שׁוֹר אוֹ כֶּשֶׂב אוֹ עֵז. רַבִּי יַעֲקֹב בַּר זְבִיד בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ פָּתַח, וְלֹא יִהְיֶה עוֹד לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִבְטָח מַזְכִּיר עָוֹן בִּפְנוֹתָם אַחֲרֵיהֶם וְיָדְעוּ כִּי אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹהִים (יחזקאל כט, טז). וּכְתִיב: שְׂרָפִים עוֹמְדִים מִמַּעַל לוֹ, שֵׁשׁ כְּנָפַיִם שֵׁשׁ כְּנָפַיִם לָאֶחָד, בִּשְׁתַּיִם יְכַסֶּה פָנָיו וְגוֹ'. בִּשְׁתַּיִם יְכַסֶּה פָנָיו, שֶׁלֹּא יַבִּיט פְּנֵי שְׁכִינָה. וּבִשְׁתַּיִם יְכַסֶּה רַגְלָיו, שֶׁלֹּא יִרְאֶה פְּנֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה, דִּכְתִיב: וְכַף רַגְלֵיהֶם כְּכַף רֶגֶל עֵגֶל (יחזקאל א, ז). עַל שֵׁם, וְלֹא יִהְיֶה עוֹד לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִבְטָח מַזְכִּיר עָוֹן. וּבִשְׁתַּיִם יְעוֹפֵף, לְקִלּוּס. וְתַנִּינַן תַּמָּן, כָּל הַשּׁוֹפָרוֹת כְּשֵׁרוֹת חוּץ מִשֶּׁל פָּרָה שֶׁהוּא שֶׁל עֵגֶל, עַל שֵׁם וְלֹא יִהְיֶה עוֹד לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִבְטָח מַזְכִּיר עָוֹן. וְתַנִּינַן תַּמָּן, וְהָרַגְתָּ אֶת הָאִשָּׁה וְאֶת הַבְּהֵמָה (ויקרא כ, טז). אִם הָאִשָּׁה חָטָאת, בְּהֵמָה מַה חָטָאת. אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁבָּאתָה לָאִשָּׁה תַּקָּלָה עַל יָדָהּ, לְפִיכָךְ אָמַר הַכָּתוּב שֶׁלֹּא תְּהֵא בְּהֵמָה עוֹבֶרֶת בַּשּׁוּק וְיֹאמְרוּ, זוֹ הִיא הַבְּהֵמָה שֶׁנֶּהֶרְגָה אִשָּׁה פְּלוֹנִית עַל יָדֶיהָ, עַל שֵׁם, וְלֹא יִהְיֶה עוֹד וְגוֹ'. וְתַנָּן, מִפְּנֵי מָה אָמְרוּ, אֵין הַסּוֹטָה שׁוֹתָה בַּכּוֹס שֶׁל חֲבֶרְתָּהּ. שֶׁלֹּא יְהוּ הַבְּרִיּוֹת אוֹמְרִים: בְּכוֹס זֶה שָׁתְתָה אִשָּׁה פְּלוֹנִית וּמֵתָה, עַל שֵׁם, וְלֹא יִהְיֶה עוֹד. אַף כָּאן, שׁוֹר אוֹ כֶּשֶׂב אוֹ עֵז כִּי יִוָּלֵד. שׁוֹר נוֹלָד וְלֹא עֵגֶל נוֹלָד אֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם דִּכְתִיב: וַיַּעֲשׂוּ לָהֶם עֵגֶל מַסֵּכָה. לְפִיכָךְ קְרָאוֹ הַכָּתוּב שׁוֹר, וְלֹא קְרָאוֹ עֵגֶל. (Lev. 22:27) “When a bull or a sheep or a goat.” R. Jacob bar Zavday in the name of R. Abbahu opened [his discourse] (with Ezek. 29:16), “And it shall no more be a source of satisfaction against the House of Israel to recall iniquity (i.e., the iniquity of the golden calf) […].”43Lev. R. 27:3; PRK 9:3. It is also written (in Is. 6:2), “Above Him stood the seraphim, six wings to each one… with two he covered his face,” so as not to look at the Divine Presence, “with two he covered his feet,” so that the face of the Divine Presence would not see them, since it is written (in Ezek. 1:7), “and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot.”44Cf. Hag. 13b. [This is] because (according to Ezek. 29:16), “And it shall no more be a source of satisfaction against the House of Israel to recall iniquity.”45In other words, the seraphim covered their calf feet, lest they recall the sin of the golden calf. (Is 6:2:) “And with two he flew,” for praise. We are taught there (in RH 3:2), “All the shofars are valid except that of a cow, since it is from a calf; for (according to Ezek. 29:16), “And it shall no more be a source of satisfaction against the House of Israel to recall iniquity.” We have been taught there46See Sanh. 7:4. (in Lev. 20:16): “You shall kill the woman and the beast.” If a woman sins, what is the beast’s sin? It is simply because a stumbling block came to the woman on account of [the beast]. Therefore the Scripture said, “So that the beast will not pass through the market, where they will say, ‘This is the beast on account of which such and such a woman was killed.’” [This is] because (according to Ezek. 29:16), “And it shall no more be a source of satisfaction against the House of Israel to recall iniquity.” Now we have been taught: For what reason did they say, “A suspected adulteress (sotah) is not to drink from the cup of her colleague (i.e., another suspected adulteress)?”47According to Sot. 2:2, a new earthenware dish was to be used for each such trial by ordeal. [It is] so that the people will not say, “When such and such a woman drank of this cup, she died.” [This is] because (according to Ezek. 29:16), “And it shall no more be a source of satisfaction against the House of Israel to recall iniquity.” So also here (in Lev. 22:27), “When a bull or a sheep or a goat is born.” Is a bull born? Is not a calf born? It is simply because of what is written (in Exod. 32:8), “they have made themselves a golden calf.” Hence the Scripture called it a “bull”, and did not call it a "calf.”