B"H
Tuesday, Adar 18, 5781 / March 2, 2021
In this week's Parsha, Ki Tisa, we read about one of the gravest sins committed by the Jewish people - the sin of the Golden Calf. It took place at the end of the forty days when Moshe was still on Mount Sinai to receive the Two Tablets. At this point they gave up on Moshe coming back.
The Torah tells us, "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, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'"
Q. Why did they think that Moshe would not come back?
A. When Moshe went up Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, he told them that he would return on the 40th day. The day Moshe went up was not to be included. The people, however, began their count from that day. According to their count, Moshe didn’t return on the 40th day.
Q. Aaron took the gold which was brought to him and threw it in fire and out came the Golden Calf. Why did a calf emerge from the fire?
A. Before Joseph died, he commanded that his bones be taken out of Egypt, at the time of the Exodus, and be buried in Israel. After Joseph died, Pharaoh had Joseph's coffin placed in the Nile River. Pharaoh thought that, without Joseph’s remains, the Jewish people would not be able to leave Egypt.
When the time for the Exodus came, Moshe went to the Nile and put in a plate with the inscription, "Come up ox," because in Jacob's blessings, Joseph is likened to an ox. Immediately, Joseph's casket rose to the surface and was taken out with them when they left Egypt. Someone got hold of this plate and threw it into the fire. Thus, a Golden Calf emerged.
Q.Parshat Ki Tisa has 139 verses. Yet, in the Shabbat Torah reading the Kohen and Levi (first two Aliyot) take up 92 verses! The remaining five Aliyot together contain only 47 verses! Why is the majority of the Parsha read for the Kohen and Levi?
A. From all the twelve Tribes, the only one that did not worship the Golden Calf was the Tribe of Levi. Not even one person of the tribe of Levi (which includes the Kohen too) sinned.
For this reason our sages divided the Parsha this way, so that the entire story of the Golden Calf will be read for the Kohen and Levi, whose ancestors were not involved in the sin of the Golden Calf. Calling up anyone else for the reading of this tragic episode in our history would be embarrassing for them, for it would be a reminder of the terrible sin of their ancestors. Thus, the entire story is read for the Kohen and Levi.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY