Oct 26 min read

Why Did Israel Build a Golden Calf? Exodus 32, by Dr. Terry Harman

Your Sin on Full Display

How would you feel if your sin was fully displayed before the world, the subject of juicy gossip? You are the talk of the community. What would be your thoughts if you walked into a room and all eyes turned toward you in a silent gaze? What if the room you walked into was your church or synagogue? Would the fear of rejection cause you to turn the other way and run out the door?

The fear of rejection may be more potent than the fear of death. This fear lies at a deeper level than mere embarrassment. Our religious community can be our home away from home. The social and ritual interactions with our fellow adherents bind our souls together. We gain guidance, comfort, and strength from one another.

While we may not always agree, we share the same values and beliefs of our community. Experiencing rejection, moral judgment, or being ostracised from our spiritual family causes long-lasting emotional damage. When the ties are severed, there may be no way back.

Cut Off From Community

In ancient times, certain sins could result in being deemed so far outside the covenant, an extreme breach, that a person would be"cut off" (karet) and eliminated from the community. Virtually this would be a death sentence to anyone left to fend for themselves in the harsh conditions of the wilderness. (1)

Why would someone be exiled and abandoned by family and community? Because your behavior, your sin, not only influences the bad behavior in others, it breaks the covenantal bond with God.

The Story of the Golden Calf

The Bible puts on full display Aaron's moment of weakness in Exodus 32. The construction of the golden calf is not Israel's finest moment. The community sin of idol worship had a few ring leaders. Yet Aaron's name, in particular, is associated with the golden.

Aaron was the son of Amram and Jochebed, the brother of Miriam, and the older brother of Moses. Moses, the younger brother by three years, is the one who busted Aaron for his part in the creation of the golden calf.

And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him: ‘Up, make us a god who shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.’ And Aaron said unto them: ‘Break off the golden rings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.’ And all the people broke off the golden rings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received it at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it a molten calf; and they said: ‘This is thy god, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.’ And when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said: ‘To-morrow shall be a feast to the LORD.’ And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt-offerings, and brought peace-offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to make merry. (Exodus 32:1-17 JPS 1917)

Aaron's Excuse?

I find it interesting that Aaron is not "cut off" from the community for his part in the Golden Calf debacle. Others lost their life in this debacle (Exodus 32:26-35) I chuckle every time I read Aaron's excuse of how the golden calf came about. When confronted Aaron does not appear to accept responsibility for his part in constructing the idol of gold.

And Moses said unto Aaron: ‘What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought a great sin upon them?’ And Aaron said: ‘Let not the anger of my lord wax hot; thou knowest the people, that they are set on evil. So they said unto me: Make us a god, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him. And I said unto them: Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off; so they gave it me; and I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf’ (Exodus 32:21-24 JPS 1917).

It just happened Moses.

I took the earrings and threw the gold into the fire and the next thing I knew,

out pops this calf, an idol can you believe it?

Benefits of Remembering Spiritual Set-Backs?

No one wants to be reminded of their spiritual setbacks or relapses. After all, if the Lord forgives who am I to bring it back up? Continually guilt-tripping ourselves for our failures is not healthy, spiritually or emotionally. Yet there is benefit in reflecting on what led up to or created the right conditions for spiritual disconnects in our lives - even our golden calf moments. The goal? Be aware of the snares that come beforehand.

The seriousness of the breach of contract with God has not been forgotten by the Jewish people. Aaron alone is not singled out for his part in creating the golden idol. The community's involvement is mourned every year. On the 17th of Tammuz, there is a day of mourning called the Fast of Shiva Asar B'Tammuz. It begins a three-week period of mourning for the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temples.

Observant Jews fast from all food and drink between dawn and nightfall. Special prayers are read and certain sections of the Torah are read. Several tragic events are remembered and mourned on this day. The fast commemorates spiritual losses and devastating setbacks. (2)

Moses shattered the 10 commandments after seeing the golden calf in 1313 BCE.
The priests of Solomon's Temple (1st Temple) were forced to suspend the daily morning and evening tamid offering due to the Babylonia siege of 423 BCE due to the shortage of sheep.
The Roman military commander named Apostomos burned the Torah scroll in approximately 50 CE. In addition, Apostomos may have also placed an idol in the Temple.
The siege and destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 69 CE

Moses' Response

It is burned in the minds of Christians and Jews alike. Let's review the famous scene from the movie, "The Ten Commandments." The golden idol has been crafted and is on full display before the community.

Moses, the Ten Commandments, and the Golden Calf, adapted from Youtube Channel FaithGenre, accessed 12.26.23

Differing Punishments?

As the story of the golden idol unfolds we learn that the punishment is not the same for everyone. Aaron is confronted and interrogated by Moses, but Aaron does not experience the same judgment, or ostracism from his tribe or the nation, as others do.

The Great Comeback

I find it interesting that the Hebrew title for this book is not Exodus but Shemot, the book of "names." Aaron's name (reputation) is on full display. Despite his fall, regardless of how you explain it, Aaron found his way back. Moses pleaded with God to forgive the people. The covenant was restored with the nation, the community got back on track, the Tabernacle was erected, and Aaron became the first High Priest of Israel.

Conclusion

It is best not to fall from grace in the first place. When you do fall, there is a path back. It may take the harsh words and actions of a "Moses" or the private confrontation of a "Nathan" in your life, to bring you to your senses, but there is a path toward redemption. That path is teshuvah., the biblical word for repentance.

Repentance is not just being sorry for what you have done or being sorry you got busted. Teshuvah means taking an about-face and making a 180-degree turn in a different direction. It involves making amends where needed unless that amendment would cause further pain or moral injury to the offended party.

Notes

(1) Being "cut off" from the community is mentioned thirty-six times in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. Being "cut off" from the community was not the same thing as being put to death. Being "cut off" from the covenant meant the promises once made to Israel no longer apply to you now that you are no longer part of the nation. You have forfeited your right to the benefits of the covenant. One would experience "karet" or being "cut off" for a variety of sins which included, eating leavened bread during Passover, sexual immorality, violating the Sabbath, and neglecting to circumcise male children.

(2) 17th of Tammuz: History, Laws and Customs - Chabad.org