Now, let’s explore a further layer from the Oznaim LaTorah. Do you know why Moshe gathered the people? Moshe Rabbeinu wanted to stage a demonstration of support for Hakadosh Baruch Hu. A show of support. How many people stood at the foot of Har Sinai when Moshe spoke to them about the donations for the Mishkan? Men, women, and children – the entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael. And how many was that? The Chafetz Chaim writes that the count of Bnei Yisrael at Har Sinai was three million. I personally think it was far more, but the Chafetz Chaim says this, and we have only his words to go by.
The Oznaim LaTorah explains: Moshe Rabbeinu gathered three million people, commanded them about Shabbat, and commanded them about the Mishkan. And Moshe Rabbeinu then said to Hakadosh Baruch Hu: “Ribbono Shel Olam, please look. The entire assembly of Yisrael – three million people. How many sinned with the Golden Calf? Three thousand.”
What is three thousand out of three million? One percent? Not even one percent. One percent of three million is thirty thousand. So, three thousand is merely one tenth of a percent. On the stock exchange they call that a tick. A tenth of a percent; one tick. Rabbotai, this is remarkable. Moshe Rabbeinu says: “Ribbono Shel Olam, what is this terrible anger of Yours? Look, please. Look at Your children. Three million people did not participate!” How many sinned? Three thousand. What is that in percentage terms? A tenth of a percent. And even that, says the Oznaim LaTorah, was entirely the Erev Rav. We mentioned last week that the Vilna Gaon says it was not even three thousand but just six hundred.
Shlomo HaMelech tells us in Kohelet: אָדָם אֶחָד מֵאֶלֶף מָצָאתִי וְאִשָּׁה בְכָל אֵלֶּה לֹא מָצָאתִי : One man in a thousand I found, and among all these I did not find a woman. If there were six hundred thousand men, one in a thousand is six hundred men. The Vilna Gaon then asks: if only six hundred sinned, why were three thousand killed? Because, the Midrash teaches, they had stolen the image of the ox from the Kiseh HaKavod – they took the ox-face from the image of the Divine Chariot. And the Torah says one who steals an ox and slaughters or sells it pays five oxen in place of the one ox: חֲמִשָּׁה בָקָר יְשׁ ַלֵּם תַּחַת הַשּׁ וֹר. He pays five times over. Therefore, three thousand died – five times six hundred. So explains the Vilna Gaon.
The Oznaim LaTorah concludes: what Moshe Rabbeinu did here was stage a demonstration. He wanted to show Hakadosh Baruch Hu: “Ribbono Shel Olam, look down from heaven and see. Look at Your people. Look how joyfully they give donations for the Mishkan – men, women, and children, in two days bringing everything needed for the entire construction of the Mishkan.”
Rabbotai, we have established that every single word spoken in the Cheit HaEigel required its own atonement. Every word. Therefore: ַ קְ ה ֵ ל מ ֹ שׁ ֶ ה ו ַ י – let Moshe's gathering come and atone. יִשְׂ רָ אֵ ל אֵ לֶּה אֱלֹהֶ יך – in its place comes אֵלֶּה הַדְּ בָרִ ים.
The Midrash states: חָטְאוּ בְּזֶה לָקוּ בְּזֶה וּמִתְנַחֲמִים בְּזֶה — they sinned through this, were punished through this, and are consoled through this. They were punished through זֶה, as it says: כִּי זֶה מֹשׁ ֶה הָאִישׁ לֹא יָדַעְנוּ מֶה הָיָה לּוֹ. Punished through זֶה, as Eichah says: עַל זֶה הָיָה דַוָּה לִבֵּנוּ עַל אֵלֶּה חָשְׁכוּ עֵינֵינוּ – Over this our heart grew faint, over these our eyes darkened. And they are consoled through זֶה, as it says: הִנֵּה אֱלֹקֵינוּ זֶה קִוִּינוּ לוֹ וְיוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ – Behold, this is our G-d for Whom we hoped, and He will save us.
The same pattern applies to the word הוּא. They sinned through ֹאמְרוּ לֹא הוּא כִּי כִּחֲשׁ וּ בַה' וַי — They denied Hashem and said: it is not He. And through הוּא they were also punished: וַיֵהָפֵך לָהֶם לְאוֹיֵב וְהוּא נִלְחַם בָּם – He turned against them as an enemy, and He fought against them. And they are similar consoled אָ נ ֹכִ י אָ נ ֹכִ י הוּא מְ נַחֶ מְ כֶ ם – I, I am He Who comforts you.
