Makkos 2

Makkos 2

The Gemara states that Rabbi Yochanan suggested a kal vachomer that would exempt eidim zomemim from galus, exile, as follows: if the murderer who committed an intentional act does not get punished with exile, then certainly the eidim zomemim who did not perform an intentional act should not be punished with exile.

It is noteworthy that Kayin killed his brother Hevel and one main component of his punishment was exile. The Torah states explicitly that HaShem told Kayin that he would be a wanderer in the land, which is understood by the Gemara (Sanhedrin 37b and see Maharsha there) to serve as an atonement for Kayin’s grievous sin. The Medrash (Bereishis Rabbah 22:13) goes even further and states that the eastern direction absorbs murderers, and Kayin settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. One must wonder why Kayin was granted atonement through exile if exile is only a punishment or refuge for those who kill unintentionally. One who kills intentionally, however, is not allowed to escape to a City of  Refuge (Rashi Shemos 21:14 citing Mechilta).

Perhaps the answer to this question is that the Gemara (Sanhedrin 58b) states that while a Ben Noach is prohibited from marrying his sister, HaShem allowed Kayin to marry his sister because עולם חסד יבנה, HaShem built a world of kindness. Similarly, we can suggest that had HaShem not granted Kayin atonement through exile, he would have had to die immediately for his sin, and then the world would have remained desolate as there was no one else to populate the world (aside from Adam and Chava).

Sanhedrin 113

Sanhedrin 113

The Gemara cites a Baraisa:

When a wicked person comes to the world, Divine Anger comes to the world, as it is stated: (Mishlei 18:3) with the coming of a wicked person comes derision too: and with shamefulness, disgrace…. When a righteous person comes to the world, good fortune comes to the world, as it is stated: (Bereishis 5:29) and he called his name Noach, saying: this one will bring us relief from our work and from the toil of our hands.

The commentators are bothered by the expression “when a wicked person comes to the world,” as no one is born wicked. One only becomes wicked by his own choice. It is noteworthy that the Gemara cites the verse in Mishlei that states: בְּבוֹא רָשָׁע בָּא גַם בּוּז וְעִם קָלוֹן חֶרְפָּה, with the coming of a wicked person comes derision too: and with shamefulness, disgrace. The Medrash (Bereishis Rabbah 63:14) cites this verse regarding Esav. Esav did not sin openly until he was fifteen years old. Once he became of age he let everyone know of his wickedness. Conversely, Noach invented the plow, thus easing the burden of farming, and he was also righteous, which was the catalyst for the salvation of the world. Thus, we can interpret the words of the Gemara regarding the wicked who “come into the world” to mean their effect on the world, and conversely, the righteous make their impact on the world with their good deeds.

 

Sanhedrin 112

Sanhedrin 112

The Gemara asks:

Why must it be hidden and go to waste? Let it be redeemed and eaten, for Rabbi Elazar has said: From where do we learn that maaser sheini that became tamei may be redeemed even in Yerushalayim?

For the Torah states regarding the redemption of maaser sheini: (Devarim 14:24) if the way is too great for you, so that that you will not be able “se’siso.” And the word “se’eis” in this context means nothing other than “eating,” as it is stated in regard to the meal to which Yosef invited his brothers (Bereishis 43:34): and he took portions (mas’os) from before him. Accordingly, since maaser sheini that has become tamei can be redeemed even in Yerushalayim, why would the Mishnah require it to be hidden away?

Based on this Gemara we can suggest that this is the essence of eating food. When one eats food he should not be looking merely to satiate his body. Rather one should focus on elevating the food to a higher level, as our mission in this world is to elevate the inanimate, vegetable, and wildlife to the next level.

 

Sanhedrin 111

Sara’s Burial, Moshe Denied Entry into Eretz Yisroel

Sanhedrin 111a

The Gemara continues its discussion of Jews who perished in Egypt:

