Rashi on TanakhExodus 32

That Moshe was late. As Onkelos translates it — a term for lateness. Similarly: “[Why] is the rider (בּשֵׁשׁ) late?” [or:] “They waited until (בּוֹשׁ) it was late.” For when Moshe ascended the mountain he had told them: “At the end of forty days I will return within [the first] six hours.” They thought that the day that he ascended is included [in the forty days] but, actually, he had told them “full [days]” [i.e.] forty days, each day with its preceding night. But the day that he ascended, its night was not part of it for he ascended on the seventh of Sivan. Consequently the actual 40th day was the seventeenth of Tammuz. On the sixteenth (of Tammuz) the Satan came and caused disorder in the world by creating the appearance of darkness, deep gloom and confusion [so as to lead people] to say: “Moshe has certainly died and therefore the world has been thrown into disorder.” He said to them: “Moshe has died, for six hours have already come and he still has not come, etc.” as is related in Tractate Shabbos. It is impossible to say that their mistake was due only to a cloudy day whether it was before or after noon, for Moshe did not descend until the following day, as it is said: “They arose early the next morning and offered burnt-offerings.”

That will lead us. They yearned to have many gods.

For this Moshe, the man. The Satan showed them a likeness of Moshe being carried in the air high in the sky.

Who brought us up from the land of Egypt — and taught us the way to go; now we need gods who will go before us.

On the ears of your wives. Aharon thought to himself: the women and children fancy their jewelry, perhaps, [as a result], the thing will be delayed and in the meantime Moshe will arrive. But they did not wait [for the women and children] and took off [their own jewelry] from themselves.

Remove. פָּרְקוּ is a plural imperative (a command) derived from פָּרֵק in the singular as in בָּרְכוּ derived from בָּרֵךְ .

They removed. [וַיִתְפָּרְקוּ] has the meaning of unloading a burden, for when they removed them from their ears they became “unloaded” of their rings, descharjier in Old French.

אֶת נִזְמֵי . As if it were: מִנִּזְמֵי — “of the rings,” as in: “As soon as I go out (אֶת הָעִיר)” [meaning:] (from) of the city.

And formed it with an engraving tool. This can be translated two ways: The first: וַיָּצַר as a term for tying and בַּחֶרֶט as a term for a cloth, as in: “the shawls (וְהַחֲרִיטִים) and the cloths,” [or:] “He tied two kikar of silver in two (חֲרִיטִים) cloths.” The second: וַיָּצַר as a term for forming images; בַּחֶרֶט, a tool used by goldsmiths with which they scrape and engrave images into gold, like the stylus of a scribe who engraves letters onto tablets and ledgers, as in: “And write on it with a man’s (בַּחֶרֶט) stylus.” This was Onkelos’ intent when he translated it: “He engraved it with a זִיפָא, from the word זִיּוּף — “forgery.” It is a tool for engraving letters and designs in gold, referred to in Old French as neel, and through it seals can be forged.

A molten calf. As soon as he threw it into the fire, in a melting pot, the magicians of the riffraff came — those who went up with them from Egypt — and made it (the Calf) by means of magic. Some say that Michah was there for he had come out of the foundations of a building into which he had been crushed in Egypt. He had in his hand an amulet and a plate onto which Moshe had written: “Arise ox! Arise ox!,” with which to bring up Yoseif’s bier from the Nile, and he (Michah) threw it into the melting pot and out came the Calf.

Molten. [מַסֵּכָה is] a word that relates to metal. An alternate explanation [of מַסֵּכָה]: There were 125 kikars of gold in it (the Calf), equal to the gematria (the numerical value) of מַסֵּכָה .

These are your Gods. It does not say: These are our gods. From this [we derive] that the riffraff that came up from Egypt were the ones that gathered against Aharon and were the ones that made it (the Calf), and afterwards misled the Israelites to follow it.

Aharon saw — that it was alive as it is said [of the Golden Calf]: “in the form of an ox eating grass,” and he thereby saw that the Satan’s act succeeded and therefore had no excuse to put them off completely.

