֶת יְהֹוָה." [The verb appears only one more time in the entire book.]  Similarly, the root "מרה" appears three times in the unit (out of only 8 times in the  book).

⁶ Mention of these sins interrupt the larger story of the Sin of the Golden Calf, and makes sense only if one recognizes that Moshe's discussion of the Golden Calf is just an example brought to highlight the need for Moshe's intervention.

⁷ Did Moshe pray immediately upon hearing news of the sin, before descending the mountain (as depicted in Shemot) or only after destroying the calf (as depicted in Devarim)?  See the opinion of Ibn EzraShemot Second Commentary 32:11About R. Avraham ibn Ezra and RambanShemot 32:11About R. Moshe b. Nachman discussed in the note above.

⁸ It is even possible

⁹ As noted above, however, not all agree that the verses are implying that the Levites were first chosen for their tasks now, and as such, not all agree that they were given the position of serving in the Mikdash as a reward for their role in punishing the worshipers of the calf. See Selection of the Priests and Levites.