Mussar sobre Êxodo 32:11

The following is an excerpt of the Rekanati: "In the matter of the Passover lamb, remember the following rule. It is well known that the Redemption was orchestrated by an angel instructed by G–d in His capacity as the Ineffable Name. This is the meaning of the words אשר הוצאת מארץ מצרים בכל גדול וביד חזקה, "Who has taken you out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand” (Exodus 32,11). The Passover lamb is an allusion to this, the attribute of מלכות. It is further alluded to in the words: זאת חקת הפסח, “This is the statute of the Passsover" (12,43). You are familiar with the fact that the word זאת חקת which refers to the emanation מלכות, is an alternate name for חקה. Because this is so, a בן נכר, heretic, must not eat of the sacrifice in order to facilitate the expunging of all aspects of impurities and קליפות by those who do eat from it. When that is the case, this emanation can be totally surrounded by רחמים, the attribute of mercy. This is the secret why the lamb must be male (12,5) so that all the attributes mentioned can interchange with one another. Our sages claim that this is the reason we must mention the attribute of day at night and the attribute of night by day. G–d further commanded the lamb to be without blemish (12,5) because it is designed to secure רצון שם הנכבד, the goodwill of G–d's glorious name, another description of the שכינה. It is said of Israel in Song of Songs 4,7: כולך יפה רעיתי ומום אין בך, "You are entirely fair, my beloved, and there is no blemish in you." By performing the rites of the Passover sacrifice properly we aim to qualify for the praise expressed in Song of Songs. After all, G–d came to establish peace and harmony in the world, the reverse of what we read in Jeremiah 6,7: חמס ושוד ישמע בה על פני תמיד, חלי ומכה, "Lawlessness and rape are heard in her; before Me constantly are sickness and wounds." Try and understand this as it is important.

A slightly different version in Shemot Rabbah 42,6 attributes the reason that G–d used the term "your people" when speaking to Moses to the fact that it was the mixed multitude who initiated the sin of the golden calf. Moses had taken those people out of Egypt without having consulted G–d. When G–d spoke about wiping out the people in 32,10, He had these people in mind. Thereupon Moses began pleading with G–d in 32,11 asking G–d why He would be angry at the people of Israel, i.e. "Your people whom You have taken out of Egypt?" Moses implied that G–d did indeed have reason to be extremely angry at the mixed multitude, i.e. Moses' people. G–d then admitted that Moses had a point, and this is the meaning of 32,14 that G–d renounced His plans to punish His own people so severely. After reading both versions of the Midrashim it is clear that the Jewish people were still regarded as G–d's people even after they had participated in the sin of the golden calf. Not only that, but they bear the imprint of G–d's "seal" upon themselves as did their patriarch Jacob whom G–d had called “א-ל אלוקי ישראל, "the Lord of Israel called him א-ל." Moses, by contrast, was called א-לוהים. This whole reciprocal attachment, דבקות, is due to the intermediary Torah. It was the Torah which cleansed Israel from the residual pollutant of the original serpent when the Israelites stood at Mount Sinai.