פרשת כי-תשא תשי"ד - מעשה העגל

And Aaron said: ‘Let not the anger of my lord wax hot; thou knowest the people, that they are set on evil.

כי ברע הוא. They were already so deeply involved in the sin, having been used to the idolatry they had been addicted to in the hundreds of years in Egypt.

?ואומר להן למי זהב, I was assuming or hoping that there would not be any raw gold handy to be used to make into any kind of jewelry.

התפרקו ויתנו לי, but against my expectations they removed golden jewelry and donated it for this purpose.

ואשליכהו באש, I tried to delay matters, throwing the gold into the fire, as is, without making any of the customary preparations performed by goldsmiths, activities which preheat the gold so it can cast properly to be fashioned into the desired shapes.

And he said unto them: ‘Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: Put ye every man his sword upon his thigh, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.’

כה אמר הי וגו׳ THUS SAITH THE LORD etc. — Where did he say so? In the command, (Exodus 22:19) “He that sacrificeth unto any god shall utterly be destroyed”. Thus is it stated in the Mechilta.

He that sacrificeth unto the gods, save unto the LORD only, shall be utterly destroyed.

ושמתי את זרעך כחול הים AND I WILL MAKE THY SEED AS THE SAND OF THE SEA — Where, indeed, did God promise him this? Did he not promise him only (Genesis 28:14) “And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth"? But the explanation is that He had at the same time promised him (Genesis 28:15) “for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken about thee”, and to Abraham he had promised (Genesis 22:17) “and I will greatly multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is upon the seashore”.

אשר דברנו אליך במצרים [THE WORD] THAT WE SPOKE UNTO THEE IN EGYPT — And where had they said this? (Exodus 5:21) “The Lord look upon you and judge!” (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 14:11)

‎‎ '‏וגו‎‎‎ 'הוא אשר דבר ה‎ THIS IS WHAT THE LORD SPOKE, etc. — Where had He spoken this? In the statement (Exodus 29:43), “And there I will be met by the children of Israel and it (the Tabernacle) shall be sanctified by My glory (בכבודי).” Read not here בִכְבוֹדִי, “by My Glory” but בִּמְכֻבָּדַי, “through My honoured ones” (Zevachim 115b). Moses here said to Aaron: “My brother, Aaron! I knew that this House was to be sanctified by those who are beloved of the Omnipresent God and I thought it would be either through me or through thee; now I see that these (thy sons who have died) are greater than me and than thee!” (Leviticus Rabbah 12 2).