Parshat Ki-Tisa:

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Parshat Ki-Tisa
Chet HaEgel and the 13 Midot of Rachamim
Part I
Shiur by Menachem Leibtag
Presentation by Ronni Libson
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No date of return specified!
Not first time Moshe goes up on Har Sinai
Previous times he was gone only a day or two
Days and weeks pass, Moshe does not return
People conclude Moshe is gone forever
Options

• Remain stranded in the desert

No theyve waited for Moshe long enough

• Return to Egypt

No against Gods will and command

• Continue journey to Eretz Canaan

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Request for a new leader
A leader that will walk in front of us and lead
us
God's earlier promise
Bnei Yisrael assumed this malach was Moshe
The malach must be someone who commands them,
represents God, and one with God's Name in his
midst
Moshe is gone
People demand Aharon make a replacement for this
malach or possibly a symbol of this malach,
in order that they can continue their journey to
the Promised Land
4
Aharons response to request
Appears as though Aharon actually agrees to
request
Peoples statement upon seeing the egel
Does not imply that this Golden Calf actually
took them out of Egypt
Egel is not a replacement for God, rather a
representation of His Presence
To assure that the egel is properly understood as
a representation of God, Aharon calls for a
celebration
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Ceremony in Mishpatim
Ceremony in Ki-tisa
Both Built a mizbayach in front of 'symbol' of
relationship with God
Mishpatim 12 monuments - representing
fulfillment of Brit Avot
Ki-tisa Egel representing malach that God
had promised would lead them
Ceremony in Mishpatim includes reading of sefer
habrit Gods promise to send a malach to
lead them
Both ceremonies relate to Bnei Yisrael's
acceptance of a malach that will lead them to
the land
Egel masecha a face covering hiding the
true face while leaving a representation of what
man can perceive
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Why is God angered?
Ceremony in Mishpatim
Ceremony in Ki-tisa
Ceremony seems to have gotten out of hand
??????? ???? ??????
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The loud noise Moshe hears upon descending from
Har Sinai is the loud laughing of "vaykumu
l'tzachek"
Negative context
Moshe was upset no less by the 'wild dancing'
than by the egel itself!
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God gets angry and tells Moshe to go down only on
the next day, after "va'yakumu l'tzachek"!
God does not become angry when Aharon makes the
egel
Va'yakumu l'tzachek" describes the primary sin
of chet ha'egel
Public celebration around egel (initiated by
Aharon) began with good intentions
Ended with Bnei Yisrael reverting back to
Egyptian culture
Bnei Yisrael did not change - God took them out
of Egypt in hope that they would change
Before the exodus God demanded Bnei Yisrael rid
themselves of Egyptian culture
Upon proclaiming "naaseh v'nishmah appears as
if theyve changed
At chet haegel proved their inner character
never changed
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Two stages in sin at chet haegel
1) Making a physical representation of God
improper but understandable
2) Frivolous behavior after the eating and
drinking at the conclusion of the ceremony -
inexcusable
Gods double statement to Moshe after the sin
Regression to Egyptian culture
Stiff-necked people' unable to change their ways
God decides to destroy Bnei Yisrael, choosing
Moshe to become His special nation instead
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Conversation between Moshe and Aharon after chet
haegel
Aharon knows their nature based on previous
experiences
Once Aharon explained what happened in the first
stage, Moshe already understood what happened in
the second stage
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Punishment reflects two stages of sin
Stage 2
Instigators who incited licentious behavior no
room for forgiveness
Stage 1
Moshe asks God for forgiveness for rest of nation
their actions began with good intentions