A Tanna taught in a Baraisa: Rabbi Elazar the son of Rabbi Yose said: Once I came to Alexandria in Egypt. I found an old Egyptian man, and he said to me: “Come, let me show you what my ancestors did to your ancestors. Some of them they drowned in the sea; some of them they killed with the sword; and some of them they crushed by immuring them in the walls of buildings”. And it was on account of this matter that Moshe our teacher was punished, as it is stated, [Moshe returned to Hashem and said, “My Lord, why have You done evil to this people, why have you sent me? Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name he has done evil to this people, while you have not rescued Your people”! Thereupon the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Moshe: alas for those who are gone and no more to be found! Many times did I appear to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, promising the Land of Israel to them and their progeny under the name of E-l Shaddai, yet though they did not see the fulfillment of those promises, they did not question the justice of My ways, nor did they say to Me, “ What is Your name”? as you did. I said to Avraham: Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth, for to you will I give it. Subsequently, he looked for a spot to bury his wife Sarah, and could not find one until he purchased land for the exorbitant price of four hundred silver shekels. Still, although that very land had been promised, he did not question My ways. I said to Yitzchak, Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you. Subsequently, his servants sought water to drink and could not find any until they quarreled with local inhabitants, as it is stated, and the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Yitzchak’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours”! Still, although that very land had been promised to him, he did not question My ways. I said to Yaakov, The ground upon which you are lying, to you will I give it and to your descendants. Subsequently, he looked for a place upon which to pitch his tent and could not find one until he purchased land for one hundred kesitahs. Still, though he had been promised that very land, he did not question my ways. Nor did any of the patriarchs say to me, “What is your name”? By contrast, right at the start, i.e. when I first spoke to you, you said to me, “What is your name”? And now you say to me: But you have not rescued your people”!

Now you will see what I shall do to Pharaoh. That is, G-d told Moshe: the war against Pharaoh, i.e. the struggle for the liberation of the slaves and their Exodus from Egypt, you will see, -however you will not live to see the war against the thirty-one kings of Canaan, i.e. you will die before the Jewish People reach Canaan.

This Gemara is perplexing for a number of reasons:

1. What is the necessity of the introduction in the Gemara regarding the Egyptian’s relating the persecution of the Jews in Egypt?
2. How can the situation of the Patriarchs be compared to the predicament that Moshe was in? The Patriarchs had reason to be disappointed when their rights to the land were not met with satisfaction, but Moshe and the Jews were in a situation of life and death. Moshe’s entreaties to Pharaoh only made things worse for the Jews.
3. Why did Moshe forfeit the right to enter Eretz Yisroel merely because he felt that Hashem had allowed for the Jews’ situation to become desperate?

 

To answer these questions, we must understand the promise that Hashem made to the Patriarchs concerning Eretz Yisroel. Hashem told Avraham that his descendants would inherit the Land. This did not exclude Avraham from exercising his rights to acquire property in Eretz Yisroel, but even Avraham and members of his household conceded that the land was not theirs yet. Nonetheless, the promise Hashem made to the patriarchs was viewed as if it already had been fulfilled. Based on this premise, it is understandable why the Patriarchs should have felt disappointed when things did not go their way. They were silent, and Hashem rewarded them for their patience. Moshe, on the other hand, never entered Eretz Yisroel, and did not even merit to be buried in Eretz Yisroel.

The Medrash states, Rabbi Levi said, Moshe said to Hashem, Master of the world, the bones of Yosef entered Eretz Yisroel, and I cannot enter Eretz Yisroel? Hashem responded, “One who admits to his land is buried in his land. One who does not admit to his land is not buried in his land.” Yosef admitted to his land. His mistress said, “look! He brought us a Hebrew man to sport with us… and Yosef did not deny it. Rather, [as is said], [for indeed] I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews. Yosef was buried in his land, as is said, Joseph’s bones, which the Children of Israel had brought up from Egypt, they buried in Shechem. You, Moshe, did not admit to your land, could not be buried in your land. How is this so? The daughters of Yisro proclaimed, “An Egyptian man saved us from the shepherds… and Moshe heard and remained silent. Therefore, he did not merit being buried in his land.

This Medrash requires an explanation. After all, Moshe was born in Egypt, so why should he have denied the facts? Furthermore, we can presume that while fleeing from Pharaoh, he was dressed as an Egyptian, so there was no apparent reason to dispel the notion that he was an Egyptian.

The Rosh, in his commentary on the Torah, raises an interesting question: One may ask, why did all the wicked amongst the Jewish People die during the three day period of thick darkness, and Dasan and Aviram (arch enemies of Moshe) did not die? The answer is, because although they were wicked, they did not despair from being redeemed.

