This week Moses recounts the story of the Golden Calf as part of his reminding the people that G-d’s favour towards them is in spite of, not because, their behaviour. The sequence of events seems to be quite clear both here and in Exodus. Moses receives the two tablets from G-d, is then informed of the people’s sin and successfully assuages G-d’s anger. He then descends the mountain carrying the tablets and breaks them in sight of the people. Yet this scenario raises an important question. It seems to be clear that G-d gave the tablets to Moses before He informed them of the people’s transgression. Moses, knowing what awaits him below, then takes the tablets with him and breaks them. He is later required by G-d to make new tablets in order to again give them to the people. Why however did he descend with them in the first place? It could be that he was simply so overwhelmed by actually seeing the peoples apostasy that he simply smashed them. The text in Exodus seems to support this. But is still begs the question of why since he already knew that the people had broken the covenant, he was going to give them its visible symbol. Using the famous parable of our Sages, if the servant already knew the bride had strayed, why did he bother bringing her the ketubah? A possible answer lies in the psychology of repentance. True repentance comes not so much from fear of punishment as from a realisation of the consequences of wrongdoing. People are often stirred to change their ways by the realisation of the damage they have caused or what they have lost. This, indeed, seems to be the true nature of the punishment of purgatory. The deceased is forced into the realisation of what their life could have been had they made other choices while alive. This is maybe the purpose of Moses descending with the tablets even though he knew the people had sinned and were no longer worthy of receiving them. He showed them what they should have had and then destroyed it before their eyes. He thus demonstrated to them what they had lost as a consequence of their sin. Moses was thus more easily able to move the people to repentance. Furthermore, even though new tablets were made, the first pair were, according to Jewish tradition, placed along side them in the Ark. The people were to have a constant reminder of the consequences of wrongdoing and what could be lost. That is a salutary reminder to all of us. Our choices determine not only what we may gain but also what can we lose, sometimes forever.

ALIYAH BY ALIYAH SYNOPSIS

Rishon	The rewards of obedience to the Torah.
Sheni	Don‘t forget G-d because of prosperity.
Shelishi	Moses reminds the people how they rebelled against G-d: the sin of the Golden Calf.
Revi’i	G-d forgives the people and gives the Second Tablets.
Chamishi	The people should remember G-d‘s kindness to them.
Shishi	The uniqueness of the Land of Israel. Prosperity depends on obedience to G-d.
Shevi’i	G-d will help them conquer the nations of Canaan.
Haftorah	Isaiah: 49;14-51;3: Zion’s children will return.

 

Sidra Statistics

Parshat Ekev

·               has 111 verses;

·               is the 3rd in Deuteronomy,  46th  in the Torah

·               4th  longest in Deuteronomy,  27th  longest  in the Torah   

·               has  6 pos +  2 neg =  8  mitzvot.