וַיִּתְפָּֽרְקוּ֙ כָּל־הָעָ֔ם אֶת־נִזְמֵ֥י הַזָּהָ֖ב אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּאָזְנֵיהֶ֑ם וַיָּבִ֖יאוּ אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹֽן׃
Então todo o povo tirou os brincos de ouro que estavam em suas orelhas e os trouxeram a Aharon.
Rabbeinu Bahya
A Midrashic approach as presented by Rashi: Concerning the words: “they shall take to you a red cow.” The words: “to you” mean that the people have to pay for this red cow. Just as when the people had divested themselves of their golden jewelry in order to enable Aaron to make the golden calf (Exodus 32,3), they now have to pay for the instruments which will secure them purification and forgiveness for the ritual contamination they had caused themselves thereby. The matter is best illustrated by a parable. The son of the king’s maidservant had dirtied the palace. Thereupon the king ordered the maid to clean up the filth her son had left lying about. Similarly, the red cow is to atone for the whole episode of the golden calf. The reason that the cow is to be red is understood by the Midrash as natural, seeing that sins are generally associated with the colour red, i.e. blood guilt. We know this from Isaiah 1,18: “if your sins are crimson, they will become white as snow (after expiation).”
The word תמימה, unblemished, is understood by the Midrash as a reference to the unblemished state of the Jewish nation prior to the sin of the golden calf. Due to their participation in that sin in varying degrees they had all became spiritually blemished. The function of the red cow and the procedure of sprinkling the Israelites with its ash and holy water would remove these blemishes. The words: “which has not borne a yoke,” are understood by the Midrash as an allusion to the yoke of the Torah which the Israelites had shaken off by their participation in the sin of the golden calf. They had rejected the yoke of accepting G’d as king. The words: “to Eleazar the priest,” are understood as an oblique reference to Aaron’s share in that sin. The red cow ritual could not be performed by Aaron as the participant in the guilt cannot reverse himself to act as advocate for the guilty. [Aaron could, of course, perform the ritual of future red cows if needed. Ed.] The words: “he shall burn the cow” are an allusion to the golden calf which Moses had burned immediately after his return from the mountain (Exodus 32,20).
The words: “cedar-wood, hyssop, and crimson-red wool,” are understood by the Midrash as an allusion to the 3,000 active participants in the worship of the golden calf whom the Levites had executed. The cedar is the tallest of the trees, whereas hyssop is the smallest. It symbolizes that the tall become haughty, sin as a result, and in the end wind up as the lowest, the most insignificant. The worm, תולעת, (source of the red color crimson) also symbolizes the human being after he has become guilty.
The word למשמרת, “as a safekeeping,” (verse 9) is a reminder that the sin of the golden calf will never be forgotten as every time the Israelites become guilty of a sin and punishment, some of the unexpiated guilt of the golden calf episode will be added to their punishment throughout the generations. This is based on Exodus 32,34: “and on the day when I make an accounting, I shall bring their sin to account against them.” In this way the sin will be remembered for all times.
The golden calf had brought defilement and ritual impurity on all who had any dealings with it, (Psalms 106,28) “they attached themselves to Baal Peor and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.” [The reference to the “dead” is to compare the impurity conferred by idolatry to that conferred by contact or association with the dead. Ed.]. We also have a verse in Isaiah 30,22 comparing idolatry to associating with a menstruous woman “You will cast them away like a menstruous woman. ‘Out! you will call to them’” The red cow causes similar defilement to all who busy themselves with it. Just as the purification of the Israelites from that sin at the time came about by their being sprinkled with the ash of the golden calf and water (Exodus 32,20), so the red cow procedure will parallel what Moses had done at the time in order to rehabilitate the Israelites who had become defiled.
The word תמימה, unblemished, is understood by the Midrash as a reference to the unblemished state of the Jewish nation prior to the sin of the golden calf. Due to their participation in that sin in varying degrees they had all became spiritually blemished. The function of the red cow and the procedure of sprinkling the Israelites with its ash and holy water would remove these blemishes. The words: “which has not borne a yoke,” are understood by the Midrash as an allusion to the yoke of the Torah which the Israelites had shaken off by their participation in the sin of the golden calf. They had rejected the yoke of accepting G’d as king. The words: “to Eleazar the priest,” are understood as an oblique reference to Aaron’s share in that sin. The red cow ritual could not be performed by Aaron as the participant in the guilt cannot reverse himself to act as advocate for the guilty. [Aaron could, of course, perform the ritual of future red cows if needed. Ed.] The words: “he shall burn the cow” are an allusion to the golden calf which Moses had burned immediately after his return from the mountain (Exodus 32,20).
The words: “cedar-wood, hyssop, and crimson-red wool,” are understood by the Midrash as an allusion to the 3,000 active participants in the worship of the golden calf whom the Levites had executed. The cedar is the tallest of the trees, whereas hyssop is the smallest. It symbolizes that the tall become haughty, sin as a result, and in the end wind up as the lowest, the most insignificant. The worm, תולעת, (source of the red color crimson) also symbolizes the human being after he has become guilty.
The word למשמרת, “as a safekeeping,” (verse 9) is a reminder that the sin of the golden calf will never be forgotten as every time the Israelites become guilty of a sin and punishment, some of the unexpiated guilt of the golden calf episode will be added to their punishment throughout the generations. This is based on Exodus 32,34: “and on the day when I make an accounting, I shall bring their sin to account against them.” In this way the sin will be remembered for all times.
