But did they really get away with it?

The Book of Devarim — Deuteronomy — opens with the phrase, "These are the words that Moses spoke…" And the Midrash, specifically Devarim Rabbah, that beautiful, sprawling collection of interpretations, asks: what exactly does "these words" refer to?

One intriguing answer takes us straight to Psalm 50, verse 21: "You have done these, and I was silent. Did you think I was like you…?" It’s a powerful, almost accusatory question from God. But what does it mean in this context?

Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman offers a fascinating insight. He connects the "these" in Deuteronomy to the "This is your god, Israel!" (eleh elohecha Yisrael) of the Golden Calf episode in Exodus 32:4. Remember that? The Israelites, impatient for Moses' return from Mount Sinai, melted down their gold and fashioned an idol. A HUGE mistake.

God, understandably, was furious. But, as Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman points out, God was silent, at least for a time. Why? Because Moses, ever the advocate, stepped in. He pleaded with God: "Please forgive this people!" (Numbers 14:19). And God, in His infinite mercy, listened.

But here’s the kicker: "Did you think I was like you?" God asks. Did you think that just because I was silent, it meant I approved? Did you think you could compare a created form – the Golden Calf – to the Creator? As the verse continues, "[Did you think I was like you,] that I would reprove you and set it [ve’e’erkha] before your eyes?"

The Etz Yosef commentary explains that God may still punish the Israelites for the sin of the Golden Calf, as the verse states, “on the day of My reckoning, I will reckon their sin upon them” (Exodus 32:34). It's a chilling reminder that actions have consequences, even if those consequences are delayed.

The Midrash goes on to explore the meaning of ve’e’erkha – "I will set it before your eyes." Two amora’im, rabbinic sages of the Talmudic era, offer different interpretations. One says it means "I will arouse [a’orer] it all before you," implying a future reckoning. The other suggests "I will arrange it all before you," perhaps suggesting a more orderly and comprehensive accounting of their sins.

So, what's Moses doing in Deuteronomy? He's not necessarily rebuking them for what they will do, but for what they already did. "In the wilderness, in the Arava, opposite the Red Sea" – the scene is set. The past is not forgotten.

It's a powerful lesson, isn't it? We might think we've gotten away with something, that our actions have been overlooked or forgiven. But perhaps, like the Israelites and the Golden Calf, the reckoning is simply delayed. The question then becomes: how do we live in the face of that possibility? How do we strive to make amends, to learn from our mistakes, and to ensure that "these words" – the words of wisdom, of Torah, of life – guide our path forward?