The Golden Calf and God’s Thirteen Attributes of Mercy

 

Summary: This essay contrasts two moments in the Torah when YHWH changes direction — the Flood and the Golden Calf. In the Flood narrative, YHWH “regrets” creating humanity, while Elohim remains unchanging and focused on moral order; yet Noah’s righteousness allows renewal. In the Golden Calf episode, Moses’ intercession causes God to relent from destroying Israel, and introduces a new divine relationship based on mercy rather than pure justice. This change is expressed through the revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, which establish a permanent covenantal path to forgiveness through repentance (teshuva). From this point onward, Judaism recognizes that while divine justice remains, it is tempered by compassion, making repentance and renewal possible for all generations.

 

 

An aspect of YHWH is His willingness to change direction (see also the essay “More about the names of God”). This happens twice in the Torah, and both times it has momentous implications.

 

The first is during God’s deliberations before the flood when He “regretted” creating man and decides to wipe out humanity:

 

And YHWH regretted (vayinachem) (וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם) having made man on earth, and He was pained in in His heart. And YHWH said: “I will blot out man whom I created from upon the face of the earth — from man to animal, and to birds of the sky: for I have reconsidered (nichamti) (נִחַ֖מְתִּי) having made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of YHWH” (Genesis 6:6-8).

 

An operative word in this passage is the Hebrew “vayinachem.” It can have a number of meanings including to regret, to reconsider and be comforted. At first glance, relenting and comforting would seem to have little in common, but in actuality both are associated with a change in outlook from the perspective of a static situation.

 

In contrast to YHWH, the aspect of God described by Elohim never changes His mind, both from the perspective of the physical laws of the universe and the moral laws governing humanity. In the Noah story, Elohim is in agreement with humanity’s destruction because of its corruption. The word “corruption” is mentioned three times in the associated Elohim-passage, no doubt for emphasis:

 

And the earth had become corrupt (vatishoket) (וַתִּשָּׁחֵ֥ת) before Elohim, and the earth had become filled with violence (chamas). And Elohim saw the earth and behold it was corrupted (nishchoso) (נִשְׁחָ֑תָה), for all flesh had corrupted (hischis) (הִשְׁחִ֧ית) its way upon the earth (Genesis 6:11-12).

 

Both the YHWH and Elohim aspects of God can proceed with this plan because there remains one righteous person in the world, Noah.

 

The second and only other time YHWH changes direction is after the episode of the golden calf

when having decided to destroy the Israelite people and start afresh with Moses, God “relents” following Moses’ appeals and institutes a new direction in relation to adherence to the covenant. This will change not only the fate of the Jewish people at that time, but the very essence of Judaism.

 

 

The actions of Aaron during the episode of the golden calf

 

God regarded the matter of the golden calf with extreme gravity. It is helpful to view this episode from the perspective of Moses’ brother Aaron, since he formed the golden calf and could be considered at least partially responsible for this entire incident. Moses’ accusation is recorded in the Torah:

 

Moses said to Aaron: “What did this nation do to you that you have brought so great sin upon it?” (Exodus 32:21).

 

To which Aaron replied:

 

“Let not my master’s anger burn, you know the people, that they are disposed toward evil. They said to me: ‘Make for us gods that will go before us, for this man Moses who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what became of him.” So, I said to them: ‘Who has gold?’ They unburdened themselves and gave it to me. I cast it into the fire, and this calf emerged” (Exodus 32:22-24).

 

Moses also reviews this episode in Deuteronomy and presents another angle regarding Aaron’s culpability:

 

 “The Lord was very angry with Aaron, to destroy him, but I [Moses] prayed for Aaron also” (Deuteronomy 9:20).

 

Despite this, Aaron is never punished for what he did, and the entire issue seems to have been dropped. He is even appointed High Priest, which would hardly be possible if his transgression was that severe.

 

Let us review the story.

 

On arriving at Mount Sinai after fleeing Egypt, the people agree to forge a covenant with YHWH. “Everything that YHWH has spoken we shall do!” (Exodus 19:8) they say.

