## Tur HaArokh, Exodus

###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:1:1
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:1:1)

**קום עשה לנו אלהים.**כתב הרמב"ן ודאי לא כיונו ישראל לעשות להם ע"ז כי היו מאמינים באלהים חיים שהוא הוציאם ממצרים ועשה להם כל הנסים והנפלאות ולא היו סבורים שמשה עשה להם הנסים והמופתים שיאמרו כיון שהלך משה נעשה לנו אלהים אחר אלא אמרו משה הורה לנו הדרך והלך לפנינו והיו המסעות על פי ה' ביד משה ועתה שנאבד ממנו נעשה לנו משה אחר שיורה הדרך לפנינו ולכך אמרו אשר ילכו לפנינו ולא שיהיו נותני' להם חיי' בעול' הזה ובעולם הבא וכן אמרו כי זה משה האיש אשר העלנו ולא אמרו האל אשר העלנו וכן תוכל לידע מתשובת אהרן כי בהאשימו משה על מה שעשה השיבו ויאמרו לי קום עשה לנו אלהים ואם ביקשו ממנו ע"ז והוא עשאה להם א"כ מה התנצלות היה זה אדרבה הוא מוסיף על חטאתו פשע שבקשו ממנו ע"ז ועשאה להם אלא שהתנצלו שלא אמרו לי רק עשה לנו אלהים אשר ילכו לפנינו במקומך ויורה לנו הדרך כאשר הורית אתה שלא ידעו אם תשוב אליהם עוד ואם תשוב יעזבוהו וישובו אליך כבראשונה וכן היה הדבר מיד כשראו את משה עזבו את העגל והניחו לו לשורפו ואלו היה להם לאלהים אין דרך שיניח אדם מלכו ואלהיו לשריפת אש והנה הוא אשר הוציא הצורה הזאת כי לא אמרו לו מה יעשה וזה מאמר החכמים שאיוו לאלוהות הרבה כי הם לא ידעו במה יבחרו והכוונה לאהרן מפני שישראל במדבר חורב שממה והחרבן ושממות עולם יבוא מן הצפון כדכתיב מצפון תפתח הרעה חשב אהרן כי המחריב יורה דרך מקום החורבן כי שם כחו הגדול ובהיותם עובדים שם לאל יערה רוח ממרום כאשר נאצל על משה וזה שאמר חג לה' מחר שתהיה העבודה והזבחים לשם המיוחד להפיק רצון ממנו אל בעל הצורה כי בהיותה לפנינו יכוונו אל עניינה:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
קום עשה לנו אלוהים, ”rise up and make for us gods, etc.” Nachmanides writes that there is no question that the Israelites did not demand or expect Aaron to make idolatrous images for them, as the people most certainly believed in a living G’d Who had taken them out of Egypt, and Who had performed all the miracles for them which the Torah has recorded. It is clear that the Israelites did not for a moment believe that Moses had performed all these miracles on his own. This is why, when referring to Moses, they described him as someone who had led them, “walked in front of us, etc.” Seeing that apparently Moses would not return from the Mountain, they asked for a substitute who, with the guidance of G’d, would henceforth be their guide through the desert still to be traversed before they would come to the land of Canaan. They did not refer to a power which would enable man to live in the here and now as well as in the world of the future. They were fully aware that all the journeys thus far had been על פי ה' ביד משה, ”at the command of *Hashem* transmitted by Moses.” All they expected of the substitute was that ילכו לפנינו “walk in front of us.” When they referred to Moses having העלנו מארץ מצרים, “raised us up from the land of Egypt,” this is not to be confused with אשר הוצאתנו מארץ מצרים, “who has taken us out of Egypt,” i.e. “who redeemed us from bondage.” It is quite clear from what Aaron answered Moses who had accused him of making a golden image for them, that he had never for a moment understood the people as reverting to idolatry. Otherwise, instead of repeating what the people had said to him as proof of his innocence he would have had to either misquote them or to confess his guilt. Aaron’s reply to Moses’ accusation is most certainly not an apology! On the contrary, if he had been guilty, he would have added more guilt upon himself by his very words. (verses 22-24) 
 If Moses were to return unexpectedly, the people were most certainly prepared to accept his continued leadership, as they proved when no one opposed either Moses’ burning of the golden calf, or the measures he introduced to punish the few people who actually did dance around the calf and revered it as a deity. If the people, i.e. the multitude, had really believed that this calf possessed any divine powers, they most certainly would have protested Moses destroying their deity. It is true that it was Aaron who had produced this calf, not because the people had demanded this particular image, or any other image for that matter. This is what the sages had in mind when they interpreted the people’s wishes as their wanting multiple images, as they had no idea of what to choose. Aaron’s intention was that seeing the people were at Mount Chorev, in a desolate desert, and waste and destruction have traditionally been perceived as originating in the north, (compare Jeremiah 1,14) and Jeremiah did not only refer to the King of Babylonia who threatened the kingdom of Yehudah from the north, something that is clear to all those who read that chapter, Aaron assumed that the spiritually negative forces are strongest in the north, and that is why they are perceived as attacking from the north. He meant to counter this by specifically addressing the G’d of Israel in a festivity aimed in a northerly direction to counter such forces and to harness the spiritually positive forces, as a counterweight, especially seeing that the people would celebrate a festivity in honour of *Hashem*. He had hoped, by means of the offerings, to transfer the power associated in people’s minds with the astrological symbol ox to the Master of all oxen, i.e. *Hashem,* and to set in motion celestial forces against this type of idolatry.


