Why Scripture Calls the Newborn Calf an Ox

Rabbi Jacob bar Zavdi in the name of Rabbi Abbahu opened: "and it shall no longer be for the house of Israel an object of confidence, bringing iniquity to remembrance" (Ezekiel 29:16). It is written, "seraphim stood above Him, each had six wings" (Isaiah 6:2). "With two he flew" (Isaiah 6:2) — for praise. "With two he covered his face" (Isaiah 6:2) — so as not to gaze upon the Divine Presence. "With two he covered his feet" (Isaiah 6:2) — so that the feet should not be seen before the Divine Presence, as it is written, "and their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot" (Ezekiel 1:7), on account of "it shall no longer be for the house of Israel an object of confidence, bringing iniquity to remembrance" (Ezekiel 29:16). There we learned: all shofars are valid except that of a cow, because it is the horn of a calf, on account of "it shall no longer be for the house of Israel an object of confidence, bringing iniquity to remembrance." And we learned there: "you shall kill the woman and the beast" (Leviticus 20:16). If the person sinned, what did the beast sin? Rather, because mishap came to a person through it, therefore Scripture said it should be stoned. Another interpretation: so that the beast should not pass through the marketplace and people say, this is the one through which so-and-so was stoned, on account of "it shall no longer be for the house of Israel an object of confidence, bringing iniquity to remembrance." And it was taught: why did they say a madwoman should not drink from her companion's cup? So that people should not say, from this cup her companion drank and died, on account of "it shall no longer be for the house of Israel an object of confidence, bringing iniquity to remembrance." So too, "an ox, or a sheep, or a goat, when it is born" (Leviticus 22:27). But is an ox born, and not a calf born? Rather, because it is written, "they made for themselves a molten calf" (Exodus 32:8), therefore Scripture called it an ox and did not call it a calf, "an ox, or a sheep, or a goat, when it is born" (Leviticus 22:27).