Commentaire sur L’Exode 32:30

אכפרה בעד חטאתכם [PERADVENTURE] I SHALL MAKE AN EXPIATION FOR YOUR SIN — i. e. I shall put an effacing and a wiping off and a covering in front of your sin, to serve as a barrier between you and your sin.

אתם חטאתם חטאה גדולה, “realise the extent of your sin, for if you ponder this you will surely become penitents!” We find a parallel syntax in Psalms 51,5 כי פשעי אני אדע, “for I have come to realise the rebellious nature of my conduct.” [David feels that by being aware of the truly terrible nature of his transgressions he may qualify for help in rehabilitating himself. The specific nature of David’s transgression was the desecration of G’d’s name in arranging for the death of Bat Sheva’s husband so that he could marry Bat Sheva. While the Talmud had declared that he did not commit a technical sin when sleeping with Bat Sheva, his moral sin was something quite different. Ed.] In Jeremiah 3,13 we also encounter a syntax reflecting the approach taken here by the Torah. The prophet wrote אך דעי עונך, “if you were only to understand the meaning of your iniquity!” He does not add “repent!” but takes it for granted that awareness of the implications of the wrong one has done will automatically result in penitence.

Wiping away and a covering in front of your sins”. . . Explanation: Rashi holds that every instance of בעד in Scripture means “in front of.” But here, this meaning does not fit [if אכפרה ] means “atonement.” Therefore he explains that here, אכפרה does not mean “atonement”, but “wiping away” and a “covering.” Accordingly, “in front of” is fitting.