סָ֣רוּ מַהֵ֗ר מִן־הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוִּיתִ֔ם עָשׂ֣וּ לָהֶ֔ם עֵ֖גֶל מַסֵּכָ֑ה וַיִּשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ־לוֹ֙ וַיִּזְבְּחוּ־ל֔וֹ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ אֵ֤לֶּה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶֽעֱל֖וּךָ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
Zboczyli rychło z drogi, którą wskazałem im, zrobili sobie cielca litego, i kłaniali się mu i ofiarowali mu, i rzekli: Oto są bogi twoje Israelu, które cię wywiodły z ziemi Micraim!"
Devarim Rabbah
Another matter, “you are crossing the Jordan today” – he said to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan, there will be a new order. Do not think that it will be just as it was in the wilderness, where you would sin and I would pray on your behalf for mercy.’ He said to them: ‘When you performed that act,18The sin of the Golden Calf. and the Holy One blessed be He sought to eradicate you, did I not pray and advocate on your behalf?’ From where is this derived? As it is stated: “I prayed to the Lord, and said: My Lord God, do not destroy Your people…” (Deuteronomy 9:26). Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: When the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses in the firmament: “Rise, descend quickly from here” (Deuteronomy 9:12), five angels of destruction heard and sought to harm him. They were: Wrath, fury, anger, destruction, and annihilation. When Moses mentioned the merit of the three patriarchs, as it is written: “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants” (Exodus 32:13), anger, destruction, and annihilation fled, and the two harshest remained, wrath and fury. [Moses] said before [God]: ‘Master of the universe, I mentioned three, and three fled; You overcome wrath,’ as it is stated: “Arise, Lord, in Your wrath” (Psalms 7:7).19This is understood to mean: ‘Arise, Lord, and hold back Your wrath’ – i.e. the angel of wrath, one of the angels of destruction that remained. That [indicates] that the Holy One blessed be He overcame wrath. From where is it derived that Moses overcame fury? As it is stated: “Had it not been for Moses, His chosen one, who stood before Him in the breach, to turn back His fury from destroying” (Psalms 106:23).
Moses descended from the firmament and the Tablets were in his hand, but he did not shatter them until he saw [the Golden Calf] with his eyes. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “It was when he approached the camp and he saw the calf,” (Exodus 32:19), at that moment, “he cast the Tablets from his hand [and he shattered them at the foot of the mountain]” (Exodus 32:19). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Moses, did you not believe Me that they crafted a calf,’ as it is stated: “They quickly deviated from the path that I commanded them; [they crafted themselves…a calf]”? (Exodus 32:8). The Rabbis say: From this matter, Moses quickly ascertained how to exonerate Israel, as the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “That I commanded them.” He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, I was commanded; did I perhaps violate the command? They were not commanded and they did not know.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Moses, were they not commanded?’ He said to Him: ‘They were not.’ He said to Him: ‘What did You say at Sinai: “I am the Lord your God [Eloheikhem]”? You said only: “I am the Lord your God [Elohekha]” (Exodus 20:2).20In giving the Ten Commandments, God had used the second person singular term “your God [Elohekha],” rather than the second person plural term “your God [Eloheikhem].” Moses argued that the command could be understood as being addressed only to him, and not to the entire nation. What did You say: “You [lakhem] shall have no other gods before Me”? You said only: “You [lekha] shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3).’21In the second commandment as well, which prohibited idolatry, the singular term you [lekha] was used rather than the second person plural term you [lakhem]. That is: “My Lord God, do not destroy Your people and Your inheritance” (Deuteronomy 9:26).
Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: Moses did not leave any corner of the firmament regarding which he did not exert himself.22He exhausted every possible argument in pleading on behalf of the Israelites (Etz Yosef). What would he say? What the mouth knows, it will say.
