Observe that when the Israelites committed the sin of the Golden Calf there was no reason why they should have made a calf rather than anything else of the evil side. But, indeed, they did not choose the Calf, but merely said: “Up, make us a god who shall go before us” (Ex. 32, 1); and Aaron intended to delay them.
But the Calf was the appropriate form. For from the side of gold there emerged the dross, out of which spread in all directions all the forces of the “left side”. All these forces have the red colour of gold, and are under the influence of the sun. For when the sun reaches his full strength he generates gold in the earth; and the Chieftain ruling under the force of the sun has the appearance of a calf, and is described as “the destruction (keteb) that wasteth at noonday” (Ps. 91, 6).
The red side, the defiled spirit, is the same as the Evil Serpent. On him there rides a male-female being, called eleh (these), so called for the reason that they appear everywhere in various guises. On the opposite side is the Holy Spirit, called zoth (this)1Allusion to Isa. 59, 21: “this is My covenant with them”. , pointing to the emblem of the holy covenant which is always found on man. The others, however, are called “these”, wherefore it is written “yea, these 1Allusion to the Golden Calf, v. Midrash Eikhoh, in loco. may forget, yet will not I forget thee” (Isa. 49, 15).
The same is alluded to in “For these things I weep” (Lam. 1, 16), inasmuch as that sin was the cause of many weepings for Israel. Alternately, “For these I weep”, to wit, for the dark forces of that region to whom was given the licence to dominate over Israel and to destroy the Sanctuary. “These” (eleh) points thus to the powers of the unclean-side, and “I weep” points to the Holy Spirit, who is named “I”.
One might indeed urge against this, citing the words: “These (eleh) are the words of the covenant” (Deut. 28, 69).1This is cited to prove that eleh (these) is associated with the good as well as evil. But in truth, even here the word eleh (these) points to the curses awaiting him who will transgress “the words of the covenant”. Similarly, in the passage, “These are the commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses” (Lev. 27, 34), the word “these” is a warning to man to purify himself by the observance of the precepts of the Torah and not to stray from the right path, but to keep afar from the evil powers.
As regards “These are the generations of Noah” (Gen. 6, 9), the word eleh (these) is assuredly appropriate there, inasmuch as Noah begat Ham, the father of Canaan, in regard to whom it is written, “Cursed be Canaan” (Ibid. 9, 25). This, then, is the esoteric implication of eleh (these),
pointing in our text to the dross and refuse of the gold. Now Aaron offered up the gold because he was of the side of fire, and gold is under the influence of the force of fire, the two being, as it were, one.
The Unclean Spirit, whose haunting place is the desert, thus found at that moment an occasion to seize hold of him; and so, whereas Israel standing at Mount Sinai were purged of the primitive venom that the evil spirit injected into the world, thereby bringing death to all mankind, now the same evil spirit defiled them anew, took hold of them and brought again death to them and to all mankind and for all their generations to follow. Scripture so says: “I said: Ye are godlike beings…. But ye shall die like men”, etc. (Ps. 82, 6-7). Aaron therefore had to purge himself afterwards during the seven sacred days,1v. Lev. 8, 33. and after that by means of a calf.1v. Ibid. 9, 2.
תָּא חֲזֵי כַּד עָבְדוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל הַהוּא עוֹבָדָא, וְגָרְמוּ לְהַהוּא חוֹבָא, מַאי טַעֲמָא עֵגֶל, וְלָא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא. וְאִי תֵּימָא, דְּאִינּוּן בְּרִירוּ עֶגְלָא, לָאו הָכִי. אֶלָּא אִינּוּן אָמְרוּ, (שמות ל״ב:א׳) קוּם עֲשֵׂה לָנוּ אֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר יֵלְכוּ לְפָנֵינוּ, וְאַהֲרֹן רְעוּתֵיהּ הֲוָה לְאַעְכְּבָא לוֹן.
Observe that when the Israelites committed the sin of the Golden Calf there was no reason why they should have made a calf rather than anything else of the evil side. But, indeed, they did not choose the Calf, but merely said: “Up, make us a god who shall go before us” (Ex. 32, 1); and Aaron intended to delay them.
