Why the Jews weren’t destroyed for the Egel

31/10/2025 46 min

Listen "Why the Jews weren’t destroyed for the Egel"

Episode Synopsis

The Gemara in Sanhedrin 63a asks why the Jews spoke in plural when they said, “This is your god, O Israel.” Rav Yochanan says they hadn’t fully rejected Hashem—they included Him with the Egel. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai argues that joining Hashem with anything else is itself a terrible sin. We analyze this machlokes.