Another matter, “My Lord God, do not destroy Your people and Your inheritance” – Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: When the advocate stopped,23When Moses concluded his prayers. the Divine Spirit was advocating on their behalf. So it would say: “Do not be a witness against your friend for nothing, nor spread wide your lips” (Proverbs 24:28). “Do not be a witness against your friend for nothing” – this is Israel, who are called friends of the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “For the sake of my brothers and friends…” (Psalms 122:8). “And do not spread wide [vahafitita]” – as it is written: “They beguiled Him [vayfatuhu] with their mouths” (Psalms 78:36). [The Divine Spirit said:] ‘Even when you said at Sinai: “We will heed and we will perform” (Exodus 24:7), and did not fulfill it, I said to the Holy One blessed be He: “Do not say: I will repay him; as he did to Me, so I will do to him” (based on Proverbs 24:29). Instead, “my Lord God, do not destroy Your people and Your inheritance.”’
That is why, when they came to cross the Jordan, he reminded them of all the advocacy in which he had engaged on their behalf, as he believed that they would pray for mercy for him so that he would enter with them. What is “you are crossing”? Rabbi Tanḥuma said: Moses was expending every effort before them and saying to them: ‘You are crossing, I am not crossing,’ providing them with an opening so that, perhaps, they would pray for mercy for him. But they did not understand. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had many children from a noblewoman. The noblewoman betrayed him. He sought to expel her, and he said to her: ‘You should know that I will take another [wife].’ She said to him: ‘Yes; but will you not tell me who she is that you are going to take?’ He said to her: ‘So-and-so.’ What did the noblewoman do? She gathered her children and said to them: ‘You should know that your father seeks to divorce me and to take so-and-so, will you be able to bear being subject to her?’24Translation based on Rabbi David Luria. See also Etz Yosef. They said: ‘Yes.’ She said to them: ‘Know what she is going to do to you.’ She was saying [all this] so that perhaps they would understand and request mercy on her behalf from their father. But they did not understand. When they did not understand, she said: ‘I am commanding you only for your own sake, so you will be vigilant regarding the honor of your father.’ So, Moses, after the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Take to you Joshua son of Nun…” (Numbers 27:18), “as you will not cross the Jordan” (Deuteronomy 3:27), he would say before Israel: “When the Lord your God will bring you to the land into which you are coming to take possession of it” (Deuteronomy 7:1); “you are crossing today,” I am not crossing – perhaps they would understand and ask for mercy on his behalf. But they did not understand. When they did not understand, he said: ‘I am commanding you only so you will be vigilant regarding honoring your Father in Heaven.’ From where is this derived? As it is stated: “You shall fear the Lord your God…” (Deuteronomy 6:13).25Since Moses would not be there with them to instruct them or to intercede on their behalf if they would sin, it was that much more necessary to reinforce to them that they must fear God. If the people would not do so and, on the contrary, would worship idols, Moses warns, “He will destroy you from upon the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 6:15).
The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘In this world, everyone was yearning for the Land of Israel, but because of iniquities, you were exiled from it. But in the future, when you have neither sin nor iniquity, I will plant you in it in tranquility.’ From where is this derived? As it is stated: “I will plant them upon their land, and they will not be uprooted from their land” (Amos 9:15).
Moses descended from the firmament and the Tablets were in his hand, but he did not shatter them until he saw [the Golden Calf] with his eyes. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “It was when he approached the camp and he saw the calf,” (Exodus 32:19), at that moment, “he cast the Tablets from his hand [and he shattered them at the foot of the mountain]” (Exodus 32:19). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Moses, did you not believe Me that they crafted a calf,’ as it is stated: “They quickly deviated from the path that I commanded them; [they crafted themselves…a calf]”? (Exodus 32:8). The Rabbis say: From this matter, Moses quickly ascertained how to exonerate Israel, as the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “That I commanded them.” He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, I was commanded; did I perhaps violate the command? They were not commanded and they did not know.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Moses, were they not commanded?’ He said to Him: ‘They were not.’ He said to Him: ‘What did You say at Sinai: “I am the Lord your God [Eloheikhem]”? You said only: “I am the Lord your God [Elohekha]” (Exodus 20:2).20In giving the Ten Commandments, God had used the second person singular term “your God [Elohekha],” rather than the second person plural term “your God [Eloheikhem].” Moses argued that the command could be understood as being addressed only to him, and not to the entire nation. What did You say: “You [lakhem] shall have no other gods before Me”? You said only: “You [lekha] shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3).’21In the second commandment as well, which prohibited idolatry, the singular term you [lekha] was used rather than the second person plural term you [lakhem]. That is: “My Lord God, do not destroy Your people and Your inheritance” (Deuteronomy 9:26).
Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: Moses did not leave any corner of the firmament regarding which he did not exert himself.22He exhausted every possible argument in pleading on behalf of the Israelites (Etz Yosef). What would he say? What the mouth knows, it will say.
Another matter, “My Lord God, do not destroy Your people and Your inheritance” – Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: When the advocate stopped,23When Moses concluded his prayers. the Divine Spirit was advocating on their behalf. So it would say: “Do not be a witness against your friend for nothing, nor spread wide your lips” (Proverbs 24:28). “Do not be a witness against your friend for nothing” – this is Israel, who are called friends of the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “For the sake of my brothers and friends…” (Psalms 122:8). “And do not spread wide [vahafitita]” – as it is written: “They beguiled Him [vayfatuhu] with their mouths” (Psalms 78:36). [The Divine Spirit said:] ‘Even when you said at Sinai: “We will heed and we will perform” (Exodus 24:7), and did not fulfill it, I said to the Holy One blessed be He: “Do not say: I will repay him; as he did to Me, so I will do to him” (based on Proverbs 24:29). Instead, “my Lord God, do not destroy Your people and Your inheritance.”’
That is why, when they came to cross the Jordan, he reminded them of all the advocacy in which he had engaged on their behalf, as he believed that they would pray for mercy for him so that he would enter with them. What is “you are crossing”? Rabbi Tanḥuma said: Moses was expending every effort before them and saying to them: ‘You are crossing, I am not crossing,’ providing them with an opening so that, perhaps, they would pray for mercy for him. But they did not understand. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had many children from a noblewoman. The noblewoman betrayed him. He sought to expel her, and he said to her: ‘You should know that I will take another [wife].’ She said to him: ‘Yes; but will you not tell me who she is that you are going to take?’ He said to her: ‘So-and-so.’ What did the noblewoman do? She gathered her children and said to them: ‘You should know that your father seeks to divorce me and to take so-and-so, will you be able to bear being subject to her?’24Translation based on Rabbi David Luria. See also Etz Yosef. They said: ‘Yes.’ She said to them: ‘Know what she is going to do to you.’ She was saying [all this] so that perhaps they would understand and request mercy on her behalf from their father. But they did not understand. When they did not understand, she said: ‘I am commanding you only for your own sake, so you will be vigilant regarding the honor of your father.’ So, Moses, after the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Take to you Joshua son of Nun…” (Numbers 27:18), “as you will not cross the Jordan” (Deuteronomy 3:27), he would say before Israel: “When the Lord your God will bring you to the land into which you are coming to take possession of it” (Deuteronomy 7:1); “you are crossing today,” I am not crossing – perhaps they would understand and ask for mercy on his behalf. But they did not understand. When they did not understand, he said: ‘I am commanding you only so you will be vigilant regarding honoring your Father in Heaven.’ From where is this derived? As it is stated: “You shall fear the Lord your God…” (Deuteronomy 6:13).25Since Moses would not be there with them to instruct them or to intercede on their behalf if they would sin, it was that much more necessary to reinforce to them that they must fear God. If the people would not do so and, on the contrary, would worship idols, Moses warns, “He will destroy you from upon the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 6:15).
The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘In this world, everyone was yearning for the Land of Israel, but because of iniquities, you were exiled from it. But in the future, when you have neither sin nor iniquity, I will plant you in it in tranquility.’ From where is this derived? As it is stated: “I will plant them upon their land, and they will not be uprooted from their land” (Amos 9:15).
