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1. *The root of the Golden Calf* — The *Netziv* explains that the *Chet HaEgel* did not begin as blatant *Avoda Zara*, but rather as a mistaken belief that average people were unworthy of a direct relationship with *Hashem*.
2. *Fear of the natural world* — When *Moshe Rabbeinu* did not return, the people feared they could no longer survive *l'maala min hateva* (supernaturally) and lacked the merit to receive *parnassa* through private *tefilla*.
3. *The danger of intermediaries* — The original intent of the *Egel* was to serve as a holy intermediary to *daven* on behalf of the people, a path that tragically unraveled into actual idolatry.
4. *The power of the individual* — A fundamental fallacy of the generation of the desert was the belief that only a great *tzadik* is heard by *Hashem*; in truth, *Hashem* desires the *tefillos* of every single Jew.
5. *Humanity's realization* — According to the *Radak*, it was only in the time of *Enosh* that mankind realized *tefilla* is truly effective and that a Divine decree can be changed through prayer.
6. *The paradox of prayer* — *Rav Soloveitchik* notes that while it seems philosophically impossible for finite man to converse with the infinite *Hashem*, our *mesorah* teaches that the gates of *tefilla* are open to all.
Parsha and Chagim ideas from the rabbis of Kerem B'Yavneh
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The מפרשים Mefarshim have a very hard time understanding the חטא העגל Chet HaEgel. How is it possible that עם ישראל Am Yisrael, who just a few weeks earlier declared נעשה ונשמע Naaseh V'Nishma and their fealty towards השם Hashem, that now they are found committing the most egregious of עבירות averos, the עבירה avera of עבודה זרה Avoda Zara? The נציב Netziv offers a fascinating explanation. The נציב Netziv writes that there were Jews at that time who felt that they were not worthy of living on the exalted level that they were. כלל ישראל Klal Yisrael at that time were led by השם Hashem on a למעלה מן הטבע l'maala min hateva, a supernatural plane. And there were Jews at the time, there were Jews among them who felt: on what merit are we זוכה zoche to be living on this supernatural plane? We're not, we don't have such זכויות zchuyos. We're not so righteous. And then they concluded that it must only be because of משה רבינו Moshe Rabbeinu. In the merit of משה רבינו Moshe Rabbeinu's צדקות tzidkos, משה רבינו Moshe Rabbeinu's level of righteousness, that's why we live, that's how we merit to live למעלה מן הטבע l'maala min hateva. And so when Moshe went up to the mountain and it looked like Moshe wasn't coming back, the people panicked. Now the למעלה מן הטבע l'maala min hateva existence is no longer going to be. We're going to have to live בדרך הטבע bederech hateva, by natural means. And we're in the middle of a מדבר midbar, we're in the middle of a desert, not in the midst of civilization, how are we possibly going to provide for ourselves by natural means? And the people realized there was only one option and that was to דאווען daven to השם Hashem. To דאווען daven that השם Hashem would provide them with פרנסה parnassa. But the people again they felt: who are we to דאווען daven to השם Hashem? Us on such a low spiritual level we're going to call out to השם Hashem? We need someone holier. We need someone closer to השם Hashem to דאווען daven for us. Someone like Moshe. And the role of the עגל הזהב Egel HaZahav, the role of the golden calf that they built, was to serve as that intermediary who would דאווען daven on their behalf to השם Hashem. The נציב Netziv writes how although this was the original intention, the situation unraveled and ultimately people began to worship the עגל egel as an עבודה זרה Avoda Zara itself. But the נציב Netziv emphasizes the fallacy in this way of thinking. The fallacy in thinking that I cannot approach השם Hashem in תפילה tefilla. Who am I? I'm not worthy. That a bigger צדיק tzadik is needed. Someone closer to השם Hashem is needed to דאווען daven on my behalf. While of course there's merit to a צדיק'ס tzadik's תפילות tefillos on behalf of someone else, for a person to say \"I can't דאווען daven\" is a mistake. השם Hashem wants the תפילות tefillos of each and every individual Jew. There's a similar idea, not the same idea, somewhat different, but a related idea found in a comment of the רד\"ק Radak in פרשת בראשית Parshas Bereishis. The פסוק pasuk tells us with the birth of אנוש Enosh, אז הוחל לקרוא בשם השם az huchal likro b'shem Hashem. At that time mankind began to call out in the name of God. The מפרשים mefarshim debate what exactly this פסוק pasuk means. The רד\"ק Radak explains על פי פשט al pi pshat that what it means is with the birth of אנוש Enosh people, man realized that he can call out to השם Hashem in תפילה tefilla. That דאווענינג davening is effective. Until then people thought whatever השם Hashem decreed is final and תפילה tefilla cannot play any role. Man realized no at that time man can reach השם Hashem in תפילה tefilla. רב סולובייצ'יק Rav Soloveitchik is quoted as having commented on the פרק perek of תהילים Tehillim, אשרי יושבי ביתך Ashrei Yoshvei Veisecha that we say in דאווענינג davening every single day. That the פסוקים pesukim say בכל יום אברכך ואהללה שמך לעולם ועד b'chol yom avarecheka v'ahalala shimcha l'olam va'ed. Every day I praise You השם Hashem, every day I come to You in תפילה tefilla and I praise You for all eternity. But תפילה tefilla is perplexing: גדול השם ומהולל מאד ולגדלתו אין חקר gadol Hashem u'mehullal me'od v'ligdulato ein cheker. השם Hashem is so great beyond comprehension, how can lowly man approach the exalted God in תפילה tefilla? How can finite man דאווען daven to infinite God? And the next פסוק pasuk tells us the answer: דור לדור ישבח מעשיך וגבורותיך יגידו dor l'dor yishabach maasecha ugvurosecha yagidu. Because in every generation people דאווען daven. We have a מסורה mesorah that as irrational as it may seem, as philosophically impossible as it may be, finite man can approach and converse with infinite God. We can דאווען daven to השם Hashem and השם Hashem is listening to our תפילות tefillos. The mistake of כלל ישראל Klal Yisrael at the time of the חטא העגל Chet HaEgel was they thought that even if השם Hashem listens to תפילות tefillos, it's only from the greatest צדיקים tzadikim, it's only from those who are on the highest spiritual levels, and the נציב Netziv emphasizes that is incorrect. Every single member of כלל ישראל Klal Yisrael can דאווען daven, השם Hashem listens to every single one of our תפילות Tefilos.