Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are that of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Union for Traditional Judaism, unless otherwise indicated.
This d’var Torah is part of Rabbi Segal’s podcast series. To listen to this podcasts please find it in the Segal’s Sentiments archive here.
This week’s Torah portion is called Ki Tisa. We read about the sin of the “Golden Calf.” You will recall the Israelites encamped at Mount Sinai. They heard the voice of God pronouncing the Ten Commandments and they declared Naaseh V Nishmah, we will do and obey. (Exodus 24:7) Those words represented a commitment to enter into a relationship with God.
Moses however does not come down from the mountain for 40 days. During Moses’s absence the Israelites expected some kind of Divine message or God-like symbol and they were just not getting it. One can only imagine how insecure and vulnerable they must have felt during this time especially after the enormous high they experienced at the foot of Mount Sinai.
Instead of being patient and trusting of the Holy One, the Israelites yielded to their own desires for a sense of certainty and control. Aaron, the high Priest, told the male Israelites gathered there to go home and collect their wives’ jewelry and bring it back to him. Guess what? These folks didn’t even have the patience to do that. Instead, the men ripped off their own jewelry and threw it into the fire and formed the “Golden Calf.” When Moses descended from the mountain and witnessed this activity he broke the tablets containing the Ten Commandments.
My friends, relationships require understanding, insight, forgiveness and most importantly patience. The failure of the Israelites in this case was their lack of patience. God on the other hand demonstrates the virtue of patience and works to mend the broken relationship with the Israelites. Ultimately, the Holy One does not bring a disaster upon the people of Israel as had been expected. (Exodus 32:14) In fact a new opportunity arose for us to once again accept the two tablets containing the Ten Commandments.
The measure of any authentic relationship, whether with our spouses, family members, friends and especially God Almighty is not the number of times we say we love each other or the number of gifts we give to one another; those things are important too. It is primarily the patience we possess during the most difficult of circumstances which allows a relationship to endure. The book of Kohelet teaches us that “the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” (Kohelet 7:8)
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Rabbi Shlomo Segal is a member of the UTJ’s Panel of Halakhic Inquiry, which issues religious responses on behalf of the organization on contemporary issues, and vice president of Morashah, the rabbinic arm of UTJ.
Rabbi Segal is also a member of the International Rabbinic Fellowship (IRF) and the New York Board of Rabbis.
In fall 2013, after a decade of pulpit experience, Rabbi Segal founded Kehilat Moshe, a liberal Orthodox congregation in the Sheepshead Bay area of Brooklyn, NY. While still a new congregation, Kehilat Moshe has emerged as a diverse, multi-generational caring and intellectually stimulating community rooted in both pluralism and halakhah.
Rabbi Segal delivers a weekly commentary which you can find at kehilatmoshe.org and on YouTube. He was also interviewed on National Public Radio on the subject of “Swinging Chicken Ritual Divides Orthodox Jews”.