The golden calf had brought defilement and ritual impurity on all who had any dealings with it, (Psalms 106,28) “they attached themselves to Baal Peor and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.” [The reference to the “dead” is to compare the impurity conferred by idolatry to that conferred by contact or association with the dead. Ed.]. We also have a verse in Isaiah 30,22 comparing idolatry to associating with a menstruous woman “You will cast them away like a menstruous woman. ‘Out! you will call to them’” The red cow causes similar defilement to all who busy themselves with it. Just as the purification of the Israelites from that sin at the time came about by their being sprinkled with the ash of the golden calf and water (Exodus 32,20), so the red cow procedure will parallel what Moses had done at the time in order to rehabilitate the Israelites who had become defiled.
Kli Yakar
And this is the contribution that you shall take from them. According to the Rabbis’ interpretation (Sifrei Deuteronomy 1), this contribution was to atone for the gold of the [Golden] Calf. According to this view, we can explain that the three contributions mentioned here correspond to the three transgressions committed in the making of the Calf. In two [transgressions], all the worshippers were equal, but in the third, they differed in degree. Therefore, they brought three contributions, and only in two were they equal.
First, they accepted the Calf as a deity and said, These are your gods, O Israel. In this sin, all the worshippers were equal, as they all called the Calf a god and Lord. Therefore, they brought the first contribution in which they were all equal, and from it were made all the sockets [adanim], as this word derives from the term “Lord” [adon], to atone for calling the Calf a god. The Rabbis said (Sanhedrin 63b) that they desired many deities, meaning many Lords, so therefore many sockets were made from it.
Second, they sacrificed to it, as it is said, And they sacrificed to it. In this sacrifice, they were all equal as well. Therefore, the second contribution came, in which they were all equal, and from it were made communal sacrifices to atone for they sacrificed to it.
Third, it is said, And they removed the gold earrings, etc. For they donated from their wealth to the making of the Calf, and not everyone’s hand was equal in this, as the rich gave more than the poor. Corresponding to this came the third contribution, in which they were not all equal, but rather each person gave according to his wealth. For this reason, the contribution of the princes — the shoham stones — is listed last, because in the case of the Calf, they also gave more than the poor, and therefore their donation is mentioned last as a penalty, since they had a greater share in this sin. Also, according to the plain meaning, God was not concerned with the quality of the donation but with the quality of the donors, because sometimes an honorable person gives a small amount of money with the generosity of his hand, while a wealthy scoundrel and man of violence gives precious stones. Without doubt, the righteous person’s donation is more acceptable. Therefore, He listed the shoham stones last.
First, they accepted the Calf as a deity and said, These are your gods, O Israel. In this sin, all the worshippers were equal, as they all called the Calf a god and Lord. Therefore, they brought the first contribution in which they were all equal, and from it were made all the sockets [adanim], as this word derives from the term “Lord” [adon], to atone for calling the Calf a god. The Rabbis said (Sanhedrin 63b) that they desired many deities, meaning many Lords, so therefore many sockets were made from it.
Second, they sacrificed to it, as it is said, And they sacrificed to it. In this sacrifice, they were all equal as well. Therefore, the second contribution came, in which they were all equal, and from it were made communal sacrifices to atone for they sacrificed to it.
Third, it is said, And they removed the gold earrings, etc. For they donated from their wealth to the making of the Calf, and not everyone’s hand was equal in this, as the rich gave more than the poor. Corresponding to this came the third contribution, in which they were not all equal, but rather each person gave according to his wealth. For this reason, the contribution of the princes — the shoham stones — is listed last, because in the case of the Calf, they also gave more than the poor, and therefore their donation is mentioned last as a penalty, since they had a greater share in this sin. Also, according to the plain meaning, God was not concerned with the quality of the donation but with the quality of the donors, because sometimes an honorable person gives a small amount of money with the generosity of his hand, while a wealthy scoundrel and man of violence gives precious stones. Without doubt, the righteous person’s donation is more acceptable. Therefore, He listed the shoham stones last.
Ramban
AND THEY SAID, THESE ARE THY GODS, O ISRAEL, WHICH BROUGHT THEE UP OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT. This verse also will teach you [that they had no intention of worshipping it as an idol], for there is no fool in the world who would think that this gold which was in their ears291Verse 3. is that which brought them up out of the land of Egypt. Rather, they said that the power of that figure brought them up out of there. Thus you will find that in no place does it say of the calf, “which brought us ‘out’ of Egypt,” for they acknowledged Him Who said, I am the Eternal thy G-d, who brought thee ‘out’ of the land of Egypt,292Above, 20:2. and that it was by His Great Name that He delivered them from there. Instead, they said in many places who brought thee ‘up,’ for they took it to be in place of the great hand293Ibid., 14:31. — that dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep; that made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over.294Isaiah 51:10. It is with this intention that Scripture says, Thus they exchanged their Glory for the likeness of an ox that eateth grass,295Psalms 106:20. and there it is said, They forgot G-d Who had delivered them, Who had done great things in Egypt; wondrous works in the land of Ham, terrible things by the Red Sea.296Ibid., Verses 21-22. They forgot His word which He commanded them. Thus they transgressed the prohibition, Thou shalt have no other gods before Me,297Above, 20:3. as I have hinted there, and you will understand this.