Sifra
3) (Vayikra 9:2): "And he said to Aaron: Take for yourself a bull-calf for a sin-offering": We are hereby taught that Moses said to Aaron: Aaron, my brother, even though the Holy One Blessed be He has consented to forgive your sins (in the episode of the golden calf), you must "place something in Satan's mouth." Send your gift before you before entering the sanctuary lest he condemn you upon your entering the sanctuary. And lest you say: Is it only I who need atonement? Israel, too, needs atonement, viz. (Vayikra 9:3): "And to the children of Israel shall you speak, saying: Take a kid of goats for a sin-offering, and a calf, etc." And why was it Israel's lot to bring more than Aaron? He said to them: You are culpable in the beginning and culpable in the end. In the beginning (at the sale of Yosef) — (Bereshith 37:31): "And they slaughtered a kid of goats, etc."; in the end — (Shemoth 32:8): "They have made for themselves a molten calf." Let a kid of goats come and atone for the "act" of goats, let a calf come and atone for the "act" of the calf.
Midrash Tanchuma
(Lev. 14:2:) “This shall be the law of the leper.” Let our master instruct us: For how many things does leprosy come? Thus have our masters taught: The affliction comes [upon one] for eleven things:23Cf. Numb. R. 7:5; Lev. 17:3; ‘Arakh. 16a. (1) For idolatry, (2) for desecration of the name [of God], (3) for unchastity, (4) for theft, (5) for slander, (6) for false witness, (7) upon24In this passage “for” and “upon” translate the same Hebrew word (‘al). the judge who perverts justice, (8) for swearing in vain, (9) upon one who enters a domain which is not his, (10) upon one who thinks false thoughts, and (11) upon one who instigates quarrels among brothers. And some also say, “for the evil eye (i.e., for being miserly).” How is it shown [that leprosy comes] for idolatry? In that, when they made the calf, they were afflicted with leprosy. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 32:25), “Now Moses saw that the people were riotous (parua')”; and it is written concerning the leper (in Lev. 13:45), “his head shall be unkempt (parua').” And how is it shown [that leprosy comes] for cursing the name? From Goliath, of whom it is stated that he said in (I Sam. 17:8), “Choose a man ('ish) for yourselves.” Now man ('ish) can only be the Holy One, blessed be He, since it is stated (in Exod. 15:3), “The Lord is a man ('ish) of war.” It is also written (in I Sam. 17:46) “This day [the Lord] will deliver (rt.: sgr) you.” Now deliverance can only imply leprosy, since it is stated (in Lev. 13:5), “the priest shall isolate (rt.: sgr) him.” And how is it shown for unchastity? Where it is written (in Is. 3:[16-]17), “[Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with extended neck and roving eyes…]. Therefore the Lord will smite with sores (sph) the scalps [of the daughters of Zion].”25Vs. 17 differs here from the Masoretic Text by replacing the divine name with Adonay (LORD). Now sores (sph) can only be leprosy, as stated (in Lev. 14:56), “For a swelling and for a sore (rt.: sph) and for a bright spot.” How is it shown for theft? Where it is stated (in Zech. 5:4), “I have sent it (i.e., the curse of the flying scroll in vs. 1) forth, says the Lord of hosts; and it shall come unto the house of the thief.” Hence, for theft. How is it shown for swearing falsely? Where it is stated (in Zech. 5:4, cont.), “and unto the house of the one who swears falsely in My name; and it shall lodge within his house; and it shall consume it, [even] with its timbers and stones.” What is a thing which consumes timbers and stones? Rabbi says, “This is leprosy, since it is written (concerning a house infested with leprosy (in Lev. 14:45), ‘And he shall break down the house with its timbers and stones.’” And how is it shown for slander? From Miriam [of whom] it is written (in Numb. 12:10), “so when Aaron turned unto Miriam, there she was, stricken with leprosy.” It is written (in Lev. 14:1), “This shall be the law of the leper (hametsora'),” [i.e.] the one who puts forth evil (hamotsi ra'). And how is it shown for those who bear false witness? Where Israel testified falsely and said (in Exod. 32:4), “These are your gods, O Israel,” they were struck with leprosy, as stated, “Instruct the Israelites to remove from the camp….” It also states (Exodus 32:25), “Now Moses saw that the people