Parshat Ki Tisah; Exodus 30:11-34:35 by Rabbi Denise L. Eger

In this long Torah portion the Children of Israel come face to face with their own fears and their own shortcomings. In parsha Ki Tisa the Children of Israel worry that Moses will not return from his climb up the mountain to gather the Ten Commandments. They are sacred and they doubt the word of God and Moses (not an uncommon trait of the Israelites). They demand of Aaron the High Priest that he make a god to worship.

And so the famous incident of the Golden Calf takes place this week.

Aaron asks for their jewelry and casts a mold of a calf and they dance and worship before the image. “Early the next day the people offered up burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; they sat down to eat and drink, and then rose to dance. (Ex. 32:6)
Some interpret this to also mean that the Children of Israel even engaged in sexual orgies as a way to worship.

So soon after the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea and safe escape of the Israelites. So soon after the amazing display of thunder and power at Sinai and the voice of God that went out like sparks on an anvil to the nations of the world in the reciting of the Ten Commandments. So soon after the instructions for building God’s dwelling place had been given, the Children of Israel’s faith takes a turn down a path that leads them farther and farther away from God and the new relationship they have begun.

The Golden calf, which stands in flagrant violation of the command, “You shall not make any graven images,” fills the people with deep sin. They have already violated the covenant that they made with God at Sinai.

Many commentators try to come to Aaron’s rescue. The text does not reconcile what his thinking might have been. Some say he was stalling by asking for their jewelry. Others give him pass by saying the crowd overpowered him and he coalesced because he didn’t want a riot, or the Israelites returning to Egypt under his watch. Yet, others praise the wisdom of Aaron saying he knew as the High Priest who atones for Israel sin that ultimately God’s great mercy would forgive the Children of Israel of their sin. While others condemn his behavior, later attributing the deaths of his sons Nadav and Abihu to not just their sin in the tabernacle by offering a strange fire but to his sin with the Golden calf.

God calls attention of this sin to Moses and is ready to wipe out the People. Moses tries to calm God down and divert God’s anger and wrath, “Let not Your anger O God, blaze forth against Your people, whom You delivered from the land of Egypt with great power and with a might hand (Ex. 32:11). “Turn from Your blazing anger, and renounce the plan to punish Your people (Ex. 32:12).”

Moses successfully delays the punishment and hurries back down the mountain only to succumb to his own rage and anger when he sees their sin. It is Moses’ anger that blazes forth shattering the holy tablets containing God’s words.

The sin of the people is grave in this case and those who cannot repent of their sin are punished with death. Moses demands “Whoever is for Adonai, come here (Ex. 32:26)!”

Thus a great lesson about the power of forgiveness and faith is laid before us. The challenge for each of us is to recognize and come face to face with our own fears and our own lapses. These are what we must ask God for forgiveness. Thus if we cast our lot with God, God will forgive—but if we do not, our sin will strangle us, moving us further and further from the holy, divine and the good. And when our goodness dies, we human beings have nothing left but emptiness—that indeed is death.

Posted by Lee at February 22, 2005 11:28 AM