Pt2 Mitzvot, Repentance, and the Aftermath of the Golden Calf: A Theology of Human Action, Sin, and Divine Reciprocity from This World to the Next (Avodah Zarah 4b-5a)

This is the second and final part of a two-part series. Part 1 is here; the outline of the series is at Part 1.

Reish Lakish - God showed Adam all (future) generations - Gen 5:1

אמר ריש לקיש:

מאי דכתיב: ״זה ספר תולדת אדם וגו׳״?

וכי ספר היה לו לאדם הראשון?

מלמד ש:

הראה לו הקדוש ברוך הוא לאדם הראשון

1. דור דור ודורשיו,

2. דור דור וחכמיו,

3. דור דור ופרנסיו.

Reish Lakish said:

What is the meaning of that which is written: “This is the book of the generations of Adam, in the day that God created man” (Genesis 5:1)?

Did Adam the first man have a book?¹

Rather, the verse teaches that God showed Adam, the first man,

1. every generation (דור דור) and its expositors (דורשיו)

2. every generation and its sages (חכמיו)

3. and every generation and its leaders (פרנסיו)

... Adam rejoiced in R’ Akiva’s Torah and grieved his death - Ps 139:17

כיון שהגיע לדורו של רבי עקיבא --

שמח בתורתו,

ונתעצב במיתתו,

When Adam arrived at the generation of R’ Akiva --

he rejoiced in his Torah

and was saddened by his death,

as R’ Akiva was tortured and murdered (by the Romans).

אמר:

״ולי מה יקרו רעיך,

אל [וגו׳]״.

Adam said:

“How weighty also are Your thoughts to me,

O God!

How great is the sum of them” (Psalms 139:17).

R’ Yosei - Messiah will not come until the heavenly store of souls (“guf”) is emptied - Isa 57:16

ואמר רבי יוסי:

אין בן דוד בא

עד שיכלו נשמות שבגוף,

And similarly, R’ Yosei says:

The Messiah, son of David, will not come

until all the souls of the body have been finished²

שנאמר:

״[כי לא לעולם אריב

ולא לנצח אקצוף]

כי רוח מלפני יעטוף

ונשמות אני עשיתי״

[...]

As it is stated:

“For I will not contend for ever,

neither will I be always wroth;

for the spirit that enwraps itself is from Me,

and the souls that I have made” (Isaiah 57:16).

[...]

Reish Lakish - Creation was conditional on Israel accepting the Torah - Gen 1:31

אמר רבי שמעון בן לקיש:

מאי דכתיב ״ויהי ערב ויהי בקר יום הששי״?

מלמד ש:

התנה הקדוש ברוך הוא עם מעשה בראשית, ואמר:

• אם מקבלין ישראל את התורה —

  • מוטב,

• ואם לאו —

  • אחזיר אתכם לתוהו ובוהו.

[...]

R’ Shimon ben Lakish says:³

What is the meaning of that which is written: “And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day” (Genesis 1:31)?

This teaches that

God established a condition with the acts of Creation, and He said:

• If the Jewish people accept the Torah at the revelation at Sinai --

  • all is well and the world will continue to exist.

• But if they do not accept it --

  • I will return you to the primordial state of chaos and disorder.

[...]

Baraita - the Jewish people accepted the Torah so that they wouldn’t have foreign rulers - Deuteronomy 5:26

״מי יתן והיה לבבם זה להם״,

לבטל מהם מלאך המות אי אפשר,

שכבר נגזרה גזרה.

הא לא קיבלו ישראל את התורה אלא

כדי שלא תהא אומה ולשון שולטת בהן,

שנאמר: ״למען ייטב להם ולבניהם עד עולם״.

[...]

The verse states about the Jewish people after the revelation at Sinai:

“Who would give that they had such a heart as this always, to fear Me, and keep all My commandments, that it might be good for them, and with their children forever” (Deuteronomy 5:26).

The baraita states that although they had reached such an elevated state, it was not possible to nullify the power of the Angel of Death over them,

as the decree of death was already issued⁴

Rather, the baraita explains that the Jewish people accepted the Torah only

in order that no nation or tongue would rule over them,

as it is stated in the same verse: “That it might be good for them, and with their children forever.”

[...]

