In the wake of the sin of the Golden Calf, God sought to destroy Israel and perpetuate the people of Israel through Moses. Moses pleaded for mercy for them and God relented. According to the Sages, God even implied to Moses that he should pray on the Israelites’ behalf.

“The Lord spoke to Moses: Go descend, for your people…have acted corruptly” (Exodus 32:7). What is the meaning of: “Go descend”? Rabbi Elazar said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Moses, descend from your greatness. Isn’t it only for the sake of Israel that I granted you prominence? Now that Israel has sinned, why do I need you? Immediately, Moses’ strength waned and he was powerless to speak. When God said to Moses: “Leave Me be, and I will destroy them” (Deuteronomy 9:14), Moses said to himself: [By stating that He will destroy the Israelites only if I leave Him be, I can infer that] this matter is dependent upon me. Immediately Moses stood and marshaled his strength in prayer, and pleaded for mercy. This can be explained by means of a parable of a king who became angry with his son and beat him severely. A well-wisher of the king was sitting before the king, but was afraid to say anything to the king. The king said to his son: Were it not for this well-wisher of mine who is sitting before me, I would kill you. The well-wisher said to himself: This matter is dependent upon me. Immediately, he stood and rescued the king’s son. God said to Moses: “Now leave Me be, and My wrath will be enflamed against them…and I will make you into a great nation” (Exodus 32:10). Rabbi Abbahu said: Had the verse, which indicates that Moses grabbed hold of God, not been written, it would have been impossible to utter it [as it speaks of Moses’ treating God in a manner that seems disrespectful]. The verse teaches that Moses grabbed the Holy One, Blessed be He, like a person who grabs his friend by his garment. Moses said before God: Master of the Universe, I will not leave You be until You forgive and pardon them. God said to Moses: “And I will make you into a great nation” (32:10). Rabbi Elazar said: Moses said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, if a chair with three legs [i.e., the Israelites, who descend from the three patriarchs] is unable to stand before You in Your moment of wrath, all the more so a chair with one leg [i.e., Moses]. Moreover, I would have been ashamed before my forefathers. Now they will say: See the leader whom God placed over Israel; he requested greatness for himself but did not request mercy for them. (Berakhot 32a)