We read in this week's parsha about the downfall of the Jewish people when they constructed the Golden Calf and declared: "this is your god O Israel which brought you up from the land of Egypt" (Shmos 32:4). Were they for real? Did they really believe that the calf which was just created was responsible for their having left Egypt three months earlier? Only one who was out of his mind could think such a thing? If they were really madmen then why was Hahem so angry with them? What nonsense!

Furthermore, Rashi teaches us that Satan convinced the people that Moshe Rabenu had died - he even showed them Moshe lying dead on a bed. Why is that cause for creating a so-called god? They were told that Moshe was no longer, they were not told chas v'shalom that Hashem was no longer! They needed a replacement for Moshe Rabenu!

It appears they did not truly believe that the calf took them out from Egypt. Some of the commentaries explain that they were searching for a place in which the Shchina would dwell. This idea in and of itself does not seem the least bit preposterous and certainly not heretical, after all when the Jewish people left Egypt they all sang along with Moshe Rabenu: "the Sanctuary, my L-rd, that Your hands established" (Shmos 15:17) - there was destined to be a place in which the Shchina will dwell. Until this point the housing was Moshe Rabenu himself. However, they were now convinced that Moshe Rabenu was no longer so they constructed a calf as substitute housing for the Shchina. The Ramban and the Kuzari discuss why they chose the form of a calf.

What makes the idea of constructing a housing for the Divine Presence more plausible is that Hashem in fact commanded them to construct a mishkan containing an aron, keruvim, and more. The main difference, however, is that they decided on their own that it should take the form of a calf rather than the way Hashem desired. Hashem is above all rules and no one can dictate to Him where and how to house His Shchina. This idea in and of itself, as terrible as it was, was with good intention and perhaps would not have been deemed serious enough to destroy the entire nation. There was however another error in their ways:

They had no prophet to guide them so they elected on their own to create a calf to house the Divine Presence. Were they not told by Moshe Rabenu prior to his ascent to the top of Har Sinai that in his absence they should turn to Aharon and Chur with any questions? Did they bother to ask them? Chur told them not to construct the calf and this cost him his life. Aharon was afraid to oppose their decision. This was a very severe infraction and perhaps this was the reason Hashem became so angry with them. Aharon was almost punished and was saved by the prayers of Moshe Rabenu on his behalf.

The halacha requires the Beis HaMikdash to be constructed only in accordance with the way dictated by the prophet from Hashem, no "innovations" are permitted. The details of the construction of the first Beis HaMikdash were handed to Dovid HaMelech by the prophet Shmuel.   Regarding the third Beis HaMikdash, may it be built speedily in our day, we are told by the prophet Yechezekl how that should be constructed. Our opinion does not really count. Regarding the second Beis HaMikdash, they were instructed partially by Yechzekel, whatever they were not told about they tried their best to emulate the way it was done for the first Beis HaMikdash.

Although we are speaking of the construction of the Beis HaMikdash, this idea applies to the entire Torah. We may not create our own Torah but must be loyal servants of Hashem. Rabenu Yonah writes that one who adds his own mitzvah is no longer a servant of Hashem but his own boss. There are of course mitzvos D'Rabbanan, at times they added and at times they even detracted. For example, the Torah writes that we must observe one day of Rosh Hashana yet we observe two. On the other hand, the Torah commands us to sound the shofar on Rosh Hashana yet when it falls on Shabbos we are told not to sound it.   It is important that we know which commandments are from the Torah and which are from Chazal - to make a Rabbinic commandment into a Torah one is a violation of the prohibition of bal tosif. Knowing what is D'Oraysa and what is D'Rabbanan is not always so clear - I believe there are six opinions regarding which portions of Krias Shma are D'Oraysa and which are not. I may treat what is question as a safek d'Rabbanan or safek D'Oraysa but I cannot decide that certain things are D'Oraysa when they are not.

Chazal teach us that this was where Adam HaRishon erred - he was commanded not to eat from Etz HaDaas, he relayed that command over to Chava but added that it is also forbidden to touch the fruit. There would have been nothing wrong with Adam HaRishon enacting a Rabbinic prohibition, after all he was the "Rabbanan" of his time. However, when he relayed the mitzvah to Chava, he did not explain that M'Doraysa it was forbidden to eat the fruit while M'd'Rabbanan it was also forbidden to touch it.   Had he explained this to Chava then the serpent would not have been able to say to Chava: "see you touched it and nothing happened to you." It is important to understand this distinction.

We must be loyal servants of Hashem and obey His mitzvos whether or not we understand them and whether or not it pleases us, but it would certainly be better to keep mitzvos out of love. After all, we are commanded to fear Hashem, to be in awe of Him, and we are also commanded to love Him ("ve-ahavta eis Hashem Elokecha"). When we love Hashem then we want to obey His command.

Pesach is fast approaching and we must realize that the distinction between different categories of mitzvos applies to our Seder as well. While we do not offer the Korban Pesach due to our not having the Beis HaMikdash and Marror today is D'Rabbanan, the mitzvah of matzah remains on a Torah level. Which eating of the matzah? That is the subject of a dispute among the authorities - is it the first kezayis on which we recite the bracha of "al achilas matzah" or is it the final one which we refer to as the afikoman. We are unsure and therefore should have in mind in both instances that we may be fulfilling a Torah commandment - Hashem certainly knows which one is correct.

