Aaron's Role in the Golden Calf
What we want the most is not necessarily what we need the most. The perfect person is one who truly knows what to want
In the Defense of Aaron
This week’s Torah portion Ki Tisa contains one of the most explosive narratives of the entire Torah. Aaron, the brother of Moses, G-d’s chosen Kohein Gadol (High Priest), abets and assists in the construction of Judaism’s greatest abominations—the Golden Calf!
Our commentators have grappled with this issue. How can Aaron, one of Judaism’s most revered people, be involved in such a horrible crime?
The most widely known interpretation of Aaron’s involvement was that he was motivated by one thing—his love and concern for the future of the Jewish people. Aaron knew that Moses’ return was imminent. By acting as if he was interested in helping those who wanted another g-d, Aaron was stalling for time. Aaron’s hope was that by the time any more serious transgression would occur, Moses would have returned.
To further complicate their ability to create the golden calf, Aaron asked them to take their wives’ jewelry. Aaron, our Sages tell us, was confident that the women would not comply with their husband’s wishes to contribute their valuables for idolatrous purposes. Aaron was right, but he underestimated the zeal of the men to worship this idol. They took their own jewelry and quickly brought it to Aaron.
Aaron also did not resist their demands, our Sages inform us, because the feared that if he would have done so, they would have killed him. And it was not concern for his own life that prevented him from resisting, rather it was his fear that if the Jews would have been charged with murder, in addition to idol worship, G-d would not have forgiven them.
Why was Aaron Blamed?
This explanation, however, raises the opposite question. If Aaron was so innocent and his motives were so pure, why did he have to bear even part of the blame? Why did Moses rebuke him so harshly? And why is the sin of the Golden Calf attributed to Aaron?
Harsher Treatment for the Righteous
One possible explanation is that in the end, the Jewish people suffered terribly from the entire saga. Had Aaron truly averted the catastrophe and all Jews would have been spared, Aaron would probably have been given credit for saving them. To be sure, the end result, tragically, was not what Aaron had intended. Nevertheless, his involvement was instrumental in causing harm to some Jews, even as he spared the rest of them from an even worse fate.
For a Tzadik (a righteous and holy person) who is consumed with a love for the Jewish people, even unintentional harm caused to only a few, leaves its mark. A tzadik whose devotion to the one G-d is so absolute, cannot help but to be affected adversely, when his actions lead, albeit, unintentionally, to idolatry.
Had others of lesser importance than Aaron done the same thing, it would not have diminished them. After all, they tried their best to avert a catastrophe. For a man of Aaron’s caliber, however, in spite of his innocence, he had to bear the burden of his actions.
The lesson for all of us is that the more spiritually sensitive we become, we must not be satisfied with our good intentions. We must endeavor to guarantee positive results, particularly where the welfare of the Jewish people and the integrity of G-d’s unity are concerned.
The Tzadik’s Stoicism
With the premise that the holier and more sensitive people are the greater the demands are made on them, we can fathom a curious phenomenon. Throughout history, the Jewish people were in dire need of salvation. Whether it was physical danger and oppression, or spiritual degradation and demoralization, the Jewish people always expressed their desire for G-d to send them Moshiach to liberate them. Yet, the people who yearned most for Moshiach were the ones who seemed to need him the least, at least from a spiritual vantage point.
The true Tzadik does not crave for material wealth. The Tzadik is known for his stoic nature. He can endure pain and can even see it as cathartic and positive The Tzadik can tolerate the absence of freedom as long as it does not impinge on his observance.
The Holier People are the More they Crave for Moshiach
Yet, notwithstanding all of this, we have discovered that the greater the Tzadik, the greater his passion for Moshiach and the more he felt the degradation of life in exile. How do we explain this paradoxical phenomenon? While he needs it the least he wants it the most!
In light of the above analysis—that the more spiritual people are, the more they are held accountable for their actions—we can understand that the righteous feel their miniscule imperfections far more acutely than most of us feel far greater faults.
To the righteous, thus, the need for Redemption is felt more keenly. Every minute the Jewish people suffer, it is intolerable for them. Every instant that G-d is in exile is the source of incredible pain for the spiritual advanced. Despite their exemplary behavior and their efforts to help, they will implicate themselves in the failure of their actions. They yearn for a time when their efforts and good intentions will yield only positive results and they instill some of their passion for Moshiach to the rest of us.
From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Ki Sisa by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
