Transcript Parshat Ki-Tisa: Chet Ha’Egel and the 13 Midot of Rachamim Part I

Parshat Ki-Tisa:
Chet Ha’Egel and the
13 Midot of Rachamim
Part I
Shiur by Menachem Leibtag
Presentation by Ronni Libson
No date of return specified!
Not first time Moshe goes up on Har Sinai:
Previous times he was gone only a day or two
Days and weeks pass,
Moshe does not return
People conclude Moshe
is gone forever
Options:
 Remain stranded in the desert
No – they’ve waited for Moshe long enough
 Return to Egypt
No – against God’s will and command
 Continue journey to Eretz Canaan
Request for a new leader:
A leader that will “walk in front of us” and lead us
God's earlier promise:
The “malach” must be someone
who commands them, represents
God, and one with God's Name in
his midst
Bnei Yisrael
assumed this
“malach” was
Moshe
Moshe is gone:
People demand Aharon make a replacement for this “malach”
or possibly a symbol of this “malach”, in order that they can
continue their journey to the Promised Land
Aharon’s response to request:
Appears as though Aharon actually agrees to request
People’s statement upon seeing the egel:
Does not imply that this
Golden Calf actually took
them out of Egypt
Egel is not a replacement for
God, rather a representation
of His Presence
To assure that the egel is properly understood as a representation
of God, Aharon calls for a celebration:
Ceremony in Ki-tisa
Ceremony in Mishpatim
Both – Built a mizbayach in front of 'symbol' of relationship with God:
Mishpatim: 12 monuments - representing fulfillment of Brit Avot
Ki-tisa: Egel – representing “malach” that God had promised would
lead them
Ceremony in Mishpatim
includes reading of “sefer
ha’brit” – God’s promise to
send a “malach” to lead them
Both ceremonies relate to
Bnei Yisrael's acceptance
of a “malach” that will lead
them to the land
“Egel masecha” – a ‘face covering’ – hiding the true face
while leaving a representation of what man can perceive
Why is God angered?
Ceremony in Ki-tisa
Ceremony in Mishpatim
Ceremony seems to have gotten ‘out of hand’
‫ וקמו לחייכא‬:‫ קל דמחיכין אונקלוס‬:‫אונקלוס‬
The loud noise Moshe hears upon descending from Har Sinai is
the loud laughing of "vaykumu l'tzachek"
Negative context
Moshe was upset no less by the 'wild dancing' than by the egel itself!
God does not become
angry when Aharon
makes the egel
God gets angry and tells Moshe to
go down only on the next day, after
"va'yakumu l'tzachek"!
“Va'yakumu l'tzachek" describes the primary sin of chet ha'egel
Public celebration around egel
(initiated by Aharon) began with
good intentions
Before the exodus God
demanded Bnei Yisrael rid
themselves of Egyptian culture
Ended with Bnei
Yisrael reverting back
to Egyptian culture
Bnei Yisrael did not change God took them out of Egypt in
hope that they would change
Upon proclaiming "naaseh v'nishmah“ –
appears as if they’ve changed
At chet ha’egel – proved their inner character never changed
Two stages in sin at chet ha’egel:
1) Making a physical representation of God – improper but
understandable
2) Frivolous behavior after the eating and drinking at the
conclusion of the ceremony - inexcusable
God’s double statement to Moshe after the sin
Regression
to Egyptian
culture
‘Stiff-necked
people' unable
to change their
ways
God decides to destroy
Bnei Yisrael, choosing
Moshe to become His
special nation instead
Conversation between Moshe and Aharon after chet ha’egel:
Aharon knows their nature based on previous experiences
Once Aharon explained what happened in the first stage, Moshe
already understood what happened in the second stage:
Punishment reflects two stages of sin:
Stage 2
Instigators who incited licentious behavior –
no room for forgiveness
Stage 1
Moshe asks God for forgiveness for rest of nation –
their actions began with good intentions