the mountain! The people you brought out from Egypt have defiled themselves. They have already turned from the way I commanded them to live. They have made an idol shaped like a calf, and then have worshiped and sacrificed to it. They are saying, ‘these are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of Egypt.”‘ Ex. 32:
Reaction of Moses
Then Moses came down from the mountain and ordered the Levites to kill those who changed their belief in God to belief in the calf:
‘He told them, “This is what the Eternal, the God of Israel, says: Strap on your swords! Go back and forth from one end of the camp to the other, killing even your brothers, friends, and neighbors.” The Levites obeyed Moses, and about three thousands people died that day.’ Ex. 32: 29
‘And the Eternal sent a great plague upon the people because they had worshiped the calf Aaron had made.’ Ex. 32: 35
Moses then asked the Eternal, we are informed in Exodus, to forgive his people after they have chosen disbelief after believing in God:
‘The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a terrible sin, but will return to the Eternal on the mountain. Perhaps I will be able to obtain forgiveness for you. So Moses returned to the Eternal and said, “Alas these people have committed a terrible sin. They have made gods of gold for themselves. But now, please forgive their sin- and if not, then blot me out of the record you are keeping.” The Eternal replied to Moses, “I will blot out whoever has sinned against me.”‘ Ex. 32: 30-33
The second choice of the Israelites: believing in the divine law
The Torah informs us of the choice offered to the Israelites to believe in the