February 18th: Ki Tisa
THIS WEEK IN THE TORAH
Rabbi David E. Ostrich
When we study the Golden Calf Incident, we usually focus on the apostasy of the Israelites. Just six weeks after the Revelation at Mount Sinai and just a few months after the miraculous Exodus, they begin worshipping an idol! It is a shocking and terrible sin.
However, there is another shonda (disgrace and scandal) in the story: the mob that seems to take control of everyone and their sensibilities. “When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, the people gathered against Aaron.” (Exodus 32.1) They do not turn to Aaron, seeking counsel; rather, they gather against Aaron, threatening him. The Midrash fills in the story by telling us that they go to another leader first. When Hur refuses to make an idol, the mob attacks and kills him. Thus do they gather against Aaron.
This unbridled behavior is confirmed by Moses later in the chapter. After he descends from the mountain and shocks everyone by smashing the Ten Commandments, the crowd is still berserk. “Moses saw that the people were out of control…so that they were a menace to any who might oppose them.” (Exodus 32.25). It is a mob scene, and only a violent military response brings order to the camp. (The Cecil B. DeMille film The Ten Commandments highlights this riotous behavior.)
Mob mentality is an unfortunate and dangerous aspect of human social behavior, and there have been far too many outbreaks that have resulted in tragedy and destruction. Something fearful occurs—or is reputed to occur, and anxiety spreads in a group. This anxiety paralyzes logical thinking, and someone directs the anxiety to a “solution to the problem.” Unexamined and undebated—because heightened group anxiety makes such logical thinking impossible, the group follows instructions and lashes out at the perceived/identified problem.
When discussing mob mentality, we usually think about pogroms, lynch mobs, or the Crusades. Sometimes, however, “the mob” is not violent. Sometimes, it manifests in a kind of groupthink—a sensibility which stifles analysis and reasoning. Groupthink can become panic, and the panicked group prizes loyalty and obedience above analysis and strategic thinking. Then, if someone objects or questions the groupthink, he/she is immediately branded a traitor and is shunned or expelled from the group.
We all feel the power of our groups. It is nice to find like-minded people and to unite to pursue common goals. However, we can sometimes be swept along into opinions or actions we doubt—or we can ignore our critical thoughts for fear of being labeled disloyal to the cause. Imagine wondering aloud about the crowd’s plan to worship a Golden Calf. Would you or I have had the courage to stand up and say No? Would we have survived the experience?
In that ancient context, the problem begins with a misanalysis of Moses’ delayed descent from Mount Sinai. Rather than realizing that he is just staying up with God a little longer, some Israelites panic and decide that he is dead. “When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they said, ‘…that man Moses, who brought us from the land of Egypt, we do not know what happened to him.’” (Exodus 32.1) Not only do they mistakenly assume Moses’ death, but they also ignore the Presence of God—the One who brought them out of Egypt. Once these anxiety-driven and inaccurate thoughts take hold, who can resist? The Midrash says that Hur tries, but his death sends a message to anyone who might oppose the mob.
So often, groupthink and mob mentality begin with misanalysis. The Jews are the reason the Czar’s taxes are squeezing the Russian peasants; pogroms will ease the tax burden. The Jews are the cause of Germany’s economic humiliation in the 1920s; getting rid of them will bring Germany back to life. The Jews killed Jesus back in 28 CE; a crusade through the Rhineland 1000 years later will fix things—and give Crusaders practice in killing as they work their way down to the Muslims in the Holy Land. Imagine a thinking Christian standing up to a pogrom or a crusade or the Nazis. Once the mob forms, evil and destruction are sure to follow.
While there are still actual mobs in some places, the same kind of dynamic can present itself psychically in ideological or political groupthink. On both the Right and the Left, enemies are identified, and attackers are sent to vanquish them. Not convince them; attack them. And, if anyone questions the thinking, he/she is labeled both disloyal and dangerous—another enemy to be attacked and destroyed. Whether in Democratic or Republican circles, real thinking about real problems can be obfuscated by anxiety-ridden calls to loyalty and action.
My impression is that it is just as difficult to question Global Warming or the notion of Systemic Racism on the Left as it is to question Gun Rights or Donald Trump on the Right.
Reb Nachman of Breslov used to teach that evil actions are often based on good intentions. What begins as a good inclination takes a wrong turn and ends up causing great harm. The key to repentance is identifying the initial good thought and finding a moral and righteous way to pursue it. So often, people choose one set of values and pursue them vehemently—often to the exclusion of wisdom. Yes, people have the right to defend themselves and their property, but this does not justify getting in our pickup trucks and killing a Black jogger. Yes, everyone should be respected, but this does not justify destroying the career of someone who is not supportive enough of marginalized groups.
When we dial down the emotions and consider our problems with logic, calm, and grace, we have an opportunity to analyze both problems and possible solutions. We can look at both pros and cons and work toward answers that take into account the complexity of our lives and the presence of both good and bad in people and situations.
In Talmudic days, a great tragedy and controversy occurred when one of the most influential rabbis, Elisha ben Abuyah, became a heretic. What did this mean for his devoted students and for all of the wisdom he had taught over the years? The Midrash suggests that even God considered rejecting everything Elisha had ever taught, but then the Divine Mind was instructed by Rabbi Meir. As the Talmud explains, “Rabbi Meir found a pomegranate and ate its contents while throwing away its peel.” (Hagigah 15b)
Will this Golden Calf be the solution to our problems, or should we think though this problem? Thinking, analyzing, judging, and looking for righteousness: these lead to redemption.