(2011/5771)

In this week’s Parashah, we see one of the Torah’s most infamous episodes. It is the aftermath of the Cheit HaEgel, during which Hashem threatens Moshe that He will wipe out all of Bnei Yisrael for what they have done. Moshe pleads with Hashem to forgive Bnei Yisrael because of the promise He made to the Avot. After the argument with Moshe, Hashem forgives the people, but tells Moshe soon afterward, “Emor El Bnei Yisrael Atem Am Keshei Oref,” “Tell Bnei Yisrael, ‘You are a stiff-necked people’” (Shemot 33:5). This comment seems to be a little outlandish. Firstly, Bnei Yisrael made the Eigel HaZahav in order to connect with Hashem, since they thought that their only connection—Moshe—had left them. Secondly, Bnei Yisrael realized their sin immediately once Moshe descended from the mountaintop, showing that they had acknowledged their mistake. Thirdly, why does Hashem choose to call Bnei Yisrael “stiff-necked”? It would have made more sense for Hashem to have called Bnei Yisrael dim-witted as opposed to stubborn!

To explain these puzzling issues, we should examine the following example of Bob, the typical cubical office worker in a New York law firm. Every day, Bob tried to maximize his productivity. In order to reach this goal, he decided to start the day with three cups of coffee, followed by rock-and-roll music played on ear-blistering levels. His coworkers soon heard of Bob’s new daily routine. At first, they accepted it with a “live and let live” approach; soon afterward, a “live and let die” approach was adopted, as they could not stand the constantly empty coffee machine and the blaring music. In a joint effort to stop the madness, the coworkers decided to call him names, such as “Coffee Bandit” or the “Serenity Marauder.” At first, Bob ignored these names, as he thought they were simple pranks that his coworkers were playing on him. As the names increased in their harshness and offensiveness, Bob realized that his coworkers were not joking with him. Out of frustration, he barged into the break room during lunch and demanded, “Why is everyone bothering me? It’s making me go insane!” The coworkers, with grins on their faces, said, “Had you simply stopped stealing all the coffee and lowered the music, we wouldn’t have to go to such measures!” The coworkers never really had an issue with Bob himself, but disliked his actions. Had Bob picked up on the signals they were giving sooner, perhaps his coworkers would have ceased the name-called earlier.

As Jews in the 21st century, we must also be careful of this. Sometimes, we find that Nochrim, or even our fellow Jews, spew seemingly hateful slurs against us. Although these remarks are inappropriate and politically incorrect, we must take the time to understand why others are slandering us. For example, there is a common misconception that Jews are obsessed with money. One can view this stereotype as a disgraceful insult that must be countered by other denigrations in retaliation, or one can regard this as, instead of a solely negative matter, an opportunity for introspection. One can analyze why others are disparaging him or her and how to rectify the possible mistake that provoked such slander. This insight answers our questions, as although Bnei Yisrael were not completely stiff-necked, they nonetheless erred and needed to reflect on their mistakes. In addition to this outlook aiding our comprehension of the Parashah, it can help not only the afflicted Jewish nation improve itself, but also the world as a whole.