We recently read about the Jewish People worshiping the Golden Calf.
Well, that needs to be qualified.
Part of the Jewish People did.
Which part?
The Talmud makes it very clear. And a careful reading of the text supports it. (Exodus, 32:1-3)
It was the men!
They took their gold jewelry and made the golden calf.
But the women refused to give their jewelry. And refused to be part of the whole thing.
… I know what approximately fifty percent of the people reading this might be thinking.
“Well, there might be a different way of looking at this.
Women love jewelry!
And don’t like to part with it”!
… Sorry. It won’t work.
Because jewelry was used for something else around the same time.
The building of the Mishkan. The portable Temple in the desert.
And guess who led the way in bringing their jewelry then?
The Talmud makes it very clear. And a careful reading of the text supports it. (Exodus, 35:22)
The women!
But for the golden calf? Nothing doing!
… A traditional Jewish marriage ceremony has the groom giving the bride a gold ring.
Here’s something that sometimes enters my mind at weddings.
I don’t think it could hurt if it entered the groom’s mind as well.
And stayed there!
Remember our history. Men had gold jewelry? And we got a golden calf.
Give the gold jewelry to the women?
And we got a Temple. A place where G-d’s presence is felt.
That’s what a Jewish home is supposed to be!
