Who Says Doing What is Right is Easy

Aharon, the Kohen HaGadol (High Priest), Moshe’s older brother, was an enigmatic figure, a leader of the people along with his brother, who proved incapable of preventing his people from falling prey to the sin of the egel hazahav – the golden calf. Moreover, he did not stand up and actively protest the actions of the people, preferring to play along with the seeming rebellion. This awkward participation in this sinful event complicates his inauguration as Kohen HaGadol as found in this week’s parasha:

The Lord spoke to Moshe saying: Take Aharon along with his sons, and the vestments, the anointing oil, the bull of sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread; and assemble the whole community at the entrance of the tent of Assembly. (Leviticus 8:1-2)

Voices within the rabbinic tradition sought to attenuate the irony posed by Aharon’s appointment by rewriting Aharon’s participation in the golden calf story, turning him into the hero of the story. The following midrash presents several different “takes” on why Aharon went along with the people’s request:

Rabbi Berekhya in the name of Rabbi Abba bar Kahana interpreted the verse: “You love righteousness and hate wickedness…” (Psalms 45:8) with regard to Aharon. When Israel performed that act (the golden calf), initially they approached Ḥur (another of the leaders of the people). They said to him: “Rise, make for us a god.” (Exodus 32:1) 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  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, make 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. [Pay attention to the play on words which inspired this interpretation: vayar – nityareh; mizbeah – mizavuah] 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.

In the first of the retellings of the golden calf story, Aharon follows the people’s request not only to save his own life, but for the sages’ purposes, to prevent the people from fulfilling the prophecy found in Lamentations where the people murder both one of the leaders of the people along with their religious leader.

In the following retake, Aharon intends to slow down the performance of the sin in order to give Moshe the opportunity to descend from the mountain and save the day:

Another interpretation: “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 lazy in my work, and our master, Moshe, 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.”

The last retake of the story has Aharon taking the blame so that responsibility for the sin does not rest on the people:

Another interpretation: “Aharon saw” – what did he see? Aharon said [to himself]: 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… The Holy One blessed be He said to Aharon: ‘“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). (adapted from Vayikra Rabba 10:3, Margoliot ed. pp. 199-203)

While these midrashim are clearly apologetic in nature, they do provide an interesting window into how complicated it is to be a leader. How easy life would be if all decisions were black and white and uncomplicated. Doing what is right is never that easy as these rewritten “takes” on Aharon’s role in the sin of the golden calf indicate. In so many decisions in life, when we have to figure out what is the right thing to do, we appreciate exactly what Aharon faced.