R’ Yosei - Israel accepted the Torah so the Angel of Death would not rule over them; mortality returned after the sin - Ps 82:6–7

תניא:

רבי יוסי אומר:

לא קיבלו ישראל את התורה אלא

כדי שלא יהא מלאך המות שולט בהן,

R’ Yosei says:

The Jewish people accepted the Torah only

in order that the Angel of Death would not rule over them,

שנאמר:

״אני אמרתי:

אלהים אתם

ובני עליון כלכם״,

חבלתם מעשיכם,

״אכן כאדם תמותון״.

[...]

as it is stated:

“I said:

You are godlike beings,

and all of you sons of the Most High” (Psalms 82:6), i.e., they had become immortal like angels.

Then, God states: After you ruined your deeds (with the sin of the Golden Calf),

“yet you shall die like a man, and fall like one of the princes” (Psalms 82:7).⁵

[...]

Four types of people are “as dead”: pauper, blind, metzora, and childless

אמר מר:

ארבעה חשובים כמתים,

אלו הן:

1. עני,

2. סומא,

3. ומצורע,

4. ומי שאין לו בנים.

the Master said:

Four are considered as though they were dead:

These are

1. a pauper,

2. a blind person,

3. a metzora,

4. and one who has no children.

Prooftexts - Ps 82:7; Exod 4:19; Lam 3:6; Num 12:12; Gen 30:1

1. עני,

   1. דכתיב: ״כי מתו כל האנשים״,

   2. ומאן נינהו? דתן ואבירם. ומי מתו? מיהוי הוו! אלא שירדו מנכסיהם.

2. סומא,

   1. דכתיב: ״במחשכים הושיבני, כמתי עולם״.

3. מצורע,

   1. דכתיב: ״אל נא תהי כמת״.

4. ומי שאין לו בנים,

   1. דכתיב: ״הבה לי בנים, ואם אין -- מתה אנכי״.

1. A pauper is considered as though dead,

   1. as it is written that God said to Moses: “Go, return to Egypt; for all the men that sought your life are dead” (Exodus 4:19).

   2. And who were these men? They were Dathan and Abiram. But did they really die? They were still alive, as they participated in the rebellion of Korah, which took place years later. Rather, the verse does not mean that they had died, but that they had lost their property and become impoverished. This demonstrates that a pauper is considered as though he were dead.

2. A blind person is considered as though he were dead,

   1. as it is written: “He has made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead” (Lamentations 3:6).

3. A metzora is considered as though he were dead,

   1. as it is written that Aaron said to Moses when Miriam was struck with tzara’at: “Let her not, I pray, be as one dead” (Numbers 12:12).

4. And one who has no children is considered as though he were dead,

   1. as it is written that Rachel said to Jacob: “Give me children, or else I am dead” (Genesis 30:1).

Baraita - “If” = supplication: God pleads for observance and promises national flourishing - Lev 26:3; Ps 81:14–15; Isa 48:18–19

תנו רבנן:

״אם בחקתי תלכו״,

אין ״אם״ אלא לשון תחנונים,

A baraita states

with regard to the verse: “If (אם) you walk in My statutes” (Leviticus 26:3):

In this context, “if” is a term that means nothing other than supplication (תחנונים)

i.e., God is hoping that the Jewish people will observe the Torah.

• וכן הוא אומר:

  • ״לו עמי שומע לי [וגו׳], כמעט אויביהם אכניע״,

• ואומר:

  • ״לו הקשבת למצותי! ויהי כנהר שלומך וגו׳, ויהי כחול זרעך וצאצאי מעיך וגו׳״.

• And similarly, it is stated:

  • “Oh that My people would hearken to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways, I would soon subdue their enemies” (Psalms 81:14–15).

• And it states:

  • “Oh that you would hearken to My commandments! Then your peace would be as a river, and your righteousness as the waves of the sea. Your seed also would be as the sand, and the offspring of your body like its grains” (Isaiah 48:18–19).

Baraita - Moses to Israel - You should have requested from God to put in your heart to fear Him - Deut 5:26

תנו רבנן:

״מי יתן והיה לבבם זה להם״,

אמר להן משה לישראל:

כפויי טובה, בני כפויי טובה,

בשעה שאמר הקדוש ברוך הוא לישראל: ״מי יתן והיה לבבם זה להם״,

היה להם לומר: תן אתה.

§ The Talmud returns to a verse cited above.

A baraita states

with regard to the verse: “Who would give that they had such a heart as this always, to fear Me, and keep all My commandments, that it might be good for them, and with their children forever” (Deuteronomy 5:26).