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:2:1
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:2:1)

**פרקו נזמי הזהב.**בחר בזהב ולא בענין אחר שהוא מורה על מדת הדין ומראהו כמראה אש ולכן נעשה בית הקרבנות כולו בזהב וכן מזבח הקטורת והכרובים וגם דמות העגל בזהב יותר מן הכסף:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
פרקו נזמי הזהב, “remove the rings of gold, etc.” Aaron selected gold and no other material,l seeing that the appearance of gold is reminiscent of the Attribute of Justice, something symbolized by fire. This is also the reason why all the furnishings in the Sanctuary were constructed of gold, as well as the altar for incense in the inner Sanctum. The likeness of the calf being made of gold, therefore resembled fire more than silver would have done.


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:4:1
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:4:1)

**אלה אלהיך ישראל אשר העלוך.**גם זה ראייה שלא כיוונו לע"ז שאין טפש בעולם שיאמר כי הזהב הזה אשר באזניהם הוא הוציאם ממצרים אבל אמרו בכח הצורה הזאת העלם משה ולא אמרו בעגל בשום מקום אשר הוציאנו ממצרים אבל אמרו אשר העלוך שלקחו אותו במקום יד הגדולה המחרבת ים:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
אלה אלוהיך ישראל אשר העלוך, “these are your leaders o Israel that have led you out of Egypt.” These words of the onlookers are further proof that the golden calf was not intended to serve as a deity, as there could not have been any person foolish enough to credit the gold from their earrings with having orchestrated the Exodus from Egypt. What the people meant was that the mystical power represented by gold in the present shape was the major factor which had enabled Moses to lead the people out of Egypt. Never, in connection with the golden calf, did any part of the people ever say the words אשר הוציאוך ממצרים, “who have initiated your departure from Egypt,” a formulation which would have credited the golden calf with divine powers. They only credited the power inherent in this gold as facilitating the auxiliary aspects of the Exodus, such as drying out the bed of the sea through which the Israelites walked when crossing the Sea of Reeds.


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:5:1
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:5:1)

**וירא אהרן.**פי' שראה אותם ברע מכוונים אל העגל בנה הוא מזבח וקרא חג לה' שיזבחו לשם המיוחד על המזבח אשר בנה הוא ולא יזבחו הם מזבחות לבשת ותהיה כוונתם לע"ז בזבחים בלתי לה' לבדו ואמר מחר להרחיב הזמן אולי בנתיים יבא משה והם השכימו בבוקר:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
וירא אהרן, “now Aaron realized, etc.” The Torah did not complete the sentence about what it was that Aaron “saw,” i.e. that the people were bent on crediting the golden calf with much more than he had thought at first. In order to head off a major spiritual and subsequently physical disaster, Aaron now proclaimed the following day as a festival in honour of *Hashem,* and he proceeded to build an altar to accommodate the offerings to *Hashem* which he intended to sacrifice at that feast. By doing this he felt he would forestall people building altars on which they would offer sacrifices to this golden image of a calf. By temporizing he felt and hoped that Moses would return from the Mountain before a calamity would occur. However, seeing the people on whose behalf he was going to offer these sacrifices intended them for the golden calf, they would have turned them into פיגול unacceptable sacrifices. At any rate, the people preempted Aaron early on the following morning.


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:6:1
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:6:1)

**ויעלו עולות ויגישו שלמים.**ולא אמר ויעלו לו עולות ויגישו לו שלמים מפני שהיו בהם שמכוונים לה' ומהם שהיו מכוונים לעגל ועל אלה אמר הקב"ה למשה וישתחוו לו ויזבחו לו ואם אולי היה אהרן המקריב בקרבנות אמר סתם ויעלו עולות ויגישו שלמים כי הוא מכוון לשם והם דעתם לעגל שעשו והיו הבעלים מפגלים:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ויעלו עולות ויגישו שלמים, “they burned up burnt offerings, and they presented peace-offerings. It is noteworthy that the Torah does not mention in whose honour these offerings were presented, i.e. we would have expected the Torah to write ויעלו לו עולות, “they burned up burnt offerings in its honour.” The absence of the word לו, shows that some people did indeed offer their sacrifices to *Hashem,* whereas others meant to honour the golden calf when presenting their offerings. The offering of any sacrifice, which even though technically corresponding to *halachah* in all its visible details, would become פיגול, totally rejected, and the owner guilty of death at the hands of heaven, merely because it had not been addressed to *Hashem*.


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:6:2
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:6:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:6:2)

**וישב העם לאכול ושתה.**שישבו כולם לאכול לשבעה ושתה לשכרה כאשר יעשו בחגים וכתב זה להשמיענו כי אף שמצאם משה משחקים לפני העגל גבה לבו בדרכי השם ולקחו מלפניהם ושרפו לעיניהם. והשלים כל מה שעשו בעגל ואחר כך סיפר מה שאמר הקב"ה למשה לך רד כי היה זה הכבוד למשה בבקר השכם כאשר השתחוו לו וזבחו לו וברד' משה מן ההר ישבו לאכול ויקומו לצחק וגם זה ראייה שלא נאמר למשה לך רד ביום שעשה אהרן העגל והמזבחות שהיה יורד מיד אלא כשזבחו והשתחוו לו העם אז אמר למשה לך רד:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
וישב העם לאכול ושתו, ”the people sat down in order to eat and drink, etc..” They all sat down to eat in order to still their hunger, and to drink in order to become inebriated as they were in the habit of doing on festivals. The reason that the Torah bothered to record these details is to show that although Moses, upon his return from the Mountain, found the people in such a state of mind that they danced around the image of the golden calf, he summoned the spiritual fortitude that enabled him even in such circumstances to act as a true servant of *Hashem* to seize this very calf in front of their eyes and to utterly destroy it by burning it.
 The Torah now completes recording the entire episode involving the golden calf, before resuming with recording what had transpired between G’d and Moses after G’d had informed him of what was going on down below, and Moses had descended hurriedly to rejoin his people. Chronologically speaking, we must presume that the conversation between G’d and Moses on the Mountain took place early in the morning, when he was told by G’d that the people had become corrupt and had even made for themselves a cast image in the shape of a golden calf, an image before which they had prostrated themselves. By the time Moses reached the camp the people had already sat down to eat and drink. G’d had waited with telling him to descend until after some people had already actively worshipped the calf as a deity.


