Moses' Prayer after the Sin of the Calf

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Moses' Plea for Mercy

TANAKH

After the sin of the golden calf, God threatens to destroy the people of Israel. In the book of Exodus, Moses pleads with God to spare the Israelites, beginning by reminding God of the miracles performed to deliver them from Egypt.

But Moses implored his God יהוה, saying, “Let not Your anger, יהוה, blaze forth against Your people, whom You delivered from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand.

Exodus 32:11

Moses' Bold Intercession

COMMENTARY

Moses' prayer after the sin of the Golden Calf is a striking example of bold intercession, where he confronts God with audacious authority. Dr Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg, in her extended study of the character and life of Moses, analyzes an interpretation of Moses' actions from tractate Berakhot of the Talmud.

Here, Moses interferes physically, as it were, with God. In an audacious metaphor, he seizes God by the lapel and refuses to release Him until He forgives His people. Violating all theological correctness, Moses assumes outrageous authority. And R. Abbahu justifies his daring description by, even more outrageously, claiming that it is written in the text! “If it were not written, it would be impossible to say . . .” The formula is used provocatively to point up precisely what is not written in the text: a preface to audacity.

Moses; A Human Life, 3 Moses Veiled and Unveiled 81

Blaming God

COMMENTARY

The sages of the Talmud expanded on Moses' arguments and pleas to God for Mercy. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, in his volume of essays on the Book of Deuteronomy, explains a teaching from tractate Berakhot that suggests Moses tried shifting part of the blame for the sin of the golden calf onto God.

Besides which, the name itself is suggestive. Di Zahav means “enough gold.” Might there not be a subtle reference here to an episode which involved gold – namely, the Golden Calf, the worst sin of the previous generation? On this slender basis, the sages built one of their most daring interpretations: Moses spoke audaciously towards Heaven…. The school of R. Yannai learned this from the words “Di Zahav.” What do these words mean? They said in the school of R…

Covenant and Conversation; Deuteronomy; Renewal of the Sinai Covenant, Devarim, Counsel for the Defence 5-8

For God's Sake

COMMENTARY

Moses prays in protest of God's threat to wipe out the people as a punishment for their transgression, including an argument about what the other nations would think of God if God went through with the threat. Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar, in his 18th-century Torah commentary Or HaChaim, discusses Moses' plea to God to prevent the desecration of God's name following the sin of the golden calf.

למה יאמרו הגוים, "Why should the nations be able to say, etc.?" Moses suggested that it would be a public desecration of G'd's name to wipe out the Jewish people whom G'd had referred to in Exodus 4,22 as "My first-born son Israel" less than six months previously? It would appear in retrospect that G'd had orchestrated the Exodus only in order to kill this people in the desert? Once all the nations which served idols realised that serving the one and only G'd led to disaster they would be confirmed in preferring the various deities which they were in the…

Or HaChaim on Exodus 32:12:1

Erase Me From Your Book

COMMENTARY

When God threatens to wipe out the people and start again building a nation from Moses, Moses says that if God destroys the people, God should erase Moses from God's book. Jacob ben Asher, in his 14th-century commentary, Tur HaArokh, explores different questions and opinions about this particular exchange.

אם תשא את חטאתם ואם אין מחני נא מספרך, “if You will forgive their sin…., and if not please blot me out from Your Book.” According to Rashi, Moses wanted to have his name removed from the whole Torah. Nachmanides finds this difficult, as in his opinion G’d’s reply that He would remove the sinners’ names from His Book and not those of the ones free from sin, would not be comprehensible. Who else was there whose name could be erased, seeing that we have not heard about the names of any of the sinners? He therefore concludes that Moses’ request must be understood thus: “If You will…

Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:32:1

The Leader's Prayer and the People's Sin

CHASIDUT

The efficacy of a leader's prayers can depend on whether the sin originated from the leader or the people. The Ba'al Shem Tov, founder of Hasidic Judaism, explores this dynamic through Moses' prayer after the sin of the Golden Calf.