At a later stage, Moses said to the Jewish people:

Ingrates,⁶ children of ingrates!

When God said to the Jewish people: “Who would give that they had such a heart as this always,”

they should have said: You should give us a heart to fear You.

Prooftexts that Israel are “ingrates” - shown by manna complaint and Adam’s blame of Eve - Num 21:5; Gen 3:12

• כפויי טובה,

  • דכתיב: ״ונפשנו קצה בלחם הקלקל״.

• בני כפויי טובה,

  • דכתיב: ״האשה אשר נתתה עמדי היא נתנה לי מן העץ ואכל״.

The Talmud explains that

• Moses calls the Jewish people ingrates,

  • as it is written that the Jewish people spoke disparagingly of the manna: “And our soul loathes this light bread” (Numbers 21:5), despite the fact it was the highest-quality food.

• Moses further called them children of ingrates,

  • as it is written that after sinning and eating from the tree of knowledge, Adam said: “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat” (Genesis 3:12). Adam complained that the woman had been given to him in order to cause him to sin, whereas in fact she had been given to him to serve as a helpmate.

Rabba - One does not grasp one’s teacher’s view until 40 years, inferred from Moses’ words “until this day” - Deut 29:3–4

אף משה רבינו לא רמזה להן לישראל אלא לאחר ארבעים שנה,

שנאמר: ״ואולך אתכם במדבר ארבעים שנה״,

וכתיב: ״ולא נתן ה׳ לכם לב וגו׳״.

אמר רבה:

שמע מינה:

לא קאי איניש אדעתיה דרביה עד ארבעין שנין.

Yet even Moses our teacher, who said this to the Jewish people, did not allude to the Jewish people until after 40 years that they should have stated this request,

as it is stated: “And I have led you 40 years in the wilderness” (Deuteronomy 29:4), which shows that Moses was speaking 40 years after the revelation at Sinai.

And at that point it is written: “But YHWH has not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, until this day” (Deuteronomy 29:3).

Rabba said:

Conclude from here that

a person does not understand the opinion of his teacher until after 40 years,

as Moses said this to the Jewish people only after 40 years of learning Torah.

R’ Yoḥanan citing R’ Bana’a - When Israel engage in Torah and kindness, they control their evil inclination

אמר רבי יוחנן, משום רבי בנאה:

מאי דכתיב:

״אשריכם זרעי על כל מים

משלחי רגל השור והחמור״?

R’ Yoḥanan says in the name of R’ Bana’a:

What is the meaning of that which is written:

“Happy are you that sow beside all waters,

that send forth freely the feet of the ox and the donkey” (Isaiah 32:20)?

אשריהם ישראל

בזמן שעוסקין

• בתורה

• ובגמילות חסדים --

יצרם מסור בידם

ואין הם מסורים ביד יצרם,

Happy are you (אשריהם) Israel, i.e., the Jewish people

when they engage

• in Torah study

• and in acts of kindness --

their evil inclination is given over to them,

and they are not given over to their evil inclination,

Prooftexts - “sowing” = charity, “waters” = Torah - Isa 32:20; Hos 10:12; Isa 55:1

שנאמר: ״אשריכם זרעי על כל מים״,

• ואין זריעה אלא צדקה,

  • שנאמר: ״זרעו לכם לצדקה וקצרו לפי חסד״,

• ואין מים אלא תורה,

  • שנאמר: ״הוי כל צמא לכו למים״.

as it is stated: “Happy are you that sow beside all waters.”

• And the term sowing is referring to nothing other than performing charitable deeds,

  • as it is stated: “Sow to yourselves according to charitableness, reap according to mercy” (Hosea 10:12).

• And the term waters is referring to nothing other than the Torah,

  • as it is stated: “Ho, every one that thirsts, come for water” (Isaiah 55:1).

The school of Eliyahu - Subjugate yourself to Torah like an ox to the yoke and a donkey to the load - Isa 32:20

״משלחי רגל השור והחמור״,

תנא דבי אליהו:

לעולם ישים אדם עצמו על דברי תורה

• כשור

  • לעול

• וכחמור

  • למשאוי.

With regard to the continuation of the verse: “That send forth freely the feet of the ox and the donkey,”

one of the rabbis of the school of Eliyahu taught:

A person should always make himself subjugated to matters of Torah like

• an ox

  • to a yoke

• and like a donkey

  • to a burden.