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:7:1
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:7:1)

**כי שחת עמך אשר העלית.**על שם שנאמר ויסע משה את ישראל מים סוף לכך אמר אשר העלית או שרצה לומר כענין שאמרו הם כי זה משה האיש אשר העלנו וכן במשנה תורה אשר הוצאת ממצרים כי על ידך יצאו ומשה אמר בתפלתו אשר הוצאת ממצרים כי אתה לבדך הוא המוציא. ואמר שחת עמך כי רובם חטאו במעשה העגל כדכתיב ויתפרקו כל העם את נזמי הזהב ולולי זה לא הי' הכעס בכלם לכלותם אף כי הנהרגים והנגפים מועטים הם מ"מ ברובם הי' החטאת במחשבה רעה:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
כי שחת עמך אשר העלית, “for your people, the ones you brought up from Egypt, etc.” Seeing that after the crossing of the Sea of Reeds, the Torah described Moses as making the people take a turn toward the desert, [apparently without consulting G’d, Ed.] G’d now describes the calamity as having befallen “Moses’” people, as distinct from their being “G’d’s people,” seeing he had led them into the desert on his own authority. as distinct from their having remained “G’d’s” people. (compare Exodus 15,22)
 Alternatively, G’d took a leaf out of the people’s book, seeing they had described Moses as the man who had brought them out of Egypt. (verse 1) In Deuteronomy 9,12 Moses quotes G’d as having said to him: שחת עמך אשר הוצאת ממצרים, סרו מהר ,” your people, the ones you took out of Egypt have become corrupt and departed quickly from the path I commanded them.” Moses rejected this accusation, replying that G’d had taken the people out of Egypt. Compare Deut. He did not even agree that he had played any substantive part in the Exodus. [The Israelites had been expelled by Pharaoh, did not leave at Moses’ bidding. Ed.]


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:10:1
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:10:1)

**ועתה הניחה לי.**כתב הרמב"ן אין טעם שיאמר הניחה לי ואכעוס כי לא חרה אפו עדיין ואיך יחרה אפו אחרי אשר יניחהו משה אבל דרך הפשט שאמר לו הניחה לי ואכלם בחרון אפי כדרך הרף ממני ואשמידם אי נמי הניחה רחמי ומדת הדין שלי תתחרה בהם ואכלם:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ועתה הניחה לי, “and now, desist from Me, etc.” Nachmanides writes that it makes no sense to understand the words ועתה הניחה לי, as meaning that Moses should not try to interfere with G’d’s anger, seeing that He had not yet displayed any sign of such anger, as G’d Himself is about to say. Moreover, how could G’d become angry after Moses had already appeased Him? The plain meaning of the words in question must be understood as a prelude to what G’d adds immediately after referring to His anger when He announces that He will wipe out the Jewish people instantly and would replace them with a new Jewish nation based on Moses as their founding father.
 Alternately, G’d told Moses not to appeal to His attribute of Mercy in order that He could give free rein to His attribute of Justice, as a result of which the people would be annihilated.


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:11:1
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:11:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:11:1)

