Thoughts on Parasha Ki Tisa : Why the Golden Calf?

[muman613]

Last Shabbat we read Parasha Ki Tisa.... It is in this Parasha which we read the horrible sin of the Golden Calf, one of the biggest sins the Jewish people committed before Hashems 'face'. The second big one in the Torah is the sin of the Spies, but that occurs much later in the story in the Midbar/Desert.

Anyone reading the Torah usually gets to this point of the narrative of the Torah and they cannot understand why this terrible thing happened. These are the people who witnessed, for a year, the awesome plagues which decimated Egypt and its military might. These are the same people who witnessed Hashems awesome control of natural forces when he parted the Sea of Reeds for the people, so great was this revelation that even the common hand-maid had a vision of Hashem greater than any of the Prophets who prophesied during the Age of Prophets. These are the same people who stood at Mount Sinai and heard the light and saw the sounds and received the Ten Statements and reply "Na'esay VeNishma" or "We will do, and we will hear"...

How could these people make such an egregious error? Did they not hear the commandment which forbade making images? It boggles the mind how a people could stick a finger in the eye of our G-d so shortly after hearing his commands demanding fidelity to the G-d<>Human relationship.

The best explanation is that the Jews did not engage in Idolatry as we know it. While it is true that the Erev Rav, the Egyptians who wanted to join the Jewish people in escaping from Egypt, but were not sure of who the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is. These Erev Rav still harbored idolatrous impulses... The majority of Jews did not believe that the Golden Calf was G-d, but they 'needed' to have an intermediary between the people and G-d. It is a completely wrong conclusion regardless but the majority of the Jews did not believe that there was any power in the Golden Calf..


Here is some material which should answer some of these questions:





It is in this Parasha where we witness Moses begging forgiveness for the entire Jewish people. Hashem decided that the punishment for the Golden Calf was complete destruction of the entire people except for Moses. Hashem told Moshe that he would make Moses into a great nation. But Moses was truly a Jew and felt for his bretheren and told Hashem that if he would destroy the people that Moses too would be written out of Hashems book. Moses learns Hashems 13 attributes which we recite during the High Holiday services.

Another interesting aspect is that Moses then asks Hashem to 'show Moses Hashems glory'. The sages teach that this means that Moses wanted to learn the secret of why the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper...

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Here is another long shuir from Rabbi Yossi Mizrachi:

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Rabbi Winston discusses the parasha:

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The Haftorah for parasha Ki Tisa is very interesting.. This is the portion where the SHOWDOWN AT MOUNT CARMEL took place...



http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/819865/jewish/Haftorah-in-a-Nutshell.htm

I Kings 18:20-39.

In this week's haftorah, Elijah the Prophet demonstrates the worthlessness of the Baal, just as Moses chastised the Israelites for serving the Golden Calf, as discussed in this week's Torah reading.

The background of this week's haftorah: King Ahab and Queen Jezebel ruled the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and encouraged the worship of the Baal deity as well as other forms of idolatry. To prove that G-d alone is in control and provides sustenance, Elijah decreed a drought on the kingdom--no rain fell for three years. When Ahab then accused Elijah of causing hardship for the Israelites, Elijah challenged him to a showdown. He, Elijah, would represent the cause of monotheism, and 850 idolatrous "prophets" would represent their cause. Ahab accepted.

The haftorah begins with Elijah, the Baal prophets, and many spectators gathering atop Mount Carmel. Elijah rebuked the people of Israel, uttering the famous words: "How long will you hop between two ideas? If the L-rd is G-d, go after Him, and if the Baal, go after him."

Elijah then stated his challenge: "Give us two bulls and let them [the Baal prophets] choose one bull for themselves and cut it up and place it on the wood, but fire they shall not put; and I will prepare one bull, and I will put it on the wood, and fire will I not place. And you will call in the name of your deity, and I will call in the name of the L-rd, and it will be the G-d that will answer with fire, he is G-d."

The people agreed to the challenge, and the prophets of the Baal were first. The prophets' entreaties to their god went unanswered. Elijah taunted them: "Call with a loud voice, for you presume that he is a god. [Perhaps] he is talking or he is pursuing [enemies], or maybe he is on a journey; perhaps he is sleeping and will awaken..."

As evening approached, Elijah took center-stage. He built an altar, laid his offering upon it and surrounded it with water. "Lord, the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Israel," he declared. "Today let it be known that You are G-d in Israel and that I am Your servant, and at Your word have I done all these things. Answer me, O L-rd, answer me, and this people shall know that You are the L-rd G-d..."

A fire immediately descended from heaven and consumed the offering, as well as the altar and the surrounding water. "And all the people saw and fell on their faces, and they said, "The Lord is G‑d, the L-rd is G‑d."

[The Noachide]

Always enjoyed watching rabbi Yosef Mizrachi. It is unfortunate the Jewish people committed idolatry.