Dear Friends;

I hope that you will enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell ”

The people of Israel are told to each contribute exactly half a shekel of silver to the Sanctuary. Instructions are also given regarding the making of the Sanctuary’s water-basin, anointing oil and incense. The people are once again commanded to keep the Shabbat.

When Mohe does not return when expected from Mount Sinai, the people make a Golden Calf and worship it. G-d proposes to destroy the sinful nation, but Moshe intercedes on their behalf. Moshe descends from the mountain carrying the Tablets of stones engraved with the Ten Commandments. Seeing the people dancing around their idol, he breaks the Tablets, destroys the Golden Calf and has the primary culprits put to death. He then returns to G-d to say: “If You do not forgive them, blot me out from the book that You have written.” G-d forgives, but says that the effect of their sin will be felt for many generations. .

Moshe prepares a new set of tablets and once more ascends the mountain, where G-d reinscribes the ten commandments on these Second Tablets. On the mountain Moshe is also granted a vision of G-d’s glory! So radiant is Moses’ face upon his return, that he must cover it with a veil, which he removes only to speak with G-d and to teach His laws to the people.

” Dvar Torah ”

In this week’s parsha, we read the shocking story of the “Golden Calf”. Well, the story goes as follows. After the Benei Yisrael heard the voice of G-d declaring the ten commandments by Mount Sinai, Moshe ascends the mountain once again for 40 days, in order to learn the entire Torah and to bring down the two tablets of stones which would have the ten commandments inscribed on them. The people miscalculated somehow and they thought that the 40 days are over and Moshe is not back yet. So, they reasoned that he must have died by now. Without hesitation, the Benei Yisrael gathered their gold and brought it up to Aaron and asked/forced him to make them an object so that they can worship! Aaron throws all the gold in a fire furnace and miraculously a Golden Calf pops out. People start rejoicing around the Calf and start bringing sacrifices. Hashem tells Moshe to go down since the people have sinned a great deal. Moshe comes down, brakes the tablets, burns the Golden Calf and kills the culprits. Hashem was so mad at the people that He decided to destroy the entire nation and make a new one out of Moshe. But, Moshe intervenes and pleas to Hashem to forgive the nation. After 40 days, Moshe’s plead is finally accepted by Hashem and He forgives the nation….

Well, after learning about this disturbing episode, a few questions comes to mind. First of all, why did the Benei Yisrael astray so fast? Even if they had miscalculated Moshe’s return, why did they want to replace him immediately? Second of all, if they wanted to replace Moshe, why did the people ask Aaron to make them a “G-d” so that they can worship? Did they want a replacement for Moshe or for G-d? And finally, why was Hashem so angry at the nation that He wanted to destroy them all? The Chachamim say that they were only 3000 people out the 3,000,000 who participated in the act of idolatry and only a hand full of people who brought sacrifices for the Calf. So, why did Hashem want to punish the entire nation for the sin of the minority? We are talking about the same compassionate G-d who was ready to forgive the sin of ALL the inhabitants of the cities of “Sedom and Gemara” for the sake of ten righteous people, if found. So why in this case, Hashem could not forgive the sin of a few for the sake of the majority?

Well, Rabbi Kamanetsky has the following insight that I think would answer most of the above questions. The Benei Yisrael’s biggest sin was that they could not comprehend to the idea of having ONE “invisible” G-d! They wanted a tangible G-d! They wanted a G-d to talk to and get a response immediately; they wanted a G-d to complain to; they wanted a G-d to tell them what to do everyday and every night; they wanted a G-d to be a Judge to them whenever they have a dispute between each other; they wanted a G-d that with His stick, He could hit the water and split the sea and He could hit the rock and make water to come out!!
So, to them, unfortunately, Moshe was not just their leader; he was like a G-d to them!! That’s why when they saw that Moshe didn’t come back from the mountain after 40 days, they
panicked and immediately went to Aaron and told him: “make us a G-d, so that we can serve him”! They didn’t want a replacement for the Almighty; they wanted a replacement for their G-d, “Moshe”!!
When Moshe was at the top of the mountain and the Benei Yisrael made the Golden Calf, Hashem tells him: ” Go down – for YOUR people that YOU brought up from the land of Egypt has become corrupt…”! Hashem was being sarcastic!! Hashem was telling Moshe, that these people that they think it was “YOU” who brought them out of Egypt, have become corrupt; now, YOU go and fix it!!!! So, Hashem was not mad at the “whole congregation” for the sin of a few committing idolatry! He was mad at them, because after all these miracles that he had performed for them, majority of the Benei Israel still didn’t see him as their true and only G-d!! They believed in Moshe more than they believed in Him! And that was their ultimate sin that bothered Hashem so much!!

Yes my friends, in every generation, we have great Leaders and great Rabbis. We sometimes get so mesmerized by their words and their actions that we tend to forget about the Almighty and we start worshiping them instead. In times of distress and misfortune, we sometimes travel hundreds or even thousands of miles to see a distinguished Rabbi in order to get a blessing and ask them to perform a miracle. But we have to remember that all the blessings comes from the heaven above. They have no power to perform miracles, either. All the miracles are performed by Hashem ONLY. Yes, these Rabbis can help our prayers to get through to Hashem a little faster, but ultimately it’s Hashem who has to answer our prayers! So, let us not loose focus of who is G-d and who is the servant of G-d!

My friends, we have a G-d who is invisible. Although we cannot see him, but he can see us; Although we cannot hear him, but he can hear us; Although we cannot touch Him, but he is in touch with us; And although we might not know how to love him, but He still loves us.

Our G-d is a compassionate G-d, who is slow to anger, and abundant in kindness and truth! He will perform miracles for us, he will carry us on his shoulders, he will listen to our prayers and he will shower us with all kinds of blessings. And in return all He asks for is to “believe” in him! Do you think this is too much to ask for?

Shabath Shalom and Regards;

Martin