We can now comprehend the gravity of Moshe’s complaint to Hashem. Even the most wicked amongst the Jews held out hope that they would be redeemed, and Moshe claimed, “ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name he has done evil to this people, while you have not rescued Your people”! When Hashem was sending Moshe to redeem the Jewish People, it was not deemed appropriate for Moshe to even sound pessimistic about the redemption prospects. One who studies the Book of Shemos carefully will notice that every time Moshe said something derogatory about the Jewish People, he was punished. This was because Hashem could not tolerate any feeling of despair on Moshe’s part in leading the Jews out of exile.

A Jewish leader must always be optimistic about the Jewish People’s future, no matter how bleak the situation is presented by his followers. Yosef, who died in Egypt, was the paradigm of this idea. It is said, As for the nation, he resettled it by cities, from one end of Egypt’s borders to the other. Rashi comments that this was done in order that his brothers should not feel like exiles in a foreign land. Indeed, the first words that Hashem told Avraham by the Pact Between Halves were, “Know with certainty that your offspring shall be aliens in a land not their own.” The Maharal writes that exile and the Jewish People are paradoxical. Even the Egyptian who related to Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Yose the cruelties inflicted upon the Jewish slaves was cognizant of this idea. This is what Hashem felt Moshe should have understood, and because he lacked this sensitivity, he was denied the right to enter Eretz Yisroel.

To summarize, we asked:

1. What is the necessity of the introduction in the Gemara regarding the Egyptian’s relating the persecution of the Jews in Egypt?
2. How can the situation of the Patriarchs be compared to the predicament that Moshe was in? The Patriarchs had reason to be disappointed when their rights to the land were not met with satisfaction, but Moshe and the Jews were in a situation of life and death. Moshe’s entreaties to Pharaoh only made things worse for the Jews.
3. Why did Moshe forfeit the right to enter Eretz Yisroel merely because he felt that Hashem had allowed for the Jews’ situation to become desperate?

The answers are:

1. The Egyptian understood that although the Egyptians had persecuted the Jewish People mercilessly, Hashem exacted vengeance from them and redeemed His nation, for they never despaired of being redeemed.
2. The patriarchs never despaired of not inheriting Eretz Yisroel, even when they had to struggle to acquire a burial plot or water.
3. Moshe was not allowed to enter Eretz Yisroel because he displayed a pessimistic attitude regarding the Jews being redeemed. Yosef, on the other hand, although he never left Egypt after being sold by his brothers, always proclaimed himself to be a native of Eretz Yisroel.

One who wants to glean inspiration from this Gemara and Medrash need only focus on today’s situation in Eretz Yisroel. Although there is constant strife and bloodshed in the Holy Land, we dare not say, “You have not rescued Your people”. Hashem is referred to as “the Redeemer of Israel”, in the present form, denoting the constant evolvement of redemption. May we see the redemption speedily, in our days.

Sanhedrin 110

From Darkness of the Night to Light of the Day

Sanhedrin 110b

The Mishnah proceeds to discuss the fate of the Ten Tribes of Israel, who were carried off to exile in Assyria (Melachim II 17:6)

The Ten Tribes are not destined ever to return from their place of exile, as it is stated: and Hashem uprooted them from upon their soil with anger, with rage, and with great fury, and He cast them to another land, as this very day. Just as the day goes, never to return, so they, i.e. the Ten Tribes, go, never return. These are the words of Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Eliezer says: The phrase as this very day implies: Just as the day darkens and then becomes light, i.e. just as the darkness of the night or early morning eventually gives way to the light of the day, so too the Ten Tribes, for whom it is dark, will likewise one day have light.

The fate of the Ten Tribes of Israel remains a mystery until this day. Various groups trace their lineage to the Ten Tribes, and the Medrash states that they dwell on the other side of the Sambatyon River. What needs clarification is the verse from which is derived that the ten Tribes were cast away. It is said: and He cast them to another land, as this very day. Where is the reference to the Ten Tribes?

The Maharal writes an extraordinary explanation regarding the fate of the Ten Tribes. He notes that there are those who say that scholars of the gentile world have recorded all inhabited areas of the world, and the Ten Tribes are nowhere to be found in these locales. The Maharal writes that this is a foolish thesis, because there may exist an area where no man can enter, and this is where the Ten Tribes exist. Proof of this is that people discovered a “New World” (America) which had been previously unknown to man. If this was so, then certainly there can be a land that no one has yet discovered. In fact, the Maharal writes, the decree of exile on the Ten Tribes is because Hashem wrote in His Torah: and He cast them to another land, as this very day. Hashem did not desire that their whereabouts be known. Just like Hashem decreed that the Jewish People should be dispersed amongst the nations, so too did Hashem wish that the Ten Tribes should be separated from the other tribes.