**למה ה' יחרה אפך בעמך.**כתב הרמב"ן ראוי הי' בחטא הגדול הזה שיתפלל דרך וידוי ותחנה כעין אנא חטא העם הזה. ורבותינו נתעטרו בזה על דרך ההגדות על כמה טעמים למעט החטא. ויש לפרשו שאמר למה תתן רשות במדת הדין להיות שולטת בעמך כי הוצאת אותם לשמך מארץ מצרים במדת הרחמים ובמדת הדין על שונאיהם. וי"מ למה ה' יחרה אפך בעמך הלא ערב רב הם שהתחילו בעבירה והחטיאו אותם. והתפלה הזאת למה יחרה אפך למה יאמרו מצרים היא התפל' אשר הזכיר במשנה תורה ואתפלל אל ה' ואומר ה' אלהי' אל תשחת עמך ונחלתך כי ענין התפלה שוה בשניהם והזכיר כאן התפלה קודם רדתו מן ההר והזכירה שם אחרי רדתו מן ההר. ודעת ר' אברהם כי לא התפלל על ישראל כל זמן שהי' ע"ז ביניהם אלא כאשר אמר לו הרף ממני ואשמידם התבונן כי הדבר תלוי בו וירד וביער העגל ושב להתפלל מ' יום ואין מוקדם ומאוחר בתורה. ואין דעתי כן בעבור שהתפלה שהתפלל בשובו היא אנא חטא העם הזה וגו'. ואם הכל תפלה אחת שעשה במ' יום אחרי שובו להר למה חולק אותה ומזכיר כאן מקצתה ואחרי הירידה מקצתה האחר אלא ב' תפלות הן כי כאשר אמר לו הניחה לי וגו' מיד חלה פני ה' ולא איחר כלל כי הי' ירא פן יצא הקצף מלפני ה' ויחל הנגף לכלותם והתפלל עליהם ונחם ה' על אשר דבר להורגם ולכלות' לא שנתרצה לגמרי אלא ניחם מלכלותם וכיון שהי' לו פנאי ירד ושרף את העגל והרג עובדיו ואחרי כן אמר לעם אעלה אל ה' אולי אכפרה בעד חטאתכם שימחול לכם אבל במשנה תורה סיפר הענין בסדר אחר כי אחרי דבר ה' שאמר הרף ממני ואשמידם אמר ואפן וארד מן ההר והטעם לפי שהי' משה מסדר להם שם כל חטאתם והטורח שטרח עליהם וסיפר מה שעשו העגל ושהוצרך לשבר הלוחות ולהתפלל עליהם מ' יום וגם על אהרן ושטרח לשרוף העגל וסיפר מה שעשו גם בתבערה ובמסה ובקברות התאוה ובשלוח אותם השם מקדש ברנע ואחרי שהשלים ממרים הייתם עם ה' חזר אל ענין תפלתו אשר הזכיר וסידר את שתי התפלות ואומר ואתפלל לפני ה' את ארבעים היום וגו' כאומר הוצרכתי להתפלל בעבורכם ארבעים יום כי מתחלה אמר ה' להשמיד אתכם עד שהתפללתי אליו אל תשחת עמך ולא הוצרך להזכיר התפלה השנית כי כבר אמר שמ' יום התנפל עליהם כי גם בכאן לא הזכירה כי מי יוכל לכתוב כמה תחנונים ובקשות שהתפלל עליהם מ' יום והזכיר במשנה תורה ובאהרן התאנף ה' ואתפלל גם בעד אהרן בעת ההיא ולא הזכירו כאן לכבוד אהרן כי לא רצה להזכיר בחייו שהוצרך לתפלתו שלא יבוש ושם אחרי מותו הודיענו האמת:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
למה ה' יחרה אפך בעמך, “to what purpose, o *Hashem,* should Your anger flare against Your people?” Nachmanides writes that in light of this great sin by the Israelites, it would seem to have been appropriate for Moses to plead Israel’s case by commencing with a confession, as in the formula “אנא חטא העם הזה וגו', “indeed this people have committed a grievous sin, etc.” [as he did when he ascended the Mountain again in verse 31. Ed.] Our sages have distinguished themselves in citing reasons why what appeared at first glance as a terrible sin, was in fact much less serious than it appears at first glance.
 The proper way to understand Moses’ words at this juncture is: ”why would You give permission to the Attribute of Justice to assume control of the fate of Your people when You had led the people out under the banner of the Attribute of Mercy, while at the same time reserving Your Attribute of Justice for dealing with their enemies?”
 Some commentators explain Moses’ question as being simply: “why not direct Your anger at the instigators of this sin, the mixed multitude, who had joined the Jewish people at the time of the Exodus?”
 This prayer, in which Moses describes that by doing away with the Jewish people *Hashem* would ultimately diminish His own image, which He had built up while performing the miracles in Egypt, is repeated in Deuteronomy. The only difference is that here Moses is described as offering this plea before descending from the Mountain, whereas in Deuteronomy it is described by Moses as having taken place after he had descended from the Mountain. (Deut. 9,26)
 Ibn Ezra feels that Moses refrained from pleading on behalf of the people as long as the symbol of their sin was still among them. He could not hope to have his prayer answered until after every vestige of the golden calf had been destroyed. Seeing that G’d had said to him that he should desist from pleading, and he realized that the matter depended upon him, he hastened to come up with some cogent reason why G’d’s anger, if it were to result in the people’s destruction, would be counterproductive from G’d’s own vantage point. [Ibn Ezra does not view our verse as a prayer on behalf of Israel, but on behalf of G’d’s image among mankind. Ed.]
 Personally, I do not agree. (Nachmanides speaking). Nachmanides argues that if indeed Moses had not prayed while on the Mountain for the first time, and all his entreaties (according to some scholars 40 days’ worth of them) were a single prayer, why would the Torah have divided them into what is reported here and what Moses added in Deuteronomy? I believe therefore, that we are dealing with two distinct prayers. When G’d told Moses to desist so that He could proceed with what He had in mind, Moses prayed immediately, instead of desisting. He formulated the prayer quoted in our verse. He was far too worried that if he were to wait it would prove too late, as G’d’s anger would have been translated into disaster for the Jewish people. His prayer proved effective, at least sufficiently to suspend execution of G’d’s plan at this stage. It did not mean that G’d had been mollified, how could He have been, when no remedial action both in word and deed had yet been taken? Seeing that G’d had granted Moses a stay of execution, he descended and immediately proceeded to destroy the golden calf, to sprinkle the penitent people with water containing the ashes of that cast image, and authorized the execution of the active participants who had danced around the calf proclaiming it to be a deity. Having done all this, he felt that he could ascend the Mountain again and plead for forgiveness, not only a delay of the punishment for what the people had become guilty of. On that occasion, the confession of the people’s guilt did not ring hollow, as he was able to point to the remedial action he had taken and the people having demonstrated sincere penitence.
 As to the reason why Moses related the sequence differently, 40 years after the event, when he said that as soon as G’d told him to desist so that He could destroy the people he descended the Mountain, (Deut. 9,14-15) this was because Moses was in the process of reminding the people [who were still alive, i.e. below the age of 60, Ed.] of a whole litany of sins committed by their fathers. In order not to interrupt the continuity of his recital, Moses did not mention what he had said to G’d in our verse at that time. He preferred to tell of what precisely had happened at hat time as well as Aaron’s role in all this. [remember that the great majority of the people whom Moses addressed at that time had not even been alive when all this happened. Ed.] After he had concluded by reminding the people that they had a long history of being rebellious against G’d, (Deut. 9,24) he came back to his prayer on behalf of the people and reminded them that he had spent an entire 40 days on the Mountain pleading the cause of his people. He wanted his audience to know that their existence at this time was not a natural event, but that G’d had initially meant to kill all their fathers, so that most of them would never have been born even, if not for his insistent prayers over a period of so many days when he did not even enjoy food and drink. He did not have to list all the details of his prayers as a list of 40 days of continuous prayer would have resulted in the Torah being an interminably long book, and the people reading it would have gone to sleep from boredom. When Moses mentioned that he had also prayed on behalf of Aaron at that time, he made clear that Aaron had been in need of his prayer at that time. He did not mention this in our verse, as it would have been embarrassing to have done so while Aaron was still alive. In Deuteronomy, a speech by Moses several months after Aaron had already died, he could mention this without fear of embarrassing him.


