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<p>In Avodah Digest V26#39, RRW responded to R'Micha:<br>
> Pokdi Is not punishment more like legacy or maybe karma<br>
> We are still suffering from cheit adam harishon and from cheit hameraglim<br>
and from cheit ho'egel.<br>
> AISI it is not retribution so much as the lingering after affect. <<br>
The "first person" of Shmos 32:34 sounds like hQbH actively utilizing that cheit [ha-eigel] rather than it being "background radiation."<br>
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> Now the din can be spread out only 4 doros. Cheshbon on fundamental<br>
prototypical aveiros can linger for a while. <<br>
R'Micha seemed to be asking why "a while" is more (in terms of doros) like la'alafim than ribei-im. Specifically, he asked, "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?" My tuppence (perhaps influenced by something RYReisman said last night ;-)) is that "poqeid avon avos" occurs to each dor in the precise measure of *midas haRachamim* it requires for its own good (for fill-in-the-blank reasons: as a spur to proper actions, to force emigration, ...). <br>
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All the best from<br>
--Michael Poppers via RIM pager</body></html>