Why Aaron built the Golden Calf [con't from Chaims broadcast]

[Ari Ben-Canaan]

One view discussed in my Torah group at my old synagogue.

Aaron took on the task of building the calf because he could control at what pace the calf was built at, hoping Moses would come back before it was completed.  Hebrew is not my forte, but I believe when Aaron requested gold jewelry the Hebrew speech was phrased to mean the "women's gold", not the "men's" - and in their wild zeal the men ante'd up their gold instead.  Aaron had hoped, once again to stall, that it would take a long time for the men to be able to persuade their wives and daughters to part with their jewelry.

My memory is a bit rusty on the exact Hebrew used.

What I don't get is how Aaron got away with explaining to Moses the creation of the calf resulted from throwing gold into the fire.  Perhaps G-d knew he would be losing two of his sons in the future, and this would be his own personal punishment.

[muman613]

Yes, I have heard that Aaron was trying to stall by asking for the womens jewelry and he figured that they would not want to give it over to be used in the Eigel. I have also heard that they feared that Moses was dead because HaSatan had made them think that he was late and gave them visions of a dead Moshe. I have heard that Aaron had to make the Calf or else the crowd would have killed him.

Actually Chabads site explains this event just as you said:

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/246635/jewish/The-Golden-Calf.htm

Rebellion

Moses had promised the children of Israel that he would return after forty days. The fortieth day had arrived and the people became anxious and nervous. During Moses' long absence, the Egyptian riff-raff that had accompanied the children of Israel since their exodus from Egypt spread the word around that Moses would never return and that they had better choose another leader to be the intermediary between them and G-d. The children of Israel did not realize that Moses had meant that he would return after the completion of forty full days. Therefore, when the sixteenth of Tammuz, which was the fortieth day since the Revelation, arrived, and Moses had not returned, they stormed against Aaron and Hur, Miriam's son, who had temporarily taken over the leadership of the Jewish camp, demanding that they make an idol to take Moses' place.

In vain did Hur try to talk the excited group of ringleaders out of their plan. His persistent refusal to go ahead with it enraged them so much that they killed him. Now Aaron saw that there was little chance of stopping them. He would only share a similar fate, and the people would have committed the indelible crime of having murdered their own High Priest.

Aaron Plays for Time

Aaron knew that Moses would return the next morning. He therefore decided to play for time. He asked everyone to bring his own and his wife's gold and jewelry for the purpose of making the idol. Thus, he thought, he would delay the whole affair, since he expected that the people would refuse to part with their precious jewelry and ornaments. But contrary to his expectations, the mob willingly parted with their gold, though the women did refuse to be a party to it. Aaron had no other choice but to take the heap of golden rings, chains, and bracelets that had been piled up before him and throw it into the melting-pot. Applying their knowledge of magic, the Egyptian conspirators made the gold assume the form of a calf.

When the children of Israel saw it, they believed that it was to be their representative before G-d, and they wanted to pay homage to it. But Aaron made another desperate effort to delay the idolatry. He told the people that on the next day he would build an altar, and proclaim a special day of worship.

Meanwhile, G-d informed Moses of the downfall of the children of Israel, and of the severe punishment that awaited them. They would die, and a new people, descendants of Moses, would take their places, to carry the torch of the Divine Law among the nations of the world.

Moses was greatly distressed. In moving words, he prayed and implored G-d to spare the Jewish people. Moses recalled G-d's covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and for their sake begged G-d's forgiveness. Finally, G-d's mercy was aroused, and He promised to spare the people of Israel.