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:16:1
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:16:1)

**והלוחות מעשה אלהים המה.**כתב הרמב"ן הי' ראוי שיזכיר הכתוב כל מעשה הלוחות בפסוק ויתן אל משה כאשר אמר כתובים באצבע אלהי' אלא כתבו כאן לומר אף כי היו מעשה אלהי' לא נמנע משה מלשברם כי חרה לו בראותו המעשה הרע ההוא ולא יכול להתאפק או בענין שהזכירו רבותינו שפרח הכתב בבואו בגבול העגל במקום הטומאה:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
והלוחות מעשה אלוקים המה, “the Tablets had been made by G’d.” Nachmanides writes that it would have been more appropriate to describe the details of these Tablets in 31,18 where we first hear about them, and where we have been told that they had been written with a “finger” of G’d. The reason that this was written at this juncture was to impress upon us that in spite of the Tablets being G’d’s personal handiwork, Moses did not let this stop him from smashing them as he was so upset when he saw what was going on in the camp.
 An alternate reason for why Moses smashed the Tablets, a thought expressed by our sages, is that when Moses realized that the letters on the Tablets had already flown away, so that the sanctity of the Tablets had departed, he took this as a signal to also smash the body which had hosted the letters while the people were a holy people. He would not demean the work of G’d to be brought within the boundaries of a camp which had become totally defiled.


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:18:1
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:18:1)

**קול ענות אנכי שומע.**כ' הרמב"ן לא מפני שידע משה הדבר כי אדרבה לא להגיד לו כי לא רצה לספ' בגנותן של ישרא' אלא אמר קול זה הנשמע הוא כקול שחוק. ובמדרש שאמר לו משה מי שעתיד לנהוג שררה על ישראל אינו מבחין בין קול לקול:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
קול ענות אנכי שומע, “I can only hear a sound of distress.” Nachmanides writes that what Moses said was not based on factual evidence, -after all he had not yet seen what was going on with his eyes, and we do not judge on the basis of what our ears hear.- In fact, technically speaking, Moses was out of order in telling Joshua his conclusions which incriminated his people on the basis of not even having seen the evidence. We must therefore interpret what Moses is quoted as saying to mean that he voiced the opinion that what he heard sounded like revelry.
 In the *Midrash* Moses’ words are understood as a rebuke to Joshua, his mentor saying to him that someone who will one day become the ruler of this people cannot afford to make judgments based only on what he thought he had heard. (*Midrash Rabbah Kohelet* 9)


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:19:1
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:19:1)

**וישלך מידו את הלוחות.**ולא אמר ויפל שהשליכן למרחוק שלא יפלו על רגליו כדרך משליך משא כבד מעליו:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
וישלך מידו את הלוחות, “he threw down the Tablets from his hand.” The Torah does not use the verb ויפל, which would have meant that the Tablets fell directly in front of his feet, but it uses a verb indicating that Moses flung the Tablets as far away from him as he was able to.


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:19:2
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:19:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:19:2)

**וישבר אותם.**לפי הפשט לכך שברם לפי שעברו ישראל על לא תעשה לך פסל שכתוב בהן שמעיד עליהם שצריך לינקם מהם ושברם שלא יהא עדותן קיימת:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
וישבר אותם, “he shattered them. According to the plain meaning of the text, the reason why Moses made a point of smashing the Tablets was that these Tablets which had inscribed on them that Israelites must not make a cast image of anything in heaven or on earth, would, if allowed to remain intact- serve as testimony against the people who had so grossly violated what was written upon these Tablets.


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:20:1
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:20:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:20:1)

**וישרוף באש.**דרך הזהב להיות ניתך. ור' אברהם אמר שיש דבר שיתנו אותו בזהב ולא יהא ניתך אלא ישרף ולא יהי' זהב לעולם:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
וישרוף באש, “he burned it by fire.” Gold is normally worked only when it has been made red hot, when it is cast in a mould. Therefore, just as the calf came into existence by means of fire, it had to be destroyed by means of fire. Ibn Ezra writes that there are elements (or additives) which when mixed with gold, not only have the same effect as melting it, but make it incapable of being reconstituted. Moses used such a solution.


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:21:1
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:21:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:21:1)

