Ki Sisa – Page 13 – Peninim on the Torah

“And Yehoshua heard the sound of the people in its shouting and he said to Moshe, ‘The sound of battle is in the camp.’ He said, ‘Not a sound shouting strength, nor a sound shouting weakness; a sound of distress I do hear.'” (32:17,18)

In the Yerushalmi, Taanis 4, Chazal cite the dialogue that ensued between Moshe and Yehoshua. When Yehoshua came to Moshe and related the ambiguous sounds he was hearing from the camp, Moshe replied, “Is not he (Yehoshua) who will one day lead a nation of 600,000 Jews able to discern between the various sounds?” Chazal seem to imply that Moshe was impatient with Yehoshua’s inability to perceive the source of these sounds. Was Moshe criticizing Yehoshua for not accurately distinguishing the “type” of sounds emanating from the camp? After all, the camp was far from the mountain. Horav Shimon Schwab,…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5755, Ki Sisa

“Go down, for your people have dealt corruptly… they have turned aside quickly from the way… they have made for themselves a molten calf.” (32:7,8)

In its narrative regarding the chet ha’eigel, sin of the Golden Calf, the Torah paints Klal Yisrael’s transgression as a truly dark and bleak picture. Aharon Ha’Kohen yielded to the demands of the people and made the eigel, which was to be used as an avodah zarah, idol. The people responded to this idol as if it were some sort of pagan divinity. They sang and danced with excitement at the prospect of “worshipping” their newly found god. The Talmud, on the other hand, does not seem to indict Bnei Yisrael in such sharp terms. First, Chazal teach us that…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5755, Ki Sisa

“And he cast out of his hands the tablets and he broke them beneath the mountain.” (32:19)

In the Talmud Shabbos 87 Chazal state that Hashem acquiesced with Moshe’s decision to break the luchos. What is the rationale for breaking the luchos? Was there no other alternative than to destroy Hashem’s handiwork? Horav Mordechai Ilan z.l., explains the spirit behind the breaking of the luchos in the following manner. Man must clear a path in which he can fulfill the lifestyle he chooses to adopt. Differentiating between good and evil, he must select a definite way of life. When one vacillates back and forth in a quasi-darkness between good and evil, it is worse than complete abdication…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5755, Ki Sisa

“Hew out for yourself two tablets of stone like the first ones.” (34:1)

Upon descending from Har Sinai and witnessing the degradation of Am Yisrael with the Golden Calf, Moshe immediately broke the luchos. After entreating Hashem on behalf of Am Yisrael, Moshe was commanded to hew out a second set of luchos. This time Moshe was to ascend the mountain alone. The Midrash notes the disparity between the aura surrounding the giving of the first luchos and the aura surrounding the giving of the second ones. The first luchos were given amidst great publicity, before the entire nation, accompanied with thunder, lightning and smoke. Chazal point out that the first luchos were…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5755, Ki Sisa

“And when Moshe had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.” (34:33)

Horav Moshe Feinstein z.l., takes note of the fact that Moshe did not wear the veil on his face when he taught Torah to Klal Yisrael. He infers two valuable pedagogical lessons from this fact. First, a rebbe/teacher must be able to make eye contact with his students in order to delve into their hearts and minds. He must attempt to understand every aspect of their lives. He must literally find out what makes them “tick.” A rebbe should not shy away and “hide” his face, remaining aloof from his students. He should always be accessible to them, to guide,…

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Sruly Schnair In 5754, Ki Sisa

“See, I have called in the name of Betzalel the son of Uri the son of Chur of the tribe of Yehudah.” (31:2)

The Daas Zekeinim explains the reason that the Torah emphasizes Betazlel’s grandfather, Chur, while it does not trace Ahaliav’s lineage to his grandfather. Chur was killed as a consequence of his role in the Golden Calf. The Mishkan served as a source of atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf. Therefore, the Torah determined that Betzalel, the unique individual designated as the prime builder of the Mishkan, should have his yichus, ancestry, delineated. His ancestry is traced to the individual whose martyred death is atoned by the Mishkan. This exposition is enigmatic. What relationship is there between Chur’s death…

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Sruly Schnair In 5754, Ki Sisa

“And Bnei Yisrael shall keep the Shabbos, to make the Shabbos for their generations an eternal covenant.” (31:16)

Horav Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor z.l. explains the repetition of the word “Shabbos” in the following manner. How does one ensure that shimiras Shabbos, Shabbos observance, will be an everlasting covenant between Bnei Yisrael and Hashem? The pasuk responds: One must see to it that his children and generations after him will also observe it. It is not sufficient for one to simply concern himself with his own spiritual needs while neglecting his children’s simultaneous spiritual development. If this is the case, he can be certain that mitzvah observance will cease with him! One’s focus in religious observance should be “to…

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Sruly Schnair In 5754, Ki Sisa

“And all the people broke off the golden rings which were in their ears.” (32:3)

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…

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Sruly Schnair In 5754, Ki Sisa

“Go down, for your people have dealt corruptly… they have made them a molten calf… and he cast out of his hand the tablets and he broke them.” (32:7,15,19)

The shattering of the luchos is probably the most impressive act performed by Moshe during his tenure as the leader of Klal Yisrael. The last pasuk in the Torah, in which Hashem portrays the climax of Moshe’s life mentions the vezjv sh, mighty hand, and the kusd trun, the great awe which Moshe wrought in the sight of all Bnei Yisrael. Chazal state that Moshe’s act of might and awe was his shattering of the luchos. It would seem that this is Moshe’s greatest epitaph. There remains a question, however, which demands a response . Why did Moshe wait to…

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Sruly Schnair In 5754, Ki Sisa

“And Moshe said Aharon, what did these people do to you that you have brought upon it great sin?” (32:21)

The extent of Aharon’s involvement in the sin of the Golden Calf is ambiguous. Moshe seems to blame him for “causing” the calf to be created. Indeed, before his own death, Moshe recounts how he prayed on Aharon’s behalf to effect forgiveness for him. Moshe’s prayers were only partially answered; Aharon lost two of his four sons. On the other hand, in contrast, we note that Aharon was appointed to the venerable position of Kohen Gadol. He was privileged to enter into the Kodshei Ha’Kodoshim, Holy of Holies in order to attain penance for Klal Yisrael. This notion seems to…

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“And Yehoshua heard the sound of the people in its shouting and he said to Moshe, ‘The sound of battle is in the camp.’ He said, ‘Not a sound shouting strength, nor a sound shouting weakness; a sound of distress I do hear.'” (32:17,18)

“Go down, for your people have dealt corruptly… they have turned aside quickly from the way… they have made for themselves a molten calf.” (32:7,8)

“And he cast out of his hands the tablets and he broke them beneath the mountain.” (32:19)

“Hew out for yourself two tablets of stone like the first ones.” (34:1)

“And when Moshe had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.” (34:33)

“See, I have called in the name of Betzalel the son of Uri the son of Chur of the tribe of Yehudah.” (31:2)

“And Bnei Yisrael shall keep the Shabbos, to make the Shabbos for their generations an eternal covenant.” (31:16)

“And all the people broke off the golden rings which were in their ears.” (32:3)

“Go down, for your people have dealt corruptly… they have made them a molten calf… and he cast out of his hand the tablets and he broke them.” (32:7,15,19)

“And Moshe said Aharon, what did these people do to you that you have brought upon it great sin?” (32:21)

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