MARCH 8, 2023 - Ki Tisa: The Golden Calf... How Did We Get Here? (Part 4 of 47)

Parshat Ki Tisa has one of the all-time low points in the Torah. The Israelites just received the Torah back in Parshat Yitro. All they need to do now is wait for Moses to finish up a bit of paperwork with God. But when he doesn't come back right away, they go to Aaron and ask him to...  make them a golden calf.

It's a disaster. God sends Moses back down the mountain and punishes the people for worshipping this idol. But there are some big questions we can ask about this story. Such as: What do the Israelites want an idol for? They just heard God giving them the Ten Commandments, speaking directly to them! But also... why would anyone take a golden idol seriously? It seems so obvious that if you made it, then it's not a god. So how are we supposed to understand what's really happening in this story? How can we know what message to take away for our own lives?

This week, Rabbi Fohrman and Imu Shalev tackle the tough questions about the sin of the golden calf. As it turns out, this story has a lot to say about our human struggles with responsibility. And about why it can be so hard to feel close to God.