Musar do Wyjścia 32:1

Our author demonstrates by means of a number of allusions based on numerical values that by serving the golden calf the common numerical factors in the words Israel-Moses and Sinai were invalidated. These allusions depended on the use of the number 10 derived from the Ten Commandments which Israel violated when making and serving the golden calf. This relationship had to be restored after Israel repented of its errors. Counting the half-shekels helped restore the numerical equation which signalled Israel's and Moses' profound connection with Sinai and Torah which were expressed in numerical equations.

The numerical values of the names משה, and the name עקיבא, when we ignore the zeros, i.e use the system of מספר קטן, are identical. We would write it thus: משה=300+40+5=12. עקיבא=70+100+10+2+1=12. When you use the regular system of arriving at numerical values, you will, of course, find that the name משה=345, adds up to more than the name עקיבא=183.

We have already explained that Moses wanted to bring the ערב רב under the protective wings of G–d's Providence, whereas G–d was not ready to do this. G–d made a point of emphasizing בני ישראל, when He introduced the legislation about the first-born in 13,2. He did not say a word about העם. It follows that the first-born of the ערב רב were not included in the legislation at that stage. The other ערב, called קטן, is rooted in the emanation יסוד, also known as קטן. The mystical dimension of קרי, seminal emission, reaches until the domain of דעת העליון, also known as בכור. Moses realised, however, that if he were to tell Israel at this stage about the sanctification of the first-born and the ערב רב would perceive themselves as excluded from this מצוה -which was the first to be promulgated at the time of the Exodus- they would most likely feel discriminated against and would return to Egypt immediately. They did display a similar reaction later during the episode of the golden calf when they saw the Holy Ark travelling in front of the בני ישראל and not in front of them. This prompted them in Exodus 32,1 to call on Aaron: "Arise and make for us a deity who will walk before us." It was this fear that prompted Moses to first convey the kind of commandments which applied to all the people equally, such as the prohibition of leavened things on the Passover.