Why - of all things - was an egel, a young cow - the image that was formed and subsequently worshiped? One would expect that a group of people which was seeking leadership and was on the verge of idolatry would choose a different and more powerful image to serve, such as a lion or a force of nature.

One can suggest that a young cow was chosen because of its symbolism, reflective of two things:

1. A cow provides nourishment to the human race like no other living species. The Jews who had departed from Mitzrayim realized how dependant they were on Hashem, and their dependence on someone other than themselves was best manifest, in their minds, in the form of an Egel.

2. The Calf was initially intended to be an intermediary to God. A suckling calf - while being a source of nourishment - is totally dependant on its mother cow. So, too, was the Golden Calf envisioned as being a connection to God, the parent of Bnei Yisroel and its ultimate Provider.

The Parah Adumah (Red Heifer) is burned to ashes prior to use for purification. Perhaps the message is that purification comes from God alone; the animal creature that seems to be man's provider is reduced to ashes, and the ashes, which symbolize rejection of intermediaries to God and idolatrous belief, constitute the method of purification and a true, legitimate approach toward God.