מדרש אויף הושע 7:3

(Lev. 22:27:) “A bull or a sheep or a goat.” This text is related (to Is. 41:24), “Behold (hen), you are nothing (me'ayin), and your work is naught (me’afa’); an abomination shall He choose among you.”⁵⁵Lev. R. 27:7; PRK 9:6. “Behold, you are nothing,” full of nothing, from a putrid liquid. “Naught (me’afa’)”; from the hundred screams (meah puot), that a woman screams when she sits on the birthing chair, ninety-nine are for death and [only] one is for life. “An abomination shall He choose among you.” What is the meaning of, “an abomination shall He choose among you?” [It is] speaking about this baby; even though it comes out from its mothers womb dirty, defiled and full of mucous, everyone kisses it and everyone hugs it, and especially if it is a male. Another interpretation: That (hen) is Greek. Hen [in Greek] means "one." You (Israel) are the one for Me, from (min) the nations of the world, who are called "nothing ('ayin),"⁵⁶Since min is commonly abbreviated to me, me’ayin is understood to mean “as compared to nothing” (literally: “than nothing.”) as stated (in Is. 40:17), “All the nations are as nothing ('ayin) before Him.” (Is. 41:24, cont.:) “And your work is naught.” R. Levi said, “All the good works and consolations which the Holy One, blessed be He, is going to bring about with Israel are only as reward for a single shout which they shouted on Sinai, when they said (according to Exod. 24:7), ‘All that the Lord has spoken we will carry out and obey.’” (Is. 41:24, cont.:) “An abomination shall He choose among you.” That is the abomination which you made as a molten calf. Of that very abomination, bring Me sacrifice, and I will choose you. And what is it? (As in Lev. 22:27), “A bull or a sheep or a goat.” [This text is related (to Hos. 7:3),] “They make a king glad with their evil.”⁵⁷Lev. R. 27:8; PRK 9:7–8. What did He see in the bull for making it first among the sacrifices? R. Levi said, “[The situation] is similar to a matron⁵⁸Lat.: matrona. concerning whom there went forth an evil report in connection with one of the notables in the kingdom. The king looked into the rumors and found no substance in them. What did the king do? He made a great banquet and sat him at the head of those reclining in order to show that the king had looked into the rumors and found no substance in them. [Similarly,] because the nations of the world were saying to Israel, “You made the calf,” the Holy One, blessed be He, examined the rumors and found no substance in them. Therefore the bull was made first among the sacrifices. How is this shown? From that which they read about the matter (in Lev. 22:27), “A bull or a sheep or a goat.” R. Huna and R. Idi [said] in the name of R. Samuel bar Nahman, “Israel was saved from that act. Because if they had made the calf, it would have been [natural] for them to say (in Exod. 32:8), ‘These are our Gods, O Israel.’ However, it was the proselytes who came up with them from Egypt that made it, and they directed Israel [by saying] (in Exod. 32:8), ‘These are your Gods, O Israel.’” R. Judah bar Simon said, “It is written (in Isaiah 1:3), ‘An ox knows its owner, and an ass..., Israel does not know [...].’ And did they not know? It is simply that they trampled [the notion] with their heel.” And similar to it is (Hos. 2:10) “And she did not know that it was I who bestowed on her the grain....” And did she not know? It is simply that she trampled it with her heel.

[Another interpretation of (Lev. 22:27): A BULL OR A SHEEP OR A GOAT. This text is related] (to Hos. 7:3): THEY MAKE A KING GLAD WITH THEIR EVIL.⁶⁶Tanh., Lev. 8:11; Lev. R. 27:8; PRK 9:7–8. What did he see in the bull for making it first among the sacrifices? R. Levi said: < The situation > is similar to a matron⁶⁷Lat.: matrona. concerning whom there went forth an evil report in connection with one of the notables in the kingdom. The king looked into the rumors and found no substance in them. What did the king do? He made a great banquet and sat him at the head of those reclining in order to show that the king had looked into the rumors and found no substance in them. [Similarly, because the nations of the world were saying to Israel: You made the calf, the Holy One examined the rumors and found no substance in them.] Therefore [the bull] was made first among the sacrifices. [Thus it is written] (in Lev. 22:27): A BULL OR A SHEEP OR A GOAT.

“With their evildoing they gladden a king” (Hosea 7:3). What did He see that led Him to make the bull first of all the offerings? Rabbi Levi said: This is analogous to a queen in whose regard a bad rumor spread in connection with one of the prominent members of the royal court. The king investigated the matters and did not find them substantive. What did the king do? He made a banquet and seated that man at the head of those dining. Why to that extent? It was to make it known that the king had investigated the matters and did not find them substantive. So, the nations of the world antagonize Israel and say to them: ‘You crafted the calf.’ The Holy One blessed be He investigated the matters and did not find them substantive. That is why the bull became first of all the offerings. That is what is written: “A bull, or a sheep, or a goat.”
Rabbi Huna and Rabbi Aivu in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman: Israel took no part in that action, as, had Israel crafted the calf, they would have said: “This is our God.” Rather, it was the proselytes who ascended with them from Egypt that crafted it, and they were taunting Israel and saying: “This is your God, Israel” (Exodus 32:4). Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi Simon said: It is written: “An ox knows its owner” (Isaiah 1:3), but they did not know? It is rather, that they trampled with the heel.¹⁶They related to their owner, God, as though He were insignificant. Similarly, “for My people are stupid, they do not know Me” (Jeremiah 4:22). Did they not know? It is, rather, that they trampled with a heel. Similarly, “she did not know that I gave her” (Hosea 2:10). Did she not know? It is, rather, that she trampled with a heel.