dsc@mtgzz.UUCP (d.s.chechik) (02/26/86)
Dvar Torah Parashas Ki Sisa
Parashas Ki Sisa contains the story of how, only 40 days
after receiving the Torah, the Jews sinned with the Aygel
Hazahav (golden calf).
The most immediate punishment for the sin of the Aygel is
described in the Torah as follows: "V'ata hored edyecha
mayalecha, ... Vayisnatslu Bnai Yisroel es edyam meyhar
Chorev." (And now remove your ornaments from upon you, etc.
And the Jews were stripped of the ornaments that they had
from Mount Horev.) The literal translation of "edyam" is
ornaments. Targum translates "edyam" as "tikun zinhon"
which is Aramaic for the Hebrew "klei zayin" or "weapons."
What are these ornaments that were received at the giving of
the Torah and why are they referred to as weapons? Why were
they removed after the sin of the Aygel.
Before answering this question let us look at another
Medrash that begs explanation. The Medrash Rabba contains
the following discussion related to both the giving of the
Torah at Sinai and the sin of the Aygel.
Rav Shmuel bar Rav Nachman said, "it was appropriate
for our forefathers to have said 'Naase Venishma' (we
will do and we will say) [while receiving the Torah at
Sinai]. It may also have been appropriate for them to
say 'Eylah Elohecha Yisroel' (this is your god Israel)
[while worshiping the golden calf]."
The Medrash is difficult to understand. The expressions and
their contexts are completely different. How was 'Eylah
Elohecha Yisroel' an appropriate expression? And if it was
appropriate, why were the "edyam" taken away from the Jews?
In order to understand the actual sin and its most immediate
punishment, let's look at at where the "edyam" originated.
The Medrash Tanchuma on parashas Tetzaveh relates:
Rav Abba Bar Rav Kahana said, "when the Jews said
"Na'ase venishma" (we will do and we will hear), G-d
immediately sent two angels to each and every Jew, one
with weapons and another with a crown."
Why was each Jew given both a crown and weapons? The crown
was for his own acceptance of the Torah. But each Jew could
have answered in the singular and said "E'ese veshma," (I
will do and I will hear). Since they answered as a group,
each took responsibility not only of keeping the laws
himself but also of ensuring that the community at large
would follow the dictates of the Torah. And so the Medrash
Tanchuma on parashas Yisro states:
Rebi said, "when the Jews stood at Mount Sinai they
were all as one in happily accepting upon themselves
the majesty of heaven. As it says, 'And all the nation
answered in one voice and said, all that Hashem said we
will do and we will hear.' And not only this, but they
also gave themselves as collateral, one for another."
Since each one accepted the responsibility of watching his
neighbor, he was given weapons symbolic of the strength
needed to carry out the task. Did the Jews live up to their
commitments?
By analyzing the appropriateness of "Eylah Elohecha Yisroel"
(this is your god Israel), we can answer all our questions.
The emphasis in the Medrash is on the exact words used. The
Jews were saying that the Aygel was "your god" and not mine!
The sin of idol worship is not just the deed; its essence is
the acceptance of the idol in the mind of the individual.
The Talmud in Tractate Sanhedrin (32) tells us that if
someone worshiped idols but did not accept them he is not
completely liable. Since most Jews did not accept the Aygel
as a god but described it as Elohecha (your god), they did
not entirely commit the sin of idol worship.
Why then were the Jews punished? The sin of most Jews was
that they did not rise up and stop the few of their brethren
that did sin. Jews are obligated to stop one another from
sinning. They had agreed to watch out for one another when
the Torah was given and they had violated that agreement.
The first punishment was then to remove "edyam", the
ornaments or weapons that they were given for agreeing to
ensure that the laws would be followed by all.
Dovid Chechik
AT&T Information Systems Labs
Middletown, NJ
(201) 957-5677
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