אֶלָּא וַדַּאי עֲבִידְתָּא אִתְעָבִיד כַּדְקָא חֲזֵי, דְּהָא מִסִּטְרָא דְּדַהֲבָא, נָפְקָא סוּסְפִיתָא, כַּד אִתְבְּרִיר דַּהֲבָא, וּמִתַּמָּן מִתְפַּשְּׁטֵי כָּל אִינּוּן סִטְרֵי שְׂמָאלָא, דְּאִינּוּן הִתּוּכָא דְּהַהוּא (כ"ד ע"ב) סוּסְפִיתָא דְּדַהֲבָא, וּמִתְפָּרְשָׁאן לְכַמָּה סִטְרִין. וְכָל אִינּוּן דְּאִית לוֹן חֵיזוּ סוּמָקָא, גּוָֹון דְּדַהֲבָא קַיְימָא בְּטוּרֵי, כַּד שִׁמְשָׁא בְּתוּקְפֵּיהּ, בְּגִין דְּתּוּקְפָּא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא אַחְזֵי דַּהֲבָא, וְאוֹלִיד לֵיהּ בְּאַרְעָא. וְהַהוּא דִּמְמָנָא בְּהַהוּא תּוּקְפָּא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא, חֵיזוּ דִּילֵיהּ כְּעֶגְלָא, וְאִקְרִי (תהילים צ״א:ו׳) קֶטֶב יָשׁוּד צָהֳרָיִם, וְדָא נָפְקָא מִגּוֹ עֶגְלָא הִתּוּכָא סוּמָקָא דְּדַהֲבָא, וְכָל הָנֵי אַתְיָין מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא סוּמָקָא, רוּחַ מְסַאֲבָא, דְּכָל אִינּוּן דְּמִתְפָּרְשֵׁי מֵרוּחַ מִסְאֲבָא מִתְפַּשְּׁטֵי בְּעָלְמָא.
But the Calf was the appropriate form. For from the side of gold there emerged the dross, out of which spread in all directions all the forces of the “left side”. All these forces have the red colour of gold, and are under the influence of the sun. For when the sun reaches his full strength he generates gold in the earth; and the Chieftain ruling under the force of the sun has the appearance of a calf, and is described as “the destruction (keteb) that wasteth at noonday” (Ps. 91, 6).
וְהַאי רוּחַ מִסְאֲבָא, אִיהוּ חִוְיָא בִּישָׁא. (ויחי רכ"ה ע"א) וְאִית מַאן דְּרָכִיב עָלֵיהּ, וְאִינּוּן דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא. וְאִקְרוּן אֵלֶּה, דְּאִינּוּן מִזְדַּמְּנִין בְּעָלְמָא, בְּכָל אִינּוּן סִטְרִין דִּלְהוֹן. וְרוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא אִקְרֵי זֹאת, דְּאִיהִי רָזָא דִּבְרִית, רְשִׁימָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח תָּדִיר עִמֵּיהּ דְּבַּר נָשׁ. וְכֵן (ישעיה כה) זֶה יְיָ', (שמות טו) זֶה אֵלִי, אֲבָל אִלֵּין אִקְרוּן אֵלֶּה, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, אֵלֶּה אֱלהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל. וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו מ״ט:ט״ו) גַּם (רכ"א ע"א) אֵלֶּה תִשְׁכַּחְנָה. וְאָנֹכִי רָזָא דְּזֹאת, לֹא אֶשְׁכָּחֵךְ. וּכְתִיב (איכה א׳:ט״ז) עַל אֵלֶּה אֲנִי בוֹכִיָּה, דְּהַהוּא חוֹבָה גָּרִים לְמִבְכֵּי לוֹן כַּמָה בִּכְיָין.
The red side, the defiled spirit, is the same as the Evil Serpent. On him there rides a male-female being, called eleh (these), so called for the reason that they appear everywhere in various guises. On the opposite side is the Holy Spirit, called zoth (this)1Allusion to Isa. 59, 21: “this is My covenant with them”. , pointing to the emblem of the holy covenant which is always found on man. The others, however, are called “these”, wherefore it is written “yea, these 1Allusion to the Golden Calf, v. Midrash Eikhoh, in loco. may forget, yet will not I forget thee” (Isa. 49, 15).
דָּבָר אַחֵר עַל אֵלֶּה אֲנִי בוֹכִיָּה. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּאִתְיְיהִיב רְשׁוּ לַאֲתָר דָּא לְשַׁלְּטָאָה עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּלְחַרְבָּא בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא. וּבְגִין דְּאִתְיְיהִיב לוֹן רְשׁוּ לְשַׁלְּטָאָה, כְּתִיב עַל אֵלֶּה אֲנִי בוֹכִיָּה, רָזָא דְּמִלָּה עַל אֵלֶּה דָּא סִטְרָא דִּמְסָאֲבָא דְּאִתְיְיהִיב לוֹן רְשׁוּ לְשַׁלְּטָאָה. אֲנִי בוֹכִיָּה דָּא רוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא דְּאִקְרֵי אֲנִי.
The same is alluded to in “For these things I weep” (Lam. 1, 16), inasmuch as that sin was the cause of many weepings for Israel. Alternately, “For these I weep”, to wit, for the dark forces of that region to whom was given the licence to dominate over Israel and to destroy the Sanctuary. “These” (eleh) points thus to the powers of the unclean-side, and “I weep” points to the Holy Spirit, who is named “I”.