It is now clear to us where in the verse is the reference to the Ten Tribes. Another land is merely a metaphor for somewhere obscure that no man is aware of its location. This is precisely the situation of our current exile. We are in another land, which is not ours.  Hashem decreed that we should be dispersed and lacking unity amongst ourselves. In essence, we are all part of the Ten Tribes’ exile. We should no longer view the ten Tribes as a chapter in history, but rather as a terrible catastrophe for the Jewish People. We are lost and divided, and it is our sins that separate us from one another.

There is another important lesson to be derived from this Mishnah. The Ramban writes that in reality, the Jewish People should remain in exile forever. The merits of our forefathers have ceased, and the only redeeming factor is Hashem’s Great Name. It is through the Jewish People that Hashem’s Name has been known throughout the world. If the Jewish People were to be obliterated, then the world would serve no purpose. It is therefore through Hashem’s will and compassion that the Jewish People remain in existence.

It is incumbent upon us to recognize that the sole reason for our existence is that Hashem’s name should be glorified and sanctified in the world, as it is said: everyone who is called by My name and whom I have created for My glory, whom I have fashioned, even perfected; to liberate the people who are blind though they have eyes, and deaf though they have ears.

Although Hashem may have cast us away to other lands, we should feel like Dovid Hamelech, who proclaimed: Where can I go from Your spirit? And where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in the lowest depths, behold, You are there; were I to take up wings of dawn, were I to dwell in the distant west, there, too, Your hand would guide me, and Your right hand would grasp me. Would I say, “surely darkness will shadow me”, then the night would become as light around me. Even darkness obscures not from You; and night shines like the day; darkness and light are the same. This is the idea expressed by Rabbi Eliezer in the Mishnah: The phrase as this very day implies: Just as the day darkens and then becomes light, i.e. just as the darkness of the night or early morning eventually gives way to the light of the day, so too the Ten Tribes, for whom it is dark, will likewise one day have light.

May we merit to be written in the Book Of Life, for Your sake, the Living G-d.

Sanhedrin 109

Korach: Repentance at the Threshold of Death

Sanhedrin 109b

The Rabbis taught: the congregation of Korach does not earn a share in the World to Come, as it is said: and the land covered them over, this is in this world, and they were lost from the midst of the congregation, this refers to the World to Come.  These are the words of Rabbi Akiva.  Rabbi Eliezer said: regarding the congregation of Korach it is said: Hashem puts to death and brings to life; He brings down to Sheol and He brings up.

The Rabbis taught: the congregation of Korach does not earn a share in the World to Come, as it is said: and the land covered them over, this is in this world, and they were lost from the midst of the congregation, this refers to the World to Come.  These are the words of Rabbi Akiva.  Rabbi Yehduah ben Beseira said, they are like a lost article that is sought after, as it is said: I have strayed like a lost sheep, seek out your servant, because I did not forget your commandments.

The dialogue of the Rabbis is difficult to comprehend, because Korach and his entourage were clearly sinners.  What is the justification of Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehduah ben Beseira to declare that Korach and his flock earned a share in the World to Come?

Rabbi Eliezer brought proof from the verse: Hashem puts to death and brings to life; He brings down to Sheol and He brings up.  The Meiri comments that it appears that according to Rabbi Eliezer, Korach and his flock realized their sin and repented.  This statement is puzzling, as there does not seem to be any indication from Scripture that Korach and his flock expressed any remorse for their brazen actions.

It is noteworthy that when Dovid HaMelech recounts the episode of Korach and his dispute, there is no mention of Korach.  It is said: and they accused Moshe in the camp, to Aharon, Hashem’s holy one.  The earth opened up and swallowed Dasan, and covered over the congregation of Aviram.  Evidently, Korach’s name is not mentioned because although Korach was the instigator of the dispute, he realized his error and repented.  The Ohr Hacahayim maintains that Dasan and Aviram were the instigators of the dispute, and proof of this is from the verse that states: and that what he did to Dasan and Aviram the sons of Eliav the son of Reuven that the earth opened up its mouth and swallowed them and their households and their tents and all the yekum of their feet in the midst of all of Israel.  Again we find no mention of Korach, and the Ohr Hacahayim writes that the opinion of Rabbi Akiva who posits that the congregation of Korach did not earn a share in the World to Come refers to Dasan and Aviram.  Rabbi Eliezer, who maintained that they did earn a share in the World to Come, would exclude Dasan and Aviram from that reward.  

