Rabbeinu Bachya then makes a remarkable observation about the Yom Tov Torah reading. On the first day of Sukkot, we read Parshat Emor, which begins: שׁ וֹר אוֹ כֶשֶׂב אוֹ עֵז כִּי יִוָּלֵד – When a bull or a sheep or a goat is born. What does this have to do with Sukkot? Why begin the Yom Tov reading here? The Midrash (Tanchuma) explains: Hakadosh Baruch Hu declares – “I have examined and determined that Bnei Yisrael did not sin in the Cheit HaEigel. Therefore, it is permitted to bring a bull as a korban.” It turns out that he who sinned through the ox brings an ox as atonement. The very Torah reading of Yom Tov opens with this principle.
Rabbeinu Bachya then brings one more brilliant proof. In Parshat Vezot HaBracha, the bracha received by Yosef reads: בְּכוֹר שׁ וֹרוֹ הָדָר לוֹ – The firstborn of his ox, glory is his. What is the connection between a firstborn ox and the word הָ דָ ר – beauty, splendor? Rabbeinu Bachya explains: beauty and splendor is learned from the ox that is brought to atone for Cheit HaEiegel. From it, you learn פּ ְ רִ י עֵ ץ הָ דָ ר, the fruit of the beautiful tree, coming to atone for the sin of Adam HaRishon in Gan Eden. From the ox comes the Etrog. The Etrog atones for Adam HaRishon; the ox atones for the Golden Calf – both operate on the same principle of the vehicle of sin being the vehicle of tikkun.
We have also established through this that the gold of the Mishkan atones for the gold of the Golden Calf.