 

After a three-day preparatory period, Moses brings the people towards the mountain to meet God and to verbally receive the Ten Commandments accompanied by an impressive and rather fearful sound and light show:

 

. . . there was thunder and lightning and a heavy cloud on the mountain, and the sound of the shofer was very powerful, and the entire people that was in the camp trembled. Moses brought the people forth from the camp towards Elohim, and they stood under the mountain. Mount Sinai was smoking in its entirety because YHWH had descended upon it in the fire; its smoke ascended like the smoke of the lime pit, and the entire mountain shuddered exceedingly (Exodus 19:16-18).

 

After this, Moses again ascends the mountain (Exodus 24:18) to receive two tablets of stone made by God, with the Ten Commandments engraved on both sides (Exodus 32:15).1 Before leaving the camp, Moses appoints Aaron and Hur as caretakers for the camp (ibid 24:14). The Torah does not announce how long Moses will be on the mountain. It may even be that Moses himself did not know, although it turns out to be forty days and forty nights (ibid 24:18).

 

By the fortieth day, Moses has not yet returned to the camp and the people panic about his non-appearance:

 

The people saw that Moses delayed descending the mountain, and the people gathered around Aaron and said to him: “Rise up, make for us gods (elohim) who will go before us, for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt – we do not know what became of him.” Aaron said to them: “Remove the golden rings that are in the ears of your wives, your sons and your daughters, and bring them to me.” The entire people unburdened themselves of the golden rings that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. He took it from their hands and he bound it in a scarf, and made it into a molten calf; then they said: “This is your god, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Israel (ibid 32:1-4).2

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Commentators follow a number of directions in assessing Aaron’s culpability. In view of his lack of punishment, one approach has been to exonerate Aaron through extenuating circumstances. Following a midrash, Rashi conjectures that Aaron saw Hur (Miriam’s son) murdered by the mob after opposing the people, and he was fearful for his own life.3 Other commentators such as Ibn Ezra, Sforno and Nachmanides follow Rashi’s approach in explaining that Aaron was attempting to buy time. He asked the people for gold jewelry from their wives and children hoping they would refuse to hand this over or that it would delay matters. When they promptly complied with his request, he formed a golden calf, but delayed matters further by announcing a festival for the next day. His whole intent was to delay matters as much as possible until Moses’ returned:

 

Aaron saw and built an altar before it; Aaron called out and said: “A festival to YHWH tomorrow!” (Exodus 32:5).

 

A novel approach is that of Nachmanides who suggests that the people were not requesting a physical representation of god to go before them but a physical representation of a human leader. He interprets their words as “Make us judges (elohim) who shall go before us” (ibid 32:1).4 This is an acceptable translation of the word “elohim.” The Kuzari similarly explains that the people were not seeking to engage in idolatry but wanted an image as a substitute for Moses.5

 

A more literal interpretation of the text by Ibn Ezra and Abarbanel is that the people indeed wanted something tangible to worship. They were not denying that God took them out of Egypt, but as for the other nations around them they wanted a physical representation of their God.6 This was not strictly speaking a denial of monotheism. Nevertheless, it was forbidden by the very Ten Commandments they had just accepted:

 

There shall not be unto you the gods of others before Me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image or any picture of that which is in the heavens above, and on the earth below, or in the water below the earth. Do not bow down to them nor worship them, for I am YHWH your God, a jealous God, who visits the sin of fathers upon children to the third and fourth generation for those who hate Me; but Who does kindness for thousands [of generations] to those who love Me and keep My commandments (Exodus 20:3-6).

 

The Ten Commandments makes no mention of making an image of God Himself. But this is more explicitly mentioned later in Exodus 34:17 after the revelation of the Thirteen Attributes — “You shall not make yourselves molten gods.” It could have been considered less grave than making an image of a pagan god. Thus, when King Jeroboam separated the ten northern tribes from Judea and the Davidic dynasty, he created two centers for the worship of the One God via two calves, one in Beth El and the other in Dan I (Kings 12:28).

 

Another possibility is that it was not just the idol worship that disturbed Moses, but the partying and dancing, which was very typical of pagan celebrations: “the people sat to eat and drink and they got up to revel (letzahek)” (ibid 32:6) and “it happened as he (Moses) drew near the camp and he saw the calf and the dances, that Moses’ anger burned” (ibid 32:19). In the pagan world, this type of partying could typically have involved sexual licentiousness.

