Kommentar zu Dewarim 9:20

ובאהרן התאנף ה׳ AND WITH AARON THE LORD WAS ANGRY, because he listened to you.

ובאהרן התאנף ה' מאד להשמידו, “ and against Aaron the Lord was very angry wanting to destroy him.” Our sages in Vayikra Rabbah 10,5 explain that the word להשמיד in this verse refers to the death of Aaron’s children. They base this on Amos 2,9 ואשמיד פריו ממעל ושרשיו מתחת, “I destroyed his boughs above and his roots below.” As a result of Moses’ prayer on behalf of Aaron G’d carried out only half of His plan, allowing two of Aaron’s sons to survive. At any rate, this verse is testimony that Aaron was guilty of a great sin in connection with the golden calf, so much so that the penalty was loss of his children. Having read this, we must surely ask: “seeing that Aaron did whatever he did with the purest intentions, לשם שמים, “for the sake of heaven,” (compare author’s comments on Exodus 32,4) and even the text attributes to him only a deed which was wrong not a faulty intention, why would G’d be so angry at him?
The answer is that G’d measures great people by a most severe yardstick, according to Baba Kama 50 even deviating from the straight and narrow by as little as a hair’s breadth becomes a culpable sin. That wording is based on Psalms 50,3 וסביביו נשערה מאד, “and people close around Him will be judged even by a hair.” Even though Aaron’s deed was well intentioned, he personally not having sinned in thought, he became the instrument of the Jewish people not only sinning but desecrating the Lord’s name in public. This is why when Moses confronted him he said to him: “How could you bring such a great sin upon this people?” (Exodus 32,21).
We find proof of the fact that Aaron personally had not committed a sin in Deut. 33,8: ”You tested him at the waters of Merivah.” Moses also called Aaron חסיד in that same verse, i.e. he had not been guilty of any personal sin other than not speaking to the rock or reminding Moses that he was supposed to speak to the rock. I will discuss this further when discussing the verse in question in detail.

Because he listened to you. I.e., but not because he [i.e., Aharon] sinned.

V. 20. וכאהרן וגו׳. Wäre doch selbst Aharon, ohne Mosche Fürbitte, in Folge seines nicht entsprechenden Verhaltens dem sündhaften Ansinnen des Volkes gegenüber, dem Untergange verfallen. Was aber der Priester im Volke ist, das, ist Israel in der Völker Mitte. Beide schützt nicht nur ihre gottgewiesene Stellung nicht vor den Folgen ihrer Verirrungen; ihre Stellung macht diese nur um so verantwortungsschwerer.

להשמידו TO DESTROY HIM — this denotes the extermination of one’s children, and so, too, it states, (Amos 2:9) “And I destroyed (ואשמיד) his fruit (offspring) from above” (Leviticus Rabbah 7:1).

This refers to the death of children, etc. Rashi infers this because it is written להשמידו rather than להשמיד אותו as it says above (v. 19) להשמיד אתכם. Therefore [the lack of the word אותי indicates] it is not referring specifically to Aharon. Rather, it must be referring to his children.

.(אחרי מות AND I PRAYED FOR AARON ALSO, and my prayer availed to atone half, so that only two of his sons died, and two remained alive.

My prayer was effective in atoning for half, etc. I.e., the word גם (also) includes Aharon’s sons.

Two died and two were spared. Their death was caused by a combination of reasons: For this [the golden calf], and for staring brazenly [at the Divine Presence] when the Torah was given, while engaged in eating and drinking. See Parshas Mishpatim (Shmos 24:11), and Parshas Shemini (Vayikra 10:2).