Parsha Halacha – Parshat K Tissa and Parah
Bundles of Mitzvot
How the Holidays Atone for the Golden Calf
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After the story of the sin of the golden calf and its aftermath, the Torah teaches us several mitzvot which relate to the sin of idolatry. They are: Don’t make a covenant with the pagan Canaanites, destroy their idol-worshipping centers when you conquer the land of Canaan, do not bow to another god, do not intermarry with pagans, and do not make molten images to worship.[1] Subsequently, the Torah instructs us regarding the observance of the holidays, beginning with the verse[2] אֶת חַג הַמַּצּוֹת תִּשְׁמֹר – “Guard the Festival of Matzot” and then the mitzvot of Shabbat, Shavuot, and Sukkot, as well as the mitzvot of redeeming the firstborn, pilgrimage to the Beit HaMikdash, bringing the Pesach sacrifice while not owning chametz, bringing Bikurim (the first fruit), and not eating meat and milk.[3]
Idolatry and the Holidays
The commentaries explain the connection between the sin of idolatry and observing the holidays.
● Destroy the Pagan god that Lurks Within
The Ohr HaChaim explains that Pesach, when we must eat matzah and not chametz, counters the sin of idolatry since chametz represents haughtiness and (by extension) the yetzer hora, the evil inclination, both of which are akin to idolatry.[4] This explains why the laws of not eating chametz on Pesach are so strict since the laws of mitzvot regarding idolatry are very strict. The punishment for eating chametz is Karet, early death,[5] which is reserved for severe sins,[6] and chametz is not nullified one in sixty as are other forbidden foods;[7] rather, even if only a miniscule amount of chametz (less than one in sixty) is mixed in, it renders the entire mixture forbidden .[8]
The Jerusalem Talmud[9] expresses the connection between the yetzer hora and idolatry as follows; “Whoever listens to his evil inclination (yetzer hara) it is as though he worshiped idols, as it says:[10] ‘לֹא יִהְיֶה בְךָ אֵל זָר – There shall not be within you a strange god.’ This means that the ‘strange one’ within you (the yetzer hara)—do not appoint it as a ruler over you.”
● Holidays and the Exodus
All the holidays commemorate the exodus from Egypt (see the text of the holiday Kiddush where it says “a remembrance to the exodus from Egypt”). Specifically, Pesach is all about the exodus, Shavuot is about the giving of the Torah, which was the goal of the exodus,[11] and Sukkot commemorates the huts which the Jewish people inhabited after the exodus.[12]) As such, observing the holidays is an antidote to the sin of worshipping the golden calf,at which time the Jews proclaimed “These are your gods, Israel, who took you out of Egypt.”[13]
● Affirming the Belief in G-d’s Omnipotence
According to the Tzror HaMor (by Rabbi Avraham Saba of 15th century Spain, Portugal, and Morrocco), observing Pesach, which solidifies the belief in the exodus, makes a person aware of G-d’s might and power over the entire world. This negates the beliefs of the idolators who said that a newly made golden calf had the power to orchestrate the exodus. The other holidays are then mentioned in conjunction with Pesach.
● Shabbat as an Antidote
The Ohr Hachaim points out that, by serving the golden calf, the Jews had effectively transgressed all of the mitzvot since one who serves idols is denying G-d, the Giver of all of the mitzvot.[14] As such, the antidote to this sin is to keep Shabbat, which, by strengthening the awareness of G-d’s presence in this world, is considered equal to observing all of the mitzvot.
As the Jerusalem Talmud says,[15] “We find in the Torah (the Five Books of Moses), Nevi’im (Prophets), and the Ketuvim (Writings), that (observing) Shabbat is equivalent to (observing) all the commandments of the Torah.”
● In the Torah it says;[16] ‘How long will you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?’ This refers to Shabbat as the verse continues: ‘See that the L-rd has given you the Shabbat.’
