Midrash sa Jeremias 2:34: Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Vayikra Rabbah, Midrash Tanchuma & Bamidbar Rabbah

(Ib. b) We are taught that R. Nathan says: "As a punishment for not fulfilling vows, the wife of the man dies, as it is said (Pr. 22, 27.) If thou have nothing to pay, why should He take away thy bed from under thee?" Rabbi says: "For the sins of [unfulfilled] vows children die when still young, as it is said (Ecc. 5, 5.) Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy body to sin, etc. Why should God be angry because of thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hand? We must say that this refers to the sons and the daughters of man." There is a difference of opinion between R. Chiya b. Abba and R. Jose; one said: "The sin of not having Mezuzoth is the cause of children's death," and the other said: "The sin of being remiss in the study of the Torah is the cause of children's death." The one who laid the affliction to the sin of Mezuzoth, holds that a passage can be connected with another one preceding it and thus explained, but not with a passage that comes before the preceding one; and the one that laid the affliction to the sin of being remiss in the study of the Torah, holds that passage can be connected even with one that comes before a preceding passage, and thus explained. There is also a difference of opinion between R. Meier and R. Juda. One said: "It (the death of children) is due to the sin of Mezuzoth," while the other said: "It is due to the sin of Tzitzith." It is right according to him who said it is due to the sin of Mezuzoth, for it is written (Deu. 11, 20.) And thou shalt write them upon the doorposts of thy house, and immediately following is written In order that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied; but according to the one who said it is due to the sin of Tzitzith, what is his reason? R. Cahana, and according to others, Shila Mari, said: "Because it is written (Jer. 2, 34.) Also on the end of thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the innocent needy ones." R. Nachman b. Isaac said: "The one who says it was due to the sin of Mezuzoth, derives his opinion from this (Ib.) Not while breaking in (thy house) didst thou find them, i.e., making the doors like a breaking in (without a Mezuzah)."

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).

(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].”