 

 

The events on Mount Sinai

 

The episode of the golden calf occurred on the fortieth day of Moses’ stay on Mount Sinai and on the same day that he was about to return to the camp. God now tells Moses to hurry back to the camp because of what was happening there:

 

YHWH spoke to Moses, "Go, descend, for your people that you brought up from the land of Egypt have acted corruptly (shiches) (שִׁחֵ֣ת). They have strayed quickly from the way I have commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf and bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and said: This is your god, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.'" (Exodus 32:7-10).7

 

The Torah uses the word shiches in this first sentence, meaning acted corruptly. As mentioned, this word is also used in the Noah story when describing humanity’s corruption. By means of this and another literary expression in the next quotation, the Torah is making a thematic connection between the two stories, namely God’s reconsidering and changing direction:

 

YHWH goes on to say:

 

YHWH said to Moses: "I have seen this people and, behold, it is a stiff-necked people. And now, desist from Me. Let My anger burn against them, and I will annihilate them; and I shall make you into a great nation." Moses pleaded before YHWH, his God, and said, "Why YHWH should Your anger burn against Your people whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with great might and a strong hand? Why should Egypt say, saying: ‘With evil intent He brought them out, to kill them in the mountains, and to annihilate them from upon the face of the earth?' Relent from Your burning anger and reconsider (vehinochem) (וְהִנָּחֵ֥ם) the evil to Your nation. Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Yourself, and told them, 'I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens; and all this land which I have said, I will give to your descendants, and they will inherit it forever.'" And YHWH reconsidered (vayinochem) (וַיִּנָּ֖חֶם) regarding the evil that He had declared He would do to His nation (Exodus 32:9-14).

 

In response to God’s decision to annihilate the people, Moses makes two pleas, only one of which is dealt with in the passage above. This is that God should relent from destroying His people. As a result of Moses’ arguments, God does “reconsider.” Having staved off the people’s immanent destruction, Moses descends to the camp holding the two tablets in his hands (Exodus 32:15).

 

Seeing the calf and the dancing, his anger flares up and he throws both tablets to the ground and shatters them in front of the people, as if abrogating the covenant on behalf of God. He burns the calf, grinds it up, strews it upon the water, and makes the people drink from it. Those most involved in the calf worship, numbering 3,000 people, were killed by the Levites who had gathered to Moses.

 

Moses now ascends the mountain once more to seek further atonement:

 

Moses returned to YHWH and said, "Please, this people has sinned a great sin, and they have made for themselves a god of gold. And now, if you would but forgive their sin. . . ., and if not, erase me, please, from Your book which You have written." YHWH said to Moshe, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will erase from My book. And now, go, lead the people to where I have spoken to you. Behold My angel will go before you; and on a day that I make a reckoning, I will reckon to them their sin” (Exodus 32:31-34).8

 

YHWH spoke to Moses, "Go; ascend from here, you and the people that you brought up from the land of Egypt to the land that I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, 'I shall give it to your offspring.' I will send an angel before you, and I shall drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite, and the Hivvite and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey, for I will not ascend in your midst, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I will annihilate you on the way.” The people heard this bad tiding and they became grief stricken, and no one donned his ornaments. YHWH said to Moses, "Say to the Children of Israel: 'You are a stiff-necked people. If for one moment, I were to go up in your midst, I would annihilate you. Now remove your ornaments and I shall know what I shall do to you." (Exodus 33:1-3, 5).

 

There are two disappointing tidings for the Jewish people in these announcements. First, God will not go before them lest He annihilate them, but will send an angel as His agent. He will also not dwell amongst them in the Israelite camp. There is also no promise that the people will receive Divine protection after they have conquered the Canaanites.9

 

After receiving this communication, the people go into mourning. They remove their ornaments. Moses also moves his tent outside the camp so that he can continue to communicate face to face with God:

 

Moses said to YHWH: "Look, You say to me, 'take this people onward', but You did not inform me now whom You will send with me, yet You said, 'I have made you known with high repute, and you have also found favor in My eyes.' And now, please, if I have found favor in Your eyes, please let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your eyes. And see that this nation is Your people." He said, "My Presence shall go, and I shall provide you rest." He said to Him, "If Your presence does not go, do not bring us up from here. For how, then, will it be known that I have found favor in Your eyes, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us? Then, I and Your people will be set apart from all the people on the face of the earth!" YHWH said to Moshe, "This matter, also, that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in My eyes and I have known you by name."

