Ki Tissa

But Moses implored God, saying, “Let not Your anger blaze forth against Your people, whom You delivered from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand. Let not the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that He delivered them, only to kill them off in the mountains and annihilate them from the face of the earth.’ Turn from Your blazing anger, and renounce the plan to punish Your people.”

32:11 – 12

For whom did Moses pray? For “Your people.” Moses…gave the people back to their Lord and Master…Moses said to God, You cannot disown them…make your peace with them for they are your children.

Shemot Rabbah (3^rd Century)

What prompted Moses to mention the departure from Egypt? But Moses said…”Lord…from where did you bring them out? Was it not from Egypt where all worshipped lambs?” Rabbi Huna said: It can be compared to a wise man who opened a perfumery shop for his son in a street frequented by prostitutes. The street did its work, the business also did its share; and the boy’s youth contributed its part…When his father came and caught him…he began to shout, “I’ll kill you.” But his friend said…”You ruined this youth’s character and yet you shout at him?”

Midrash Rabbah

When Moses said, “with great power and with a mighty hand…” he spoke of God’s greater miracle of their release from Egypt. The greater the miracle, the more guilty they were…You knew very well that you brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, a land filled with abomination…And they did not want to leave, and it was against their will that You took them out….Why do you become angry when they fall back on their old practices? For habit has become second nature to them….It is not something that arose within them just recently.

Abravanel (15^th Century)

The force of this argument is not in God’s display of His power for the benefit of His enemies; for all the nations put together mean nothing to Him. But we must remember that God created man to acknowledge and give thanks to God, giving them free choice to do evil or good. When mankind fell into sin, only this one people remained to publicize His name. Should the memory of Israel be forgotten, so would the people forget…

Ramban (13^th Century)

According to the Mishna, a sacred vessel from the holy temple can never lose its sanctity, even it if it’s been profaned. The laws of holy vessels certainly apply to the Tablets of the Covenant, so that when Moses breaks them they nevertheless retain their sanctity. Hence, his act is a declaration to God that just as these vessels, even when broken and smashed, can never lose their sanctity, God’s holy vessel, the Jews, can never lose its sanctity, despite the sin of the Golden Calf, they remain a “holy nation and a kingdom of priests.”

Shlomo Riskin (Contemporary)