רְאֵ֤ה יְהוָה֙ וְֽהַבִּ֔יטָה לְמִ֖י עוֹלַ֣לְתָּ כֹּ֑ה אִם־תֹּאכַ֨לְנָה נָשִׁ֤ים פִּרְיָם֙ עֹלֲלֵ֣י טִפֻּחִ֔ים אִם־יֵהָרֵ֛ג בְּמִקְדַּ֥שׁ אֲדֹנָ֖י כֹּהֵ֥ן וְנָבִֽיא׃ (ס)
Vois, ô Éternel, et regarde qui tu as traité de la sorte! Se peut-il que des femmes dévorent le fruit de leurs entrailles, leurs jeunes enfants, objet de leurs tendres soins? Que dans le sanctuaire du Seigneur soient massacrés prêtres et prophètes?
Da'at Zekenim
ויצר אותו, “he fashioned it with a graving tool.” He kept experimenting with different shapes, hoping all the time that Moses would come back. Everything he did was motivated by an attempt to preserve the glory of the Lord. This is clearly hinted at in the remarks of the last of the prophets, Malachi, who in Malachi 2,7 refers to Aaron in the following words: כי שפתי כהן ישמרו דעת ותורה יבקשו מפיהו כי מלאך ה' צבא-ות הוא, “for the lips of the priest guard knowledge, and men seek rulings from his mouth, for he is a Messenger of the Lord of Hosts.” It is also written there in verse 6: ורבים השיב מעון, “and he prevented many from becoming guilty of trespasses." [At the beginning of that chapter the prophet had referred to the person he was describing as the model Levite, clearly none other than Aaron who was appointed High priest seven months after the episode described in our portion. Ed.] If the Israelites had killed Aaron there would have been no possible way for them to become rehabilitated as they would have been guilty of what is described in Lamentations 2,20: אם יהרג במקדש כהן ונביא, ”alas priest and prophet are slain in the Sanctuary of the Lord.”
Rabbeinu Bahya
וירא אהרן, “Aaron saw.” The reason the Torah does not specify what he saw is that he saw many things. One of the things he saw was that Chur, the son of Miriam had already been murdered (for trying to stop the people from worshipping the calf).
ויבן מזבח לפניו, “he built an altar in front of it.” He realised that someone had already been slaughtered before this calf (Chur). Perhaps Aaron was afraid that if he too were to allow himself to become a martyr, all of the Israelites would become guilty of death. We have a verse in Lamentations 2,2 אם יהרוג במקדש ה’ כהן ונביא, “if a priest and (or) prophet were to be killed in the Sanctuary,” which suggests that this is the ultimate crime. He preferred to personally shoulder the guilt than have all the people become guilty.
Another consideration which might have accounted for Aaron’s conduct is that during the time it would take to build the altar, each Israelite bringing a stone, this would be accomplished very quickly. By undertaking to do the building himself he was stalling for time hoping that Moses would show up before too much spiritual damage had been done (compare Rashi). Still another reason prompting Aaron to act as he did was the fact that legally speaking the building of the altar was not something forbidden on pain of death requiring one to become a martyr rather than to respond to pressure. The prohibition to build such an altar per se is only in the order of the average negative commandment, possibly carrying a penalty of 39 lashes if performed with negative intent. The operative verse in the Torah is only “do not make for yourself a hewn image;” Aaron certainly did not make it for himself nor with intent to sacrifice to an idol.
ויבן מזבח לפניו, “he built an altar in front of it.” He realised that someone had already been slaughtered before this calf (Chur). Perhaps Aaron was afraid that if he too were to allow himself to become a martyr, all of the Israelites would become guilty of death. We have a verse in Lamentations 2,2 אם יהרוג במקדש ה’ כהן ונביא, “if a priest and (or) prophet were to be killed in the Sanctuary,” which suggests that this is the ultimate crime. He preferred to personally shoulder the guilt than have all the people become guilty.
Another consideration which might have accounted for Aaron’s conduct is that during the time it would take to build the altar, each Israelite bringing a stone, this would be accomplished very quickly. By undertaking to do the building himself he was stalling for time hoping that Moses would show up before too much spiritual damage had been done (compare Rashi). Still another reason prompting Aaron to act as he did was the fact that legally speaking the building of the altar was not something forbidden on pain of death requiring one to become a martyr rather than to respond to pressure. The prohibition to build such an altar per se is only in the order of the average negative commandment, possibly carrying a penalty of 39 lashes if performed with negative intent. The operative verse in the Torah is only “do not make for yourself a hewn image;” Aaron certainly did not make it for himself nor with intent to sacrifice to an idol.
Ibn Ezra
טפחה Hath put round,19A. V., Hath spanned. According to I. E. טפח means to put round; but although he appears to reject here the derivation from טֶפַח hand breadth, in his commentary on Lamentations 2:20, he seems to adopt it.19A. V., Hath spanned. According to I. E. טפח means to put round; but although he appears to reject here the derivation from טֶפַח hand breadth, in his commentary on Lamentations 2:20, he seems to adopt it. Comp. טפחתי I have swaddled (Lam. 2:22). Others explain it: Hath measured with the handbreadth יעמדו יחדיו —.(טֶפַח) They stand up together. From this phrase some of the commentators derive their opinion, that heaven and earth were created simultaneously, not consecutively.20When a dispute arose between the school of Hillel and that of Shammai about the order of the creation of heaven and earth, R. Shimeon ben Jochai settled the dispute, proving from this verse, I call unto them, that is, unto heaven and earth, they stood up together, that both were created at the same time. (Bereshith Rabba c. i.). Comp. Kimchi ad locum. The literal meaning, however, is: I have made them, and when I call them to do My will and desire they stand both before Me like servants; comp. למשפטיך עמדו they stand up21A. V., They continue. This quotation is to show that the verb עמד has also the meaning to stand as a servant, to attend. Comp. לפניו אשר עמדתי before whom I stand (1 Kings 17:1), that is, whose servant I am. according to Thy ordinances (Ps. 119:91). For else22That is, if the words I call unto them had not the meaning, I give commands to them, as to my servants, but were the description of their creation, identical with I commanded them to come into existence. how should God call them, when not yet existing.
Rashi
above the people Higher than the people, in order to make his voice heard. In Lamentations Rabbah (Proem 23), it is interpreted as meaning that he relied on himself; he was a prince higher than all the people, a prophet and a priest, and it was Yom Kippur, and he was the king’s son-in-law, and he was not afraid to say the prophecy. Concerning this incident, it was stated (Lam. 2:20): “shall priest and prophet be slain in the Sanctuary of the Lord?”