There are two aspects of sin. The first is when the leader of the generation has a sinful thought, which causes the general populace to sin, G-d forbid. The second is when the people sin, which can, at times, cause the leader of the generation to have sinful thoughts.
The difference between them is that in the first case, the leader cannot pray on behalf of the people, since the evil started with him. In the second case, the leader was compelled [by the people], and his prayers are still efficacious…

Ba'al Shem Tov, Ki Tisa 10:1

Moses' Humility and Intercession

CHASIDUT

Moses is famous for being the humblest of people. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, a prominent Hasidic master, explains how Moses' humility enabled him to pray for mercy on behalf of the people of Israel.

This is why when Moshe prayed that the sin of the Golden Calf [be pardoned], he said (Exodus 32:32), “If You would, forgive their sin. But if not, please blot me out [from the book that You have written]!” It is impossible for a person not to feel some pride when he hears himself being praised. All the more so, when a great king praises and lauds the person; then, it is certainly impossible that he would not be moved to some feelings of self-importance. However, this necessitates the negation of all one’s emotions and corporeality…

Likutei Moharan 4:7:3

A Continuous Divine Presence

COMMENTARY

Moses' plea after the Golden Calf incident reveals a profound desire for a continuous, intimate relationship with God, beyond extraordinary miracles. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explores Moses' prayer for God's continual presence among the Israelites, emphasizing themes of repentance and divine forgiveness.

We now understand the entire drama set in motion by the making of the golden calf. Moses pleaded with God to come closer to the people, so that they would encounter Him, not only at unrepeatable moments in the form of miracles, but regularly, on a daily basis, and not only as a force that threatens to obliterate all it touches, but as a presence that can be sensed in the heart of the camp.

Studies in Spirituality; A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible, Ki Tissa; The Closeness of God 18

The Power of the Patriarchs

COMMENTARY

Moses' prayer invokes the merit of the patriarchs to defend the Children of Israel. Rabbeinu Bachya, a 13th-14th-century Spanish commentator, quotes a midrash that uses a horticultural metaphor to emphasize the role of the ancestors in Moses' appeal and in the life of the people as a whole.

A Midrashic approach (Shemot Rabbah 44,1-2): the words “remember Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, tell us that Moses’ prayer did not evoke a response until he had mentioned the dead and departed; this explains why Israel has been compared to a grapevine as we know from Psalms 80,9 גפן ממצרים תסיע, “You plucked up a grapevine from Egypt.” Just as the grapevine is alive and remains alive even when attached to dead trees, trees which are far bigger than it, so Israel will remain alive and prosper by supporting itself by the dead (patriarchs).

Rabbeinu Bahya, Shemot 32:13:2

Moses' Parables

MIDRASH

The midrashic tradition expands on Moses' arguments for God's mercy. The medieval midrash Shemot Rabbah presents several such arguments, building off of verses in the Book of Exodus.

Another matter, “Lord, why is Your wrath enflamed against Your people?” Moses said: ‘Did You not say to me as follows: “Because your people has acted corruptly” (Exodus 32:7)? “Your people” has sinned, but not My people? If my people sinned, Your people have not sinned.’ That is, “why is Your wrath enflamed against Your people?”
Another matter, “Lord, why is Your wrath enflamed against Your people?” This is analogous to a king who entered his house and found his wife embracing a wooden figurine, and he became angry…

Shemot Rabbah 43:7

The Power of Prolonged Prayer

TALMUD

As Moses reminds the people in the Book of Deuteronomy, on multiple occasions he prayed for God to forgive Israel's transgressions. In tractate Berakhot of the Talmud, Rabbi Ḥanin, citing Rabbi Ḥanina, uses those verses to teach the effectiveness of prolonged prayer.

The Gemara cites other statements in praise of prayer: Rabbi Ḥanin said that Rabbi Ḥanina said: Anyone who prolongs his prayer is assured that his prayer does not return unanswered; it will surely be accepted. From where do we derive this? From Moses our teacher, as it is stated that Moses said: “So I fell down before the Lord the forty days and forty nights that I fell down; and I prayed to the Lord” (Deuteronomy 9:26–27), and it is written thereafter: “And the Lord heard me that time as well, the Lord would not destroy you” (Deuteronomy 10:10)…

Berakhot 32b:8

Moses' Defense of the Innocent

COMMENTARY

In the Book of Exodus, Moses questions why God's anger should be stoked against God's people. The 16th-century Italian commentator Sforno interprets this as a question about collective punishment and an assertion that only some portion of the people were guilty of the sin of the golden calf, not all of them.