**מה עשה לך העם הזה.**פירש"י כמה ייסורין סבלת שייסרוך עד שלא תביא עליהם זה. והקשה הרמב"ן כי זה מן הדברים שיהרג עליהם ואל יעבור ופי' מה עשה לך מה שנאה היתה לך על העם כי סבבת להשמידם ולכלותם ומפני שהי' אהרן להם למוכיח אמר לו כן כלומר נהגת עמהם כאויב החפץ ברעתם במקום שהי' לך להוכיחם וראוי הי' שיאשים לאהרן תחלה על חטאתו ואחר כך על שהחטיא לעם אלא שנהג כבוד באחיו הגדול ולא רצה להוכיחו על חטאתו ולא הזכיר לו רק מכשול העם. אי נמי שהי' בטוח בצדקת אחיו שלא היתה כוונתו לרעה אלא שהוכיחו על אשמת העם שהי' ראוי לו להוכיחם והם נכשלו על ידו והוא השיב שהטעוהו בדבריהם:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
מה עשה לך העם הזה? ”what have these people done to you?” *Rashi* understands this question as meaning: “how many tortures have these people inflicted upon you that you became instrumental in making this calf?”
 Nachmanides has difficulty in accepting this interpre-tation, as Moses implied that Aaron’s action was excusable, whereas when it comes to idolatry we have an ironclad rule that one must be prepared to sacrifice one’s life rather than lend a hand in such a nefarious scheme. He therefore prefers to understand Moses’ question to Aaron as: “how much did you hate this people that you were willing to become the instrument which would lead to their destruction?” He said this as it had been Aaron’s task to be their remonstrator, castigator, not their assistant and abettor when they were bent on committing a sin. Nachmanides adds that actually, Moses should first have accused Aaron of his sin, before mentioning the people’s sin. Only then should he have mentioned that Aaron had been guilty in causing them to commit this sin. He refrained from accusing Aaron to his face of causing the people to sin, out of respect for him.
 Alternatively, the reason why Moses did not reprimand Aaron was simply that he was one hundred per cent convinced that Aaron could not have harboured any thought that deserved criticizing from an *halachic* point of view, but that Moses’ words referred exclusively to the sin committed by the people, and that Aaron should have remonstrated with them. Aaron replied simply that the people had deliberately misled him.


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:22:1
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:22:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:22:1)

**אתה ידעת את העם כי ברע הוא.**פי' שהוליכם בדרך רעה שבאו אלי לעשות להם מורה הדרך במקום אדוני עד שובו ונתנו לי הזהב ואשליכהו באש ויצא העגל הזה כי חשבו בו מחשבה רעה והשתחוו לו ובעבור שלא רצה אהרן להאריך בסורחנם קיצר ואמר ויצא העגל הזה שיצא להם לענין הרע אשר אדוני רואה:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
אתה ידעת את העם כי ברע הוא, “you know what the people are like once they are bent on an evil path.” Aaron did not want to dwell at length on how the situation had deteriorated, and the people’s having planned this, but he shouldered part of the blame saying that he had misled them by throwing the gold they had brought into the crucible, as an unexpected result of which this calf emerged. The people had made him believe that they wanted a temporary substitute for Moses until Moses would return. It had neither occurred to him that this calf would emerge from the crucible, nor that they would worship this calf by prostrating themselves in front of it


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:25:1
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:25:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:25:1)

**וירא משה.**פירש"י אע"פ שהתנצל מ"מ ראה משה בלבו:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
וירא משה, “Moses saw, etc.” *Rashi* says that even though Aaron had made excuses for the people, Moses, in his heart, did not accept this.” [I have not been able to find this remark by *Rashi* in our editions of *Rashi’s* commentary. I believe this is an error, and should be attributed to Nachmanides. Ed.]


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:25:2
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:25:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:25:2)

**כי פרוע הוא.**פי' גוי אובד עצות ויפרעו כל עצתו:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
כי פרוע הוא, “that the inner motivations of the people had become revealed,” i.e. that they were innately wicked, they were a nation that had completely lost its spiritual directions, pursuing a totally destructive path. (similar to Deut. 32,28 גוי אובד עצות ואין בהם תבונה)


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:25:3
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:25:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:25:3)

**כי פרעה אהרן.**וביטל מהם כל עצה ומוסר ואמר כך מפני שהיו חושבים שהעגל היה מורה להם הדרך והנה הוא כאלו אין להם עצה לא ידעו הדרך ילכו בה כי מהם חשבו לפי סברתם לטובה ומהם לרעה גמורה:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
כי פרעה אהרן, “for Aaron had exposed them.” Aaron was responsible for depriving the people of their normal intelligence and moral scruples. Moses said this as he realised that the people had become so confused that they imagined that this golden calf could serve them as a guide on their journeys through the desert. Anyone confused to such an extent must be considered as having completely lost his senses. As a result, some of the people, though misguided, entertained worthy thoughts, whereas others, entertained completely idolatrous thoughts.


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:25:4
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:25:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:25:4)

**לשמצה בקמיהם.**שאפי' אותם שאין מחשבתם לרעה יוציאו עליהם לדורות שמץ ודבה ונמצא כל העם פרוע מהם לרעה גמורה ומהם שיוציאו עליהם דבה וכן בכל מקום שמץ לשון דופי ופגם. ועל דרך הפשט שמץ לשון מיעוט כמו ותקח אזני שמץ מנהו פי' לקח מעט ממנו וכן לשמצה בקמיהם אמר כי פרעה אהרן לעם למעט אותם בפני אויביהם כי העון הגדול הזה מיעטם בפני אויביהם או ימעיט זכותם בבואם במלחמה עם אויב:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
לשמצה בקמיהם, “as a disgrace among those who would rise up against them.” Even the portion of the people whose intentions were perfectly innocent will become the pretext for others to point at the disgraceful conduct of the Jewish people for all future generations. [as their intentions were not clear, seeing they had not voiced opposition to those who were bent on idolatry. Ed.] The historians would conclude that all the Jews had been of one mind at that time. The accusations labeled against all the people on that account would give Satan a valuable tool to use against the Jews.
 According to the plain meaning of the text, the פשט, the word שמצה, derived from שמץ, something minute, means that as a result of this episode, the Jewish people had forfeited their image of being a unique and spiritually superior people, and they would henceforth be considered in the eyes of the nations as of very small stature. (compare for the meaning of שמץ Job 4,12 ותקח אזני שמץ, “my ear caught a whisper” something barely audible) of it. Or, in the sense of Israel losing its accumulated merits in the Book of G’d, [ספר זכויות as in the אבינו מלכנו prayer. Ed.] our positive balance in that book would shrink to zero. This would be most harmful whenever we would face enemies in battle.


