וָאֵ֗רֶא וְהִנֵּ֤ה חֲטָאתֶם֙ לַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם עֲשִׂיתֶ֣ם לָכֶ֔ם עֵ֖גֶל מַסֵּכָ֑ה סַרְתֶּ֣ם מַהֵ֔ר מִן־הַדֶּ֕רֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֶתְכֶֽם׃
E olhei, e eis que pecaram contra Yehovah seu Elohim; fizeram para si um bezerro fundido. Vocês se desviaram rapidamente do caminho que Yehovah ordenou a vocês.
Vayikra Rabbah
Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina interpreted the verse regarding a sota. “And if a person will sin” – she sinned to her husband, who feeds her and supports her, and she goes and acts corruptly with another. “And hear the voice of adjuration” – “The priest shall administer to the woman the oath of the curse” (Numbers 5:21). “And he is a witness” – “And there is no witness against her” (Numbers 5:13). “Who either saw” – “And it was hidden from the eyes of her husband” (Numbers 5:13), but not from the eyes of the Holy One blessed be He. “Or knew” – “and she was secluded and she was defiled” (Numbers 5:13). “If he does not tell, he shall bear his iniquity” – if she does not tell the priest, “her belly shall distend and her thigh shall fall” (Numbers 5:27).
Vayikra Rabbah
Rabbi Pinḥas interpreted the verse regarding Israel before Mount Sinai. “And if a person will sin” – “I saw, and, behold, you had sinned” (Deuteronomy 9:16). “And hear the voice of adjuration” – “and His voice we heard from the midst of the fire” (Deuteronomy 5:21). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: They made a commitment between them that He would not disavow them and they would not disavow Him. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: When a king administers an oath to his legions, he administers the oath only with a sword, as though to say, anyone who violates these conditions, this sword will pass over his neck. So too, “Moses took half the blood” (Exodus 24:6).
How did Moses know how much was half the blood? Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Ilai said: The blood divided on its own. Rabbi Natan said: Its appearance changed; half of it became black and half of it was red. Bar Kappara said: An angel descended in the image of Moses and divided it. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: A voice was emerging from Mount Ḥorev and saying: Half the blood is until here. Rabbi Yishmael taught: Moses was well versed in the halakhot of blood, and he divided it.15Due to his expertise in the halakhot concerning the blood of sacrifices and the fact that he needed to conduct the ceremony at Mount Sinai, Moses was given Divine aid in dividing the blood (see Etz Yosef). “He placed it in the basins [baaganot]” (Exodus 24:6) – Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Avin: It is written baaganat.16The plural word “basins [baaganot]” is written without the vav and can therefore be read in the singular [baaganat], implying that the basins were as one, in that they were the same size. This one was not larger than that one, and that one was not larger than this one. Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘What shall be done with Your portion?’ He said to him: ‘Sprinkle it upon the people.’ ‘What shall be done with their portion?’ He said to him: ‘Sprinkle it upon the altar.’ “And half the blood he sprinkled on the altar.”
Rabbi Berekhya and Rabbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina: He took an oath to them and they took an oath to Him. He took an oath to them, “I took an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you; the utterance of the Lord God” (Ezekiel 16:8). They took an oath to Him, to the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “To pass you into the covenant of the Lord your God and into His ala” (Deuteronomy 29:11). From where is it derived that ala is nothing other than an oath? Rabbi Neḥemya and Rav Naḥman of Yafo in the name of Rabbi Yaakov of Caesarea: From this: “The priest shall administer to the woman the oath of the ala” (Numbers 5:21). When they violated the conditions made at Mount Sinai, the Holy One blessed be He said to them: “I, too, will do so to you” (Leviticus 26:16). Rabbi Pinḥas said: It is written: “But they, like men, have violated the covenant” (Hosea 6:7); however, here, “for I am God and not man” (Hosea 11:9).
Rabbi Ahava bar Ze’eira said: It is written: “The Lord has done what He devised” (Lamentations 2:17), just as it is written in His Torah: “I will punish [you] additionally” (Leviticus 26:18). Did He do so? Heaven forbid. Rather, “He implemented His statement” (Lamentations 2:17). What is: “He implemented [bitza] His statement [emrato]”? He made a compromise.17The word bitza can mean “he halved.” Thus, the verse would be saying that God implemented only half of His statement concerning the punishment to which Israel would be subject. Rabbi Yaakov of Kefar Ḥanin said: He rent [biza] His royal garment.18Imra is the Aramaic term for the hem of a garment.
