Take Aaron

(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ב) קַ֤ח אֶֽת־אַהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֣יו אִתּ֔וֹ וְאֵת֙ הַבְּגָדִ֔ים וְאֵ֖ת שֶׁ֣מֶן הַמִּשְׁחָ֑ה וְאֵ֣ת ׀ פַּ֣ר הַֽחַטָּ֗את וְאֵת֙ שְׁנֵ֣י הָֽאֵילִ֔ים וְאֵ֖ת סַ֥ל הַמַּצּֽוֹת׃ (ג) וְאֵ֥ת כָּל־הָעֵדָ֖ה הַקְהֵ֑ל אֶל־פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃

Leviticus 8:1-3

(1) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: (2) Take Aaron along with his sons, and the vestments, the anointing oil, the bull of sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread; (3) and assemble the whole community at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.

שמות ל״ב:א׳-ו׳

(א) וַיַּ֣רְא הָעָ֔ם כִּֽי־בֹשֵׁ֥שׁ מֹשֶׁ֖ה לָרֶ֣דֶת מִן־הָהָ֑ר וַיִּקָּהֵ֨ל הָעָ֜ם עַֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ אֵלָיו֙ ק֣וּם ׀ עֲשֵׂה־לָ֣נוּ אֱלֹקִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר יֵֽלְכוּ֙ לְפָנֵ֔ינוּ כִּי־זֶ֣ה ׀ מֹשֶׁ֣ה הָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הֶֽעֱלָ֙נוּ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם לֹ֥א יָדַ֖עְנוּ מֶה־הָ֥יָה לֽוֹ׃ (ב) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ אַהֲרֹ֔ן פָּֽרְקוּ֙ נִזְמֵ֣י הַזָּהָ֔ב אֲשֶׁר֙ בְּאָזְנֵ֣י נְשֵׁיכֶ֔ם בְּנֵיכֶ֖ם וּבְנֹתֵיכֶ֑ם וְהָבִ֖יאוּ אֵלָֽי׃ (ג) וַיִּתְפָּֽרְקוּ֙ כָּל־הָעָ֔ם אֶת־נִזְמֵ֥י הַזָּהָ֖ב אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּאָזְנֵיהֶ֑ם וַיָּבִ֖יאוּ אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹֽן׃ (ד) וַיִּקַּ֣ח מִיָּדָ֗ם וַיָּ֤צַר אֹתוֹ֙ בַּחֶ֔רֶט וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֖הוּ עֵ֣גֶל מַסֵּכָ֑ה וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ אֵ֤לֶּה אֱלֹקֶ֙יךָ֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶעֱל֖וּךָ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ (ה) וַיַּ֣רְא אַהֲרֹ֔ן וַיִּ֥בֶן מִזְבֵּ֖חַ לְפָנָ֑יו וַיִּקְרָ֤א אַֽהֲרֹן֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר חַ֥ג לַה' מָחָֽר׃ (ו) וַיַּשְׁכִּ֙ימוּ֙ מִֽמָּחֳרָ֔ת וַיַּעֲל֣וּ עֹלֹ֔ת וַיַּגִּ֖שׁוּ שְׁלָמִ֑ים וַיֵּ֤שֶׁב הָעָם֙ לֶֽאֱכֹ֣ל וְשָׁת֔וֹ וַיָּקֻ֖מוּ לְצַחֵֽק׃ (פ)

Exodus 32:1-6

(1) When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, the people gathered against Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who shall go before us, for that man Moses, who brought us from the land of Egypt—we do not know what has happened to him.” (2) Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” (3) And all the people took off the gold rings that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. (4) This he took from them and cast in a mold, and made it into a molten calf. And they exclaimed, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!” (5) When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron announced: “Tomorrow shall be a festival of the LORD!” (6) Early next day, the people offered up burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; they sat down to eat and drink, and then rose to dance.