He built an altar — so as to stall them.

And he said, tomorrow will be a festival to Adonoy. But [he did not say] “today,” in case Moshe would return before they worship it. That is its plain meaning. But its midrashic explanation is in Vayikra Rabbah: [וַיַּרְא אַהֲרֹן] Aharon saw many things: he saw that when his nephew, Chur, reprimanded them, they killed him [and accordingly] וַיִּבֶן מִזְבֵּחַ לְפָנָיו [should be understood as:] וַיָּבֶן מִזָּבוּחַ לְפָנָיו — “He understood from the one slaughtered before him.” He also saw [the situation] and he said: Better the blame be put on me and not on them. He saw yet another thing and he said: “If they build the altar, themselves, one will bring a chip of wood and another will bring a stone, resulting in their work being completed all at once. But through my building it and procrastinating in my work, in the meantime Moshe will come.”

A festival to Adonoy. In his heart it was to God. He was confident that Moshe would arrive and that they would worship God.

They arose early. The Satan hurried them for the purpose of sinning.

To amuse themselves. There is the implication [in לְצַחֵק] of sexual immorality, as it is said: “to mock me” (Potiphar’s wife’s accusation against Yosef) and of bloodshed, as it is said: “Let the lads arise and ‘play’ before us.” Here, too, [לְצַחֵק alludes to] Chur’s being killed.

[Adonoy] spoke. [וַיְדַבֵּר] is a term of harshness as in: “(וַיְדַבֵּר) He spoke with them harshly.”

“Go down.” I.e., “Descend from your exalted position. I did not give you your high position except for their sake.” At that moment Moshe was ostracized by the Heavenly Court.

Your people have become corrupt. It is not said: “the people have become corrupt,” but, rather: “your people” — the riffraff whom you accepted, on your own accord, and you accepted as proselytes without consulting Me, and you thought it good that proselytes be joined to the Shechinah — they have become corrupt and have corrupted others.

Stiff-necked. So-called because they turn their stiff necks towards those who reprimand them and refuse to listen.

Leave Me alone. We have not yet heard of Moshe praying for them and already He has said, “Leave me alone”?! But He thereby gave him an opening and let him know that the matter depends on him, that if he will pray for them He will not destroy them.

“Adonoy! Why,” etc. Can there be a thought of jealousy, unless it is a wise man of a wise man or a powerful man of a powerful man.

And reconsider. I.e., formulate another plan to do good to them.

The evil — that You had planned for them.

Remember Avraham. If they transgressed the Ten Commandments, their father Avraham was tested through ten tests, and has not yet received his reward, give it to him [now] and let the “ten” offset the “ten.”

Avraham, Yitzchok and Yisrael. If [their punishment is to be] by burning then remember Avraham who offered himself to be burnt for Your sake in Ur Kasdim. If [it is to be] by the sword, then remember Yitzchok who stretched forth his neck at the “binding.” If [it is to be] through exile, then remember Yaakov who went into exile to Charan. And if they cannot be saved by their [forefathers’] merit, then what is this that You tell me: “I will make you into a great nation”? If a chair with three legs cannot stand before You at the time of Your anger [then this is] certainly [true] of a chair with one leg.

To whom You swore by Your self. You did not swear to them by something that is finite — neither by the heavens, nor by the earth, neither by the mountains, nor the hills, but only by Your Self. Who is eternal, and Your oath remains forever, as it is said: “‘By My Self I have sworn,’ says God.” To Yitzchok it was said: “I will establish the [same] oath that I swore to Avraham, your father.” And to Yaakov it was said: “I am God Almighty, be fruitful and multiply.” Thus He swore to him by “God Almighty.”

On both sides — were the letters readable, and it was a work of miracles.

They were the work of God. As it implies: He (God) Himself in His Glory made them. An alternate explanation: It is analogous to a person who tells his friend, “All the occupation of so-and-so is with that particular work.” So too is all the preoccupation of God with the Torah.

Engraved. The words חָרֹת and חָרֹט are the same, both being terms for engraving, enteillier in Old French.

