Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L
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A Stiff-necked People
Moshe forewarns the Israelites that when the time comes that the other nations are expelled from the Land of Israel, the Israelites should not ascribe this happening to their righteousness as well as the other nations' wickedness.
Rather, Moshe explains, it is only due to the other nations' wickedness that they will be expelled so that He can fulfill the promise He made to the patriarchs regarding the Land.
Moshe emphasizes that it is decidedly not because of the Israelites' righteousness, as they are a "stiffnecked people" and they must remember how they made G-d angry throughout their entire travels through the desert.
Moshe recalls several times during their travels when the nation provoked G-d's anger:
Mount Chorev
Moshe reminds them of when Moshe ascended the mountain at Mount Chorev, fasting and remaining up there for 40 days and 40 nights. At that time G-d gave Moshe two identical stone tablets upon which G-d had inscribed the words He had spoken to them from the fire (i.e the 10 commandments).
G-d had then urged Moshe to return back to the people quickly as they had constructed a molten image. G-d was angry about this and told Moshe that He has witnessed that the nation were "stiffnecked" and said that He wanted to destroy them and erase their name and make Moshe into an even greater nation.
Moshe describes the scene of his descent. The mountain burned with fire and he held the two tablets in his hand. Upon which he saw that the nation had indeed constructed a golden calf. So Moshe threw down the 2 tablets and shattered them so all could see.
So once again Moshe ascended the mountain, fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, praying to G-d on behalf of the people during which time he prayed on their behalf, pleading with G-d not to erase the nation and to remember the patriarchs. Moshe reasoned with G-d, saying that if he destroyed them then, the other nations would claim that He led them into the desert to kill them out of His hatred for them and because He was unable to take them into the Land of Israel.
This second ascent took place on the 18 of Tammuz, so these 40 days ended on the 29 of Av at which point peace between G-d and Israel was restored and G-d told Moshe to carve out two new tablets. Moshe remained up there for yet another 40 days, this time ending on the 10th of Tishrei. On this day, G-d forgave Israel and reunited with them joyfully, which is how that date became established as Yom Kippur, a day of forgiveness.
Moshe says that he was scared at that time of G-d's anger against the nation, including Aaron who went along with the nation's request to make the golden calf. G-d was so angry at Aaron that he intended to kill off his children, thus Moshe prayed on his behalf. Moshe's prayer worked halfway, in so far as only two* out of four of Aaron's sons died.
*Side note: Adult children do not die on behalf of their parents' sin. And indeed Nadav and Avihu (the two sons of Aaron who died) passed away on account of their own sin and not Aaron's. However before G-d takes away someone's life, He takes into account the resultant suffering of their family and friends. Thus if Aaron had not sinned regarding the golden calf, Nadav and Avihu still would have died as a result of their own sins, but this would have happened after Aaron passed away, not before.
Moshe recalls how he burnt the golden calf, grounded it into fine dust and cast it into the brook.
Kivroth HaTaava and Massah
These were two other places Moshe mentions where they had made G-d angry.
Kadesh Barnea
This was where G-d told them to ascend and conquer the land and the nation refused to believe or obey Him.
Eikev, 3rd Aliya