ויפן וירד משה מן ההר. We learn from this word ויפן, he turned around, that Moses descended while facing the cloud just as he had done when ascending the mountain. In other words, just as he had ascended facing the cloud, he now descended keeping his face toward the cloud, walking backwards. The High Priest, on the Day of Atonement, emulated this when withdrawing from the Holy of Holies by walking backwards after having offered the incense before the lid of the Holy Ark, the kapporet, as well as some of the blood of the two offerings on behalf of the people as well as sprinkling some on the dividing curtain. We have a similar verse in Chronicles II 1,13 describing Solomon’s approach to the altar that was standing in Givon at that time. Even though one could say that the words ויבא שלמה לבמה אשר בגבעון ירושליםmean: “Solomon returned from the altar in Givon to Jerusalem,” [seeing Givon at that time was certainly not part of Jerusalem Ed.] the correct interpretation is that he withdrew in the same way as he had approached. The point of all this was to conform to the principle of שויתי ה' לנגדי תמיד, “I am keeping Hashem in front of Me at all times.” (Psalms 16,8) One does not turn one’s back on G’d. The Mishnah, Yuma 52 states: “in the manner he had entered he also exited.” This is also the way Leviticus 16,24 describes this, writing: “he exited and completed the ritual of his own burnt offering as well as that of the people.” These words have been interpreted by our sages to mean that the word לבמה “to the altar,” must also be read as מבמה.”from the altar,” when he was headed back to Jerusalem (Yuma 53). There is a precedent for this in Numbers 31,21, where the words הבאים למלחמה, must also mean הבאים מן המלחמה, “the ones who were returning from the war.” How do we know that indeed the Shechinah was on the mountain at the time Moses descended? In Deuteronomy 9,15 where Moses refers to his descent from the mountain, he adds the words: “and the mountain was burning in fire while the two tablets of the covenant were on my hands.” We learn from all of this that the student, when taking leave of his teacher, walks backwards until the face of his teacher is no longer directly visible to him. (Yuma 53) This is also the reason why, at the end of the principal prayer the amidah, we step three steps backwards, as if to take leave of the G’d Whom we had faced and addressed before. (Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim section 123).

על אשר עשו את העגל, there are many different forms of idolatrous cults. Some consist of the idol having the likeness of a human being, or at least the face of a human being. Other cults worship a symbol representing the appearance of a cherub, angel-like figure. Still others worship a force symbolised by the image of certain domestic beasts, free-roaming animals, or birds. This is what we read in Kings II 17,30-31. “The Babylonians made Sukoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nirgal, and the men of Chamass made Ashima, and the Avvites made Nivchaz and Tartak. The Sepharvides burned their children to Adramelech and Anamelech, the gods of the Sepharvaim.” All of these names are names of different deities. The expression Sukoth-benoth refers to a hen and her chicks; the name Nirgal refers to the rooster. The name Ashima describes a cat, whereas the name Nivchaz describes a dog. The name Tartak refers to a donkey, whereas Adramelech refers to an ape, and Adamelech refers to a peacock. I am pretty certain that the many cast idols represent stars or groups of stars in the celestial regions. This would correspond to Amos 5,26 “Sikkuth and Kiyun your astral deity, the images you have made for yourselves.” The words Sikkuth and Kiyyun are both names of stars and are what Jeremiah 44,19 refers to when he said: “and when we make offerings to the queen of Heaven and pour libations for her.” The people mentioned here referred to the stars as the “queen of Heaven.” The expression “kiyvun tzalmeychem´ in Amos 5,26 refers to Zachal, otherwise know as Shabtai, Saturn. The word kochav eloheychem in the same verse refers to one of the seven fixed stars (planets), i.e. the sun.