Kommentar zu Schemot 32:35

ויגף ה' את העם AND THE LORD PLAGUED THE PEOPLE — This was death inflicted by the heavenly Judge on those to whose offence there had been witnesses but no legal caution (cf. Rashi on v. 20).

AND THE ETERNAL SMOTE THE PEOPLE. Scripture does not state how many died in this plague, as it stated the number of those that fell by the hand of the sons of Levi,⁴⁰⁷Above, Verse 28: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. and as it mentioned in the case of the plague about the matter of Korah,⁴⁰⁸Numbers 17:14: Now they that died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred. and in connection with the Baal of Peor,⁴⁰⁹Ibid., 25:9: And those that died by the plague were twenty and four thousand. the reason perhaps being that those here did not all die in one plague, but they were smitten and died prematurely, something like it said, but the Eternal shall smite him, or his day shall come to die.⁴¹⁰I Samuel 26:10. Perhaps Scripture did not bother to number them, for similarly it did not number those that died in the plague at Taberah,⁴¹¹Numbers 11:3. and at Kibroth-hattaavah, where it says, and the Eternal smote the people with a very great plague.⁴¹²Ibid., 33. Those that fell, however, through the sons of Levi He counted in their honor, thus saying that they slew many of the people but yet they did not fear them, for they trusted in the Eternal.

על אשר עשו את העגל אשר עשה אהרן, by Aaron’s agreeing, not protesting, he helped a potential sin become an actual sin, so that the person’s sin who fashioned the gold into the shape of a calf is attributable to Aaron. Aaron’s contribution in deed was his throwing the gold into the fire. He himself describes the “this calf emerged,” as a direct consequence of his throwing the gold into the fire (verse 24).

אשר עשה אהרן which Aaron had made. What was the Torah's purpose in making this statement at this point? Perhaps G'd wanted us to know that the Israelites were punished for causing Aaron to become the innocent maker of the golden calf. G'd deals severely with anyone who causes a great and holy man such as Aaron to become involved in the performance of a sin.

ויגוף ה' את העם , “Hashem smote the people.” In this instance the Torah did not reveal how many of the people were smitten with this fatal plague, as distinct from the people who had been executed by the Levites or the plague that killed the people participating in Korach’s uprising, or the people who died as a result of the encounter with the Moabite women at Shittim. Perhaps the reason why here we have not been told numbers is that these people did not die all simultaneously, so that the cause of their deaths would be obvious, but the “plague” that struck them meant that they died prematurely. Alternatively, the Torah did not bother to inform us of their number, just as it has not informed us of the number of people who died at Taveyrah (Numbers 11,1) or at Kivrot Hataavah (Numbers 11,35) The principal reason why the number of people executed by the Levites are mentioned, is to give credit to the Levites who carried out G’d’s instructions in spite of the large number of people involved. They trusted in G’d’s protection and were not afraid of their victims resisting and possibly killing them.

על אשר עשו את העגל, there are many different forms of idolatrous cults. Some consist of the idol having the likeness of a human being, or at least the face of a human being. Other cults worship a symbol representing the appearance of a cherub, angel-like figure. Still others worship a force symbolised by the image of certain domestic beasts, free-roaming animals, or birds. This is what we read in Kings II 17,30-31. “The Babylonians made Sukoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nirgal, and the men of Chamass made Ashima, and the Avvites made Nivchaz and Tartak. The Sepharvides burned their children to Adramelech and Anamelech, the gods of the Sepharvaim.” All of these names are names of different deities. The expression Sukoth-benoth refers to a hen and her chicks; the name Nirgal refers to the rooster. The name Ashima describes a cat, whereas the name Nivchaz describes a dog. The name Tartak refers to a donkey, whereas Adramelech refers to an ape, and Adamelech refers to a peacock. I am pretty certain that the many cast idols represent stars or groups of stars in the celestial regions. This would correspond to Amos 5,26 “Sikkuth and Kiyun your astral deity, the images you have made for yourselves.” The words Sikkuth and Kiyyun are both names of stars and are what Jeremiah 44,19 refers to when he said: “and when we make offerings to the queen of Heaven and pour libations for her.” The people mentioned here referred to the stars as the “queen of Heaven.” The expression “kiyvun tzalmeychem´ in Amos 5,26 refers to Zachal, otherwise know as Shabtai, Saturn. The word kochav eloheychem in the same verse refers to one of the seven fixed stars (planets), i.e. the sun.

V. 35. נגף: der tötende Stoß, verwandt mit נקב, der Stich, ist Ausdruck für מגפה, das plötzliche Sterben. Es ist die höhere Potenz von נגע, eigentlich ja Berühren, der Ausdruck für von Gott gesandte Plagen. — אשר עשו וגו׳, siehe zu V. 1. Es starben nach Joma 66 b diejenigen, deren Beteiligung offenkundig, aber entweder durch mangelnde Warnung, oder durch beschränkte Qualität des Verbrechens, עדים בלא התראה, oder גפף ונישק, für die durch die Leviten zu vollziehende menschliche Gerichtsbarkeit nicht reif gewesen. Da deren Beteiligung offenkundig war, so zeigte deren plötzliches, sich als Gottesfinger ankündigendes Sterben die richtend den Volkskörper heilende Liebesnähe Gottes.

