B"H

Friday, Adar 15, 5778 / March 2, 2018

This week’s Parsha, Ki Tisa, begins with G-d’s commandment that everyone over the age of twenty, give a half-Shekel, which was to atone for the sin of the Golden Calf. The half shekels were later used to build the foundations of the Mishkan (Tabernacle).

Then the Parsha relates the story of the Golden Calf. "And the people saw that Moshe delayed coming down from the mountain, so the people gathered around Aaron and they said to him, 'Rise up and make for us gods that shall go before us; for as for Moshe, the man that brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'"

Aaron knew that Moshe would soon descend from the mountain; so to delay them, he said, "Go and bring the golden rings which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons and your daughters." But the people brought the gold faster than Aaron imagined.

According to the Midrash, Aaron realized that if the people built an idol on their own, they would complete it quickly.  Therefore, he took charge of the job and tried to postpone it until Moshe returned.  But when Aaron took the gold and threw it into the fire, out came the Golden Calf.  This took place only 40 days after receiving the Torah, while Moshe was still on Mount Sinai.

The next day Moshe came down the mountain carrying the Two Tablets. Upon seeing the people dancing around the Golden Calf, he immediately threw down the Tablets and broke them. G-d wanted to destroy the entire nation, but Moshe pleaded with G-d for mercy. 

Moshe’s entire dialogue with G-d on behalf of his people, is recorded in the Parsha.

After breaking the Tablets, Moshe went back up Mount Sinai and prayed for 40 days. Then he went up Mount Sinai again for another forty daysand returned with the second set of Tablets. He came down the mountain with the Second Tablets and G-d's forgiveness on Yom Kippur, which became a day of Atonement for all generations. Moshe was on Mount Sinai a total of120 days.

Q.Why did the Torah change the order of events and tell us about the half- shekel, which was to atone for the sin of the Golden Calf, in the beginning of the Parsha, beforetelling us about the actual sin of the Golden Calf?

A.Our sages tell us that G-d prepares the remedy before the plague and the cure before the sickness. This is why the Torah tells us about the building of the Mishkan and about the giving of the half Shekel, which was to atone for the Golden Calf, before telling us about the sin of the Golden Calf to teach us this important lesson: G-d always prepares the cure before the ailment.

SHABBAT SHALOM

Montrealcandle lighting time: 5:25 / Shabbat ends: 6:28