Reason for Golden Calf

This Shabbat we read about the חטא העגל, the sin of the Golden Calf. The Netivot Shalom has an extremely novel interpretation as to why בני ישראל were capable of performing such a grievous sin. The Netivot Shalom does not accept that the generation of the desert known as דור דיעה, the generation of knowledge, who witnessed קריעת ים סוף and the revelation at הר סיני, could consciously rebel against Hashem. He says that the חטא העגל was a manifestation of the Divine will. Hashem wanted this to happen! This was to prepare the עם as to how to act if there would ever be a communal sin in the future. This explains what Moshe was asking when he said, הראני נא את כבודך, “ Show me Your glory.” He was asking for an explanation as to why it was necessary to have the Jewish nation, sin. Hashem answers that nobody can truly fathom His ways. We must submit to the נסתר, the hidden way that Hashem runs His world. Only in the time of Mashiach, will He act in a revealed way. This explanation of the Netivot Shalom is pretty radical. If anyone but him had given such a theory, he would have been called out on it bordering heresy.