Parasha Thoughts
By Rabbi Yitzchak Ariel
On Shabbat Chol Hamoed we read the portion of the Torah following the episode of the golden calf. The Torah describes how Moshe Rabenu prayed on behalf of Bnei Yisrael and how Hashem forgave them and gave them the second pair of luchot. Although there is a mention of Pesach, the festivals, and Shabbat among a list of other mitzvoth at the end of the reading, the question begs to be asked; why did our sages select this as the portion to be read on Shabbat Chol Hamoed?
To answer this question we first need to have a deeper understanding of this portion. One may notice that this list of mitzvoth mentioned at the end of this reading is nearly an exact duplicate of a list mentioned just a few Parshiot before, towards the end of Parshat Mishpatim. There, following the 10 commandments, the Torah teaches the laws that apply between a man and his fellow before mentioning this small list of mitzvoth including Shabbat and the holidays. Why is this list repeated twice in such close proximity?
The commentaries explain that after Bnei Yisrael committed the sin of the golden calf, their relationship with Hashem had changed. It is compared to a woman who was unfaithful to her husband and nevertheless her husband forgave her, accepted her, and took her in. Now the wife has a whole new understanding and appreciation of how amazing her husband really is. After the 10 commandments and the teaching of the laws that apply between man and his fellow, the Torah mentions a list of mitzvoth that represent the connection between us and Hashem. This list is repeated again after the sin of the golden calf with some minor differences to show that Hashem still wants us and wants that relationship with us.
One difference between the two lists is that in the first list Shabbat is mentioned first and in the second list Pesach is mentioned first. Shabbat represents the idea that we can have a connection with Hashem through the holiness and sanctity of the day. It represents the “marriage†between us and Hashem. Pesach represents the fact that Hashem chose us to be his nation. Before the episode of the golden calf, Shabbat is mentioned first in the list of mitzvoth signifying our relationship with Hashem because Shabbat represents the fact that we have a relationship with Hashem.
After the sin of the golden calf, Hashem had to repeat this list of mitzvoth to show us that he we can still have a deep connection with him. Here Pesach is mentioned first because it symbolizes the fact that Hashem chose us and wants to be with us, which is the dimension of our relationship being conveyed in this portion. Therefore our sages in their great wisdom chose to read this portion on Shabbat Chol Hamoed because it proclaims our renewed connection with Hashem which is alluded to by Pesach and Shabbat.