“The two most powerful
warriors are patience and time.” – Leo Tolstoy
The Parasha
recounts the chain of events that follow the compelling and awe-inspiring episode
of the giving of the Torah. Thirty-nine days after the ascent of Moshe to Mount
Sinai to receive it, the Children of Yisrael, subsequent to time miscalculation,
which lead them to believe that he is due to return on that day, become
impatient and restless. They turn to Aharon, his brother and demand, “come make
us a god who will go before us. As for this man Moses who brought us up out of
Egypt, we don’t know what has happened.” (Exodus 32:1)
Naturally, they
are bewildered, anxious and frightened that they will have no one to guide them to
the land G-d promised Abraham. Though at Mount Sinai, the Children of Yisrael,
became a nation, in this respect they still act like little children. And, as we know, waiting, especially for
children, is difficult. The Yisraelites get impatient and impetuously seek to
replace G-d and Moshe.
Patience, according
to the Torah, is one of the thirteen attributes of Yisrael’s infinite G-d who, thus, can afford to have infinite patience. Can we, however, expect the same of recently
freed slaves who are dumbfounded, lost and are unable to take control over
their lives?
This is not
the first time, it turns out, that the Yisraelites display hastiness and
impulsiveness.
The Midrash
also addresses the heedless behaviour of our People. According to it, when G-d
offered the Torah to other nations first, each of them inquired about its
content. When there was no accord between it and their laws, they rejected it.
Surprisingly enough, the People of Yisrael immediately responded to G-d's offer by saying, “we shall do,
and we shall listen.” There was no use of judgment nor prudence in their acknowledgement, as was the
case with the other nations.
As a result of this, the Talmud grants Am Yisrael the title “Ama Pziza” – a hasty Nation (Aramaic).
The Parasha goes on to explain that when Moshe comes down, he is aware of the adulation
of the calf. However, only after he approaches the camp and witnesses the
celebrations, does he smash the tablets. Was he perhaps hoping that though most
of them worship the calf, there is still a small minority, a handful of people
who are worthy of receiving the tablets?
Unfortunately,
as we see, Am Yisrael’s impatience leads to a sin with calamitous results for
generations to come.
Soon after this sordid affair, the Torah tells us that the People are mourning and feel remorse over the matter of the golden calf. Here, as merely moments earlier, we witness traces of instability which on the one hand allows Am Yisrael to rise to the highest spiritual levels yet at the same time bring it to the brinks of the abyss, Both the results of acting impetuously and without reason or much thought.
Several thousands
of years have passed since this catastrophic incident in the history of our Jewish
People. We have, since then, matured, advanced, and contributed vastly to the world around
us.
But have we
become more patient as a Nation?
Not
according to rabbi Berel Weil. In an essay entitles “Patience,” he states, “Since
we are bidden to emulate the ways of our Creator, it would follow that patience
and the ability to wait out a situation of problem should be Jewish virtues of
our national character. Alas, they are not. The hasty part of our nature is dominant
in all events in the Jewish world. We make snap decisions off-the-cuff
agreements and commitments, and often speak when our good sense and brains are
not fully in gear. Jewish history,” he concludes, “past and present is witness
to the high price that we pay for such hastiness.”
May we learn
the lessons of history, take the time to master the art of being patient and
tolerant, teach ourselves to weigh our choices wisely and carefully in order to
improve ourselves, our Jewish People and the world as a whole.
Shavua tov
fellow Jews and a great week to all.
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