What does this mean? The author notes that Rashi says in Chumash on the pasuk, “Tamim you shall be with Hashem your G-d” (Devorim 18:13) that a person should just accept what the Ribbono Shel Olam gives and not try to figure out what is happening or what will happen in the future. The Meorei Ohr states that when they did the cheit haeigel, they were guilty of this very thing that they were warned against in the pasuk “Tamim you shall be with Hashem your G-d.” They tried to “outsmart” the Ribbono Shel Olam or to be more pro-active than the Ribbono Shel Olam himself.
All the Rishonim say that when they made the Eigel Hazahav it was not literally an idol. They were desperate: “Here we are in the wilderness. Until now, Moshe Rabbeinu was taking care of everything. Now what are we going to do?” They decided they needed to take matters into their own hands. They made an Eigel Hazahav in the hope that this calf would be the medium through which Hashem would speak to them. What were they actually supposed to do? They were supposed to follow the dictum of “Tamim you shall be with Hashem your G-d.” They should have said, “If the Ribbono Shel Olam took us out of Mitzrayim and the Ribbono Shel Olam gave us the mann and the be’er (well), etc., then the Ribbono Shel Olam will figure this out Himself. It is not for us to try to figure out new ways to interact with the Ribbono Shel Olam.” That is the temimus that was required under those circumstances.
Parah Adumah is all about nullifying our sechel (intellect) to a Higher Authority. As we all know, Parah Adumah is the quintessential chok (unfathomable mitzvah). It is a paradox that makes no sense. While purifying the impure, it makes those who are pure impure. So then why do we do it? Because the Ribbono Shel Olam said so! We accept that. We have no questions. And we go further. Parah Adumah represents the antidote of what they did by the cheit haeigel. The unblemished (tamim) Parah Adumah represents this concept of temimus / innocence that they lacked when they made the Eigel Hazahav. That is why it is the “mother cow who comes and cleans up the mess made by her offspring (the calf).” (R’ Frand)
