Falling and Rising

(1) And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mount, the people gathered themselves to Aaron, and said to him: ‘Up, make us a god who shall go before us; because Moses, the man that brought us up from the land of Egypt, we don't know what is become of him.’ (2) And Aaron said to them: ‘Break off the golden rings, which are in the ears of your wives, sons, and daughters, and bring them to me.’ (3) And all the people broke off the golden rings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. (4) And he got them, and made a molten calf with a graving tool; and they said: ‘This is your god, O Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’ (5) And when Aaron saw this, he built an altar; and Aaron proclaimed: ‘Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.’ (6) And they rose up early the next day, and offered burnt-offerings, and brought peace-offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to make merry.

(14) (The chariot) had four faces: the face of the cherub, the face of a man, the face of a lion, and the face of an eagle.

(34) וביום פקדי וגו׳ AND IN THE DAY WHEN I VISIT [I WILL VISIT THEIR SIN UPON THEM] — At present I listen to you and will refrain from consuming them all at once — but ever and ever throughout the ages, when I am visiting them for their sins I shall visit them at the same time for a little of this sin in addition to their other sins for which I am then punishing them. Indeed no punishment ever comes upon Israel in which there is not part payment for the sin of the golden calf (cf. Sanhedrin 102a).

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Every transgression in the Torah, if someone says to a man: "Transgress and you won't be killed," he should transgress and not be killed, except for idol worship, acts of immorality, and murder.

(1) כי בשש משה [AND WHEN THE PEOPLE SAW] THAT MOSES DELAYED LONG For when Moses ascended the mountain he said to them: on the fortieth day, I shall return during the first 6 hours of the day (before noon). They thought that the day on which he ascended (the 7th of Sivan) was to be included in this number (thus — Sivan having 30 days — he was expected back before noon on the 16th of Tammuz). In fact, however, he had said to them “after 40 days” meaning complete days — 40 days, each day together with its night that precedes it — (as is the customary Jewish reckoning). Now, as regards the day of this ascent, its night was not part of it that it can be reckoned as a complete day, for he ascended on the 7th of Sivan early in the morning (cf. Rashi 19:3); it follows therefore that the 40th day really fell on the 17th of Tammuz and not as the people had believed on the 16th. On the 16th of Tammuz, Satan came and threw the world into confusion, giving it the appearance of darkness, gloom and disorder that people should say: “Surely Moses is dead, and that is why confusion has come into the world!” He said to them, “Yes, Moses is dead, for six hours has already come and he has not returned.”

(1) כי זה משה האיש FOR AS FOR THIS MOSES — This Moses implies that Satan showed them something that looked like Moses being carried on a bier in the air high above in the skies (cf. Shabbat 89a).

(1) And God spoke all these words, saying: (2) I am the LORD thy God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

(3) Have no other gods before Me...

(7) You shalt not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless, he who takes His name in vain.

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(22) ויהי חשך אפלה … שלשת ימים — And why did He bring darkness upon them? Because there were wicked people amongst the Israelites of that generation who had no desire to leave Egypt, and these died during the three days of darkness so that the Egyptians might not see their destruction and say, “These, too have been stricken as we have”.

He “went out” of Moses’ tribunal [with a] guilty [verdict. How so?] He had come to pitch his tent within the encampment of the tribe of Dan. So [this tribe] said to him, “What right do you have to be here?” Said he, “I am of the descendants of Dan,” [claiming lineage through his mother, who was from the tribe of Dan (see verse 11)]. They said to him, “[But Scripture states (Num. 2:2): ‘The children of Israel shall encamp] each man by his grouping according to the insignias of his father’s household,’” [thereby refuting his maternal claim]. He entered Moses’ tribunal [where his case was tried], and came out guilty. Then, he arose and blasphemed. — [Vayikra Rabbah 32:3]

(14) And they lifted up their voice, and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law; but Ruth cleaved unto her.

Rav Yitzchak said: That night that Orpah separated from her mother-in-law, she intermingled immorally with 100 men. Rav Tanchuma said: And even one dog.

Rut (and Orpah) was the daughter of Eglon, who was the son of (King) Balak.

(15) And she said: ‘Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her god...’

In the beginning, Shlomo ruled over the higher worlds. Then, he ruled only over the lower worlds. Then, he ruled over everyone in this world. Then, he ruled only over Yisrael. Then, he ruled only over Jerusalem. Then, he ruled only over himself. Finally, he ruled only over his staff.