Ki Sisa – Page 5 – Peninim on the Torah

וישמע יהושע את קול העם ברעה

Yehoshua heard the sound of the people in its shouting. (32:17)

Targum Yonasan ben Uziel comments on this pasuk: Kad meyabvin b’chedvah kami egla, “as (the people) they cried with joy before the Calf.” Crying generally is an expression of sorrow – not joy. Why does Targum Yonasan describe the joy of the people as being expressed through tears? Joy and crying are not synonymous expressions. When one is sad – he cries. We see this in the Torah’s description of a Kol anos, a distressing sound (32:18). On the other hand, the people exhibited joy by dancing (32:19) and “shouting” (see Rashi 32:17). How do we reconcile this joy, if…

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כי עם קשה עורף הוא

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5775, Ki Sisa

For they are a stiff-necked nation. (34:9)

When the Torah describes the sin of the Golden Calf, we observe Hashem referring to the Jewish People as “a stiff-necked nation.” It almost implies that it was this character trait – that seems to be inherently Jewish – which is blamed for their capitulation to the Golden Calf. It, therefore, begs elucidation why Moshe Rabbeinu uses this very same character trait as a defense for saving the Jews? How can a trait which appears to have played a pivotal and negative role in the catalyzation of such an egregious sin, actually be the reason that Moshe presents to Hashem…

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ושמרתם את השבת כי קדש היא לכם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Ki Sisa

You shall observe the Shabbos, for it is holy to you. (31:14)

Shabbos is to the Jew much more than a mitzvah imperative. Shabbos is a holy day, consecrated from the beginning of time by the Almighty Himself. This is an idea which we often do not consider. If Hashem made this day holy, what right do we mortals have to desecrate it? People tend to offer two common excuses/answers to this question. First, “I do not care.” This is the response of the individual who disregards the Torah. It has no bearing on his life. Such a person simply does not fit into the equation. He has written himself off from…

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סרו מהר מן הדרך אשר צויתם עשו להם עגל מסכה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Ki Sisa

They have strayed quickly from the way that I have commanded them; they have made themselves a molten calf. (32:8)

Six weeks after the seminal event in Jewish history – the Giving of the Torah – the nation demonstrated that all was not “good.” Thirty three hundred years later, we still experience the ramifications of chet ha’eigel, sin of the Golden Calf. Indeed, Hashem told Moshe Rabbeinu, U’byom pakdi u’pakedeti aleihem chatasam, “And on the day that I make an accounting, I shall bring their sin to account against them” (Shemos 32:34). Rashi quotes the Talmud Sanhedrin 102a, where Chazal explain this pasuk: “There is no punishment that comes upon Yisrael which does not have in it some retribution for…

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ועתה אם תשא חטאתם ואם אין מחני נא מספרך אשר כתבת

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Ki Sisa

And now if You would but forgive their sin! – but, if not, erase me from this book that You have written. (32:32)

Herein lies the test of the true Torah leader. What are his priorities? Is it now about himself, or is it about his flock? Moshe Rabbeinu’s first priority was to save his nation. The Almighty had threatened to put an end to this nation that seemed to keep on testing Him. Moshe first had to save them. Then he would see to it that they regain their status as the Chosen People. Once again, it is important to underscore that it was not the entire nation that had sinned. It was a group of mixed multitude who had come along…

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והיה כצאת משה אל האהל יקומו כל העם ונצבו איש פתח אהלו והביטו אחרי משה עד באו האהלה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5774, Ki Sisa

Whenever Moshe would go out to the Ohel, the entire people would stand up and remain standing, everyone at the entrance of his tent, and they would gaze after Moshe until he arrived at the tent. (33:8)

Chazal (Midrash Tanchuma) derive from here the reverence one must accord to a Torah scholar. “One must stand in the presence of an elderly Jew, a Torah scholar, an Av Bais Din, Head of the Rabbinical court, and a king.” Moshe Rabbeinu was the nation’s quintessential leader; it would make sense that he be demonstrated such respect due to his position as leader – no different than a distinguished political leader, king, etc. Chazal do not say this explicitly. The fact that they mandate kavod talmid chacham, the respect one must show to a Torah scholar, indicates that Moshe Rabbeinu…

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ואמלא אתו רוח אלקים בחכמה ובתבונה ובדעת

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5773, Ki Sisa

I have filled him with a G-dly spirit, with wisdom, insight, and knowledge. (31:3)