He [Moses] said, "Show me, please, Your glory." And He said, "I will pass all My goodness before you, and I will proclaim the name 'YHWH' before you, and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy." He said, "You will not be able to see My face, for no human can see My face and live." YHWH said, "Behold! there is a place with Me; you shall station yourself on the rock. And when My glory passes, I will place you in the crevice of the rock, and I will cover you with My palm until I have passed. Then I shall remove My palm, and you will see my back; but My face may not be seen (Exodus 33:12-23).10

 

God accedes to Moses’ request. God Himself will go with the Israelite people. However, He does not agree that Moses should see His face, as this is not possible for a living person.11

 

Moses is now asked to carve out two tablets and to ascend alone to Mount Sinai. This is the time that God calls out His Thirteen Attributes, a formula that describes His attribute of forgiveness; and which, after repentance, can be used by the Jewish people whenever they seek forgiveness.

 

YHWH descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and He proclaimed by name, "YHWH". YHWH passed before him, and proclaimed: "YHWH, YHWH, a merciful and gracious El (God), slow to anger, abundant in kindness and truth. Who keeps kindness to the thousandth generation, Who forgives iniquity and rebellion and sin, but Who does not totally acquit, reckoning the sins of the fathers upon the sons and the sons' sons to the third and to the fourth generation. . . . He said: “Behold! I seal a covenant. Before your entire people I shall make distinctions such as have never been created in the entire world and among all the nations; and the entire people among whom you are will see the work of YHWH, which is awesome, that I am about to do with you (Exodus 34:5-7, 10).

 

The Koren Yom Kippur prayer book explains the Thirteen Attributes as follows:12

 

"YHWH": The name that signifies God’s attribute of compassion as opposed to strict justice.

 

"YHWH": God retains the same compassion even after we have sinned, thus making repentance possible.

 

"God (El)": the power and force through which God sustains the universe and all that lives.

 

"Compassionate": The root r-h-m is the same as womb. Hence, it means a kind of compassion a mother has for a child.

 

"Gracious": The root h-n-n refers to behavior that comes from the generosity of the one who does it, not the merits of the one to whom, or for whom, it is done.

 

"Slow to anger": Thus giving time for wrongdoers to repent.

 

"Abounding in loving kindness": According to a person’s needs, not their deserts.

 

"And truth": Giving a just reward to those who do His will.

 

"Extending loving-kindness to a thousand generations": God remembers through the ages the kindness of the patriarchs and the merits of our ancestors.

 

"Forgiving iniquity": Sins committed knowingly.

 

"Rebellion": Sins committed in a spirit of defiance.

 

"And sins": Sins committed unwittingly, either because we did not know what we were doing or did not know it was forbidden.

 

"And absolving": Literally “cleansing” those who repent.

 

Moses now ascends the mountain a third time for forty days, bringing with him new tablets that will soon contain the Ten Commandments, identical to the first ten, and that will also be written by the hand of God.

 

In essence, the Ten Commandments remain operative as previously, but are now accompanied by a verbal amendment reflecting God’s mercy.

 

 

The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy — old or new?

 

Most commentators agree that the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are not descriptions of the essence of God, since it is impossible to describe God. Rather, they are how man perceives the way that God acts. This way is eternal and has been present since the beginning of time:

 

Maimonides writes in his Guide to the Perplexed:

 

The Thirteen Attributes which are called the attributes of mercy are not attributes descriptive of His essence, but of His actions. That is to say, all these attributes refer to His actions, which are such as proceed from Him in relation to mankind in a manner corresponding to what we call acts of mercy and kindness. For all His actions are acts of loving-kindness, mercy, and goodness.13

 

The Torah mentions a number of times that the Jewish people should walk in the ways of God; being merciful is one way of emulating God. Maimonides also writes:

 

It has been shown that the thirteen attributes are not essential attributes, but actions. When we are commanded to imitate them, it means that we should act in accordance with those actions. That is to say, just as He is called 'gracious,' so should we be gracious; just as He is called 'merciful,' so should we be merciful; and so with all the other attributes. This is the meaning of the dictum of the Sages: 'As He is called gracious and merciful, so be you also gracious and merciful.'"14

 

Given the eternal nature of God’s attribute of mercy, why was it appropriate to introduce the Thirteen Attributes at this particular stage? Many commentators base themselves on the following Talmudic passage:

