Parashat Ki Tisa

Parashat: “Ki Tisa”

Haftarah: “Vayishlah Ah-av”

The Midrash says, “When Moshe returned to the foot of the mountain, he found his faithful disciple Yehoshua encamped there. Yehoshua had waited there for him for forty days. Together they approached the camp and heard the riotous sounds of the celebration around the “Egel” (the golden calf)."

“These sounds resemble the clamor of warfare” Yehushoua remarked, "You disappointed me Yehoshua", Moshe answered him. "You, the future of 600,000, should not be able to distinguish between one sound and another? This is not the shout of victory nor the moaning of defeat. We are hearing hymns of praise to an idol."

They entered the camp and saw the Golden calf and the merriment and dancing which accompanied it. Moshe’s anger was kindled.

"I cannot hand them the tablets (Luchut)", he thought.

"The Torah states that an epicures (a person that doesn't believe the oral law) may not fulfill the mitzvah of partaking of this Korban Pesach, all of Israel have now departed from Hashem and have become apikorsim. They are certainly not worthy of receiving the Luchut which are the Mitzvot."

Moshe turned around to return the Luchut to Hashem but the elders had noticed him and ran after him. They grabbed the Luchut. Moshe tried to pull them away and a struggle ensued. Moshe’s strength was greater than this combined strength of all seventy elders. He wrestled the Luchut from their hands. When he looked at the Luchut however, he noticed that the script on them had vanished. He perceived the letters through soul and spiritual content of the Luchut flying high in the air.

The Kedusha of the letters could not enter the camp that was now impure. The Luchut that remained in Moshe's hands were heavy, lifeless stones. Moshe lifted them and with his tremendous strength, smashed them to the ground and shattered them.

Several considerations prompted Moshe to act in the manner. For one, he was afraid that Hashem’s judgment on the Jews would be harsher than if they had possession of the Luchut.

Wishing you Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Yehuda Benhamu