The passage starts with the seemingly straightforward case of a suspected adulteress in Numbers 5:12: "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: If the wife of any man will stray and commit a trespass against him." But hold on, the Rabbis, in their infinite wisdom, don't stop there. They see something more profound lurking beneath the surface.
They ask, what if this isn't just about a husband and wife? What if it’s an allegory for the relationship between God and Israel?
The Midrash interprets the "man" in the verse as none other than the Holy One, blessed be He! As it says in Exodus 15:3, "The Lord is a Man of war." And who is the "wife" who might stray? According to Hosea 2:18, God says, "…you will call Me my spouse [ishi]." That’s right, it's Israel!
So, when the verse speaks of a wife straying, the Rabbis see it as Israel straying from following God. Remember the Golden Calf incident? As we find in Exodus 32:8, "They have quickly strayed [saru]," which is closely related to the word "stray [tiste]" in our original verse. The Midrash even points out the Aramaic translation, "They have quickly strayed [satu]."
And what is this "trespass" the wife commits? It's idol worship, of course! Bamidbar Rabbah connects this to Numbers 31:16, "To commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor."
The Midrash doesn't stop there. It continues to unpack the verses, drawing parallels between the details of the suspected adulteress's situation and the events surrounding the Golden Calf.
For example, the verse says, "And a man had lain with her carnally [shikhvat zera]..." The Rabbis connect this to Aaron, who crafted the calf. The "carnally" part? That refers to the way the calf was worshipped – by passing their offspring [zaram] before it in the fire, reminiscent of Leviticus 18:21 where God says, "And you shall not give from your offspring [umizarakha] to pass to Molekh."
The verse continues, "And it was hidden from the eyes of her husband, and she was secluded..." The Midrash interprets this as Israel thinking they could hide their actions from God, echoing Psalms 94:7 ("They said: The Lord will not see") and Job 22:14 ("Clouds obscure for Him, and He does not see"). They believed they were acting in secret. As Isaiah 29:15 says, "Woe to those who go to the depths from the Lord to conceal [lastir] a scheme […and they say: Who sees us and who knows of us]?"
Even the lack of a witness is interpreted symbolically: "And there is no witness [ve’ed] against her" means there was no prophet to warn them. They even killed Hur, who dared to rebuke them!
What about the "spirit of jealousy [kina]"? That, says the Midrash, refers to God's own jealousy, as stated in Exodus 20:5: "For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous [kana] God." God warns Israel, just as it says in Exodus 32:7: "Go, descend, because your people has become corrupted…"
The story culminates in the offering the husband brings on behalf of his wife. In our allegorical reading, "The man shall bring" refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, bringing His "wife," Israel, "to the priest," which is Moses. As Psalms 99:6 says, "Moses and Aaron were among His priests." The offering of "one-tenth of an ephah of barley flour" represents the Ten Commandments, and the "barley flour" symbolizes how Israel, through idol worship, had become like dispersed flour. The lack of oil and frankincense signifies that God initially refused to be appeased, echoing His words in Exodus 32:10 ("Now, let Me be…").
But ultimately, as we know, God relents. The priest brings her near, meaning Moses prays on their behalf. And God, in His mercy, forgives them, as it says in Exodus 32:14: "The Lord reconsidered the evil."
So, what does this all mean? It's a powerful reminder that our relationship with God is like a marriage. It requires faithfulness, commitment, and a constant effort to stay true. And when we stray, as we inevitably do, repentance and forgiveness are always possible. The story of the Golden Calf, and the suspected adulteress, serves as a constant call to return to the covenant, to remember our commitment, and to strive for a deeper connection with the Divine.