BECAUSE THEY MADE THE CALF. This means that they were not amongst those who worshipped it or sacrificed to it,⁴¹³Above, Verse 8. but they were the men who “made” it, that is to say, they were the ones who gathered around Aaron and brought him the gold. Now since Scripture states that they were punished for making the calf, not for worshipping it, and in reality they did not make it, it explains further, which Aaron made, meaning that Aaron made it at their command.
But Onkelos translated [the expression, because they ‘made’ the calf], “because they ‘worshipped’ the calf which Aaron made.” By this Onkelos intended to explain that the ones who died in the plague were those who embraced and kissed it, and were pleased with the calf. Now [although the same term asah (“did”) is mentioned in both cases, because they ‘made’ the calf, which Aaron ‘made’], Onkelos did not feel obliged to translate both alike [but instead he translated: “because they ‘worshipped’ the calf, which Aaron ‘made’ “]. A similar case [of Onkelos’ rendition] is the verse, and whatsoever they ‘did’ there, he was the ‘doer’ of it,⁴¹⁴Genesis 39:22. which he translated: “and whatsoever they did there ‘was done’ by his command.”⁴¹⁵Thus Onkelos translated the same form of the verb once in the active tense and once in the passive.
This plague occurred after Moses had punished the worshippers and prayed for Israel, saying, and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book.⁴¹⁶Verse 32. For because Moses had shown his readiness to give his life for them, the Holy One, blessed be He, had mercy upon them, and told him to bring them up to the Land, and that He would send an angel before them;⁴¹⁷Further, 33:2. but since He wanted to take away from them part of the great sin, in order that they should be worthy [to go up to the Land], He sent upon them this plague. Or it may be that He had decreed this plague upon them [before Moses’ prayer] and the plague had already begun, and after that He said again to Moses, Go up hence, thou and the people,⁴¹⁸Ibid., Verse 1. meaning, that the plague will not blot out their sin from before Me so that I should again dwell in their midst. He mentioned though, unto the land of which I swore unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob,⁴¹⁸Ibid., Verse 1. and further said, and I will drive out the Canaanite, etc.;⁴¹⁷Further, 33:2. for on account of the plague which He brought or decreed upon them, part of their sin was blotted out, and He was partially appeased to them, in remembering the merit of the patriarchs, and [promising] that He would fulfill to them the oath He had taken to bring them unto a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey.⁴¹⁹Above, 3:8. Thus He hinted to Moses that the earth [i.e., the land of Canaan] would not become corrupt⁴²⁰See Genesis 6:11. nor would it be defiled under the inhabitants thereof⁴²¹Isaiah 24:5. on account of their sin, and that He would drive out all the six nations whose land they were originally promised.⁴²²Above, 3:8. And He also said by way of pacification, for I will not go up in the midst of thee,⁴²³Further, 33:3. this being to your benefit, lest I consume thee in the way,⁴²³Further, 33:3. because of your stiff-neckedness.
Thus there were here two punishments for Israel: firstly, that He would not cause His Divine Glory to dwell amongst them, and secondly, that He would send an angel before Moses until the nations would be driven out; but He did not promise them after they would inherit the Land even an angel to help them, for this is why He mentioned in the way [lest I consume thee ‘in the way’]. It is with reference to all this that Scripture says, And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned; and no man put on him his ornaments⁴²⁴Ibid., Verse 4. — just as mourners. But G-d is merciful, abounding in compassion, and when He saw that they mourned, He said again by way of mercy, Say unto the children of Israel etc.,⁴²⁵Ibid., Verse 5. for up till now He had used the terms, thy people,⁴²⁶Above, 32:7. and the people,⁴¹⁸Ibid., Verse 1. but now He mentioned them by their beloved name, and He commanded Moses to tell them that it was to their benefit that He would not go up in their midst, in order that He should not consume them in one moment. However, they have done well in repenting and mourning for their sin. So should they always do, and I will know what to do unto them.⁴²⁵Ibid., Verse 5. That is to say, I will visit their sin in accordance with My knowledge of their mourning and repenting their sin, since it is I Who tries the heart and searches the kidneys.⁴²⁷See Jeremiah 17:10.
By way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], the expression, that I may know what to do unto thee⁴²⁵Ibid., Verse 5. means that He will do unto them in the knowledge of mercy, similar to what is said, and if not, I will know,⁴²⁸Genesis 18:21. as I have already explained.⁴²⁹Ibid., Verse 20. Vol. I, p. 245.

אשר עשו את העגל, “who had made the golden calf.” This is mentioned to tell us that the people who were struck by the plague were not the ones who had actively prostrated themselves and worshipped the golden calf. Their sin consisted of ganging up on Aaron and demanding that he make for them a substitute for Moses. Seeing that the Torah first said that they were punished for making the golden calf, something not quite accurate, as Aaron had taken the gold and thrown it into the crucible, the Torah now had to add: אשר עשה אהרן, that actually it had been Aaron who had “made” the calf.

Alternatively, the Torah wanted to ward off any accusation anyone had levelled against Aaron who was only technically the maker of the golden calf, and to place the blame where it belonged. The fact that G'd smote the people for a calf which Aaron had made, is evidence that G'd considered the people as having made the calf.

אשר עשה אהרן, “which Aaron had made.” The reason the Torah had attributed the making of the calf to the people whom G’d subsequently struck with the plague, was that Aaron had acted only as their שליח, as their proxy. Had they not demanded it of him by adopting a threatening posture, he would never have dreamt of undertaking such a project. This plague only commenced after the Levites, at the command of Moses, had executed the people who had actively worshipped the calf. After that Moses had prayed to G’d on behalf of the people, and had received instructions to lead the people toward their goal, the Holy land. At that point G’d had said that He would send along one of His angels. In order to justify His doing so, He had to reduce the level of unexpurgated sin still amongst the people. Striking the instigators of the whole episode with the plague accomplished that purpose. Now G’d was able to say to Moses to proceed. [verse 34 was only preparatory, and did not contain the command to proceed forthwith. Ed.]