Rambam & Rashi – Angels and Calves – Part 1

Rambam and Rashi – Angels and Calves; Part 1 There is an age old dispute between Rashi and the Rambam on the question whether the command concerning the building of the Mishkan/Tabernacle came before the sin of the golden calf or only in its wake…this question remains unresolved in Judaism still to this day.  Each side can adduce proof for its position from the Biblical text, and each side can reconcile those verses that at first glance appear to contradict it. So how come so many of us simply ignore it…or hate on someone like me when I point it out and then give you NT support to a Old Testament dispute.  Heb 7:11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. Rashi believed the tabernacle command was THE CHANGE GIVEN in response to the Golden calf and the torah BEING  chronological thematically but acchronoligical in the giving of mitzvoth records that fact.  Ramban disputed this. As most messianic do today. They choose to side with an unregenerate Jew instead of a Hebrew revelation that solves the dispute The Tabernacle was built after the incident involving the golden calf.  Even in the order found in the Torah we can see that the incident of the golden calf is recorded in chapter 32, and the actual construction of the Tabernacle is described in chapters 35-40…later…why? Moshe was commanded regarding the Tabernacle only on his 9th ascent to the mountain, only in the wake of the sin of the golden calf. According to Rashi, there is a connection between the golden calf and the need for the Tabernacle.  If as I believe the command to build the Tabernacle (chapters 25-31) was also issued only after the incident of the golden calf (chapter 32) how could I show that through scripture? Exo 20:19 And יהוה said to Moshe: Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: You yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. You shall not make with Me gods of silver, or gods of gold, you shall not make to you. An altar of earth you shall make to Me, and shall sacrifice thereon your burnt-offerings, and your peace-offerings, your sheep, and your oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be mentioned I will come to you and bless you. YHWH  gives instructions for his building: YHWH’s dwelling place is in heaven. You must NOT make an accompaniment for יהוה in form out of gold or silver.  The sole command to build something relates to an earthen altar – that’s were יהוהs name is mentioned.  # 2 is my focus: Were NOT the cherubim in the Tabernacle made in the form of heavenly gods/creatures of gold? Exo 20:19 shows us it is prohibited to make the ark/kaporet and the cherubim/Keruvim – “gods of gold.”  So you can’t talk about a command to build the TabernacleMishkan HERE, because the ark and cherubim are central to the Tabernacle/Mishkan AND IT’S PROHIBITED. SOMETHING CHANGED; SOMETHING MUST HAVE HAPPENED THAT יהוה NEEDED TO CLARIFY! This is why there’s an earthen altar for the purpose of the peace-offerings and burnt-offerings, where the name of יהוה will be mentioned.  YHWH’s glory was alway meant to remain in heaven, from where he spoke to His kingdom of priests ministering on earth.  The command regarding the Tabernacle is proven here to be a change in YHWH’s governance of Israel in the wake of the sin of the golden calf. The Golden calf may not of been the Apis fertility bull of of the Egyptians but Israel trying to bring form to the heavenly vision of יהוה not outright idol worship… …but rather an attempt to portray characters found on the heavenly chariot, which were revealed to the people at the assembly at Mount Sinai. Later Ezekiel later refers to the cheribum as having, 1:6 four faces, and every one of them