Q: The cheit haeigel’s key challenge to understand

is, how could they do a sin on a scale so grand?

A: They were mistaken in their judgment and Dovid HaMelech tells us how:

They thought that a human being is the same as a cow.

And based on this assumption what they did was infer

that Moshe had merely lifted them up from who they were.

It was in an animalistic state that they would have to go on,

their spirituality came from Moshe and now he was gone.

They believed that, like cows, we eat to live and live to eat,

and it was back to that state that they now needed to retreat.

So they made a glorified cow, which would serve to represent

that this was who they were  – to a very  large extent.

But the truth is that human beings have a unique soul,

we’re different from  animals with our spiritual goal.

Each one of us is like a letter in a Torah scroll,

contributing to a greater spiritual whole.

And this is the truth that the Parah Adumah explains,

that when we are dead and only our body remains,

what made us special becomes obscured

and we become Avi Avot Ha’Tumah – completely impure.

May we be blessed to remember how unique and holy we are,

each of a us a shining, spiritual superstar

Rabbi Neil Fleischmann, an ordained rabbi from RIETS, has taught Torah for over 30 years, primarily at The Frisch School, where he coached the award-winning poetry team. As an integral part of the Yeshiva Poetry Society, Fleischmann is a passionate advocate for the arts within the Torah world. He was named New York’s funniest rabbi and has performed stand up comedy, as well as presenting as scholar in residence, across the city and country. His literary work includes the haiku collection, “In The Field,” and he has contributed close to 20 poems to the “Stories of Our Lives” anthologies, parts 1 and 2. Currently, Fleischmann is working on a book of parsha poems that combines meaningful content with whimsical formatting. You can reach him at [email protected].