God Forgets the Golden Calf but Never Forgets Sinai

Pesikta DeRav Kahana 17:7

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"Can a woman forget her suckling child?" (Isaiah 49:15). Iko said: "Can a woman forget her suckling child"—have You forgotten those offerings we used to bring before You? Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Aha said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said: The evil deeds I forget, but the good deeds I do not forget. The evil deeds I forget—what you said concerning the calf, "These are your gods, O Israel" (Exodus 32:4). And the good deeds I do not forget—what you said to Me at Sinai, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do and obey" (Exodus 24:7).

Themes

CovenantRepentanceSin

Continue Reading

Book of JubileesArk in the Temple and the CovenantBook of Jubilees turns to Ark in the Temple and the Covenant. A promise so profound: "I shall build My sanctuary in their midst, and I shall dwell with them, anBook of JudithJudith Rebukes the Elders for Losing FaithThe people are desperate, their water supply dwindling, and their faith is being tested. The city leaders, Uzziah, Chabris, and Charmis, have made a desperate gCommunity Rule (1QS)The Covenant Ceremony of the Dead Sea SectThe opening columns of the Community Rule describe a yearly covenant renewal ceremony that reads like a cross between a monastic initiation and an ancient IsraeLegends of the JewsAbraham Was Circumcised on Yom Kippur Where the Temple Would StandSometimes, the stories behind them are even more incredible than the rituals themselves. Let's The Legends of the Jews tells us that Abraham’s circumcision wasnLegends of the JewsLevi Begged His Children to Walk in God's Ways Before He DiedHe's surrounded by his children, his life's work laid bare before him. He’s not reminiscing about past glories, though. He's consumed by a vision of the future Legends of the JewsNaphtali's Offerings Honor the Patriarchs and TorahLegends of the Jews turns to Naphtali's Offerings Honor the Patriarchs and Torah. Then comes a silver bowl, used for sprinkling blood. Its weight? Seventy sheke