Rabbi Berekhya cites it from this: “I will bring upon you a sword avenging the vengeance of the covenant” (Leviticus 26:25). Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: There is vengeance that is for the covenant and vengeance that is not for the covenant. Which is the vengeance that is not for the covenant? Rabbi Azarya and Rabbi Aḥa said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: This is the blinding of the eyes, as they blinded the eyes of the king of Judah,19The Babylonians blinded Zedekiah, king of Judah (II Kings 25:7). as it is stated: “So said the Lord God: As I live, if not My oath that he scorned [and My covenant that he breached I will place upon his head]” (Ezekiel 17:19) – this is the oath that he took to Nebuchadnezzar.20Zedekiah had violated an oath of allegiance he had taken to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylonia. He was punished for this in addition to being punished for violating the covenant between God and Israel. “And My covenant that he breached” – this is the covenant of Mount Sinai. “I will place upon his head” – and the rest of the body was not afflicted? Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: This is the blinding of the eyes, which are located on the head.
Once they were exiled to Babylon, they said to Nebuchadnezzar: “Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need [to answer you].… Behold our God.… Behold; if not, let it be known to you, king, that we will not worship your gods” (Daniel 3:16–18).21This statement was made by Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya in response to Nebuchadnezzar’s threat that if they would not bow to his idol he would have them thrown into a fiery furnace. The Holy One blessed be He said to them:22Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya. “You too, for the blood of your covenant” (Zechariah 9:11), I have remembered that blood that was in Sinai; therefore, “I have released [your prisoners from the pit] in which there is no water” (Zechariah 9:11). Rabbi Pinḥas said: It shall no longer be that “they spilled their blood like water around Jerusalem” (Psalms 79:3).
“And he is a witness” – this is Israel: “You are My witnesses, the utterance of the Lord, and I am God” (Isaiah 43:12). “Who either saw [raa]” – “you have been shown [horeita] in order to know” (Deuteronomy 4:35). “Or knew” – “you shall know this day” (Deuteronomy 4:39). “If he does not tell, he shall bear his iniquity” – if you do not tell of My divinity to the nations of the world, I will exact vengeance against you. When? “When they say to you: Seek the necromancers” (Isaiah 8:19).
How did Moses know how much was half the blood? Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Ilai said: The blood divided on its own. Rabbi Natan said: Its appearance changed; half of it became black and half of it was red. Bar Kappara said: An angel descended in the image of Moses and divided it. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: A voice was emerging from Mount Ḥorev and saying: Half the blood is until here. Rabbi Yishmael taught: Moses was well versed in the halakhot of blood, and he divided it.15Due to his expertise in the halakhot concerning the blood of sacrifices and the fact that he needed to conduct the ceremony at Mount Sinai, Moses was given Divine aid in dividing the blood (see Etz Yosef). “He placed it in the basins [baaganot]” (Exodus 24:6) – Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Avin: It is written baaganat.16The plural word “basins [baaganot]” is written without the vav and can therefore be read in the singular [baaganat], implying that the basins were as one, in that they were the same size. This one was not larger than that one, and that one was not larger than this one. Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘What shall be done with Your portion?’ He said to him: ‘Sprinkle it upon the people.’ ‘What shall be done with their portion?’ He said to him: ‘Sprinkle it upon the altar.’ “And half the blood he sprinkled on the altar.”
Rabbi Berekhya and Rabbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina: He took an oath to them and they took an oath to Him. He took an oath to them, “I took an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you; the utterance of the Lord God” (Ezekiel 16:8). They took an oath to Him, to the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “To pass you into the covenant of the Lord your God and into His ala” (Deuteronomy 29:11). From where is it derived that ala is nothing other than an oath? Rabbi Neḥemya and Rav Naḥman of Yafo in the name of Rabbi Yaakov of Caesarea: From this: “The priest shall administer to the woman the oath of the ala” (Numbers 5:21). When they violated the conditions made at Mount Sinai, the Holy One blessed be He said to them: “I, too, will do so to you” (Leviticus 26:16). Rabbi Pinḥas said: It is written: “But they, like men, have violated the covenant” (Hosea 6:7); however, here, “for I am God and not man” (Hosea 11:9).
Rabbi Ahava bar Ze’eira said: It is written: “The Lord has done what He devised” (Lamentations 2:17), just as it is written in His Torah: “I will punish [you] additionally” (Leviticus 26:18). Did He do so? Heaven forbid. Rather, “He implemented His statement” (Lamentations 2:17). What is: “He implemented [bitza] His statement [emrato]”? He made a compromise.17The word bitza can mean “he halved.” Thus, the verse would be saying that God implemented only half of His statement concerning the punishment to which Israel would be subject. Rabbi Yaakov of Kefar Ḥanin said: He rent [biza] His royal garment.18Imra is the Aramaic term for the hem of a garment.
