Parashat Kee Tissa: The Golden Calf

Moses seems to be overdue to return from his ascent onto Mt. Sinai.
A couple of the Egyptian magicians complain to Aharon that Moses is dead, and demand an idol.
Aaron says Moses is not dead and they just need to wait.
Moses has left Aaron, the priest, and Hur, Moses’ assistant prophet in charge in his absence. Hur gets angry with the rebels and reproves them, saying that they have forgotten all the wonders and miracles God did for them. The rebels slaughter Hur right in front of Aaron.

Aaron understands the situation now and becomes frightened. What is he frightened about? You might think he is scared for his own safety. After all, the rebels have just killed Hur.
But according to the Rabbis he is scared for the Israelites. The crime of murder cannot be repented. A possible idol can be repented, and so Aaron moves to delay their decision as long as he can, and to prevent further loss of life.

First he demands that the people turn over their jewelry, knowing that the women understand how much God has done for them and would never turn their jewelry over to make an idol. This delays the situation, but still Moses does not appear.

Aaron threw the gold into the fire, and the Egyptian magicians did their magic and out came the golden calf. They all started to chant, “This is your god O Israel.”

They asked Aaron to build an altar with him, and he insisted on building it himself, hoping that Moses would return. But Moses did not. Then the rebels and all the people sat to eat and drink and finally rose to dancing and debauchery. What had begun with the simple statement that Moses was late returning had declined into a murder and complete abandon to self indulgence.

Things that begin simply sometimes end disastrously. What does it matter if the Chairman of the GOP happens to mention to a couple of people that his political opponent is Jewish? So what if that's wrong. It's an honest mistake, right? Or at least there's plausible deniability as to his use of an anti-Semitic ploy to derail his opponents political ambitions.

Except that in this case bigotry killed.

And it has now been definitely revealed that anti-Semitism is alive and well in Missouri, and that the GOP is willing to take political advantage of that fact.

When victims are silent, they prove two things: their victimhood and their weakness. We could let this go. There will not be any more anti-Semitism tomorrow than there was yesterday. But if we let it go, tomorrow anti-Semites will be more assured that their bigotry has no political cost, and is in fact acceptable to the multitude.

Senator Danforth said this week, in his eulogy for his friend, Tom Schweich, that anti-Semitism is never acceptable. He also put the lie to John Hancock's excuse.

Now the question: will the Jewish community stay silent as the GOP hopes and let this blow over? Will we think the outcome will be just fine if we keep our heads in the sand and don't mention anything? Or will Jewish Republicans in Missouri demand the ouster of the man who plotted to exploit hatred of Jews for his own political advantage?

I pray that the Jewish community protests, the Republicans loudest, and that John Hancock be ousted from his position and told not to show up at Republican gatherings for the next few years. Nothing less will repudiate his hateful bigotry.