Netziv (Shemos 32:2) Aaron said to them, “You men, take off the gold.” The Jews had been commanded not to make gods of silver and gods of gold. Not to make a silver form to aid in G-d guiding them or when they prayed for their needs. Nor should they make a gold form for this purpose It is important to note this is not considered actual idolatry that they had been prohibited by the Ten Commandments. This is not making a god but only an intermediary to provide guidance while they still believed that G-d was all powerful but that He gave this form the role of intermediary as a guide or leader. Thus this constituted a new prohibition after Sinai that even as an intermediary it was prohibited and Aaron and the Jewish people were unaware of it. To have an intermediary was not a problem as they used angels as intermediaries.The problem was making a gold or silver intermediary. Thus they erred in making the Golden Calf
Seems a chiddush to give blanket heter to use angels as intermediaries
ReplyDeleteThe classic meforshim all go out of their way to minimise the sin. Ibn Ezra writes an whole essay on why they didn't sin. The reason? Probably because Hashem said He would wipe them all out, and make a new nation out of Moshe. So this work is to give more power to Moshe's position, ie to keep the people alive - since we do not need a mekatreg.
ReplyDeleteAlso, we don't need the idea of a new israel or replacement Israel for our sins, which was and is part of Xtian theology.
Play close attention to the Torah's test.
ReplyDeleteFirst, Eloh-m doesn't always mean God. It's certainly frequently used to refer to either idols or judges. Second, the masses asked for a replacement for Moshe Rabeinu, not for another God so even when the verse says "These are your 'elohecha' that brought you out of Egypt" it could be referring to a position of authority, not God Himself.
The Torah is saying a number of things.
DeleteThere is the word of G-d,
ח סָרוּ מַהֵר, מִן-הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִם--עָשׂוּ לָהֶם, עֵגֶל מַסֵּכָה; וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ-לוֹ, וַיִּזְבְּחוּ-לוֹ, וַיֹּאמְרוּ, אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלוּךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם
There is the intervention of Moshe. He succeeds in appeasing Hashem, to not geno'cide the people. (Remember Noah did this after the flood, to secure a promise not to destroy the world again).
So you are following the great rabbis in minifying the sin of our forefathers.
What the Torah says though, is that it was a serious aveira,
Btw, Rambam says in the guide, something brilliant in response to the pantheists - that none of the ancients believed their gods were actually God, but just intermediaries.
I'm not minimizing anything. The sin was bad enough that "genocide" was the recommended solution from on high. (Mamzerdani would've been there cheering God on) I'm saying the sin wasn't one of direct idol worship but accepting that God can only be approached through the intercession of a rebb... I mean, Moshe Rabeinu, a"h.
Deletevery interesting - the Torah says the following:
Deleteד וַיִּקַּח מִיָּדָם, וַיָּצַר אֹתוֹ בַּחֶרֶט, וַיַּעֲשֵׂהוּ, עֵגֶל מַסֵּכָה; וַיֹּאמְרוּ--אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלוּךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם.
then Hashem says to Moshe: לֶךְ-רֵד--כִּי שִׁחֵת עַמְּךָ, אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלֵיתָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם.
Notice, the same verb הֶעֱלֵיתָ , ie Moses lifted them out of Egypt, they are also saying that the calf lifted them out of Egypt.
but then Hashem says:
ח סָרוּ מַהֵר, מִן-הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִם--עָשׂוּ לָהֶם, עֵגֶל מַסֵּכָה; וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ-לוֹ, וַיִּזְבְּחוּ-לוֹ, וַיֹּאמְרוּ, אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלוּךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם
8 they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed unto it, and said: This is thy god, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.'
So, a) They have been commanded, despite what netziv claims.
b) they bowed down to the calf, וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ
So I think there are get out clauses in halacha, on diol worship, if you do it in a different style, eg throw a coin at a Buddha instead of bowing to it the way Buddhists do, then u are not chayav. But I think that's just a legalism. They bowed and offered sacrifices to it, even if they thought it's a replacement (theology) of Moses.
For the last time, Buddha isn't an idol. He's philosopher they worship. They rub his belly for good luck, not because they think he's divine.
DeleteAnd again, we have the word "Elokecha" but we know it can mean leader or judge, not just God so how to understand it in that posuk?