למה ה' יחרה אפך בעמך, Moses, does not accept that all the people have become “his” people as implied by G’d having said to him שחת עמך “your people have become corrupted.” Surely, he reasons, not all the people have sinned. Why should G’d be angry at those who did not sin, the ones who are still “G’d’s people?”

Sforno on Exodus 32:11:1

Pleading for Divine Mercy

LITURGY

Moses invoked the thirteen Divine attributes of mercy to plead for forgiveness after the people's transgression. This Ashkenazi Selichot prayer, recited on the eve of Yom Kippur, emphasizes God's mercy and the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy revealed to Moses.

Almighty! King! Who sits on the throne of mercy, governs with kindness forgives the iniquities of His people. He removes their sins one by one, increasing forgiveness to sinners, and pardon to transgressors. Acting righteously with all who are of flesh and spirit; not according to their wickedness does He repay them. Almighty! You instructed us to recite the thirteen Divine attributes; remember unto us this day the covenant of thirteen Divine attributes, as You made them known to the humble Moses of old, as it is written, “And Adonoy descended in the cloud, and stood with him there…

Selichot Nusach Ashkenaz Lita, Yom Kippur Eve 5:9

Moses Remembers Noah

KABBALAH

What was Moses' internal reaction to God's declared intention to destroy the sinful nation and make a new nation from Moses' offspring? The Zohar, a foundational work of Jewish mysticism, describes Moses' thought process that led to his prayer for mercy.

Observe the difference between Moses and other men. When God said to Moses, “now therefore let me alone… and I will make of thee a great nation, etc.” (Ex. 32, 10), Moses said immediately, “Shall I abandon Israel for my own advantage? The world will say that I killed Israel and did to them as Noah did to his generation.’

Zohar, Noach 25:180

Moses' Final Warning

JEWISH THOUGHT

Moses warned the Israelites that once they crossed the Jordan, they should not expect him to intercede with God on their behalf as he did in the desert. In his 15th-century work, Rabbi Isaac Arama quotes a midrash from Devarim Rabbah to explore Moses' unique role as an advocate for the Israelites during the sin of the golden calf, and the transition of responsibility to the Israelites after crossing the Jordan River.

Midrash Rabbah Deut. 11, reports Moses as saying to the Israelites: "when you cross the Jordan things will be different from now. Do not imagine that when you sin there will be a Moses to intercede for you with G'd as I have done in the desert all these years. When you committed the sin of the golden calf, and the Lord wanted to wipe you out, did I not pray for you and act as your advocate?"

Akeidat Yitzchak 91:1:3

God's Promise

REFERENCE

The medieval midrashic work Shemot Rabbah lays out Moshe's argument to God on the basis of God's oath to the patriarchs. Gershom Bader’s early 20th-century work quotes this midrash as an example of the sage Ezekah's typical teachings.

After the Jews had made the golden calf, Moses prayed to God to forgive their sin and he reminded Him of His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to increase their offspring like the stars in the sky. Ezekiah formulated the prayer of Moses in the following words: “Had You sworn by heaven and earth, You could break your oath for heaven and earth may be done away with and You would be free of your oath. But since You swore by Your own name and You are eternal, Your oath is therefore eternal and You must forgive them.”

The Jewish Spiritual Heroes, Volume II; The Amoraim of Palestine and the Jerusalem Talmud, Jehudah and Ezekiah, the Sons of Rabbi Chiya 13

Moses' Forty-Day Fast

TANAKH

Moses' personal sacrifice and physical endurance in fasting for forty days and nights underscores the depth of his commitment to atone for the people's sin and seek divine forgiveness. In the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses reminds the following generation of his intercession on their parents' behalf after the sin of the Golden Calf.

I threw myself down before יהוה —eating no bread and drinking no water forty days and forty nights, as before—because of the great wrong you had committed, doing what displeased and vexed יהוה.

Deuteronomy 9:18

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Golden Calf

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