were riotous (parua').”26Cf. above in this section, where parua‘ in this verse is related to Lev. 13:45, according to which the leper’s HEAD SHALL BE UNKEMPT (parua‘). And [how is it shown] for the judge who perverts justice? Where it is stated (of unjust judges in Is. 5:24), “And it shall be that as a tongue of fire consumes straw, and as chaff sinks down in a flame, their root shall be like the rot, and their blossom shall rise up like the dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts.” Their blossom (prh) can only refer to leprosy, since it is stated (in Lev. 13:12), “If the leprosy should blossom out widely (rt.: prh).” And how is it shown for one who enters a domain which is not his? From Uzziah, who entered the domain of the priesthood. It is so stated (of him in II Chron. 26:19), “then leprosy appeared on his forehead.” And how is it shown for one who instigates quarrels among brothers? From Pharaoh, as stated (in Gen. 12:17), “Then the Lord afflicted Pharaoh,” because he had taken Sarah from Abraham. And [how is it shown] for the evil eye (i.e., for being miserly)? R. Isaac said, “When someone's eye is too evil (i.e., when someone is too miserly) to lend out his possessions. When someone comes and says to him, ‘Lend me your scythe, lend me your ax, or any object,’ he says to him, ‘Cursed is the one who has a scythe, cursed is the one has an axe’ (meaning, ‘I do not have one’). What does the Holy One, blessed be He, do?27Cf. Yoma 11b. He afflicts [his house] with leprosy. When he comes to the priest and says to him, ‘Something like a plague has appeared in the house belonging to me,’ he commands (according to Lev. 14:45), ‘Let him break down the house with its timbers and stones.’ Then everybody will see his implements, when they lug them and bring them outside. So they publicize28Mepharsemin, from PRSM, a verb related to the Greek, parresiazesthai (“to speak freely”). his implements, and they all say, ‘Did he not say, “I do not have a scythe; I do not have an ax?” See, he does have such and such an object, but he did not want to lend it.’ So his eye is evil (i.e., he is miserly), to lend.” (Leviticus 14:37:) “And [the priest] says, ‘[The walls are] deeply colored (shkarurot).’” Do not read it [such], but rather read it as he brought down curses (shaka arurot). As he said, “Cursed,” and he brought down his house. And everyone saw his curses, as stated (in Job 20:28), “The produce of his house shall depart, poured out in the day of His wrath.” [Moreover,] there are also some who say, [leprosy] also [comes] for haughtiness. How is it shown? From Naaman, as stated (in II Kings 5:1), “Now Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram […] a valiant warrior, was a leper,” because he was haughty. [Leprosy] also [comes] upon the one who says something against his colleague that is not true about him. Thus you find it so in the case of Moses our master, when he said (in Exod. 4:1), “But [surely] they shall not believe me.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “They are believers [and] children of believers”: [Believers] (in Exod. 4:31), “And the people believed”; the children of believers, as stated (in Gen. 15:6), “And he (Abram) believed in the Lord.” However, it is necessary [for you] to be afflicted, since the one who suspects the innocent is afflicted in his body. It is so stated (in Exod. 4:6), “Then [the Lord…] said, ‘Please put your hand in your bosom’; so he put his hand in his bosom, and when he withdrew it, behold, it was leprous as snow.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “Look at the difference between you and the peoples of the world. When they sin, I afflict them first in their bodies and after that in their houses, as stated (in Gen. 12:17), ‘Then the Lord afflicted Pharaoh with great plagues,’ and afterwards, ‘and his house.’ But if you sin, I afflict your houses first.” Where is it shown? From what they read on the matter (in Lev. 14:34), “and I put a plague of leprosy in a house of the land you possess.” (Lev. 14:34:) “And I put a plague of leprosy in a house of the land you possess.” How has the land sinned, that it should be afflicted? It is simply that the land is afflicted for human sin, as stated (in Ps. 107:[32-]34), “[He turns….] A fruitful land into a salt marsh because of the evil [of those who dwell in it].” Why? Because of the evil [of the people]. And so does it state (Isaiah 26:9), “with Your judgements upon the earth, so will those that dwell in the inhabitation learn justice.” Why do punishments come upon the world? For the creatures, so that they would look, consider, and say, “Whoever sins is afflicted, and whoever does not sin is not afflicted.” So why are the trees, the stones and the walls afflicted? So that their owners will look [at them] and repent. And so you find that when Israel sinned, the Holy One, blessed be He, intended to exile them at once before the [other] nations. But He said, “If I exile them at the start, they will become a shame and a disgrace to all the nations.” What did he do? He brought Sennacherib the wicked upon all the [other] nations and exiled them. Thus it is stated (in Is. 10:14), “My hand (the hand of Sennacherib) has found the wealth of the peoples like a nest.” It is also written (in vs. 13), “and I (Sennacherib) have removed the borders of peoples.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “When Israel sees that I have exiled the nations of the world, they will repent and fear My judgment.” It is so stated (in Zeph. 3:6), “I have rooted out the nations; their corner towers are desolate.” And after it is written (in vs. 7), “I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me, they will learn rebuke!’” When they did not repent, they immediately went into exile. Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, warns them and [first] afflicts their houses, so that they will repent. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 14:34), “and I put a plague of leprosy in a house of the land you possess.” For him to repent is preferable; but if not, he is afflicted in his body, as stated (in Lev. 15:2), “When any man has a discharge issuing from his flesh….” Hence, the stones are struck first. For him to repent is preferable; but if not, his clothes are afflicted, as stated (in Lev. 13:47), “When the plague of leprosy is in a garment.” Then if he does not repent, he is afflicted in his body. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 13:40), “When someone's head becomes hairless [so that he is bald, he is clean]”; but still with a balding of the head there is a substantial doubt whether he is unclean or clean. For him to repent is preferable, but if not, he is afflicted with boils, as stated (in Lev. 13:18), “And when one has boils on the skin of his flesh and is healed.”29The verses that follow explain that the boils may then become leprous. Boils is [worse] than balding of the head. For him to repent is preferable, but if not, he is afflicted with five scourges: swelling, sore, bright spot, scab, and plague spot. And why all this? Because he did not repent.30Numb. R. 14:4. Scripture has said (in Prov. 19:29), “Judgments are ready for scoffers; and stripes for the back of fools.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Before I created the human, I prepared all these for him.” [The situation] is comparable to an evil slave who was about to be sold. When his master went to buy him, he knew that he was a bad salve. [So] he took along chains and whips so that if he rebelled, he might subdue him with them. When he did rebel, he brought out the chains and chained him. He brought out the whips and beat him. The slave said to him, “Did you not know that I was a bad slave? Why did you buy me?” He said to him, “Because I knew that you are difficult, I prepared chains and whips for you, so that if you rebelled, I might subdue you with them.” So too the Holy One, blessed be He [and] blessed be His name forever, before He created the human one, He prepared afflictions for him, because (according to Gen. 8:21) He knows that31Heb.: Ki. Although in the biblical context the word must mean “for,” or its equivalent, the midrash understands the word with the alternate meaning of “that.” “the instinct of one's heart is evil from his youth.” He therefore prepared all these for him, so that if he rebelled, He would subdue him, as stated (in Prov. 19:29), “Judgments are ready for scoffers; and stripes (mahalumot) for the back of fools.” What are mahalumot? Mahah lamoot (strike to death). Warn him first; it is preferable if he repents. But if not, strike his body. How is it shown? From that which we read about the matter (in Lev. 14:34), “and I put a plague of leprosy in a house of the land you possess.”