Ilustration Credit: Rivka Tsinman
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
אֵ֣לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּעֵ֖בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן בַּמִּדְבָּ֡ר בָּֽעֲרָבָה֩ מ֨וֹל ס֜וּף בֵּֽין־פָּארָ֧ן וּבֵֽין־תֹּ֛פֶל וְלָבָ֥ן וַחֲצֵרֹ֖ת וְדִ֥י זָהָֽב׃
These are the words that Moshe spoke to all Israel on the other side of the Jordan River, through the wilderness, in the Aravah near Suf, between Paran and Tofel, Lavan, Hatzerot, and Di-Zahav.
Earlier in the Torah we heard about all these places that were part of Benei Yisrael’s journey through the wilderness–except one! The last place on the list, “Di-Zahav,” hasn’t been mentioned before. Where is it, and what happened there?
מַאי ״וְדִי זָהָב״? אָמְרִי דְּבֵי רַבִּי יַנַּאי: כָּךְ אָמַר מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, בִּשְׁבִיל כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב שֶׁהִשְׁפַּעְתָּ לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, עַד שֶׁאָמְרוּ ״דַּי״ — הוּא גָּרַם שֶׁעָשׂוּ אֶת הָעֵגֶל.
What is Di-Zahav? The Sages of the school of R. Yannai said that Moshe said before the Holy Blessed One: Master of the Universe, because of the silver and zahav (gold) that you heaped upon Israel until they said “dai!” (“enough!”); this is what caused them to make the golden calf.
According to R. Yannai, Di-Zahav isn’t necessarily the real name of a place that Benei Yisrael visited. It’s actually a reminder of an event that happened in the wilderness in connection to חֵטְא הָעֵגֶל (heit ha-eigel, the sin of the golden calf).
The Gemara quotes R. Yannai and others as well as suggesting that Moshe defended Benei Yisrael by saying that it was God’s fault and not their own! If God hadn’t given Benei Yisrael so much gold and silver from the Egyptians, then Benei Yisrael would never have used the gold to make an idol.
This midrash is surprising because, really, no one was more wrong than Benei Yisrael at the heit ha-eigel. But still, according to this Gemara, Moshe saw himself as their defender, and even went as far as blaming God instead of them. Most of us are quick to judge and blame other people, especially when we see them doing something we know is wrong. But not Moshe!
- What does it say about Moshe that he’d rather allow God to take the blame than Benei Yisrael? What does that say about his attitude toward Benei Yisrael? And if God were ok with that, what would that say about God’s attitude toward Benei Yisrael?
- What can Moshe teach us about how we should view each other, even when we’re pretty sure other people are doing a terrible sin?
- The Mishnah (Avot 1:6) quotes an idea that we’re supposed to דָן אֶת כָּל הָאָדָם לְכַף זְכוּת (judge all people favorably). How far are we supposed to take this? How far does Moshe take it?
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