The idea that Korach was not the instigator and in the end repented is mind-boggling, as Korach is the epitome of a dispute that is not for the sake of heaven, and a negative commandment was added to the Torah because of Korach’s unacceptable behavior.  Nonetheless, the power of repentance is always dominant, and perhaps this is implied in the verses that Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehduah ben Beseira quoted.  In the verse Hashem puts to death and brings to life; He brings down to Sheol and He brings up, there is as reference to life.  It is said: because I do not desire the death of the dead, rather that he repents from his ways and lives.  Even someone who is considered dead, like Korach and his congregation, are considered alive after having repented.  The verse that Rabbi Yehduah ben Beseira quotes, I have strayed like a lost sheep, seek out your servant, because I did not forget your commandments, is even more indicative of this idea.  Rashi writes that the words because I did not forget your commandments allude to Korach’s declaration: because the whole congregation is holy.  This pronouncement indicates that Korach fulfilled all the mitzvos, and repentance is one of the mitzvos.

The lesson from this episode is clear.  Although we may view certain people as grave sinners, and they don’t seem to stand a chance on the Day of Judgment, we should realize that even Korach, who argued on Moshe and Hashem, merited repenting and earning a share in the World to Come.  How much more so should we put forth the effort to come close to Hashem, study His Torah, and keep His mitzvos.  We will certainly earn a deserving share in the World to Come.

Sanhedrin 108

Will the Wicked Merit Judgment in the World to Come?

Sanhedrin 107b-108a

The people of Sodom have no share in the world to come, as it is stated: Now the people of Sodom were wicked and sinful toward Hashem, exceedingly- wicked in this world, and sinful for the World to Come. However, they will stand for judgment. Rabbi Nechemia says: Neither these (the people of the Generation of the Flood) nor these (the people of Sodom) will stand for judgment, as it is stated:Therefore the wicked shall not stand up in judgment, nor the sinful in the congregation of the righteous. Therefore the wicked shall not stand up in judgment- this is a reference to the people of the Generation of the Flood; nor the sinful in the congregation of the righteous-these are the people of Sodom. They said to [Rabbi Nechemia]: the verse implies merely that [the people of Sodom] shall not stand for judgment in the congregation of the righteous, but they shall stand for judgment in the congregation of the wicked.

Why should it concern us if the people of Sodom and the other groups mentioned in the Mishna will be judged in the World to Come? If they were wicked enough to lose their portion in the World to Come, certainly they should not be judged?

The Gemara derives that the people of Sodom did not merit a portion in the World to Come from what is said: nor the sinful in the congregation of the righteous-these are the people of Sodom. It is interesting to note that the people of Sodom are listed as the sinful in the congregation of the righteous. This euphemism must be understood.

We normally view wicked people based on their actions alone. This is true to the extent that a wicked person deviates from social norms by committing acts of cruelty. One who steals is considered wicked because most people tend to refrain from taking other peoples belongings. One who murders is considered wicked because he does not recognize the value of human life. Imagine, then, a scenario where the whole world steals and the whole world murders. Yet, there is one person who refrains from committing such atrocities, and even goes beyond the call of duty by attempting to educate the wicked people in his area. This would not only seem bizarre, but we would consider this righteous person somewhat suicidal. His attempts will be rebuffed, and if incited sufficiently, the population will kill him.

This was essentially the situation in the lifetime of Avaraham Avinu. The people of Sodom lived in his land, and they were morally corrupt. They murdered, they stole, and they strongly discouraged wayfarers. Thus, Avrohom not only had to contend with a wayward society, but he was also up against a people who were the antitheses of his lifelong preaching. Avraham was the pillar of Chesed-kindness, and the people of Sodom were bent on obliterating the very concept of kindness from their midst. When Lot appears on the scene, he is welcomed as a reject of Avraham Avinu, and is even appointed as a judge. When Lot attempted to protect his guests, however, it is said, ‘and they said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This fellow came to sojourn and would act as a judge? Now we will treat you worse than them!”

