March 3, 2024|כ"ג אדר א' ה' אלפים תשפ"ד What is worse than worshipping a golden calf? By Rabbi Jonathan Muskat

The Bnei Yisrael are looking for God in this week’s parsha. Moshe, the bridge between them and God, has left and they believe that he is not returning so they need some other way to find God. And they build a golden calf, one of the most serious sins imaginable. However, the trigger for God's wrath in this week’s parsha isn't just idolatry or the making of the golden calf, nor even the bold assertion that this calf freed them from Egypt. It isn't the construction of an altar or the offering of sacrifices to this idol. It all comes down to two simple words: "vayakumu l’tzachek" — they rose to mock and laugh. The moment they engaged in mockery, God turned to Moshe, declaring, "Your people have acted corruptly and I must destroy them."

 

This raises the question: What is the breaking point for God? When does He declare "enough is enough"? Why does He tell Moshe that the nation is corrupt only after they mock? What does "l’tzachek" truly signify? Is it literal laughter, or does it imply something deeper? If it is mere celebration, why does it trigger such a severe response?

 

One interpretation suggests that indeed, it's the revelry that angers God. You know the famous Jewish expression that you can’t do something because it might lead to mixed dancing. What’s the source? The golden calf. It’s all about the dancing! The Ramban subscribes to this view. Notice when Moshe shatters the tablets — not just upon seeing the golden calf, but upon witnessing the “mecholot,” the dancing as well. It was the final straw for both God and Moshe. Worshipping other gods is one thing, but reveling in it is another.

 

Reflecting on this narrative, we can wonder: Did the Bnei Yisrael truly miss Moshe? Did they share a genuine bond with him? Did they desire his leadership? He was a formidable figure, perhaps more feared than loved. They relied on him, but did they cherish him? With Moshe seemingly absent, they panicked. Lost in the desert, they turned to the golden calf for guidance — a stark contrast to Moshe. Their jubilation suggests a deep-seated attachment to idolatry, a comfort zone disrupted by Moshe's teachings. The Netziv writes:

 

ויקומו לצחק. בשמחה רבה שנפטרו מהשגחת הקדוש ברוך הוא שהוא מגיע ע"י תורה ועבודה דוקא, ודבר זה היה קשה עליהם לקבל מתחלה

 

"They rose to be “metzachek:” With great joy that they were exempt from the supervision of God that is achieved through Torah and service specifically. This was something that was difficult for them to initially accept."

 

Yes, they accepted God and His Torah at Sinai, but their celebration of a new leader, a golden calf, indicates that their acceptance was not wholehearted. They still yearned for idolatry and a world without Torah and mitzvot. Imagine if someone saves your life, so you are indebted to him and you’ll do whatever he says. That’s the Bnei Yisrael, indebted to Moshe and to God for saving them from the Egyptians. What choice do they have other than accept the Torah? Of course, they will accept the Torah and they are nervous when they believe that Moshe is not returning. But once they realize he is not returning and they are getting back their old pagan worship, they are excited!

 

Rabbi Chaim Sabato suggests that had Moshe not shattered the luchot, the Bnei Yisrael might have tried to straddle two worlds — that of the golden calf and that of the Torah. They could have viewed their sin as a minor transgression, swiftly forgiven by Moshe. But such a compromise is untenable. The luchot, premised on the assumption of a nation still entangled in idolatry, must be destroyed. This is one interpretation of the significance of "vayakumu l’tzachek" — a crime of celebration, of a residual thick attachment to idolatry, that demands a decisive response.

 

But Rashi doesn’t accept this explanation. It can’t be that mere idolatry doesn’t trigger God’s harsh response but idolatry and celebration does trigger the response. Rashi looks for a more severe sin in his explanation of what prompted God to tell Moshe that the people were acting corruptly. Rashi writes:

 

לצחק - יש במשמע הזה גלוי עריות, כמו שנאמר (בראשית לט יז) לצחק בי, ושפיכות דמים, כמו שנאמר (שמואל ב' ב יד) יקומו נא הנערים וישחקו לפנינו, אף כאן נהרג חור: 

 

"There is implied in this term sexual immorality, as we the word used in, 'to mock me,' in the story of the wife of Potiphar who accused Yosef of trying to be intimate with her, and implied in this is also bloodshed, as it is said, 'Let the young men arise and play before me' – a story in Shmuel Bet when Avner and Yoav had their