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:26:1
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:26:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:26:1)

**ויעמד משה בשער המחנה.**פי' לפי שראה את העם שיהיו לשמצה בקמיהם וזהו חלול השם עמד משה בשער המחנה וקרא בקול גדול מי לה' אלי והרג בפרהסיא עובדי העגל כדי שישמע הדבר לקמיהם ויתקדש שם שמים בהם תחת החלול שעשו:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ויעמוד משה בשער המחנה, “Moses stood at the entrance gate to the camp.” Seeing that Moses had seen that the people’s conduct had resulted in their disgracing themselves, and being guilty of a public desecration of the name of the Lord, Moses took up position at the gateway to the camp and called out in a loud voice that all those loyal to *Hashem* should come forward and publicly execute all those guilty of acts of idolatry, in order that this would become common knowledge and no one would be able to use the fact that idolatry had been tolerated among the Israelites as a weapon against their reputation of being G’d’s nation. The public execution was an act of sanctification of the Lord’s name that would even the score.


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:27:1
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:27:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:27:1)

**כה אמר ה' וגו' שימו איש חרבו על ירכו.**כתב הרמב"ן שאין זה ממצות זובח לאלהים יחרם כי אין אלו חייבים מיתה אלא מצוה הנאמרה למשה מפי הגבורה ולא נכתבה כי כאשר נחם השם על הרעה צוה אותו כיון שאינך רוצה שאכלה אותם תהרוג אתה את עובדיו בסייף כדרך קח את כל ראשי העם והוקע אותם לה':

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
כה אמר ה' שימו איש חרבו על ירכו, “thus has the Lord G’d of Israel said: “every man put his sword on his thigh, etc.” Nachmanides writes that what occurred here is not related to Exodus 22,19 זובח לאלוהים יחרם בלתי לה' לבדו, “anyone who offers sacrifices to *elohim,* (other gods) other than to *Hashem* will be destroyed.” Here only the people whom G’d had told Moses about, were to be executed, the others were not guilty of a capital offence. The Levites were aware of who had offered sacrifices to the golden calf, and, seeing that it was physically impossible to bring all these people to trial and they had not been warned, the procedure is not recorded here in writing in detail. Time was of the essence, if a greater calamity was to be avoided. By doing what they did, the Levites helped Moses to turn the temporary stay of execution G’d had promised Moses before he descended into a permanent stay of execution. (compare 32,14) We find that almost 40 years later, when the people at *Shittim* became sexually and ritually involved with the Moabite women (Numbers 25,4-9) similar emergency measures were employed.


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:27:2
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:27:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:27:2)

**שימו איש חרבו על ירכו.**כתב הרמב"ן היו עובדי העגל רבים ולא יוכלו להביאם לב"ד על כן צוה להורגם כאשר יוכלו כמו שאמרו רבותינו שאם אין אתה יכול להמיתו במיתה הכתובה אתה ממיתו בכל מיתה שאתה יכול להמיתו והכל הי' הוראת שעה כי מי התרה בהם אלא שבני לוי הכירו באלו הנהרגים שהיו הם עובדיו. ולדברי האומר עדים והתראה מיתתו בידי אדם יש לפרש שצוה להם לחגור חרבם לתופשם ולהביאם לב"ד ואשר מצאו לו עדים והתראה הרגוהו בסקילה כמשפט עובדי ע"ז או שהיתה מיתתם בסייף כמשפט עיר הנדחת וכל בני לוי היו לה' ומתרים בהם. והנכון כדברי האומר זבח וקטר בסייף גיפף ונישק במיתה שמח בלבו בהדרוקן והכל מעשה לשעה כי אין מגפף ומנשק במיתה לדורות:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
שימו איש חרבו על ירכו, (see above) Nachmanides writes that there were so many people who worshipped the calf that it was impossible to bring all of them to a tribunal, and moreover, there had not been anyone who had warned these people in accordance with normal judicial requirements. This is why G’d had told Moses to use emergency measures. Our sages, go further and state that the method of execution was also changed, as normally stoning would be the order of the day for convicted idolaters, and all who had witnessed such a deed had to participate in the execution. [This comment does not agree with the Talmud in *Yuma*, although according to Maimonides *hilchot avodah zarah 3,1* it seems clear that stoning is the penalty when proper warning has been administered. Ed.]
 According to the scholars who hold that warnings had been issued to the people whom the Levites executed on this occasion by qualified witnesses, we must interpret Moses’ instructions to the Levites as having included this proviso. Those who could not be convicted on that basis, instead of being stoned, were executed by the sword.
 The correct interpretation is according to the scholar who holds that slaughtering animals to idols or burning incense is punishable by death through the sword, whereas other forms of worship such as kissing the idols is punishable by the kind of death preferred by the victim. This is so because the latter type of practicing idolatry has not been punished by death by the Jewish courts throughout the ages. [it was left to the heavenly tribunal to take care of the sinner. Ed.]


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:32:1
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:32:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:32:1)

**אם תשא חטאתם ואם אין מחני נא מספרך.**פירש"י מספר התורה כולה. והקשה הרמב"ן אם כן מה השיבו מי אשר חטא לי אמחנו מספרי והלא אין אחר למחות מספרו כי לא נזכר בו ופי' הוא כי משה אמר אם תשא חטאתם ברחמיך ואם אין מחני תחתם מספר החיים ואסבול את עוונם והקב"ה השיבו החוטאים אמחה מספרי ואותך לא אמחה שלא חטאת:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
אם תשא את חטאתם ואם אין מחני נא מספרך, “if You will forgive their sin…., and if not please blot me out from Your Book.” According to *Rashi,* Moses wanted to have his name removed from the whole Torah.
 Nachmanides finds this difficult, as in his opinion G’d’s reply that He would remove the sinners’ names from His Book and not those of the ones free from sin, would not be comprehensible. Who else was there whose name could be erased, seeing that we have not heard about the names of any of the sinners? He therefore concludes that Moses’ request must be understood thus: “If You will forgive them in Your Mercy, o.k, if not, I prefer that you wipe me out from among the living i.e. the Book of Life, and let the people continue living in my place. G’d’s reply that He will punish the guilty and not the innocent instead of the guilty, makes perfect sense then. He had no reason to erase Moses from the Book of the Living.