Rashi explains that chochmah, wisdom, refers to the knowledge one receives from others. Tevunah, which is defined as insight, is the product of the ideas one develops from his own wisdom. In the context of the construction of the Mishkan, daas, which is translated as knowledge, refers to the Ruach HaKodesh, Divine Inspiration, with which Betzalel was imbued. Accordingly, daas, knowledge, is on a higher cognitive level than tevunah, insight. This does not, however, appear consistent with the sequence which appears in the Shemoneh Esrai. We recite thrice daily, Ata chonein l’adam daas, u’melameid le’enosh binah, “You graciously endow man…

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ויעשהו עגל מסכה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5773, Ki Sisa

And (they) fashioned it into a molten calf. (32:4)

Aharon HaKohen knew that Moshe Rabbeinu would return at the designated time. The people were impatient, thinking that their leader was not returning. To stall for time, Aharon instructed them to bring their gold, which he, in turn, threw into the fire. The Egyptian sorcerers, included amongst the eirav rav, mixed multitude, who joined the Jewish People when they left Egypt, employed their knowledge of the occult to create the calf. The Talmud Sotah 13a says that an amulet with the letters ali shor, “rise up ox,” engraved on it was in the possession of the Jewish People. Moshe had…

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ויאמר אין קול ענות גבורה ואין קול ענות חלושה קול ענות אנכי שמע

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5773, Ki Sisa

He said, “It is not the sound of shouting of might nor the sound of shouting of weakness; a distressing sound do I hear.” (32:18)

Yehoshua informed Moshe Rabbeinu that he heard the sound of battle in the Jewish camp. Moshe Rabbeinu replied that battle sounds consist of either the sound of victory or the sound of defeat. The sound that he heard was much different. It was the sound of blasphemy and vilification, which distresses the soul of everyone who hears it. In other words, Klal Yisrael had sinned, and the sounds that they were hearing were the sounds of blasphemy. The Chafetz Chaim, zl, explains that Moshe was actually critiquing Yehoshua for not yet being able to discern between sounds. A leader must…

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ויאמר אין קול ענות גבורה ואין קול ענות חלושה קול ענות אנכי שמע

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5773, Ki Sisa

He said, “Not a sound shouting strength nor a sound shouting weakness; a sound of distress do I hear.” (32:18)

Yehoshua heard the sound of celebration over the Golden Calf. He erred in mistaking the sounds of joyful rebellion for a response to an aggressive attack. Moshe Rabbeinu corrected him, explaining that it was clear from the sound that it was far from a response to war. The sounds to the discerning ears of our quintessential leader meant that the ultimate tragedy had struck the nation: they had rebelled against Hashem. Moshe’s lengthy response to Yehoshua seems questionable. He said, “Not a sound of strength, nor a sound of weakness, but a sound of distress do I hear.” Could he…

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וישמע יהושע את קול העם ברעה

Yehoshua heard the sound of the people in its shouting. (32:17)

כי עם קשה עורף הוא

For they are a stiff-necked nation. (34:9)

ושמרתם את השבת כי קדש היא לכם

You shall observe the Shabbos, for it is holy to you. (31:14)

סרו מהר מן הדרך אשר צויתם עשו להם עגל מסכה

They have strayed quickly from the way that I have commanded them; they have made themselves a molten calf. (32:8)

ועתה אם תשא חטאתם ואם אין מחני נא מספרך אשר כתבת

And now if You would but forgive their sin! – but, if not, erase me from this book that You have written. (32:32)

והיה כצאת משה אל האהל יקומו כל העם ונצבו איש פתח אהלו והביטו אחרי משה עד באו האהלה

Whenever Moshe would go out to the Ohel, the entire people would stand up and remain standing, everyone at the entrance of his tent, and they would gaze after Moshe until he arrived at the tent. (33:8)

ואמלא אתו רוח אלקים בחכמה ובתבונה ובדעת

I have filled him with a G-dly spirit, with wisdom, insight, and knowledge. (31:3)

ויעשהו עגל מסכה

And (they) fashioned it into a molten calf. (32:4)

ויאמר אין קול ענות גבורה ואין קול ענות חלושה קול ענות אנכי שמע

He said, “It is not the sound of shouting of might nor the sound of shouting of weakness; a distressing sound do I hear.” (32:18)

ויאמר אין קול ענות גבורה ואין קול ענות חלושה קול ענות אנכי שמע

He said, “Not a sound shouting strength nor a sound shouting weakness; a sound of distress do I hear.” (32:18)

YEARS

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