וְאִי תֵּימָא, הָא כְּתִיב (דברים כ״ח:ס״ט) אֵלֶּה דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית. הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי, דְּכָל אִינּוּן לָא מִתְקַיְּימִין, אֶלָּא מִגּוֹ אֵלֶּה, דְּתַמָּן כָּל לְוָוטִין כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא דְּאִיהוּ אָרוּר, דִּכְתִּיב (בראשית ג׳:י״ד) אָרוּר אַתָּה מִכָּל הַבְּהֵמָה. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, אַקְדִּים וְאָמַר אֵלֶּה, דְּקַיְּימָא לְמַאן דְּעָבַר דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית. (ויקרא כ״ז:ל״ד) אֵלֶּה הַמִּצְוֹת אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְיָ' אֶת מֹשֶׁה, בְּגִין דְּפִקּוּדַיָּא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא לְאִתְדַכְּאָה בַּר נָשׁ, וְלָא יִסְטֵי לְאוֹרְחָא דָּא, וְיִסְתָּמַר מִתַּמָּן, וְיִתְפְּרַשׁ מִנַּיְיהוּ.
One might indeed urge against this, citing the words: “These (eleh) are the words of the covenant” (Deut. 28, 69).1This is cited to prove that eleh (these) is associated with the good as well as evil. But in truth, even here the word eleh (these) points to the curses awaiting him who will transgress “the words of the covenant”. Similarly, in the passage, “These are the commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses” (Lev. 27, 34), the word “these” is a warning to man to purify himself by the observance of the precepts of the Torah and not to stray from the right path, but to keep afar from the evil powers.
וְאִי תֵּימָא (בראשית ו׳:ט׳) אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת נֹחַ נֹחַ. הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי, דְּהָא נָפַק חָם, דְּאִיהוּ אֲבִי כְּנַעַן, (בראשית ט׳:כ״ה) וּכְתִיב אָרוּר כְּנַעַן, וְאִיהוּ רָזָא דָּא דְּאֵלֶּה.
As regards “These are the generations of Noah” (Gen. 6, 9), the word eleh (these) is assuredly appropriate there, inasmuch as Noah begat Ham, the father of Canaan, in regard to whom it is written, “Cursed be Canaan” (Ibid. 9, 25). This, then, is the esoteric implication of eleh (these),
וְעַל דָּא כָּל הָנִי הִתּוּכָא סוּסְפִיתָא דְּדַהֲבָא. וְאַהֲרֹן קָרִיב דַּהֲבָא, דְּאִיהוּ סִטְרָא (אחרא) דִּילֵיהּ, דְּכָלִיל אִיהוּ בְּתּוּקְפָא דְּאֶשָּׁא, וְכֹלָּא חַד, וְסִטְרָא דָּא דַּהֲבָא וָאֶשָּׁא.
pointing in our text to the dross and refuse of the gold. Now Aaron offered up the gold because he was of the side of fire, and gold is under the influence of the force of fire, the two being, as it were, one.
וְרוּחַ מִסַאֲבָא דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח תָּדִיר בְּמַדְבְּרָא, אַשְׁכַּח אֲתָר בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא לְאִתַּתְקְפָא בֵּיהּ. וּמַה דַּהֲווֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל דַּכְיָין, מֵהַהוּא זוּהֲמָא קַדְמָאָה, דְּאָטִיל בְּעָלְמָא, וְגָרִים מוֹתָא לְכֹלָּא, כַּד קַיְימוּ עַל טוּרָא דְּסִינַי, גָּרַם לוֹן כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין, לְסָאֲבָא לוֹן, וּלְאִתַּתְקְפָא עָלַיְיהוּ, וְגָרִים לוֹן מוֹתָא, וּלְכָל עָלְמָא, וּלְדָרֵיהוֹן בַּתְרֵיהוֹן, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים פ״ב:ו׳) אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי אֱלהִים אַתֶּם וְגוֹ'. אָכֵן כְּאָדָם תְּמוּתוּן וְגוֹ'. (ע"כ) וּבְגִין כַּךְ, אַהֲרֹן אַהְדָּר לְבָתַר לְאִתְדַכְּאָה, בְּרָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא עִלָּאָה, בְּאִינּוּן שִׁבְעָה יוֹמִין קַדִּישִׁין, וּלְבָתַר לְאִתְדַכְּאָה בְּעֶגְלָא.
The Unclean Spirit, whose haunting place is the desert, thus found at that moment an occasion to seize hold of him; and so, whereas Israel standing at Mount Sinai were purged of the primitive venom that the evil spirit injected into the world, thereby bringing death to all mankind, now the same evil spirit defiled them anew, took hold of them and brought again death to them and to all mankind and for all their generations to follow. Scripture so says: “I said: Ye are godlike beings…. But ye shall die like men”, etc. (Ps. 82, 6-7). Aaron therefore had to purge himself afterwards during the seven sacred days,1v. Lev. 8, 33. and after that by means of a calf.1v. Ibid. 9, 2.