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One of the most important things to strive for in life is a close
relationship with Hashem. The closer we feel to Hashem the more we feel his protection every day. We can learn this lesson from something that happens in this week’s Parashah. The Jews were just told in the Aseret Hadibrot not to worship idols. But 40 days later, that is exactly what they do. Moshe is one day late coming down from Har Sinai and Bnei Yisrael immediately go to Aharon asking him to make them a god. He complies and makes the Egel HaZahav and they worship it. Moshe comes down and when he sees what they did he smashes the Luchot. The punishment is severe and comes quickly. A few thousand Jews die either through a plague or by being killed by the Leviim.
After all the sinners die, Hashem tells the people that He can no longer be in their midst. Instead he will send a Malach with them. Bnei Yisrael response to this is a little strange, “וישמע העם את־הדבר הרע הזה ויתאבלו,” “the people heard about this terrible thing and they mourned” (Shemot 33:4). Imagine learning two pieces of bad news. One is that thousands of people have just died from a terrible plague. The other is that instead of Hashem, a Malach will now be guiding the people. On the surface, wouldn’t the news about mass death be more disturbing? Why then did Bnei Yisrael seemingly react more strongly to the news about the angel?
There’s a Chassidishe idea that can help us better understand this reaction. The Torah tells us that when a person borrows an object from someone else he is responsible for any damage that happens to the object. But there is one exception: if the owner is with him he doesn’t have“ ”,אם בעליו עמו לא ישלם“ to pay”(Shemot 22:14). We are all borrowers of our neshamos from Hashem and when we damage this “object” that we are borrowing, Hashem will hold us responsible. The only exception is בעליו עמו. If Hashem is with us He guarantees nothing bad will happen to us.
Now we can better understand the response of Bnei Yisrael to Hashem leaving their presence. They knew that while Hashem was with them nothing bad could happen, and now that He left them this might not be as true. Wandering the
desert would now take on a whole new meaning. Many dangerous things had happened to Bnei Yisrael in the past that Hashem protected them from. The ענני הכבוד protected them from the arrows the Mitzrim shot at them, the Aron paved the way for them in the Midbar protecting them from snakes and scorpions, and Hashem put fear into all the other nations so they wouldn’t attack the Jews. Now that Hashem is no longer directly with them, who knew what could happen to them. It starts to make a lot more sense why the Jews reacted so strongly to Hashem sending an angel versus offering direct protection.
תמים תהיה עם יהוה“ :The Pasuk in Parashat Shoftim says ”you shall remain faithful with Hashem your god“ ”,אלהיך (Devarim 18:13), which the Baal Shem Tov interprets to mean that we should always be thinking about Hashem and strive to come closer to Him. When we do this, Hashem guarantees that He will watch over us and protect us from every bad thing. Purim has just passed, a time full of hidden miracles from Hashem. Let us remember that miracles, both public and hidden, are constant reminders that Hashem is always with us.