Aharon and the Golden Calf: Art and Responsibility
Rabba Wendy Amsellem
Rabba Wendy Amsellem teaches Talmud and Halakha at Yeshivat Maharat and directs The Beit Midrash Program, a joint project of Maharat and Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. She also teaches regularly at Drisha, Pardes, and the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center. Rabba Wendy received semikha from Yeshivat Maharat and is an alumna of the Drisha Scholars Circle. She has a BA in History and Literature from Harvard University.
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In Exodus 32, Aharon creates a golden sculpture that the people of Israel worship as a god. What responsibility does an artist bear for how others perceive his/her art? Are an artist’s intentions integral to the ultimate meaning of the work? This podcast explores these questions through a study of biblical and rabbinic texts relating to Aharon’s infamous creation.