Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 32:2/רמב"ן על שמות ל״ב:ב׳

אפָּרְקוּ נִזְמֵי הַזָּהָב בָּחַר זָהָב וְלֹא כֶּסֶף, בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהוּא מוֹרֶה עַל מִדַּת הַדִּין, וּמַרְאֵהוּ כְּמַרְאֵה אֵשׁ. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ עוֹד (יומא מה.) "זְהַב פַּרְוָיִם" שֶׁדּוֹמֶה לְדַם פָּרִים. וְלָכֵן נַעֲשָׂה בֵּית הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת כֻּלּוֹ זָהָב, וְכֵן מִזְבַּח הַקְּטֹרֶת, וְכֵן הַכְּרוּבִים, וְדָרְשׁוּ בָּהֶם (מכילתא יתרו י ג) שֶׁאִם עֲשָׂאָן שֶׁל כֶּסֶף הֲרֵי הֵן כֵּאלֹהֵי כֶסֶף וֵאלֹהֵי זָהָב. וְגַם דְּמוּת עֵגֶל בַּזָּהָב יוֹתֵר מִן הַכֶּסֶף:

1PULL OFF THE GOLDEN RINGS. He selected gold and not silver, because gold indicates the attribute of justice, its appearance being as the appearance of fire,²⁸⁶ just as the Rabbis have said,²⁸⁷) is found in II Chronicles 3:6. “gold of parvayim, gold which is like the blood of bullocks.” It is for this reason that the House where the sacrifices were brought was made wholly of gold, as also the altar of incense²⁸⁸ and the cherubim,²⁸⁹, 25:18. and the Rabbis have interpreted [the verses to mean]²⁹⁰, 20:23. that “if they made them of silver [and not of gold] they are like gods of silver and gods of gold.” Even the form for the calf they made of gold rather than of silver.