Rejoicing. [Meaning:] trumpeting — for they were blowing horns, rejoicing and laughing.

It is not the sound of strength. This sound seems neither the shout of the mighty, who cry out, “Victory”! nor the sound of the weak who cry out, “Woe”! or, “Let us flee”! [but, rather —]

A sound of song. I.e., a sound of defamations and blasphemies (הַמְּעַנִּין) which torment the soul of those who hear them when they are related to him.

And he threw down from his hands, etc. He thought to himself: Just as the korbon Pesach, which is just one of the mitzvos [of the Torah], yet the Torah says: “No stranger may eat from it”; but the entire Torah is here [on the Tablets] and all the Israelites have become apostates, how can I conceivably give it to them?!

Beneath the mountain. [I.e.,] at the foot of the mountain.

He scattered it. A term meaning scattering. Similarly “(יְזוֹרֶה) there shall be scattered on his dwelling place, brimstone.” And similarly: “For naught (מְזוֹרָה) is the net spread out” [so called] because grain and beans are scattered in it.

And made the B’nei Yisrael drink it. He intended to test them [in the same manner] as are women suspected of adultery. Three different death penalties were inflicted there: [1.] if there were witnesses and a warning [to the sinner] — by the sword, the same as an idolatrous city, when there are many involved. [2.] If there were witnesses but no warning — by the plague, as it is said: “God struck the people with a plague.” [3.] If there were no witnesses and no warning — by swelling up, for the water tested them and their stomachs swelled up.

What did this people do to you. How much pain did you endure that they tortured you before you brought this sin on them?

That [the people] are set on evil. They are always going on an evil way with temptations before God.

I said to them. I said one thing to them — only: “Who has gold”? and they hurriedly removed it and gave it to me.

I threw it into the fire — and I did not know that this calf would come out and it did come out.

Exposed. [Meaning:] exposed — its shame and disgrace were exposed, as in: “(וּפָרַע) He shall expose the head of the woman.”

Disgraced among their adversaries. [Meaning:] that this matter shall be a disgrace for them before all who rise up against them.

“Whoever is for Adonoy, to me”! I.e., “Come to me.”

All the sons of Leivi. From here it is derived that the entire Tribe was righteous.

This is what Adonoy said, etc. Where [did God tell him] this? “He who sacrifices to a god must be condemned to die.” This is how this is presented in Mechilta.

His brother — having a common mother, and he (the brother) is an Israelite.

Consecrate yourselves — you who kill them, by this act you will install yourselves as kohanim to God.

For each man — Amongst you will be installed [as a result of what each did] to his son and brother.

I will gain atonement for your sin. [I.e.] “I shall put a cleansing, wiping away and a covering in front of your sins, to separate between you and the sin.

A god of gold. “You (God) are the One who caused this to happen to them for You gave them an abundance of gold and anything they desired. How could they not sin”? A parable comparable to a king, who fed and gave drink to his son and adorned him and hung a bag [full of money] from his neck and made him stand in the doorway of a house of ill-repute; how could the son possibly not sin?

Now, if You would bear their sin — then well and good — I will not say to You, “Erase me,” but if not, erase me [from Your Book.] This is an elliptical verse and there are many such cases.

From Your Book. [I.e.] from the entire Torah, so that it should not be said of me that I was not worthy enough to ask for mercy on their behalf.

To [the place] of which I have spoken to you. Here is an instance where לָךְ is used connected with the verb דִבּוּר in the place of אֵלֶיךָ . A similar instance: “to speak to him concerning Adoniyohu.”

Behold, My Angel — but not I.

On the day that I take account, etc. As for now I shall listen to you [and refrain] from destroying them all at once; but always and consistently, whenever I will take an accounting of their sins, I will also account for a little of this sin along with their other sins. And, indeed, no punishment is meted out to Yisrael that does not have along with it some of the punishment for the sin of the Calf.

Adonoy struck the people with a plague. [I.e.,] death at the hands of the Heavenly King, [for those who sinned] before witnesses without having received a warning.