Ki Sisa

In this week’s parashah, we learn many details about the cheit ha’eigel, the sin of the Golden Calf.

The nation – actually, the erev rav , those not fully committed to subservience to Hashem (see Rashi 32:4) – saw that Moshe was (according their erroneous calculation) delayed in descending from Har Sinai and they demanded that Aharon establish a new god, or intermediary, to lead them.

Aharon suggested that they collect gold, which they quickly do. Aharon melts the gold, and the Golden Calf emerged. The erev rav announces: אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלוּךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם, this is your god, Israel, that delivered you from the Land of Egypt.

In an effort to prevent the nation’s worshiping the idol, Aharon suggested they wait until the next day before paying it tribute, and they agree. Aharon was hopeful that Moshe would descend before the celebration would commence, but that was not to be.

Early the next morning the Nation gathered to pay homage to their new god with sacrifices, food, drink, debauchery and merriment.

Hashem tells Moshe that the Jews had sinned and threatens to destroy the Nation. Moshe pleads for Hashem’s forgiveness, which is partially granted, and descends from the mountain carrying the Tablets.

The Torah then shares with us an exchange that took place between Moshe and his disciple,Yehoshua:  וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת קוֹל הָעָם בְּרֵעֹה וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל מֹשֶׁה קוֹל מִלְחָמָה בַּמַּחֲנֶה: וַיֹּאמֶר אֵין קוֹל עֲנוֹת גְּבוּרָה וְאֵין קוֹל עֲנוֹת חֲלוּשָׁה קוֹל עַנּוֹת אָנֹכִי שֹׁמֵעַ:, And Yehoshua heard the sound of the Nation in its shouting, and he said to Moshe: “There is the sound of battle in the camp.” And Moshe said: “This is not the sound of the shout of victory, nor is it the sound of the shout of defeat. It is the sound of blasphemy and sacrilege that I hear. (32:17-18, see Rashi)

What lesson is there in this exchange that leads the Torah to spend two entire pesukim recording it?

In every generation – every few years, in fact – “activists” appear, declaring ki vosheish Moshe, that the Torah leaders are tarrying. That the gedolei Yisrael are failing the Nation. That they are being derelict in their duties. That we need new leadership, which these activists are glad to provide.

The Gold Calf that had clearly done nothing for the Jews – it had just come into existence – yet it was declared to have been the true redeemer of the Jews. Similary, these “activists” arrogate to themselves roles of religious and social leadership.

Sometimes, the Rabbis of the “activists” seek, like Aharon, to mollify them in the hope that things will be resolved. More often then not, these efforts fail.

But even though we may be outside that camp – just as Yehoshua was – we hear from the distance the sound of the nation in its shouting and might say to ourselves there is the sound of battle in the camp. We may think someone is standing up to help our fellow Jews, and perhaps they have a good point. Maybe their arguments are cogent. Perhaps the new approaches, though untraditional, are what we need.

In these two verses, the Torah tells us that our ears are not properly attuned. Moshe – and his heirs, the Gedolei Yisrael of each generation – are the only ones sensitive enough to distinguish the nuances of the sound. We must turn to them for guidance. More often than not, history has shown that these new causes reflect neither the sound of the shout of victory, nor the sound of the shout of defeat, but the sound of blasphemy and sacrilege.

A friend of mine once heard what he thought was an amazing kabalistic breakthrough from a non-observant self-proclaimed Kabbalist. The friend called his Rebbe to share this new concept. His Rebbe offer him this pithy reply: “If Hashem wanted to share a profound Torah insight with the world, this non-observant fellow would not be the messenger.”

A lesson of these verses is that we dare not rely on our own limited range of hearing to pass judgment on new causes, approaches, ideas and ideologies. It is the gedolei Yisrael who must tell us which “sound” is a mask for blasphemy and which “sound” is an echo the authentic “Voice of Hashem that breaks cedars” (Tehillim 29:5)

May Hashem continue to grant us their guidance.

Gut Shabbos.