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:34:1
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:34:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:34:1)

**ועתה לך נחה את העם.**פי' אחרי שנחמתי מלכלותם נחה אותם:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ועתה לך נחה את העם, “and now, go and lead the people!” G’d meant that now that He had reconsidered His initial plan and had desisted from destroying the people, it was up to Moses to continue to lead them.


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:34:2
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:34:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:34:2)

**אל אשר דברתי לך.**ולא רצה לפרש זה בפירוש כי הוא דרך כעס כאומר מה שדברתי לך אעשה לכבודך אבל לא אשא חטאתם כי ביום פקדי אפקד עליהם אחרי בואם אל הארץ וזה רמז לעת הגלות ממנה או למה שאמרו רבותינו שאין פורענות שאין בה אוקיא ממעשה העגל:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
אל אשר דברתי לך, ”to where I have told you.” G’d did not want to be more specific, as He was still angry and He wanted Moses to know that the people’s continued existence was not due to His having forgiven them, but to the high regard in which He held their leader, i.e. Moses. Whenever He would have an occasion to visit some punishment on the people for a different sin, He would add some extra punishment in partial discharge of what they had become guilty of during this unhappy episode. This would continue even after they would come to the Holy Land. This is a veiled hint that they would at some time be exiled from that land. This is why our sages have taught us that there is no historical disaster which befalls the Jewish people that does not include part of the punishment for the unexpurgated guilt of the sin of the golden calf. (*Shemot Rabbah* 43,3)


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:35:1
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:35:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:35:1)

**ויגוף ה' את העם.**ולא ספר הכתוב כמה היו הנגפים כאשר ספר הנהרגים על ידי בני לוי וכאשר פירש מגפה של קרח ושל בעל פעור ואולי לא מתו בפעם אחת אלא נגפם ה' למות בלא עתם. אי נמי לא חשש למנותם כאשר לא מנה המתים בתבערה ובקברות התאוה ולא פרט הנופלים ביד בני לוי אלא לכבודם לומר שהרגו רבים בעם ולא פחדו מהם אלא בטחו בד'. ואמר:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ויגוף ה' את העם , “*Hashem* smote the people.” In this instance the Torah did not reveal how many of the people were smitten with this fatal plague, as distinct from the people who had been executed by the Levites or the plague that killed the people participating in Korach’s uprising, or the people who died as a result of the encounter with the Moabite women at *Shittim*. Perhaps the reason why here we have not been told numbers is that these people did not die all simultaneously, so that the cause of their deaths would be obvious, but the “plague” that struck them meant that they died prematurely.
 Alternatively, the Torah did not bother to inform us of their number, just as it has not informed us of the number of people who died at *Taveyrah* (Numbers 11,1) or at *Kivrot Hataavah* (Numbers 11,35) The principal reason why the number of people executed by the Levites are mentioned, is to give credit to the Levites who carried out G’d’s instructions in spite of the large number of people involved. They trusted in G’d’s protection and were not afraid of their victims resisting and possibly killing them.


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:35:2
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:35:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:35:2)

**אשר עשו את העגל.**לומר שלא היו מן המשתחוים לו והזובחים לו אלא מן העושים כלומר מאותם שנקהלו על אהרן ובעבור שאמר שנענשו על שעשו העגל ולא על עבודתו והם לא עשאוהו אמר:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
אשר עשו את העגל, “who had made the golden calf.” This is mentioned to tell us that the people who were struck by the plague were not the ones who had actively prostrated themselves and worshipped the golden calf. Their sin consisted of ganging up on Aaron and demanding that he make for them a substitute for Moses. Seeing that the Torah first said that they were punished for making the golden calf, something not quite accurate, as Aaron had taken the gold and thrown it into the crucible, the Torah now had to add: אשר עשה אהרן, that actually it had been Aaron who had “made” the calf.


###### Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:35:3
[Tur HaArokh, Exodus 32:35:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Exodus/r/32:35:3)

**אשר עשה אהרן.**לומר שהוא עשאו במצותם ולכך נענשו. והמגפה הזאת היתה אחרי שהרג משה את העובדים לעגל והתפלל עליהם ואמר לו להעלותם אל הארץ ושישלח לפניהם מלאך ורצה לנכות להם מן העון כדי שיהו ראויים לזה ושילח המגפה בהם ובזה מחל להם קצת העון. ואמר לו:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
אשר עשה אהרן, “which Aaron had made.” The reason the Torah had attributed the making of the calf to the people whom G’d subsequently struck with the plague, was that Aaron had acted only as their שליח, as their proxy. Had they not demanded it of him by adopting a threatening posture, he would never have dreamt of undertaking such a project. This plague only commenced after the Levites, at the command of Moses, had executed the people who had actively worshipped the calf. After that Moses had prayed to G’d on behalf of the people, and had received instructions to lead the people toward their goal, the Holy land. At that point G’d had said that He would send along one of His angels. In order to justify His doing so, He had to reduce the level of unexpurgated sin still amongst the people. Striking the instigators of the whole episode with the plague accomplished that purpose. Now G’d was able to say to Moses to proceed. [verse 34 was only preparatory, and did not contain the command to proceed forthwith. Ed.]