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Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Were it not written in the Bible, it would be impossible to say such a thing. This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, wrapped Himself like a prayer leader,
and showed Moses the order of prayer. He said to him: Whenever Israel sins, let them perform before Me this order, and I will forgive them. Rabbi Yehudah said: A covenant has been established regarding the Thirteen Attributes that they never return empty-handed, as it is stated: “Behold, I seal a covenant” (Exodus. 34:10).15

 

Nachmanides explains:

 

“‘And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed” (Ex. 34:6) – He taught him this order of requesting mercy. And the secret of the matter is that He established a covenant with them concerning these attributes, that they would always be effective for Israel. Therefore, our Rabbis said: “A covenant was established with the Thirteen Attributes that they never return empty-handed.” And the matter is not that they should merely recite them with their mouths, but rather that they should reflect upon them and understand their meaning, and humble themselves through them in their hearts, and pray accordingly.”16

 

The novelty of the Thirteen Attributes was their revelation to Israel at this stage in their history with the promise that their recitation would be an enduring path to forgiveness.

 

But there is more to it than this. A fundamental change took place with respect to God’s relationship with the Jewish people after the golden calf episode that involved considerably more than just the revelation of a formula, important as this formula may be. In effect, YHWH has changed the way He will deal with the Jewish people with respect to the covenant. First, He agrees that He will never abrogate the covenant, even if the Jewish people fail to adhere to its demands. Second, rather than relating to the demands of the covenant on the basis of justice alone, He will now deal with the Jewish people on the basis of either justice or mercy depending on the situation. The reason for this change is clearly that a covenant based solely on justice is not working. The people are unable to consistently maintain the necessary spiritual level for this type of relationship. God’s aspect of mercy has always been evident in His dealings with humanity, but it was not initially His intention that it be applied to the covenant.

 

The Ten Commandments are based on strict and uncompromising justice. This is evident from the words in bold in this quotation:

 

There shall not be unto you the gods of others before Me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image or any picture of that which is in the heavens above, and on the earth below, or in the water below the earth.(4) Do not bow down to them nor worship them, for I am YHWH your God, a jealous God , who visits the sin of fathers upon children to the third and fourth generation for those who hate Me; but Who does kindness for thousands [of generations] to those who love Me and keep My commandments. Do not take the name of Hashem, your God, in vain, for Hashem will not acquit he who takes His name in vain. (Exodus 20:3-7).

 

Similarly, God subsequently says:

 

Behold, I am sending an angel before you to watch over you on the way and to bring you to the place which I have prepared. Be careful of him, and listen to his voice; do not rebel against him because he will not forgive your transgression, for My name is within Him (Exodus 23:20-21).

 

It is helpful to compare the wording of the Ten Commandments with that of the Thirteen Attributes to appreciate the change that has now taken place.17

 

 “A jealous God” in the Ten Commandments changes in the Thirteen Attributes to “a merciful and gracious God”

 

 “And does kindness to the thousandth generation of those who love Me” changes in the Thirteen Attributes to “abundant in kindness and truth” and “Who keeps kindness to the thousandth generation.” Moreover, whereas in the Ten Commandments His kindness “to the thousandth generation” is restricted only to those who love Him, this limitation is not evident in the Thirteen Attributes.

 

In the Ten Commandments it states: “will not acquit,” whereas in the Thirteen Attributes it is written: “Who does not totally acquit.”

 

Exodus (23:21) (above) states: “He [the angel] will not forgive your transgression,” while the Thirteen Attributes states: “slow to anger.”

 

At the same time, YHWH introduces a new way for the Jewish people to deal with a merciful God, namely by engaging in the process of teshuva or repentance. The Thirteen Attributes are only effective with regret, contrition and repentance. Mere recitation of a formula is meaningless. Just as God “relented,” so, also, must the Jewish people change direction in order to be the beneficiaries of His mercy.

