[Avodah] Akeidah vs. Chet Eigel

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, Feb 18, 2009 at 04:45:20PM -0800, Harvey Benton wrote:
> We all know that Hashem punishes us slowly for the Chet Eigel; a little
> a time. We also know that when needed (Rosh Hashanna, etc.) he recalls
> the zchus for us of the Akeidas Yitzchak. If the debt of one (Eigel)
> was approximately the same as the zchus of the other (Akeida), could we
> ask Hashem to let them cancel each other out? and maybe call it even?? 

Zechus and onesh aren't fungible. Every sin is accounted for, and every
mitzvah rewarded. Being good in one way doesn't mean one can ignore
flaws that exist in another aspect.

One could ask about the justice of punishing subsequent generations
-- or reward them, but asking about that is looking a gift horse in
the mouth. Nu, so we talk about the lingering effects of that sin on
the next generations. The child learns behaviors from the parents. But
here it seems to run counter to the pasuq "notzeir chesed la'alafim"
-- nu, zechus avos fits. But the eigel, "poqeid avon avos al banim,
ve'al benei banim, al sheleishim ve'al ribei'im..." The contrast of
thousands of generations vs four being pointed out as a statement of
midas haRachamim. Well, we're well past ribei'im on the eigel. Ideas?

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 Life is complex.
micha at aishdas.org                Decisions are complex.
http://www.aishdas.org               The Torah is complex.
Fax: (270) 514-1507                                - R' Binyamin Hecht