ויקרא רבה י׳:ג׳

דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַיַּרְא אַהֲרֹן, מָה רָאָה, אָמַר אַהֲרֹן אִם בּוֹנִין הֵן אוֹתוֹ, הַסִּרְחוֹן נִתְלָה בָּהֶן, מוּטָב שֶׁיִּתָּלֶה הַסִּרְחוֹן בִּי וְלֹא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר יוּדָן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אַבָּא מָשָׁל לְבֶן מְלָכִים שֶׁנִּתְגָּאֶה לִבּוֹ עָלָיו וְלָקַח אֶת הַסַּיִּף לַחְתֹּךְ אֶת אָבִיו, אָמַר לוֹ פַּדְגוֹגוֹ אַל תְּיַגַּע אֶת עַצְמְךָ תֵּן לִי וַאֲנִי חוֹתֵךְ, הֵצִיץ הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלָיו אָמַר לוֹ יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי לְהֵיכָן הָיְתָה כַּוָּנָתְךָ, מוּטָב שֶׁיִּתָּלֶה הַסִּרְחוֹן בְּךָ וְלֹא בִּבְנִי, חַיֶּיךָ מִן פָּלָטִין דִּידִי לֵית אַתְּ זָיַיע וּמוֹתַר פָּתוֹרִי אַתְּ אָכֵיל, עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע אֲנוֹנָס אַתְּ נָסֵיב. כָּךְ מִן פָּלָטִין דִּילִי לֵית אַתְּ זָיַיע (ויקרא כא, יב): וּמִן הַמִּקְדָּשׁ לֹא יֵצֵא, וּמוֹתַר פָּתוֹרִי אַתְּ אָכֵיל, (ויקרא ב, ג): וְהַנּוֹתֶרֶת מִן הַמִּנְחָה, עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה אֲנוֹנָס אַתְּ נָסֵיב, אֵלּוּ עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע מַתְּנוֹת כְּהֻנָּה שֶׁנִּתְּנוּה לְאַהֲרֹן וּלְבָנָיו. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְאַהֲרֹן, אָהַבְתָּ צֶדֶק, אָהַבְתָּ לְצַדֵּק אֶת בָּנַי, וְשָׂנֵאתָ מִלְּחַיְבָן, עַל כֵּן מְשָׁחֲךָ אֱלֹקִים אֱלֹקֶיךָ, אָמַר לוֹ חַיֶּיךָ שֶׁמִּכָּל שִׁבְטוֹ שֶׁל לֵוִי לֹא נִבְחַר לִכְהֻנָּה גְדוֹלָה אֶלָּא אַתָּה (ויקרא ח, ב): קַח אֶת אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת בָּנָיו אִתּוֹ.

Vayikra Rabbah 10:3

Another interpretation: "When Aaron saw [the Golden Calf], [he built an altar before it; and Aaron announced: 'Tomorrow shall be a festival of the LORD!']"(Exodus 32:5). What did he see? Thought Aaron: If they build it, the stench of sin hangs on them. Better that the stench of sin hang on me and not on Israel.

Rabbi Abba bar Yudan in the name of Rabbi Abba said: This is comparable to the son of kings whose heart became arrogant and took up a sword to cut down his father. His tutor said to him: "Do not trouble yourself. Give it to me and I will cut!" The King glanced out upon the tutor and said to him: "I know what was your [true] intention. Better that the stench of sin hang on you than on my son. By your life, [as reward] you will not move from my palace, and the leftovers from my table you will eat, and you will take twenty-four portion of rations."

So too: You [Aaron] will not move from my palace: "He shall not go outside the sanctuary"(Leviticus 21:12), and the leftovers from my table you will eat: "And the remainder of the meal offering [shall be for Aaron and his sons,]"(Leviticus 2:3) and twenty-four portions of rations you will take. These are the twenty-four gifts of the priesthood that were given to Aaron and his sons.

The Holy Blessed One said to Aaron: "You love righteousness (tzedek)" (Psalm 45:8). You love to defend (l'tzadek) my children and hate to make them guilty. "Rightly has God, your God, chosen to anoint you" (ibid.) and said to you, "By your life! Out of the whole tribe of Levi, only you were chosen for the priesthood," as it says "Take Aaron along with his sons [and the vestments and the anointing oil,]" (Leviticus 8:2)