 

There is a strong Jewish tradition that Moses appropriately came down with the second set of tablets on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) after having spent forty days and nights appealing to God for repentance. In biblical times, both sin offerings and the rituals of Yom Kippur achieved atonement when accompanied by repentance. Maimonides explains in his Mishneh Torah the relationship between sin offerings and Yom Kippur with respect to repentance:

 

. . . Those who bring sin offerings or guilt offerings must also [confess their sins] when they bring their sacrifices for their inadvertent or willful transgressions. Their sacrifices will not atone for their sins until they repent and make a verbal confession as it states: “He shall confess the sin he has committed upon it [Leviticus 5:5].”18

 

The situation is somewhat different on Yom Kippur since the day itself atones for lighter sins even without repentance as a result of the ceremony of the scapegoat sent into the desert:

 

Since the goat sent [to Azazel on Yom Kippur] atones for all of Israel, the High Priest confesses upon it as a spokesman for all of Israel [as Leviticus 16:21] states: “He shall confess upon it all the sins of the children of Israel.” The goat sent to Azazel atones for all the transgressions in the Torah, the severe and the lighter [sins]; those violated intentionally and those transgressed inadvertently; those which [the transgressor] became conscious of and those which he was not conscious of. All are atoned for by the goat sent [to Azazel]. This applies only if one repents. If one does not repent, the goat only atones for the light [sins].18

 

It needs to be appreciated how radical was the innovation of repentance or teshuva. The Torah is based on a system of reward and punishment. Repentance is the means for individuals and the community to break a cycle of guilt and punishment and start afresh. 

 

It is of interest to compare the process of teshuva to the situation in the pagan world. Pagan gods were not interested in the welfare of individuals, the community, or even humanity in general. Humans could attempt to appease the gods by means of sacrifices that would be eaten by the gods. However, there was no other recourse available to prevent or alleviate their adverse decisions.

 

In conclusion, from the similar wording in the Noah story and the golden calf episode, it is evident that God is prepared to change direction. In the golden calf story, we are presented with a major change in the way that God relates to the Jewish people with respect to His covenant. No longer is the covenant based only on strict justice. Henceforth, it will be a combination of justice and mercy.

 

 

References

1. Cassuto suggests that details of the two tablets were recorded at this point so that it was evident they were of a size that someone could carry. The redundancy in the same sentence that the tablets were “inscribed on both their surfaces” and “they were inscribed on one side and on that” raised questions for midrashic commentators. Midrash Shemot Rabbah 47:4 suggests that the letters were cut all the way through the stone, yet were miraculously readable from both sides. Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tissa 26, suggests that the writing could be read from all directions — front, back, and sides. Cassuto suggests that half of the text was on one side of a tablet and half on the other (A Commentary on the Book of Exodus by Umberto Moshe David Cassuto, translated by Israel Abrahams, Varda Books, Illinois UJSA 2005, p418).

2. Cassuto explains that idols at that time were made on a wooden frame and the molten gold plating was sculptured on this frame. Hence, masecha is a molten image. This would explain how Moses was able to make the people drink from the ashes of the burnt idol in an almost a sota-like procedure (ibid 32:20). (A Commentary on the Book of Exodus by Umberto Moshe David Cassuto, translated by Israel Abrahams, Varda Books, Illinois UJSA 2005, p412).

3. Rashi to Exodus 32:5 following Vayikra Rabba 10:3. This explanation is no doubt occasioned by the fact that Hur is not mentioned further in the Torah after he was appointed caretaker. 

4. Nachmanides to Exodus 32:1

5. The Kuzari I:97–98 (in some editions I:96–97) by Yehudah HaLevi.

6. Ibn Ezra to Exodus 32:1 and 32:4 —“They wished for something they could see with their eyes, for they did not have faith in the invisible.” Abarbanel to Exodus 32:1 explains that the choice of a calf was influenced by Egyptian symbolism, a bull or calf representing divine strength and fertility (the Apis cult). Their sin lay in attempting to honor God through forbidden means, effectively creating a false mode of worship.

7. Nachmanides attempts to join together this entire episode in his commentary to the Torah and I use his explanations in this essay. In his commentary to Exodus 32:7 he suggests that two types of transgressions were committed. The majority of the people acted “corruptly” in that by bringing their gold rings they showed that they harbored false ideas. A limited number of people participated in the actual worship of the calf and they were executed by the Levites.

8. There is discussion among commentators as to what “book” Moses is talking about and whether this is an historical book or a book of judgement. Rashi interprets it as the entire Torah. Ibn Ezra suggests it is the constellations of the heavens upon which all the decrees affecting the lowly creatures of the earth depend. Nachmanides proposes it is the Book of Life, this being a metaphorical list of people entitled to Eternal Life in the world of souls. In effect, Moses was offering to vicariously bear the punishment of all the Israelite sinners. But God would not accept this.

