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Parashat Ki Tisa – 5785
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites
Our parasha recounts the terrible sin of the Golden Calf. The people of Israel awaited Moses’ return from the mountain with the Tablets of the Covenant, and when he was delayed, they sinned. They were led astray and followed a man-made golden calf, declaring: “These are your gods, O Israel!”
God was angered by the people’s betrayal, but Moses, the faithful shepherd, stood in prayer, pleading for His decree to be overturned.
In one of Moses’ prayers, he refers to God’s decision—made in response to the sin of the Golden Calf—to send an angel to accompany the Israelites to the Land of Israel instead of God Himself. Moses begs God to reconsider, saying:
“If I have found favor in Your eyes, O Lord, let the Lord walk among us, for it is a stiff-necked people.”
(Exodus 34:9)
At first glance, this statement seems quite strange. Moses presents an argument that appears the opposite of persuasive: Please, do not send an angel to accompany us. Come Yourself—because we are a stubborn and stiff-necked people… How is this characteristic—our stubbornness—supposed to convince God to remain with us in the closest way possible, rather than through an intermediary?
The truth is that if we were not stiff-necked, we would have long ceased to exist. Many nations, far stronger than us, have not survived hardship and persecution, let alone exile and tragedies of the magnitude that the Jewish people have endured throughout history.
We are a stiff-necked and determined people, and that is why, thousands of years after we were exiled from our land, we have returned—joyful, proud, full of creativity, and driven to excel.
Is there any other nation that has gone through what the Jewish people have experienced in their wanderings through exile and remained loyal—to their people and to their God? How much blood was spilled in 2,000 years of exile? How many tears did we cry? How much loss did we endure? And yet, we remained Jews—faithful, with our eyes set on the future!
Let us consider what became of mighty ancient nations, including those who sent us into exile. What happened to them after they were defeated in war? They quickly ceased to exist, because they lacked the Jewish backbone, the unyielding spirit that stands firm in any situation.
We are a stiff-necked people! We endure tragedies but know how to lift our heads above water, shake off the dust, and rebuild. And we don’t have to look far for proof.
Who would have believed that after the horrors of the Holocaust, the Jewish people would rise like a lion, shake off the ashes, and rebuild themselves and their homeland? The world watches in astonishment, as if in a dream.
We are a stiff-necked people—we remain optimistic and joyful even after enduring unimaginable hardships that no other nation could recover from. We are stubborn, strong, and always looking ahead with unwavering faith, believing that the sun will shine again, and good days will come for Am Yisrael.
Moses said to God: Please, stay with us, for we are a stiff-necked people. We will never abandon You, even when we are punished. We will remain proud Jews—forever!
