Midras Mazmur 26:5: Midrash Tanchuma, Bamidbar Rabbah & Midrash Tehillim

(Numb. 11:16:) “Gather Me seventy men from the elders of Israel.” But where were those former ones?⁵⁴Numb. R. 15:21. This text is related (to Job 34:24), “He shatters mighty ones without inquiry and raises up others in their stead.” When Israel was in Egypt, they had seventy elders as stated (in Exod. 3:16), “Go and gather the elders of Israel”; and with them they went out of Egypt. [Moreover] when Moses went up [on Sinai] to receive the Torah, they were [still] with him, as stated (in Exod. 24:9), “Then there went up Moses and Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel,” [and then] (in Exod. 24:14) “But unto the elders he had said, ‘Wait [for us] here […].’” When Moses had gone up, he had agreed with Israel to come down at the end of forty days. When he delayed coming down, all Israel came together to the elders. [He delayed,] even as it is stated (in Exod. 32:1), “When the people saw that Moses delayed (boshesh).”⁵⁵Cf. Shab. 89a. Now boshesh can only mean a delay since it is stated (in Judg. 5:28), “Why is his chariot late (boshesh) in coming; why are the hoof-beats of his chariots delaying?” They said to them, Moses agreed with us that he would come down in forty days. Now here it is forty days and he has not come down. And in addition, six hours more [have passed];⁵⁶Cf. Exod. R. 41:7, which derives boshesh from ba’u shesh, which means: “Six hours have come.” See Gen. R. 18:6. yet we do not know what has happened to him. So (in the words of Exod. 32:1 cont.) ‘Arise and make a god for us.’” When they heard that, they said to them, “Why are you angering Him, you for whom He performed all the miracles and wonders?” [But] they did not heed them and killed them. Then because Hur had stood ('md) up to them with harsh words, they (rt.: 'md) rose up against him and killed him [as well]. Then all of Israel gathered around Aaron with great pomp, as stated (ibid.), “and the people gathered unto Aaron...,” [saying,] “Why are you sitting?” R. Isaac said, “The holy spirit cried out (as in Psalms 26:5), ‘I detest the company of evil men, and do not consort with the wicked.’” [They said to him] (again in the words of Exod. 32:1 cont.) “’Arise and make a god for us’; and if not, ‘as (like) this,’ we will do like this to you. In the same way that we rose up against Hur and killed him, so will we do to you, if you prevent us [from our demand].” Once Aaron saw what they did to the elders and to Hur, he was very afraid, as stated (Exodus 32:5), “And Aaron saw and he built an altar (vayiven mizbeach) in front of it,” [meaning that] he built from the killing (vayiven mizvoach). Where is it shown that they killed the elders and Hur?⁵⁷On the killing of Hur, see also Tanh. Exod. 8:10; Exod. R. 42:1; 48:3; 51:8; Lev. R. 10:2; Numb. R. 9:45; PRE 45. Where Jeremiah rebuked Israel, as stated (in Jer. 2:34), “On your skirts there is found the lifeblood of the innocent poor; you did not find them breaking in; yet for of all these.” What is the significance of “for all these (elleh)?” [It is] because of (the statement in Exod. 32:4), “These (elleh) are your gods O Israel.” What [punishment] did he repay them? (As stated in Exod. 32:35), “Then the Lord sent a plague upon the people.” After a time, when the Holy One, blessed be He, had forgiven them, He said to Moses (in Numb. 11:16), “Gather Me seventy men, in place of those who were killed for the sanctification of My name.” That is what is written (in Job 34:24), “He shatters mighty ones without inquiry [and raises up others in their stead].”

“Gather to Me seventy men” – where were the initial ones? This is what the verse said: “He shatters the powerful without number and sets others in their place” (Job 34:24). While they were in Egypt, they had seventy elders, as it is stated: “Go and assemble the elders of Israel” (Exodus 3:16), and they departed from Egypt with them. When Moses ascended to receive the Torah, they were with him, as it is stated: “Moses and Aaron, Nadav and Avihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel ascended” (Exodus 24:9). “To the elders he said: Remain here for us” (Exodus 24:14). When Moses ascended, he stipulated with Israel that he would descend at the end of forty days. When he tarried in descending, as it is stated: “The people saw that Moses tarried [boshesh] in descending” (Exodus 32:1), and boshesh is nothing other than an expression of tarrying, as it is stated: “Why does his chariot tarry [boshesh] to arrive, why are the hoofbeats of his chariot late” (Judges 5:28), all Israel entered to the elders and said to them: ‘Moses stipulated that he would descend at the end of forty days. It is now six hours later and he has not descended and we do not know what became of him. “Rise, craft for us a god that will go before us, as this [ki zeh] man, Moses, who took us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him”’ (Exodus 32:1). When they [the elders] heard this, they said to them: ‘Why are you provoking the One who performed all those miracles and wonders on your behalf?’ They did not heed them and they killed them. Because Ḥur stood and confronted them with harsh words, they stood against him and killed him, too. All of Israel entered to Aaron with great bustle, as it is stated: “The people assembled around Aaron and said to him: Rise” (Exodus 32:1). [They said:] ‘Why are you sitting? Rise.’ Rabbi Yitzḥak said: The Divine Spirit is screaming: “I abhor the assembly of evildoers [and will not sit with the wicked]” (Psalms 26:5). [They said:] ‘“Rise, craft for us a god,” and if not ki zeh, we will do to you like this [kazeh]. Just as we stood agains Hur and killed him, so we will do to you.’ When Aaron saw what they had done to the elders and to Ḥur, he feared them, as it is stated: “Aaron saw and built an altar [vayiven mizbe’aḥ]” (Exodus 32:5); he understood [hevin] from the one who was slaughtered [mimi shezavuaḥ] before him.
From where is it derived that they killed the elders and Ḥur? It is as Jeremiah rebukes Israel: “Moreover, on the edge of your garments [biknnafekha]²⁰This is expounded to mean in assembly [bukhnufiya]. the blood of the lives of the blameless poor is found; you did not find them clandestinely; rather on all these” (Jeremiah 2:34). What is “on all these [eleh]”? It is because of: “This is [eleh] your god” (Exodus 32:4). What retribution did he exact against them? “The Lord afflicted the people, because they crafted the calf” (Exodus 32:35). After the passage of time, when He forgave them, He said to Moses: “Gather to Me seventy” in place of their seventy ancestors who were killed for the sanctification of My name. This is what is written: “He shatters the powerful without number and sets others in their place.”

I will wash my hands with cleanliness, so that it is through legitimate means and not through theft, as it is taught (Mishnah Sukkah 3:11), "A stolen or dried-out palm branch is invalid." I will be free of violence and theft, so that I do not become a prosecutor turned into a defendant. And afterwards, "I will surround Your altar, O Lord" (Psalms 26:6). As it is taught, "Every day the altar is surrounded once and they say (Psalms 118:25), 'Please, O Lord, save us now!'"...