Golden Calves of Today #818
03/01/2024 05:16:00 PM
Rabbi Irwin Huberman
Author | |
Date Added | |
Automatically create summary | |
Summary |
Parashat Ki Tisa
Golden Calves of Today
I heard an interesting fact this week at a rabbinical conference I attended on antisemitism.
Fifteen years ago, when Jewish parents were asked whether they would be upset if their son or daughter married someone outside the Jewish faith, a majority answered, ‘Yes.”
But a recent poll indicated that—within today’s Judaism—marrying someone who is not Jewish is no longer a ‘deal breaker.”
Something else is.
Notes one website, ‘Americans are now more likely to marry a spouse of a different religion. But the same cannot be said for politics.”
A recent survey of dating Americans concluded that one-in-10 relationships ends, these days, because of differences in political opinion. And one-in-five relationships suffers significant stress for the same reason.
How far the world has veered from the idea of independent thought. We have become a society of black or white—and in this week’s Torah portion—gold.
It is now 40 days since the Jews have received the 10 Commandments at Mount Sinai. Moses leaves and ascends the mountain to discuss the intricacies of these newly minted commandments with God
These are the oral laws, values and traditions, which we learn from our parents, grandparents and other teachers. They are living extensions of the written law.
But as the Israelites eagerly wait for Moses to return, they become impatient, and a difference of opinion arises. Some say Moses will return on the 40th day. Others believe it will be just after 40 days.
When Moses doesn’t appear ‘on schedule,” the Jews reject all they have witnessed since Egypt. They want something tangible—something they can touch.
So, they donate their gold earrings and other jewelry, and when a smelted golden calf appears, they begin worshipping it.
Over the centuries, our Sages have posed the question: ‘How could this happen? How could they reject God so quickly?”
The Etz Chaim bible commentary offers a possible explanation:
“The people had just come from Egypt where everything, even death, was rendered visible through pyramids and mummies. It was extremely hard for them to grasp the idea that the reality of all is intangible.”
When Moses returns and realizes what is going on, he becomes enraged and smashes the original 10 Commandment tablets.
God also gets angry and threatens to destroy the Jews, with Moses becoming the forefather of a new nation.
But Moses, like any good leader, overcomes his own disappointment and defends the people. While he agrees that the Israelites are indeed a ‘stiff-necked people,” he asks God for a second chance.
Ultimately, God forgives. And later in our tradition, the Golden Calf incident becomes the model for our pleas on Yom Kippur, as we ask God to forgive our shortcomings.
There is something very troubling about how quickly—after witnessing the plagues, the parting of the sea, the giving of the 10 Commandments—the Israelites seek ‘absolutes.”
Can we relate? Are we so different? These days, it can truly feel challenging to be alive. The Israeli/Hamas war has undermined our trust and unsettled our belief in the world as a just and fair place.
We have become victims not only of a barbaric military attack, but also the target of a pre-planned propaganda assault on Israel and Jews everywhere.
The world’s response has not been to consider the murderous manipulations of radical Islam, but rather to embrace the rigidity of stereotypes and ageless antisemitic tropes.
How quickly the world has gravitated to these age-old attitudes. This past week, Brian Mulroney, the former Canadian Prime Minister, passed away. He was 84.
I was never a big fan. He always seemed pre-programmed, stilted and staged. But over the years, he emerged as a fair and just human being—a friend of Israel.
I had the opportunity to interview him in my journalism days, and, while not agreeing with him, I walked away respecting him.
I thought of him this morning, after my daughter called to inform me of his passing.
Thinking of his life and death drew me to contemplating a time when we were able to discuss our differences within a context of respectable disagreement—where we waited for someone to finish their sentence before injecting close minded words and opinions often coined by others.
Jewish tradition discourages us from studying the Torah on our own. We need someone to challenge us—to expose our reality to the reality of others, to pursue a better tomorrow based on the idea that no one person possesses the truth.
In truth, as a new American, I am disturbed by both major political parties. . Too many are stiff-necked, relying on the rigidity of political-party dogma. What’s more, we spend too much time communicating mainly with those who agree with us.
As a speaker at the conference noted: ‘When it comes to discussing what is currently going on in Gaza, we spend more time speaking to those who agree with us, and not with the majority of Americans who are just trying to figure out what is right.”
Social media—with its tweets and sound bites—encourage us to embrace quick answers. These are today’s golden calves, for all that appears shiny is not necessarily true.
