The twenty-first portion of Torah contains one of Judaism's most iconic moments - the sin of the Golden Calf. Despite the work of the Divine, the salvation and the promise that G-d has made, they fall prey to their own fears of abandonment, and turn to the pagan ideas which they had known while in slavery. As a part of the Torah narrative this passage is both intriguing and important, while as a clever encapsulation of what lies at the heart of the Jewish ideal it is essential, and worthy of all the attention it commands. Sin is part of being human - our mistakes, our errors and our conscious mis-steps are always there. What this week's parashah teaches us is that we can find within our own shortcomings the roadmap we need in order to set things right. Made in G-d's image, we hold the power to become righteous within ourselves.