Parshas Ki Sisa
You Have the Power
Rabbi Pinchas Avruch
This week's parsha contains the one of the more infamous moments in Jewish
history, the sin of the Golden Calf. The calamitous construction of this
molten image at the foot of Mount Sinai occurred not six weeks after the
thunderous display of the giving of the Ten Commandments. Moshe, witnessing
the revelry surrounding the calf while descending the Mount, threw down the
two tablets containing the Ten Commandments, smashing them to rubble. After
beseeching G-d for their forgiveness, Moshe prepared to return to the top of
Mount Sinai for a new set of tablets. But unlike the original pair, which
not only had the text etched by G-d Himself but had also been carved by G-d
Himself, the new set which G-d would inscribe was to be hewn by Moshe. "G-d
said to Moshe, 'Carve for yourself two stone tablets like the first ones,
and I shall inscribe on the tablets the words which were on the first
tablets which you shattered.'" (Shemos/Exodus 34:1) Why did the second set
need to be formed by Moshe rather than G-d?
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (1895-1986; Rosh Yeshiva/Dean of Mesivtha Tifereth
Jerusalem in New York City; the leading Halachic/Jewish legal decisor and
foremost leader of Jewry of his time) explains that reason is found in the
rationale behind the sin of the Golden Calf itself. The Golden Calf did not
start as an idolatrous exercise. The Jewish People miscalculated Moshe's
return date and understood his delay as a sign that he had died. They knew
that the Ten Commandments were exclusively divine in their construction and
interpreted this to mean that mere mortals could not fully comprehend these
commandments in all their depth. They knew that they needed assistance from
celestial sources. Had Moshe been alive, they reasoned, he would entreaty
these forces to assist them. But with his feared demise, they needed an
alternative approach. Knowing the heavenly nature of the image of an ox
(indeed, one of the images seen by Yechezkel/Ezekiel in his vision of the
Divine Chariot (1:10)), they chose to create a likeness of an ox to which
they could appeal for celestial assistance in spiritual growth. Through
these means they believed they would connect with G-d and understand His
holy Torah.
But the maxim they did not appreciate was that Torah is accessible to all
and we all have the ability to reach the highest spiritual plains to gain a
profound understanding of Torah. Thus, concludes Rabbi Feinstein, Moshe was
instructed to sculpt the second set of tablets, to serve as an eternal
reminder that Moshe, a man of flesh and blood, was a part of their
construction, and, as such, all people have the ability to access the
heavenly help needed for spiritual achievement and acquisition of Torah
wisdom.
Have a good Shabbos!
Copyright © 2002 by Rabbi Pinchas Avruch and Project Genesis, Inc.
Kol HaKollel is a publication of the Milwaukee Kollel Center for Jewish
Studies 5007 West Keefe Avenue; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; 414-447-7999
