Wyjścia 32:5 Midrasz: Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Vayikra Rabbah, Midrash Tanchuma & Midrash Tanchuma Buber

(Fol. 6b) R. Eliezer, the son of R. Jose the Galilean, says: "A court is forbidden to attempt an arbitration, and the [judge] that makes settlements commits a crime; and he who praises the mediators despises the law, as it is said (Ps. 10, 3) The robber blesseth himself when he hath despised the Lord, but let the law cut through the mountain (justice under all circumstances), as it is said (Deut. 1, 17) The judgment belongs to God." And so said Moses our master: "Let the law cut through the mountain." But Aaron [his brother] loved peace, ran after it, and used to make peace between a man and his associate, as it is said (Mal. 2, 6) The law of truth was in his mouth, and falsehood was not found on his lips, in peace equity he walked with Me, and many did he turn away from iniquity. R. Eliezer says: "If one had stolen a saah of wheat and had ground, kneaded and baked it, and separated the heave (Challa) of it, how can he recite a benediction over it? For not only is it not a benediction, but it is rather a blasphemy! Concerning this, the passage reads (Ps. 10, 3) The robber blesses … . despises the Lord." R. Maier says: "The passage, the robber, etc., refers only to Juda, for it is said (Gen. 37, 26) And Judah said unto his brothers, 'What profit (betza) will it be if we slay our brother?' And whoever praises Juda [for his advice] despises the Lord; and concerning him is said: He who blesses Botzea despises the Lord." But R. Joshua b. Karcha said: "On the contrary arbitration is a meritorious act, as it is said (Zech. 8, 16) With truth and the judgment of peace, judge ye in your gates. How is this to be understood? Usually, where there is judgment, there is no peace; and where there is peace, there is no judgment. It must then refer to arbitration, which brings peace. The same must be explained about David, concerning whom it is said (II Sam. 8, 16) And David did what was just and charitable unto all his people. How can these five terms be reconciled? For a thing that is just is not charitable, and if charitable then it is not just. We must therefore say that it refers to arbitration, which contains both." The first Tanna, however, [who said above that arbitration is prohibited], explains the passage thus: He, (David), judged in accordance with the strict law — he acquitted him who was right and held him responsible who was guilty, according to the Law; but when he saw that the loser was poor and could not pay, he used to pay from his own pocket. Hence he did justice to one and charity to the other. Rabbi, however, pointed out the following difficulty, it is written. Unto all his people, and according to the above explanation, it ought to be to the poor. Therefore, said Rabbi: "Although he did not pay from his pocket, it was nevertheless counted as justice and charity; justice to the one, for having returned his money; and charity to the other, for delivering the theft out of his hand." (Fol. 7) All the Tannaim mentioned above differ with R. Tanchum b. Chanilai, who said: "The above-cited verse (Ps. 10) was quoted in reference to the golden calf, of which it is said (Ex. 32, 5) And when Aaron saw this. What did he see? R. Benjamin b. Jepheth said in the name of R. Elazar: 'He saw Chur, who was lying killed before him.' And he thought: 'if I do not listen to them, they will do likewise unto me, and will bring about such a condition as is said (Lam. 2, 20) Shall there be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord the priest and the prophet; for which there shall never be a remedy. It is better for them that I should make the golden calf, and for that probably there will be a remedy by repenting.'" [Hence the above passage].

Rabbi Berekhya in the name of Rabbi Abba bar Kahana interpreted the verse regarding Aaron. When Israel performed that act,¹The sin of the Golden Calf. initially they approached Ḥur. They said to him: ‘Rise, craft for us a god.’ When he did not heed them, they stood against him and killed him. That is what is written: “Moreover, on the edge of your garments the blood…is found” (Jeremiah 2:34); this is the blood of Ḥur. “You did not find it while excavating; rather on all these [eleh]” (Jeremiah 2:34), because they committed [the sin of declaring]: “This is [eleh] your god, Israel” (Exodus 32:4). Afterward, they approached Aaron. They said to him: “Rise, craft for us a god” (Exodus 32:1). When Aaron heard this, he was immediately afraid. That is what is written: “Aaron saw [vayar] and he built an altar [mizbe’aḥ] before him” (Exodus 32:5); he was afraid [nityareh] due to the one slaughtered [mizavuaḥ] before him. Aaron said: What shall I do? They killed Ḥur, who was a prophet. Now, if they kill me, as I am a priest, the verse that is written will be realized in their regard: “If a priest and a prophet will be killed in the Sanctuary of the Lord” (Lamentations 2:20), and they will be immediately exiled.
Another matter, “Aaron saw” – what did he see? If they build it, this one will bring a pebble and this one will bring a stone and their labor will be completed all at once. But if I build it, I will be indolent in my labor, and our master, Moses, will descend and do away with the idol. And, since I am building it, I will build it in the name of the Holy One blessed be He. That is what is written: “Aaron proclaimed and said: A festival to the Lord tomorrow” (Exodus 32:5). “A festival to the calf tomorrow” is not written here, but rather, “a festival to the Lord tomorrow.”
Another matter, “Aaron saw” – what did he see? Aaron said: If they build it, the corruption will be ascribed to them. It is preferable that the corruption be ascribed to me and not to Israel. Rabbi Abba bar Yudan in the name of Rabbi Abba: This is analogous to the son of kings whose heart became haughty and he took the sword to slash his father. His teacher said to him: ‘Do not exert yourself. Give it to me and I will slash.’ The king peered at him and said to him: ‘I know what your intentions were. It is preferable that the corruption be attributed to you and not to my son. As you live, you will not move from my palace, you shall partake of the remnants of my table, and you shall receive twenty-four stipends.’ So too, ‘you will not move from my palace’; “he shall not emerge from the Sanctuary” (Leviticus 21:12). ‘You shall partake of the remnants of my table’; “The remnant of the meal offering [shall be for Aaron and for his sons]” (Leviticus 2:3). ‘And you shall receive twenty-four stipends’; these are the twenty-four gifts of the priesthood that were given to Aaron and his sons. The Holy One blessed be He said to Aaron: ‘“You love righteousness,” you love to vindicate My children and detest condemning them. “Therefore, God your God, has anointed you.”’ He said to him: ‘As you live, from the entire tribe of Levi, you alone have been selected for the High Priesthood: “Take Aaron. and his sons with him”’ (Leviticus 8:2).

Why did He elevate Aaron and his sons to that holy station? R. Mani of Shaab and R. Joshua of Sikhnin said in the name of R. Levi: When the Israelites pleaded with him to erect the golden calf, they said to Aaron: Up, make us a god (Exod. 32:1). Thereupon Hur the son of Caleb arose and rebuked them. They attacked him and killed him. Aaron beheld what had happened and feared (vayir’a) for his own life, as it is said: And when Aaron saw (vaya’r) he built an altar before it (ibid., v. 5). You know that they killed Hur, for Moses told them before he ascended the mountain: Behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whosoever hath a cause, let him come near unto them (ibid. 24:14), but after he descended, you find that he did not refer to Hur either as living or as dead. What does Scripture say: And Moses said to Aaron: “What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought a great sin upon them?” (ibid. 32:21). Obviously they must have killed Hur.