An Advocate with the Father

On Mt Sinai,  a dramatic and dire situation is unfolding. Yet no one of the nation of Israel is aware that their fate is to be determined through this conversation. In His anger at their sin, G_D tells Moshe He will destroy the nation and start over with him. Verse 17 indicates the people are in the midst of idolatry.

As the nation of Israel are celebrating the Golden Calf, a conversation is taking place on Mt Sinai. Unbeknownst to them, their lives hang in the balance. In His anger, G_d tells Moses:

"Now leave Me alone and My wrath will blaze against them and destroy them. I will then make you into a great nation.” - Exodus 32:10

Not wishing to see the nation perish Moses finds a solution. Rashi tells us that Moses, listening keenly to the words of G_D, understood that if he stayed near G_D, He would relent. Moses' strategy worked and we learn a fundamental lesson about the power of intercessory prayer.

Essentially, the genuine prayers of one righteous person were powerful enough to turn away the wrath of G_D , even a sin as egregious as the Golden Calf, a particularly damaging transgression of the nation. Given that the people were at that moment engaged in idol worship, you might expect Moses' prayer to be less powerful, yet it worked! The people are saved, and they are none the wiser.

We will build upon this principle. In the Talmud, we learn:

The righteous are greater after their death, more so than during their lifetimes - Chulin 7b

Commenting on this passage, Rebbe Nachman teaches:

"Tzaddikim are greater after their passing than when they were alive". The power and ability which the tzaddikim possess to rectify souls is even greater after the tzaddik passes away from this world.  - Rebbe Nachman

In the Midrash, the decree of Haman is levied against the Jewish people. Once again, Moses intercedes, but this time from above - in the upper worlds;

Moses said to him: ‘Is there an honest person in this generation?’ He said to him: ‘There is, and his name is Mordekhai.’ He said to him: ‘Go and let him know, so that he will stand in prayer there, and I will do so from here, and we will ask for mercy for them before the Holy One blessed be He.’ - Esther Rabbah 7:18

Once they pass away, the soul of a righteous person is unbound by time and space. With this freedom, they are able to rectify the souls of the world from a higher spiritual vantage point as it were. From here, they could ostensibly change decrees from G_D or help prevent greater calamity from befalling the entire world.

It is stated explicitly in the sacred Zohar that the tzaddikim shield the world, and after their death even more than in their life. Were it not for the prayer of the tzaddikim in the world, the world would not endure. And whoever is closer to the habitation of the Lord, during his lifetime has precedence to the blessing" - Tanya Iggeret HaKodesh 27b

We see this concept at work in the New Testament as well. This is particularly true of those who seek to emulate the teachings and instructions of that righteous person.

“Who is to condemn? Messiah Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of G_d, who indeed is interceding for us.” - ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:34‬

The  gift of this is that those who truly strive to correct themselves will receive help from above, through their advocate. Even if they slide backwards, they are protected and enabled to make repentance and resume.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.) But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One, - 1 John 2:1

Notes:
¹ LEAVE ME ALONE — So far we have not heard that Moses had prayed on their behalf and yet He says “let Me alone!” which implies a refusal to his entreaty! But by saying this He opened the door to him (offered him a suggestion) intimating to him that if he prayed for them He would not destroy them (Shemot Rabbah 42:9; cf. also Berakhot 32a).