“And Hashem said to Moshe: ‘Go, descend [from the mountain], for your people that you have brought up from the land of Egypt have acted corruptly. They have quickly turned away from the path that I have commanded them; they have made themselves a molten calf! And they have prostrated themselves before it, slaughtered sacrifices to it...’ And Hashem said to Moshe, ‘I have seen these people and behold! they are a stiff-necked people. Now, let Me be, that My anger may blaze forth against them and that I may destroy them, and make of you a great nation.” (Exodus 32:7-10)
Rav Simcha Zissel Ziv of Kelm (Chochma UMussar Volume I, Page 259) cites the Chovos HaLevavos who says that the main impact and power of a sin (the worst part of a sin) is when one does not admit the truth that what one did was sinful and therefore one does not correct one’s ways. Rav Simcha Zissel proves this from the aforementioned verses. What did Bnei Yisrael do? They made an Avodah Zarah (an idol)! They worshipped it and brought offerings to it! And yet, what was the issue that angered Hashem the most? It wasn’t the actual idol worship, but rather that Bnei Yisrael was a “stiff-necked people”. It was their stubbornness – their stubbornness in not admitting promptly that they had sinned so they could do Teshuva (repent).
We can make another observation here as well. One of the most important things that Hashem wants us to develop is the Middah (good character trait) of Hakaras HaTov (recognizing and being grateful for what we have). The Alter of Slabodka explains that this was the sin of Adam when he laid the blame on Chava his wife, for his sin of eating from the Aitz HaDaas (Tree of Knowledge). He said to Hashem, “HaIsha Asher Nasata Imadi” – the woman that You placed with me gave me to eat of this fruit...” In other words, instead of being grateful for the gift of the woman that Hashem gave to him, he blamed the woman, and Hashem for giving her to him, as the cause of his sin.
And yet here, by the sin of the golden calf, there is no mention of a lack of Hakaras HaTov as a cause of Hashem’s anger. Let’s review. Hashem had just redeemed Bnei Yisrael out of bondage in Egypt and was about to give them the greatest gift in the history of the world – the Torah! And what did Bnei Yisroel do? They worshiped an idol!* This would appear to be a severe lack of Hakaras Hatov. And yet, Hashem did not mention their lack of HaKaras HaTov. Instead, he mentioned their stubbornness in not seeing the truth and admitting the error of their ways.
We see why the ability to see the truth is so important in Hashem’s eyes. A lack of this quality will prevent us from doing Teshuvah and Hashem wants nothing more than for us to repent and be close to Him. Our “stiff-necked” and stubborn perseverance in maintaining our incorrect manners and ways is a key impediment to the path of repentance. If we acknowledge this, we can work on our stubbornness and when we sin, we can admit our wrongdoings readily and repent for them. We can then improve ourselves and enjoy the close relationship with Hashem that He so desires.
* Please note that the verses that describe Bnei Yisrael’s worship of the golden calf are not meant to be understood simply as written as the extent of Bnei Yisrael’s “worship” of the golden calf was minimal. A discussion of the limited extent of their worship and why Bnei Yisrael came to do what they did is beyond the scope of this Torah thought.