● In the Nevi’im it says,[17] ‘But the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes…’ This refers to Shabbat as the verse continues: ‘And they profaned My Shabbatot greatly .’
● In the Ketuvim it says,[18] ‘You descended upon Mount Sinai… and You gave them… the Torah.’ This refers to Shabbat as the verse continues: ‘And Your holy Shabbat You made known to them…’
Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Avuna said, ‘The word ‘mitzvot’ written concerning the Shabbat (in Nechemiah, see Ketuvim above) is written in full (i.e., with an extra vav – מצוות), to teach that Shabbat is equivalent to all of the commandments of the Torah.”
Correcting Sins with Mitzvot
The idea expressed by the Ohr HaChaim – that keeping Shabbat is an atonement for the sin of the golden calf as it symbolizes the exact opposite message –is one of the methods of teshuvah. One must fulfill mitzvot that are the exact opposite of the sins one transgressed, thus correcting one’s flaws in a fundamental way.
Bundles of Mitzvot Against Bundles of Sins
This is expressed in the Midrash[19] as follows: “Rabbi Natan and Rabbi Acha said in the name of Rabbi Shimon, ‘If you performed bundles [chavilot] of transgressions, perform bundles of mitzvot corresponding to them.”
Specifically, if one sinned in the matter of:[20]
● ‘Haughty eyes,’ one should atone for it by putting on Tefillin about which it says[21] ‘They shall be as totafot between your eyes,’ and by walking humbly with lowered eyes (Orchot Tzadikim 26:36)
● ‘A lying tongue,’ one should atone for it by[22] ‘You shall teach (Torah) to your children’ and by speaking truth and opening one’s mouth with the wisdom of the Torah (ibid.).
● ‘Hands that shed innocent blood,’ one should atone for it by putting on the arm Tefillin about which it says,[23] ‘You shall bind them as a sign on your hand’ and by giving tzedakah with one’s hands (ibid.).
● ‘A heart devising thoughts of iniquity,’ one should atone for it by keeping ‘The matters that I am commanding you today [the Torah]… upon your heart.’
● ‘Feet hastening to run to evil,’ one should atone for it by you running to perform a brit milah (or participate in that mitzvah), which is between the knees and by running to do all of the mitzvot (ibid.).
● ‘Uttering lies as a false witness,’ one should atone for it by being a witness to G-d’s presence in the world as it says,[24] ‘But you are My witnesses, said the L-rd.’
● “Inciting discord among brethren,’ one should atone for it by[25] ‘seek[ing] peace and pursue[ing] it.”
May We Merit to Do Bundles of Mitzvot and Bring Moshiach Immediately!
[1] Exodus 34:12, 13, 14, 16, and 17.
[3] Verses 19 to 26.
[4] See Zohar vol. 1, page 226b; “And to eliminate from them the chametz — meaning the other lusts and desires, which are the forces appointed over the pagan nations. These are called ‘other gods,’ ‘foreign gods.’ They are termed chametz — the evil inclination.”
[6] See Keritut 2a for a list of 36 sins which are punishable by Karet.
[7] See Y.D. siman 98:1. There are several exceptions to this rule. See Orlah 2:1 regarding Orlah and Terumah, Y.D. 100 regarding a complete creature (berya), Y.D. 101 regarding an important cut of meat (chaticha hare’uyah lehitkabed), and Y.D. 102 regarding a forbidden item that will become permissible (davar sheyesh lo matirin).
[8] See Shulchan Aruch HaRav Siman 447 and in many places.
[11] See Exodus 3:12.
[12] See Levit. 23:43.
[13] See Moed Kattan 28a that dying before the age of 50 may be considered Karet.
[14] See Horayot 8a.
[15] End of the third chapter of Nedarim. See also Zohar, vol. 2 page 47a “Shabbat is equal to the entire Torah, and one who keeps it is considered to have kept the entire Torah.”
[20] The sins listed below are enumerated in Proverbs 6:17 – 19.
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom UMevorach!