9. In mentioning “on the way,” God intimated to Moses that the angel would accompany the people only during the journey to the Land of Israel and not after this (Nachmanides to Exodus 33:1).

10. From the placement in the text of this communication it would seem that it took place in Moses’ tent outside the camp. However, Nachmanides to Exodus 33:7 explains that this passage took place on Mount Sinai, as verse ibid 32:30 states explicitly “And now I shall ascend to YHWH,” and the next verse follows: “Moses returned to YHWH” (ibid 32:31). Hence, the end of verse 7 is explaining the result of the tent’s removal, a result that occurred several months after it was moved. Nachmanides rejects the suggestion of Pirkei deRabbi Eliezer that Moses ascended only twice to Mount Sinai and not three times, and that this communication took place in the camp, as it does not accord with the description in Deuteronomy. This issue is not a clear one and I do not explore it any further than the commentary of Nachmanides as it is not the main focus of this chapter.

11. This could imply that one who is no longer alive may be able to see God’s face. 

12. The Koren Yom Kippur Mahzor. The Rohr Family Edition. Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Koren Publishers Jerusalem, 2012. pp136-137.

13. Maimonides, Guide to the Perplexed I:54 (Friedländer’s edition based on Ibn Tibbon’s translation). Sforno also agrees that the Thirteen Attributes describe how God governs the world rather than describing His essence. These qualities were now revealed to Israel as the principles by which He will be dealing with them in the future (Sforno to Exodus 34:6–7). Almost all commentators agree with Maimonides. However, there are kabbalistic ideas that the sin of the golden calf was associated with a change in God’s essence. The Zohar (especially Zohar II, 124b–125a) suggests that before the sin, Israel related to God through higher, more concealed sefirotic channels (often identified with din/judgment). After the sin, new hanhagot (modes of governance) were revealed, corresponding to rachamim (mercy). These attributes are a new disclosure of divine channels activated at that historical moment. Nevertheless, kabbalists do not mean God “changed,” but that new sefirotic aspects were unveiled to Israel that had not been operative before. The Arizal, R’ Isaac Luria, built on the Zohar’s view that the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy were revealed only after the Golden Calf. (Etz Chayim, Sha‘ar 23, Sha‘ar HaYud-Gimel Middot)— “And know, that the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy were never revealed in the world until the sin of the Calf. When Israel sinned, the forces of judgment were aroused to destroy them. Then was revealed to Moses our teacher the mystery of the Thirteen Rectifications of the Beard (yud-gimel tikunei dikna). These are the channels from which mercy flows into the world to nullify judgments.” The 13 “hairs” or “strands” of the divine “beard” metaphorically describe channels where sublime mercy “drips,” filtering harsh judgment into compassion and allowing divine energy to descend to lower worlds without overwhelming them. Also transmitted by R’ Chaim Vital (Sha‘ar HaPesukim, Shemot).

14. Guide to the Perplexed III:53. Maimonides words are based on Sifrei Devarim 49, and Talmud Sotah 14a. Abraham was the first to walk in the way of God: “For I have cherished him, because he commands his children and his household after him that they keep the way of YHWH, doing righteousness and justice” (Genesis 18:19). To walk in the ways of God is mentioned in Deuteronomy 10:12, Deuteronomy 11:22, Deuteronomy 19:9 and Deuteronomy 28:9.

15. TB Rosh Hashona 17b.

16. Nachmanides to Exodus 34:6.

17. “Two Sins, Two Covenants” by Rav Menachem Leibtag in Torah MiEtzion. New Readings in Tanach. Shemot, eds. Rav Ezra Bick and Rav Yaakov Beasley, Maggid Books, Yeshivat Har Etzion , 2012, p463) 

18. Maimonides Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Teshuva 1:1 and 2. There is debate in the Talmud (TB Sh’vuos 13a) as to whether Yom Kippur atones for a Jew’s sins irrespective of repentance. Rabbi Yehuda HaNassi maintains that this is the case whereas the other Sages maintain that Yom Kippur only atones if a person repents. There are different opinions as to how to explain the statement of Maimonides. Maimonides holds that the scapegoat has the power to atone for sins, although in the absence of repentance only for lighter sins. In the absence of the scapegoat, as in our times, Yom Kippur only atones with repentance (see Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Teshuvah, Moznaim Publishing Corporation 1990, p11). Both Maimonides and Nachmanides agree that there is a biblical mandate to do repentance.