Rabbi Berekhya cites it from this: “I will bring upon you a sword avenging the vengeance of the covenant” (Leviticus 26:25). Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: There is vengeance that is for the covenant and vengeance that is not for the covenant. Which is the vengeance that is not for the covenant? Rabbi Azarya and Rabbi Aḥa said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: This is the blinding of the eyes, as they blinded the eyes of the king of Judah,19The Babylonians blinded Zedekiah, king of Judah (II Kings 25:7). as it is stated: “So said the Lord God: As I live, if not My oath that he scorned [and My covenant that he breached I will place upon his head]” (Ezekiel 17:19) – this is the oath that he took to Nebuchadnezzar.20Zedekiah had violated an oath of allegiance he had taken to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylonia. He was punished for this in addition to being punished for violating the covenant between God and Israel. “And My covenant that he breached” – this is the covenant of Mount Sinai. “I will place upon his head” – and the rest of the body was not afflicted? Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: This is the blinding of the eyes, which are located on the head.
Once they were exiled to Babylon, they said to Nebuchadnezzar: “Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need [to answer you].… Behold our God.… Behold; if not, let it be known to you, king, that we will not worship your gods” (Daniel 3:16–18).21This statement was made by Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya in response to Nebuchadnezzar’s threat that if they would not bow to his idol he would have them thrown into a fiery furnace. The Holy One blessed be He said to them:22Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya. “You too, for the blood of your covenant” (Zechariah 9:11), I have remembered that blood that was in Sinai; therefore, “I have released [your prisoners from the pit] in which there is no water” (Zechariah 9:11). Rabbi Pinḥas said: It shall no longer be that “they spilled their blood like water around Jerusalem” (Psalms 79:3).
“And he is a witness” – this is Israel: “You are My witnesses, the utterance of the Lord, and I am God” (Isaiah 43:12). “Who either saw [raa]” – “you have been shown [horeita] in order to know” (Deuteronomy 4:35). “Or knew” – “you shall know this day” (Deuteronomy 4:39). “If he does not tell, he shall bear his iniquity” – if you do not tell of My divinity to the nations of the world, I will exact vengeance against you. When? “When they say to you: Seek the necromancers” (Isaiah 8:19).
Midrash Tanchuma
That you smashed (Deuteronomy 10:2): Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yishmael [differed on the matter]. One said, "[God was saying,] 'Take this here from Me which you broke, Moshe.'" And one said, "He did well." There is a [relevant] parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a a king who betrothed a woman. He said to her, "After some time, I will send your marriage contract through a nuptial agent. After some time the king sent [it]. While [the agent] was going, he found that she was sullied with another [man]. What did the agent do? He tore that marriage contract. He said, "It is better that [the king] judge her as a single woman, and not as a married woman." So [too,] did the Holy One, blessed be He, betroth Israel, as it is stated (Exodus 19:10), "and you shall be sanctified (a word sometimes used to denote marriage) today and tomorrow." Moshe [then] came to give them the Torah, and found that they did that act [of the golden calf]. What did he do? He broke the talets, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 9:16-17), "I saw how you had sinned against the Lord, your God [...]. Thereupon I gripped the two tablets and flung them away with both my hands, smashing them before your eyes." Rabbi Beracheya said in the name of Rabbi Helbo in the name of Rabbi Yishmael bar Nechemiah, "The length of the tablets was six handbreadths and their width was three. Moshe held on to two and the Holy One, blessed be He, to two and there were two handbreadths of space in the middle. And Moshe's hands became strong and he grabbed the tablets and broke them, as it is stated (Exodus 32:19), 'and he flung from his hands.' Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "that you broke." Why did he break them? Because the writing upon them flew away. And therefore he broke them. There is a [relevant] parable. To what is the matter comparable? To a courier who was going to bring a royal edict in his hand to a province. And he passed through a river and the [documents] fell into the water and the letters were erased. What did that courier do? He tore them. As it is stated (Deuteronomy 9;16), "I saw how you had sinned against the Lord, your God." What did he see? He saw the letters flying away. And so he also broke [the tablets], as it is stated, "which you broke." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "I dictated in My Torah and stated (Leviticus 5:23), 'he would restore that which he got through robbery [...], or the deposit that was entrusted to him.' And [so] restore that deposit that was with you. And this is what is stated (Deuteronomy 10:1), 'Carve out for yourself two tablets of stone like the first ones.' And not only that, but tomorrow they will be reviewing that which they will be learning from you, 'If a barrel is broken, and the intermediary breaks it, [the payment] is from him.' You were the intermediary between us, and you broke [them]. Therefore you have to pay." Therefore it is stated, "Carve out for yourself." The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "In this world, you learn and forget, because of the evil impulse. But in the future to come, I am uprooting the evil impulse from you and you will not forget, as it is stated (Isaiah 36:26), 'I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh.' And not only that, but you will not need [another] person to teach [you the Torah], as it is stated (Jeremiah 31:34), 'No longer will they need to teach one another and say to one another, "Know the Lord"; for all of them, from the least of them to the greatest, shall know Me.'" And so may it be His will; and let us say, "Amen!"