No Woman Bowed to the Calf or Fell Ill in the Desert

The Daily Chizuk (strengthening) – Why did Eldad and Medad need to return in a reincarnation as deaf-mutes?

Tuesday, 13 Iyar 5784

The generation of the desert took one of the living beings from the Merkavah (Divine Chariot), the ox, because they saw that the ox split the sea. The ox from the Chariot descended at the Yam Suf (Red Sea) to help them. But it is written: "You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth" (Exodus 20:3).

The women are pure and innocent; the men told them that the Golden Calf was the ox from the Chariot that they saw at the sea. [The men said,] "Do not worry, we aren't just bowing to an ox." The women replied, "This is avodah zarah (idolatry), this is a statue!" Not a single woman bowed down. And no woman fell ill because of the sin of the Meraglim (Spies); they were not enticed. They said, "We want to enter the Land [of Israel]."

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Because there was a prophecy: "Moses dies, Joshua brings [the nation] in" (Sanhedrin 17a). Therefore, Eldad and Medad, who prophesied this, were reincarnated as deaf-mutes. The entire Gudguda family were all deaf; this is mentioned in the Tosefta Terumot.

The Gudguda family were appointed over the matters of purity in the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple), and they knew how to learn. They knew the entire Shas (Talmud) - both Bavli and Yerushalmi; they knew everything even though they were deaf-mutes.

Yochanan Gudguda was among the gatekeepers and Yehoshua ben Chananya was among the singers (Levites), and they were the deaf-mutes in the time of Rabbi [Judah the Prince]. All the sons were deaf, and all the teachings of Moses were established through them, for a deaf person who separates terumah (tithes), his terumah is valid.

The Gemara explains all of this in Tractate Chagigah. Even though they were deaf-mutes, they would arrive first to the shiur (Torah lesson), before everyone else. They didn't come in the middle of the lesson, after the lesson, or at the end just to fulfill their obligation, thinking, "Look, the Rabbi saw us, the main thing is that he saw us." They would arrive first, before the Rabbi would even begin the lesson. When the Rabbi arrived, he would already see them there first.

They heard all the lessons despite being deaf-mutes. They knew Shas (Talmud), Yerushalmi, Mechilta, Sifri, Sifra. These two mutes were Eldad and Medad, who were obligated to come again in a reincarnation because it is written in the Torah of Moses "Lemor" (to say/convey). If there is no "Lemor," a prophet is forbidden from speaking the prophecy he received.

Every prophet was told "Lemor" (to say). Whatever they were not told "Lemor," they were forbidden to speak. There were 48 prophets, but they did not speak their prophecies [publicly]. Only Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and afterwards the Trei Asar (The Twelve Prophets, such as Hosea, Joel...) spoke.

And when the Rabbi would arrive at the lesson, they were already ready. They didn't miss a single lesson, nothing, even though they were deaf-mutes. They would sit in the front and nod their heads, moving their heads, their lips, and their shoulders, swaying to the rhythm of the lesson to show that they understood the kushya (difficulty) and understood the teirutz (resolution).

The Rabbi (Rabbi Judah the Prince) prayed for mercy, and then it became clear that they knew everything; they understood all the lessons. He wanted to finally hear them speak—they were the reincarnation of Eldad and Medad.