In this week’s Parsha it discusses various laws of animals which are brought for sacrifices. The Possuk states, “When an ox, lamb or kid (goat) will be born it shall stay for seven days with its mother. From the 8th day on onward it will be accepted as a sacrifice for Hashem.”
The wording of this Possuk seems unusual. Every word in the Torah is written with precision! Why would the Torah writes, “When an ox is born…” if when such an animal is born it is a calf, not a full grown ox?
The answer will teach us an amazing lesson. The Jews in the desert sinned with the Eigel Hazahav-the Golden Calf. Some sinned by actually worshipping it while some wanted the Golden Calf to serve as an intermediate between Hashem and the Jews and still others sinned by standing by without protesting.
On all levels it was considered a severe sin for which they repented sincerely over a great span of time.
Hashem did not desire that when his children read this verse about animals for sacrifice, that they would be shamed by a word that even remotely reminds us of the sins of our youth. Therefore, instead of inscribing the word “Eigel-Calf,” Hashem “edited it to read Shor-an Ox even though that’s a slightly incoorect usage when referring to an animal which is newly born!
Similarly, in the esoteric portion of Prophets which describes Malachim-Angels, the Possuk relates how they were envisioned with six wings, two of them concealing their feet. (Although it is impossible for us to truly perceive or envision actual angels, still, the Torah gives us a physical description which hints to deep spiritual components of which the angels posess). The Midrash explains that in truth this third set of wings was truly unnecessary. However, since elsewhere the foot of an angel is described as similar to the foot of the eigel-calf, Hashem deemed it necessary for their feet to be covered in order that the slightest reminder of the sin of the Golden Calf would not emerge!
This is a priceless lesson in which we observe how Hashem accepts our repentance and His great sensitivity in to avoid causing one shame even in the most indirect way!

By Rabbi Sharaga Thav
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