Let us look at the different meanings of “calf ” (עגל), in Hebrew.
Loving-Kindness: Circle
The word “calf ” (עגל) comes from “circle” (עיגול), which alludes to nature and “circles” (עיגולים) in Kabbalah, which represent a state of equality. There is negative equality, like false democracy. This was also the sin of Korach and his people, who wanted everyone to be equal. What complements the “circles” is the “straightness” (יושר), which alludes to hierarchy and order.
And so, the Golden Calf implies a state of equality and nature without hierarchy and order. The circle must be contained in a square (straightness). You need both. The Torah is likened to a square: the laws, the Shulchan Aruch. but the rectification of society, which corresponds to the sefirah of kingdom requires circles. “Circle” (עיגול) has the same numerical value as “King David” (מלך דוד). Kingdom expands and extends in circles. It is said that Creation was created like a cube that expands. This is the mindset of the Book of Formation. But kingdom expands like circles in the water after a stone is thrown. It expands until 10 circles are formed and then the construction of kingdom is complete.
Nonetheless, the meaning of the Golden Calf as related to “circles” does not correspond to kingdom, but rather to the sefirah of “loving-kindness” (חסד). The equality found in loving-kindness is to have true love for every Jew regardless of whether he is a tzaddik or a consummately wicked person. This equal love to all is the root from where Moses is entrenched in the previous shemitah (7000 year cycle) of loving-kindness.
A round circle is also called a segol (סגל). In the ancient Hebrew script, the round letter was the letter ע, not the letter ס as it is in our script. These two letters interchange. Even though the ancient script is not holy, it is not without meaning. Apparently, this was the script that was related to the kingdom then. Thus, the two words, “circle” (עיגול) and “segol” (סגל) have the same meaning. To be a chosen people (עם סגולה) is to be a round people, which means that everyone is equal—we are all chosen, and we are all priests. We are all inter-included within each other, that is what it means to be a holy people.
Might: A Calf
Next, we have the obvious meaning of calf. The calf is a young ox, which in the Divine Chariot is situated on the left axis. According to the Zohar, the two sorcerers—Janus and Jumbrus—who tagged along with the mixed multitude of nations that came out with the Israelites from Egypt, were the ones who made the Golden Calf. It describes that they took the face of man from the Divine Chariot and brought it down on the ox. The ox referred to is not only the ox in the Divine chariot, but also the ox, which is the first of the four primary agents of damage (the ox, the pit, the grazing animal, and the unprotected fire).
According to the Zohar, the most central of the four primary agents of damage is the ox, and it is this ox that engarbs man and pulls him down into “the other side.” Thus, the two sorcerers had the power to take any person—not only someone from the mixed multitudes—even an Israelite and drag him down to become an agent of destruction. This was the essence of the Golden Calf.
The Zohar continues to explain that within the other three agents of damage, there is an aspect of the ox and the ox itself contains a number of primary agents of damages. One should therefore contemplate how the ox is found in the other three: the pit has an ox in it, the fire is called בערה which is cognate with the Aramaic word meaning “cattle” (עירבא), and the grazing animal is of course connected with the ox. This is the essence of the Golden Calf through its etymology as an “ox.” It becomes the root of the four primary agents of damage and that is why the sorcerers chose it as the shape of the idol.
Beauty: Earrings
The meaning of “calf ” (עגל) that matches the sefirah of beauty (tiferet) is earrings (עגילים). Aaron said to the people, “Remove the gold rings in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.”
In Hebrew, an earring can be either a נזם or an עגיל. The verse explicitly uses the first form, which can designate either a nose ring or an earring. The second form is only used for earrings. If the Torah would have used the second word, it would have been too explicit that they were going to produce a gold calf.
The word for ear in Hebrew, אוזן is an acronym for “ear, gold, ring” (אוזן זהב נזם). “Ring” (נזם) can be permuted to spell “time” (זמן), alluding to the delay in Moses’ return from the mountain, which was the supposed reason for the sin of the Golden Calf.
The Aramaic translation of נזם throughout the Bible is קדשא, stemming from the root “to sanctify.” What this implies is that just as we today consecrate an engagement (kiddushin) with a ring that goes on the finger, in ancient times, they did so with a nose-ring. The connection to the sefirah of “beauty” (tiferet) should be clear; all jewelry corresponds to beauty.
Victory and Acknowledgement: Camp
The next meaning of the word for “calf ” (עגל) is a military camp (מעגל). We find this usage in for example the following verse, “David went at once to the place where Saul had encamped, and David saw the spot where Saul and his army commander, Abner son of Ner, lay asleep. Saul lay asleep inside the camp and the troops were posted around him.”
The Name of God associated with the two sefirot, victory (netzach) and acknowledgment (hod) is “Hosts” (צבאות), which in Hebrew also literally means “army” (צבא).
Foundation: Way
The word we just saw in victory, מעגל, also means “a way” or “a path,” as in the well-known verse, “He [God] leads me in the paths of justice” (ינחני במעגלי צדק). Many times a path or way is related in Kabbalah with the sefirah of “foundation” (yesod).
Elsewhere, we discussed the 7 Hebrew synonyms for the word “way” (דרך). In that partzuf (model), we placed the synonym מעגל in kingdom because the idiom in this verse from Psalms is “paths of justice” (מעגלי צדק), and the word “justice” (צדק) relates to kingdom. But just מעגל by itself, without the additional “justice,” would correspond to the crown of foundation, thus retaining the association with kingdom (crown) and the association with foundation.
Kingdom: Wagon
There is one final meaning connected with the word for “calf ” (עגל) and that is “wagon” (עֲגָלָה). The wagon is associated with kingdom; let us see how.
In the rabbinic idiom, the wagon’s driver is known as a “leader” (מנהיג). In more modern usage, a wagon driver is also known as a “wagon owner” (בעל עגלה). The one who leads the people is of course a king. Interestingly, the righteous King of Israel is considered a rectification of the seventh King of Edom whose name was Ba’al Chanan (בעל חנן), whose gematria is the same as “wagon owner” (בעל עגלה).
(from a shiur given on 11 Adar 5772)
