A Terrible, Necessary Sin

While Moses receives the law on Mount Sinai, the Children of Israel engage in one of Jewish history's most egregious – and perplexing - national sins: the construction and worship of a golden statue fashioned into the shape of a calf. But for Professor Kass, worshiping the golden calf may have been a necessary sin. In this episode, he explains why that is, how the relationship between God and Moses changes after this event, and how order is restored in the Israelite camp.

While Moses receives the law on Mount Sinai, the Children of Israel engage in one of Jewish history’s most egregious – and perplexing – national sins: the construction and worship of a golden statue fashioned into the shape of a calf. But for Professor Kass, worshiping the golden calf may have been a necessary sin. In this episode, he explains why that is, how the relationship between God and Moses changes after this event, and how order is restored in the Israelite camp.