כלי יקר — קח לך עגל / קחו שעיר עזים ועגל

Q — At the dedication of the Mishkan, why does Aharon bring only an עגל (for the egel sin), while Yisrael bring both an עגל *and* a שעיר עזים (for both the egel and the sale of Yosef — but Levi participated in selling Yosef, so why is Aharon exempt)?

A — Kli Yakar reads Chazal's midrash as a chain, not two unrelated atonements. The שעיר עזים of the sale of Yosef and the עגל of the wilderness are the *same sin in two stages*. The brothers' קנאה toward Yosef planted the trait of jealousy in the nation; that same jealousy resurfaced as resentment of Moshe's leadership ('זה משה האיש... לא ידענו מה היה לו'), which produced the egel. 'הקנאה המסבבת פירוד הלבבות' is what unraveled 'ואהבת לרעך כמוך' both times. Aharon escapes the שעיר because he was not part of that chain of קנאה toward leadership; Yisrael need both offerings because for them the sin is one rolling failure of brotherhood.