a survey

[cellio]

If you are so inclined, I'm curious about your response to the following (replies initially screened; will unscreen and explain Wednesday):

Without looking, summarize what happened at Mount Sinai according to the torah, starting with God beginning to speak and ending with the golden calf. I'm looking for up to a few sentences, not detailed essays. (You can skip the building of the calf.)

If you like, please also say how you identify religiously (or that you don't).

Edit: Comments no longer initially screened. Also, there was one comment that the poster asked me to keep screened, which I thought I had done, but it's gone now. If I screwed that up, I apologize!

Comments

[goljerp]

First, G-d announced to Moses that in 3 days, the people would be spoken to at Mount Sinai, with instructions about how the people must be prevented from rushing the mountain. G-d started to speak, and far from rushing the mountain, the people ran away. They told Moses that he should talk to G-d for them; they accepted the commandments of G-d. Moses went up the mountain alone (Joshua came up a bit, but not the whole way), and told Aaron that he'd be back in 40 days. He spent the 40 days fasting and learning from G-d, and getting the (first) tablets. At the end of the period, G-d tells him that the people have started to sin already, and Moses persuades G-d not to wipe them out. He comes down to find the Golden Calf, and breaks the tablets in anger.

OK, more than a few sentences, but not a whole essay. I identify as Conservative, Egalatarian.