Rather we need to engage in thoughtful conversation at a respectful volume, as we explore the complexities of war and politics. This week’s Torah portion encourages us to examine some of our own truths and understand that today’s golden calves are not only physical, but philosophical as well.
For as our tradition teaches, the most direct path to God is not always contained in shades of black, white—and gold.
Perhaps that is why it took so long for Moses to return.
Rather, as our tradition teaches, truth can be realized within the greys of our lives.
For that is where God truly resides.
Shabbat Shalom, v'kol tuv.
Rabbi Irwin Huberman.
Tue, February 18 2025
20 Shevat 5785
Update this content.
Update this content.
Update this content.
Rabbi's Last 50 E-Sermons
From Whom Did You Learn "Your" Torah? #863
Thursday, Feb 13 10:00amThe Voice of Women #862
Friday, Feb 7 5:00pmNowhere Without our Children and Elders #861
Friday, Jan 31 5:00pmReclaiming our Voice #860
Friday, Jan 24 5:00pmWhat's in Your Hebrew Name? #859
Friday, Jan 17 5:00amVisiting the Sick: Is There a Right Time? #858
Friday, Jan 10 5:00pmDads and their Imperfect Journeys #857
Friday, Jan 3 5:00pmWhat Does "Israel" Really Mean? #856
Friday, Dec 13 5:01pmRunning From OUr Problems #855
Friday, Dec 6 3:00pmThe "R-Rated Torah"#853
Friday, Nov 22 11:39amLeaving God Behind #852
Friday, Nov 15 5:00pmYour Name Means Something #851
Friday, Nov 8 5:00pmDemocracy as a Jewish Practice #850
Friday, Nov 1 5:00pmThe Rabbi and the "Ugly" Man #849
Friday, Oct 25 5:00pmsUKKOT AND THE tENEMENTS #848
Friday, Oct 18 5:00pm"Wedding After the Funeral" #847
Friday, Sep 27 5:37pm"The King is in the Field" #846
Friday, Sep 13 5:00pmJudging Others Too Quickly #845
Friday, Sep 6 5:00pmIs Life a Blessing or a Curse? #844
Friday, Aug 30 5:00pmWhat is in Your Heart? #843
Friday, Aug 23 5:01pmLearning Judaism's 11th Commandment #842
Friday, Aug 16 5:00pmThe Plague of Remaining Silent #841
Friday, Aug 9 5:07pmThe Stories of Our LIves #840
Friday, Aug 2 5:00pmFeminism and the Torah #839
Friday, Jul 26 5:55pmEmails - Are They Private? #838
Friday, Jul 19 4:00pmJews in a Changing World #837
Friday, Jul 12 5:01pm"Are We There Yet?" #836
Friday, Jul 5 5:37pmLessons From a Flip Phone #835
Friday, Jun 28 5:00pmRegrets and Second Chances #834
Monday, Jun 24 4:00pmFrom Gaza to Tel Aviv: Seven Days in Israel #833
Friday, Jun 14 2:42pmRevisiting October 7 #831
Friday, May 31 4:00pmGrudges: Is There an Expiration Date? #830
Friday, May 24 4:48pmCan We Disobey the Torah? #829
Friday, May 17 5:00pmGod Blesses All Work #828
Friday, May 10 5:00pmWhich Goat are We? #827
Friday, May 3 5:30pmThe Bible's "Sexiest" Book #826
Friday, Apr 26 6:00pmDeath by Overwork #824
Friday, Apr 12 4:46pmHockey, Law and Joe Lieberman #823
Friday, Apr 5 2:00pmThe Nuns Study #822
Friday, Mar 29 6:10pm" To Give is to Live" #820
Friday, Mar 15 3:51pmArguing: A Jewish Tradition #819
Friday, Mar 8 5:31pmGolden Calves of Today #818
Friday, Mar 1 5:16pmMy Uncle Allan #817
Friday, Feb 23 5:40pmWhere Does God Live? #816
Friday, Feb 16 5:30pmOur Mothers' Lost Prayers #815
Friday, Feb 9 5:00pmTwo Brothers and a Watch #814
Friday, Feb 2 4:30pmCreating Our Own Miracles #813
Friday, Jan 26 5:06pmNowhere Without our Children #812
Friday, Jan 19 4:52pmSomewhere Over The Rainbow: The Jewish Dream #811
Friday, Jan 12 6:24pmThe Six Women Who Saved Judaism #810
Friday, Jan 5 5:30pmUpdate this content.