Did “all the people” break off their earrings? Weren’t the sinners only a small group of malcontents? Indeed, the Midrash in Koheles expounds on the pasuk, “One man from a thousand I have found” (Koheles 7:28). The Midrash states that this is a reference to the sinners involved in the Golden Calf. Only one out of every thousand of Bnei Yisrael was really involved in the sin! Why does the Torah exaggerate the number of sinners?
Horav Mordechai Ilan z.l. explains that the entire Klal Yisrael suffered a “yeridah,” spiritual decline. Had they remained on the pinnacle of faith and observance, even one Jew out of a thousand would not have dared to sin! When a member of a group transgresses and he demonstrates no fear or shame before the others, it is because the others have similarly fallen. Our brethren’s spiritual decline is, unfortunately, a reflection of our own spiritual shortcomings.
