That, in a nutshell, is the tragedy of the Golden Calf. But how quickly did things really fall apart after the revelation at Sinai? The rabbis of the Midrash wrestle with this very question in fascinating ways.
The verse in Exodus (32:8) doesn't say the Israelites simply "abandoned" (averu) God's path. No, it says they "quickly deviated" (saru). Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, latches onto that word "saru," and runs with it. One interpretation paints a vivid picture: "When they were in Sinai they were lilies and roses; now they have become foul (saryut), they became liars.” It's a stark contrast, isn't it? From blossoming beauty to something rotten... and all so fast.
How fast? Well, that's where the debate really takes off.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai suggests a chilling timeline. He argues that the Israelites were with God for eleven days, but then spent a full twenty-nine days plotting the creation of the calf. His proof text? "Eleven days from Ḥorev" (Deuteronomy 1:2). Then, he connects their actions to Esau, saying they “came to the path (derekh) of Esau – ‘via (derekh) Mount Seir’ (Deuteronomy 1:2).” Why Esau? Because, as we know from Genesis (36:8-9), Esau dwelled in Seir.
Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov flips the script, suggesting twenty-nine days with God followed by only eleven days of calf-related calculations. He, too, uses the phrase "Eleven days from Ḥorev via Mount Seir," but interprets it as them performing “an act of Seir,” acting like Esau by planning the golden calf. He adds another layer: just as Esau cursed and blasphemed, so did the Israelites before the idol. Just as Esau worshipped idols, so did they.
But the timeline shrinks even further! Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Ilai dramatically shortens the period of faithfulness to a single day. He draws on the prophet Micah (2:8): "Yesterday, My people arose as an enemy." God says, according to this reading: "Yesterday you said: 'Everything that the Lord spoke, we will perform and we will heed' (Exodus 24:7), and today: 'This is your god Israel' (Exodus 32:4)?" Can you imagine such a swift betrayal?
Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta doubles that, arguing for two days, based on Jeremiah 2:32: "My people has forgotten Me for days without number." How many are "days" in the plural? At least two, he reasons.
Finally, Rabbi Yona finds support in Isaiah (58:2): “They seek Me daily [yom yom].” The repetition of "yom" – day, implies two days.
What are we to make of these wildly different timelines? Is it about literal accounting? Perhaps not. Maybe it's about emphasizing the shocking speed with which faith can erode. The Midrash isn't always concerned with historical precision, but with conveying deeper truths.
Each Rabbi, in their own way, is highlighting the fragility of commitment, the ever-present temptation to stray, and the devastating consequences of choosing a false idol – whatever that idol might be in our own lives. It leaves you wondering, doesn't it? How solid is our own commitment? How easily could we, too, "quickly deviate" from the path?