1. Compare the Talmud’s statement elsewhere, in my “Pt3 Exploring the Greatness of R’ Hiyya (Bava Metzia 85b-86a)“, section “The failed effort to give ordination to Shmuel Yarḥina’a “, where I summarize:

R’ Yehuda HaNasi tried unsuccessfully to ordain Shmuel Yarḥina’a as a Rabbi. Shmuel reassured him, explaining that it was not his destiny to be ordained. He disclosed that he had seen “the book of Adam”, which contained the genealogy of humans and specific destinies.

This book stated that Shmuel was to be recognized as a “Chacham” (חכים - “wise, sage”; a generic term) but not as a “Rabbi” (the honorific for one ordained), and that he would heal R’ Yehuda HaNasi.

And see my note there.

2. Steinsaltz explains:

i.e., until all souls that are destined to inhabit physical bodies will do so.

This assumes that there are a fixed number of souls, with the ones not yet sent stored/waiting.

Compare the Talmud elsewhere, in my “Pt3 Talmudic Cosmology (Ma’aseh Bereshit): Earth’s Foundations, the Seven Heavens, and Cosmic Dimensions (Chagigah 12b-13a)“, section “Heaven 7 - Aravot (Psalms 68:5)“, sub-section “Part 1: Righteousness, Justice, Charity; Treasuries of Life, Peace and Blessing; Souls of the Righteous; Spirits and Souls of Future Beings; and the Dew of Resurrection“, where I summarize:

Aravot (ערבות):

Contains righteousness (צדק), justice (משפט), and charity (צדקה); the treasuries of life, peace, and blessing; the souls of the righteous; spirits (רוחות) and souls (נשמות) [of beings] to be created, and the dew (טל) destined to revive the dead (in the messianic era).

Each of these is proven from verses (in the next section).

For other statements of prerequisites of Messiah coming - using the same formula of “The son of David [=Messiah] will not come until [X occurrence]“ - see my “Pt3 The Messianic Era in the Talmud: Signs Immediately Preceding the Messiah’s Arrival (Sanhedrin 96b-99a)“.

3. This statement is paralleled elsewhere, see my “Pt1 Conditionality of Creation, Crowns, and Commitment: the Cosmic Significance of the Giving of the Torah and the Revelation at Sinai (Shabbat 88a-89a)“, section “The Conditionality of Creation and the Acceptance of Torah“, sub-section “Reish Lakish - The extra letter “heh” (ה) in “the sixth day” teaches that Creation was conditional on Israel’s acceptance of the Torah; otherwise, it would return to chaos (Genesis 1:31)“.

4. Steinsaltz glosses: “from the time of creation.”

To clarify: the “decree” is presumably referring to the curse of death, after Adam and Eve’s eating from the tree, in Genesis 2-3 (see especially Genesis 2:17, 3:17).

Compare the Talmud’s discussion of the relevant curses, in my “Bread in the Basket, Eyes on the Plate: Talmudic Psychology (Yoma 74b-75a)“, section “God’s Attribute of Mercy Even in Curse: Contrast Between Divine and Human Nature“.

5. This same homiletic reading of Psalms 82:6–7 appeared earlier in the sugya, in the context of the sin of the Golden Calf, see Part 1, section “Reish Lakish - Be “grateful” to the ancestors for the Golden Calf; without the sin Israel would be angelic and not procreate; after sin they became mortal - Ps 82:6–7“.

6. כפויי טובה - literally: “inverters of favor”.

On this idiomatic expression, see Jastrow (modernized):

כפי

(Biblical Hebrew; see כָּפַף)

1) to bend over, invert, turn upside down.

[…]

Especially כְּפוּי טובה one on whom kindness is upset, ungrateful, unappreciative.

• Avodah Zarah 5a:21 - כפויי טובה בני וכ׳ - “you ungrateful ones, sons of ungrateful ones”

• Vayikra Rabbah 4;

• and frequently.

And see Hebrew Wiktionary, “כפוי טובה“, my translation:

Talmudic Hebrew term.

Someone who has a favor (טובה) done for them and does not acknowledge it. They do not express gratitude to the one who helped them, and do not repay the kindness.

[…]

Kafui literally means “reversed” or “turned upside down,” i.e. one who turns the good done for them so it is no longer seen for what it is.