The Torah commands us to relate the story of the exodus - sippur yetzias Mitzrayim. WE must not only relate that we were slaves and Hashem took us out from Egypt, not only do we read the entire Haggadah, but "kol hamarbe lesaper biyetzias Mitzrayim harei zeh meshubach" - the more one relates the story of the exodus the more praiseworthy is he. Furthermore, elaborating on the mitzvos of Pesach, matzah, and marror is also a fulfillment of this mitzvah, after all the Torah says that we must tell our children ("vehigadeta levincha") that because of this Hashem took us out from Egypt - because of what? In order that we fulfill these mitzvos - referring to Pesach, matzah, and marror.

We are all aware that Hashem commanded us regarding Pesach? What is Pesach, is it simply a fun time when we eat special food and wear nice clothing? It is imperative that we also understand that there was a Korban Pesach with many halachos. Chazal command us in fact to explain the above three mitzvos - as we mentioned, we do not offer the Korban Pesach, Marror is D'Rabbanan, while Matzah remains a Mitzvah m'Doraysa.

While the four cups of wine are a Rabbinic mitzvah, simchas Yom Tov according to most authorities remains a Torah commandment (Tosafos rules that it is D'Rabbanan). As mentioned,   Korech today is D'Rabbanan while during the period of the Beis HaMikdash, Hillel ruled that it is D'Oraysa.

Regarding knowing how to distinguish between Torah commandments and Rabbinic ones, I once read the following story about HaRav Sholom Schwadron zt"l. Like many, he would make sure to eat his afikoman before midnight. One year he spent his seder at the home of a widow. She had a few children, a son in Yeshiva and others. She was hungry to hear what they had learned in school and Yeshiva about yetzias Mitzrayim. She received such joy from hearing her children relate the Torah they had learned. Given that each child elaborated, the time was approaching midnight. One of the other participants whispered to R' Sholom that perhaps he should ask the hostess that her children should each speak for less time in order to be able to eat the afikoman at the best possible time. R' Sholom answered: "look at the joy on this woman's face, afikoman according to many is D'Rabbanan, the requirement to eat it before midnight is questionable, however bringing joy to a widow is a Torah commandment. Are you trying to tell me that an act which may possibly be a better fulfillment of what may be a mitzvah d'Rabbanan takes precedence over the Torah commandment of bringing joy to this widow?" This is a clear example of the need to understand what is from the Torah and what is D'Rabbanan.

HaRav Yisrael Salanter zt"l used to go every year to bake his own matzos, as many do. One year he was ill and unable to make the trip to the matzah bakery. His disciples reassured him that he could rest assured that the matzah-baking was in good hands. They asked him what special hiddurim they should make sure to fulfill. He said, firstly, one of the women working in this bakery is a widow and in past years many have urged her to work faster both out of concern for the matzah not becoming chametz and because they wish to get home earlier. R' Yisrael ask that they go easy on her, this takes precedence over any hiddurim and chumros. Clearly everything must be Kosher for Pesach in the most mehudar manner possible, but this comes first.

A story is told of a Rebbe who each year would bake his own special matzos which he used at his seder.   One year, he came home from Ma'ariv and noticed that the matzos were gone. What had transpired was that the woman who worked in his house saw a poor man begging for matzos and she gave him these matzos. While the other matzos in the house were Shmura matzos, they were not the Rebbe's special matzos. Rather than get angry at the woman whose only intent was to help a poor man, he simply elected to forego his special matzos without any incident.

There is a chapter of the Messilas Yesharim devoted to relative weight of mitzvos where he points out that the destruction surrounding both batei Mikdash was due to not giving the proper relative importance to mitzvos.   Regarding the first Beis HaMikdash, the example took place following the destruction with the killing of Gedaliah.   Gedaliah had been appointed by the king as leader of the Jewish people who remained in Eretz Yisrael. Yochanan ben Kereach was one of the commanders and he had informed Gedaliah that Yishmael ben Netanya was planning to kill him. While this would not be sufficient cause to kill Yishmael ben Netanya he should have taken the necessary precautions. Instead, Gedaliah refused to accept the loshon hara spoken and it was his misplaced piety which cost him his life.

Regarding the destruction of the second Beis HaMikdash there is the well-known story of Bar Kamtza who wished to offer a blemished animal. Zechariah ben Abkulos refused to offer this animal for fear that people will then think that it is permitted to offer a blemished animal - an act which perhaps would be permitted in order to save lives. Once again, it was misplaced "yiras Shamayim" which lead to the destruction. This highlights the importance of misplaced chumros and of not knowing the proper relative scale of things.

This is very important for us as well - Chazal write that Shabbos is equivalent in weight to all the other mitzvos. Chazal also say this regarding tzitzis, does that make it permissible to tie tzitzis on Shabbos? Yishuv Eretz Yisrael is also equivalent in weight to all mitzvos, yet we may only have a non-Jew perform melacha on Shabbos to fulfill this mitzvah, no Jew may violate Shabbos in order to settle the land. It is imperative that we understand when to be meikel and when to be machmir. If we are able to do so then with Hashem's help we will merit the building of the Beis HaMikdash and fulfilling the mitzvos of Pesach, matzah, and marror on a Torah level speedily in our day. Amen.