Midrash su Esodo 32:20

(Numb. 25:6:) “Just then one of the Children of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman unto his brothers [before the eyes of Moses and the eyes of the whole congregation of the Children of Israel].” What reason was there for him doing so?⁹⁷Numb. R. 20:24. [The incident serves] to teach you that he had respect neither for Heaven nor for mortals. It is also stated concerning him (in Prov. 21:24), “An insolent⁹⁸Heb.: Zed. Cf. above, Lev. 3:7, which argues that this word implies idolatry and the uncovering of nakedness. and arrogant one, scorner is his name; [he acts with arrogant wantonness].” She said to him, “Because I am a king's daughter, I am surrendering to no one but Moses or Eleazar.” He said to her. “I also am as great as they are, and [to show you,] I am bringing you before their eyes.” [Then] he seized her by her braid and brought her to Moses. He said to him, “Son of Amram, is this woman permitted or forbidden? Now if you say that she is forbidden [because] this woman is a Midianite, [remember that] the very woman who is under you (as your wife) is a Midianite; and who permitted you to have her?” The ruling (halakhah) slipped from his mind. They all wept bitterly. That is what is written (in Numb. 25:6), “they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting.” Why were they weeping? Because they became weak at that time. A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a king's daughter who had adorned herself for entering the wedding canopy [and] for sitting in the [bridal] palanquin.⁹⁹Gk.: phoreion. When she was found indulging in immorality with another, her father and her kinsfolk became weak. So it was with Israel. At the end of forty years they had camped by the Jordan to cross into the Land of Israel, and there they became lawless through unchastity. They weakened Moses and the righteous who were with him. And why were they weakened? See that [Moses] had [previously] stood up to six hundred thousand [men] with the [golden] calf, as stated (Exod. 32:20), “And he took the calf that they had made.” It was simply so that Phinehas would come and receive his due. Moreover, because [Moses] had been indolent [in the execution of justice], (according to Deut. 34:6) “no one knows his burial place.” [This fact serves] to teach you that one must be as strong as a leopard and as swift as an eagle to do the will of his Creator. Moreover, from here you learn that the Holy One, blessed be He, is as meticulous with the righteous as a thread of hair.

24 (Numb. 25:6) “Just then one of the Children of Israel came and brought [a Midianite woman] unto his brothers [before the eyes of Moses and the eyes of the whole congregation of the Children of Israel]”: What reason was there for him doing so? [The incident serves] to teach you that he had respect neither for Heaven nor for mortals. It is stated concerning him (in Prov. 21:24), “An insolent⁷³Heb.: Zed. and arrogant one, scorner is his name; [he acts with arrogant wantonness].” She said to him, “I am surrendering to no one but Moses, as so did my father, Balak, command me, to only surrender to Moses, your leader, since my father is a king” He said to her. “See that I am as great as he is, and [to show you,] I am bringing you before his eyes.” [Then] he seized her by her braid and brought her to Moses. He said to him, “Son of Amram, is this woman permitted or forbidden?” He said to him, “She is forbidden to you.” Zimri said [back] to him, “But that one that you took [as a wife] is a Midianite!” Immediately Moses’ hands weakened and the ruling (halakhah) slipped from his mind. They all wept bitterly. That is what is written (in Numb. 25:6), “they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting.” Why were they weeping? Because they became weak at that time. A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a king's daughter who had adorned herself for entering the wedding canopy [and] for sitting in the [bridal] palanquin.⁷⁴Gk.: phoreion. When she was found indulging in immorality with another, her father and her kinsfolk became weak. So it was with Israel. At the end of forty years (as in Numb. 33:49), “they had camped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittimn on the plains of Moab, and there they became lawless through unchastity. And they weakened Moses and the righteous who were with him, and they were crying. See that [Moses] had [previously] stood up to six hundred thousand [men] with the [golden] calf, as stated (Exod. 32:20), “And he took the calf that they had made.” And [now] he weakened? It was simply so that Phinehas would come and receive his due. Moreover, because [Moses] had been indolent [in the execution of justice], (according to Deut. 34:6) “no one knows his burial place.” [This fact serves] to teach you that one must be as strong as a leopard and as swift as an eagle to do the will of his Creator. From here you learn that the Holy One, blessed be He, is as meticulous with the righteous as a thread of hair.

Rabbi Jehudah said: The tribe of Levi also did not associate itself in the affair of the calf, as it is said, "Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Whoso is on the Lord's side (let him come) unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him" (Ex. 32:26). Moses saw that the tribe of Levi was with him. He became strengthened with his might, and he burnt the calf with fire, and powdered it, like the dust of the earth, and he cast its dust upon the face of the waters, as it is said, "And he took the || calf which they had made" (Ex. 32:20). He made Israel drink the water (with the dust of the calf). Everyone who had kissed the calf with all his heart, his upper lip and his bones became golden, and the tribe of Levi slew him, until there fell of Israel about three thousand men, as it is said, "And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses" (Ex. 32:28).