Rabbi Yaakov bar Zavdi began: “It will no longer be a guarantor for the house of Israel, evoking iniquity” (Ezekiel 29:16),8In context, the verse is stating that Egypt, which had been a mighty empire, would be lowered and unable to serve as a guarantor. The fact that the Israelite kingdoms looked to Egypt as a guarantor for their safety, rather than looking to God, would evoke Israel’s iniquity. and it is written: “Seraphim were standing above Him, six wings to each one; with two it would cover its face and with two it would cover its legs and with two it would fly” (Isaiah 6:2).
“With two it would fly,” for lauding. “With two it would cover its face,” so as not to look at the Divine Presence. “With two it would cover its legs,” so that they would not be seen by the Divine Presence, as it is written: “Their feet were like the foot of a calf” (Ezekiel 1:7) and it is written: “They crafted for themselves a molten calf” (Exodus 32:8), in accordance with: “It will no longer be a guarantor for the house of Israel, evoking iniquity.”9The feet that look like those of a calf evoke iniquity by recalling the sin of the Golden Calf and therefore must be covered in front of the Divine Presence.
We learned there: All shofarot are fit for use, except for the horn of a cow.10Mishna Rosh Hashana 3:2. Why except for the horn of a cow? It is only because it is the horn of a calf, and it is written: “They crafted for themselves a molten calf” (Exodus 32:8), in accordance with: “It will no longer be a guarantor for the house of Israel, evoking iniquity.” It is taught: Why does a sota not drink from the cup of her counterpart?
It is so they will not say: So-and-so drank from this cup and died, in accordance with: “It will no longer be a guarantor for the house of Israel, evoking iniquity.”11A sota does not drink from a cup used by another sota to drink the bitter waters in order to avoid evoking the sin of the other sota, as she was already punished for her sin and was granted atonement. We learned:12See Mishna Sanhedrin 7:4. “[If a woman approaches any animal so that it will copulate with her] you shall kill the woman and the animal” (Leviticus 20:16).
If the person sinned, what sin did the animal commit? Rather, because a calamity for a person came about by its means, the Torah said it shall be stoned, so that the animal would not pass in the street and they will be saying: ‘That is the animal because of which so-and-so was stoned,’ in accordance with: “It will no longer be a guarantor for the house of Israel, evoking iniquity.” “A bull, or a sheep, [or a goat, when it is born]” – is a bull born?
Is it not a calf that is born? Rather, it is because: “They crafted for themselves a molten calf” – therefore the verse calls it a bull and not a calf.13The verse avoids mentioning the term calf in connection to an animal that will be used as an offering. That is what is written: “A bull, or a sheep, or a goat.”