Moses in Rabbinic Literature - The People Worship The Golden Calf

The People Worship The Golden Calf

The Torah was intended originally only for Moses and his descendants; but he was liberal enough to give it to the people of Israel, and God approved the gift (Talmud Nedarim 38a). According to another version, God gave the Torah to the Israelites for Moses' sake (Exodus Rabba xlvii. 14). Moses' burnt tongue was healed when he received the Law (Deuteronomy Rabba i. 1).

As Moses was writing down the Torah, he, on reaching the passage "Let us make man" (Gen. i. 26), said to God, "Why dost thou give the Minim ("heretics") the opportunity of construing these words to mean a plurality of gods?" whereupon God replied: "Let those err that will" (Genesis Rabba viii. 7). When Moses saw God write the words erekh appayim ("long-suffering"; Exodus 34:6), and asked whether God was long-suffering toward the pious only, God answered, "Toward sinners also." When Moses said that sinners ought to perish, God answered, "You yourself will soon ask me to be long-suffering toward sinners" (Sanh. 111a). This happened soon after Israel had made the golden calf (ib.). Before Moses ascended to heaven he said that he would descend on the forenoon of the forty-first day. On that day Satan confused the world so that it appeared to be afternoon to the Israelites. Satan told them that Moses had died, and was thus prevented from punctually fulfilling his promise. He showed them a form resembling Moses suspended in the air, whereupon the people made the golden calf (Shab. 89a; Exodus Rabba lxi.). When, in consequence of this, Moses was obliged to descend from heaven (Exodus 32:7), he saw the angels of destruction, who were ready to destroy him. He was afraid of them; for he had lost his power over the angels when the people made the golden calf.The Bible does not note Aaron's opinion of this request, merely that he complied, and gathered up the Israelites' golden earrings. He melted them and constructed the golden calf. The Hebrew word calf can also mean circle. This wold explain that they made a RA symbol and not casted a calf (difficult manufacturing process with furnace, beeswax, clay, etc.). Aaron also built an altar before the calf / circle (RA), and the next day, the Israelites made offerings and celebrated. God, however, protected him (Exodus Rabba xli. 12). When Moses came down with the tables and saw the calf (Exodus 32:15-20), he said to himself: "If I now give to the people the tablets, on which the interdiction against idolatry is written (Exodus 20:2-5), they will deserve death for having made and worshiped the golden calf." In compassion for the Israelites he broke the tablets, in order that they might not be held responsible for having transgressed the command against idolatry (Ab. R. N. ii.). Moses now began to pray for the people, showing thereby his heroic, unselfish love for them. Gathering from the words "Let me" (Exodus 32:10) that Israel's fate depended on him and his prayer, he began to defend them (Ber. 32a; Megillah 24a). He said that Israel, having been sojourning in Egypt, where idolatry flourished, had become accustomed to this kind of worship, and could not easily be brought to desist from it (Yalk., Ki Tissa, 397). Moreover, God Himself had afforded the people the means of making the golden calf, since he had given them much gold and silver (Ber. l.c.). Furthermore, God had not forbidden Israel to practise idolatry, for the singular and not the plural was used in Exodus 20:2-5, referring, therefore, only to Moses (Exodus Rabba xlvii. 14).