The Medrash comments on this verse, “And they said, “Stand back!”-Come closer. Then they said, “This fellow came to sojourn and would act as a judge? A matter that was enacted by your predecessors you have come to abolish. Rabbi Menachem said in the name of Rabbi Bibi, “This is what the people of Sodom had agreed upon. They declared, “Any visitor who arrives in Sodom, we will violate him, and take his money. Even if the one who is said about him ‘[For I have loved him, because he commands his children and his household after him] that they keep the way of Hashem… we will violate him and take his money’.

This declaration was made to emphasize the hostility that the Sodomites had toward Avrohom and his philosophy. Their acts of hostility were not merely a spur of the moment weakness in character. Rather, they were based on a thesis that whatever Avrohom Avinu preached about belief in One G-d and performing acts of kindness, the people of Sodom would do the exact opposite. They perverted the ultimate purpose of creation, of which it is said, ‘for I said, “Forever will [Your] kindness be built. The Gemara states that this premise allowed for Kayin to marry his sister. The people of Sodom preached diametrically opposite views.

Now we see clearly why the people of Sodom are regarded as the sinful in the congregation of the righteous. They live in the same world as the righteous, i.e. Avraham Avinu, and they strove to extinguish the values that Avraham imparted to the heathen world. According to the opinion of Rabbi Nechemia, they truly are not deserving of standing up in judgment in the World to Come. Having violated any sense of judgment and righteousness in this world, by what right do they merit standing in judgment in the next world? May we merit to be judged amongst the righteous, in this world and in the World to Come.

Sanhedrin 107

Temptation and Its Challenges Part 3

Sanhedrin 107a

Hashem said to Dovid: “I will test you, and I will do something with you that I did not do with the Patriarchs. For I did not inform them in advance that they would be tested. Whereas I am informing you that I will test you in a matter of physical temptation.” Thereupon, it came to pass at evening time, that Dovid arose from his bed, etc. Rav Yehudah said: Dovid arose from his bed at evening, for he had changed his night-bed into a day-bed, forgetting the rule: “There is a small organ in the man; when he satiates it, it is starved, and when he starves it, it is satiated.”

This Gemara is fascinating. Normally, we assume that if one satisfies his desire in a permitted manner, i.e. by eating a tasty kosher piece of meat, one will be less tempted to desire a non-kosher piece of meat. In the case of Dovid, however, having relations with his wife during the day only increased his desire for Bathsheva. How could this be?

In this weeks parasha it is said: The people saw that Moshe had delayed in descending the mountain, and the people gathered around Aharon and said to him, rise up, make for us gods that will go before us, for this man Moshe who brought us up from the land of Egypt-we do not know what became of him. Rashi writes that the words that will go before us, written in the plural form, imply that the Jewish People desired many gods. One must wonder why the Jews desired many gods, if in essence they were only seeking an intermediary for Moshe in his absence.

The answer to this question can be found in an incident recorded later on in the Torah where it is said: The rabble that was among them cultivated a craving, and the Ramban writes that the term (hisaavu taavah) cultivated a craving implies that although the manna contained the taste of all existing foods in the world, they increased their desire by asking for more meat. This phenomenon still exists. We may have a home, a car, and all the materialistic desires that we require with which to live comfortably, but we still continue to seek the newest and latest technology and comforts, wistfully thinking that our lives will be improved when we acquire that which we did not have until now. The Jews mistake in desiring gods was not just that they worshipped a foreign idol. The Yerushalmi states that every tribe had their own Golden Calf, implying that they were not satisfied with serving the One G-d, Hashem. Everyone needed a god they could claim as their own. If the resources had been available, they may have fashioned a god for every individual in the Jewish Nation. Yes, it was not so much the intermediary they were seeking as much as they sought something new, with which they could revive their service to Hashem. The Jewish People erred in that they did not realize that Hashem desires the heart, and it is a new heart that is required of us to serve Him correctly. It is precisely for this reason that the prophet states: and I shall give you a new heart, and a new spirit shall I put within you; I shall remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Regarding Dovid, although he thought that having relations with his wife would diminish his desire, the opposite was true. One cannot improve his service of Hashem by indulging in materialism. One must consecrate the physical and elevate the physical to a spiritual level. Our realization that materialism is merely a vehicle to the spiritual will be a sign that we have acquired a new heart with which to serve Hashem.