Musar zu Schemot 32:25

One may be able to explain something puzzling in Exodus 32,25, in a similar vein. It says there: "Moses saw that the people were out of control for Aaron had let them get out of control so that they were a menace to any who might oppose them." The Torah obviously refers to the fact that it was Aaron who had actually made the golden calf. However, Aaron's whole purpose had been לשם שמים, to further G–d's interests, to prevent a desecration of G–d's name. Aaron was aware that the people had forfeited their lives already from the moment they had planned to make an alternate deity for themselves. While it is true, that generally speaking, G–d does not account the intention to commit a sin as something culpable, that rule does not hold true when the sin involved is idol-worship. We have a special verse in Ezekiel 14,5, to make this plain: למען תפש את ישראל בלבם, "In order to take hold of the family of Israel in their heart." Aaron was convinced that if the Jewish people were punished this would constitute a desecration of the name of G–d, since the Gentile nations would say: "where is their G–d now?" The Gentile nations would never associate the death of the Jewish people with a sin they had committed merely in their hearts and which had not become common knowledge. Aaron thought he could prevent this descration of G–d's name by making the golden calf and causing an already culpable thought to be translated into a culpable action. Once the Gentile nations would hear about Israel worshipping the golden calf and being punished, clearly this would demonstrate to those nations that Israel had been punished for a grave sin.

This then is the meaning of: כי פרעה אהרון. The translation of the word פרע is that he brought the matter into the open. This expression is also used in connection with the final stage of the rite of circumcision, and refers to the baring of the glans. The expression in Exodus 32,25: לשמצה בקמיהם, means that Aaron wanted Israel's sin to be revealed to their enemies. Once that was the case, G–d's honour would remain unimpaired. Aaron may have learned this from the manner in which G–d treated Pharaoh, and due to which Pharaoh's true state of mind was revealed to one and all.