Chur's Role in the Golden Calf Incident

וַיַּ֣רְא הָעָ֔ם כִּֽי־בֹשֵׁ֥שׁ מֹשֶׁ֖ה לָרֶ֣דֶת מִן־הָהָ֑ר וַיִּקָּהֵ֨ל הָעָ֜ם עַֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ אֵלָיו֙ ק֣וּם ׀ עֲשֵׂה־לָ֣נוּ אֱלֹהִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר יֵֽלְכוּ֙ לְפָנֵ֔ינוּ כִּי־זֶ֣ה ׀ מֹשֶׁ֣ה הָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הֶֽעֱלָ֙נוּ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם לֹ֥א יָדַ֖עְנוּ מֶה־הָ֥יָה לֽוֹ׃ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ אַהֲרֹ֔ן פָּֽרְקוּ֙ נִזְמֵ֣י הַזָּהָ֔ב אֲשֶׁר֙ בְּאׇזְנֵ֣י נְשֵׁיכֶ֔ם בְּנֵיכֶ֖ם וּבְנֹתֵיכֶ֑ם וְהָבִ֖יאוּ אֵלָֽי׃ וַיִּקַּ֣ח מִיָּדָ֗ם וַיָּ֤צַר אֹתוֹ֙ בַּחֶ֔רֶט וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֖הוּ עֵ֣גֶל מַסֵּכָ֑ה וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ אֵ֤לֶּה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶעֱל֖וּךָ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

וְאֶל־הַזְּקֵנִ֤ים אָמַר֙ שְׁבוּ־לָ֣נוּ בָזֶ֔ה עַ֥ד אֲשֶׁר־נָשׁ֖וּב אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם וְהִנֵּ֨ה אַהֲרֹ֤ן וְחוּר֙ עִמָּכֶ֔ם מִי־בַ֥עַל דְּבָרִ֖ים יִגַּ֥שׁ אֲלֵהֶֽם׃

To the elders he had said, “Wait here for us until we return to you. You have Aaron and Hur with you; let anyone who has a legal matter approach them.”

הָלְכוּ לָהֶם אֵצֶל עוֹשֵׂי דְבָרוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה, אַהֲרֹן וְחוּר בֶּן אֲחוֹתוֹ. וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁהָיָה חוּר בֶּן אֲחוֹתוֹ? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיִּקַּח לוֹ כָלֵב אֶת אֶפְרָת וַתֵּלֶד לוֹ אֶת חוּר״. וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמָהּ שֶׁל מִרְיָם אֶפְרָת? אֶלָּא פָּלָטִנִי שֶׁל בַּת מְלָכִים, גְּדוֹלֵי הַדּוֹר, שֶׁכָּל נָשִׂיא וְגָדוֹל שֶׁעָמַד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ אֶפְרָתִי. וְכֵן ״וְדָוִד בֶּן אִישׁ אֶפְרָתִי״, וְכִי אֶפְרָתִי הָיָה? וַהֲלֹא מִשֵּׁבֶט יְהוּדָה הָיָה! אֶלָּא פָּלָטִנִי בֶּן מְלָכִים, גְּדוֹלֵי הַדּוֹר. וְ״יָרָבְעָם בֶּן נְבָט אִישׁ אֶפְרָתִי״. וּלְפִי שֶׁהָיָה חוּר מִשֵּׁבֶט יְהוּדָה, מִגְּדוֹלֵי הַדּוֹר, הִתְחִיל מוֹכִיחַ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּדְבָרִים קָשִׁים. כַּזָּבִים שֶׁבְּיִשְׂרָאֵל עָמְדוּ עָלָיו וַהֲרָגוּהוּ. וְרָאָה אַהֲרֹן לְחוּר שֶׁנֶּהֱרַג וּבָנָה מִזְבֵּחַ לָהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיַּרְא אַהֲרֹן וַיִּבֶן מִזְבֵּחַ לְפָנָיו״. מָה רָאָה? רָאָה שֶׁנֶּהֱרַג חוּר בֶּן אַהֲרֹן, וּבָנָה לָהֶם מִזְבֵּחַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיִּבֶן מִזְבֵּחַ״. אָמַר מֹשֶׁה לְאַהֲרֹן: מֶה עָשִׂיתָ לָעָם הַזֶּה וּפְרַעְתָּ אוֹתָם כְּאִשָּׁה פְּרוּעָה מִזְּנוּת? אָמַר לוֹ: רָאִיתִי מַה שֶּׁעָשׂוּ לְחוּר וְנִתְיָרֵאתִי הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד.

They betook themselves to the one who carried out the words of Moses, (to) Aaron his brother, and Hur, the son of his sister. Whence (do we know) that Hur was the son of (Moses') sister? Because it is said, "And Caleb took unto him Ephrath, which bare him Hur" (1 Chron. 2:19). Why was Miriam's name called Ephrath? Because she was a daughter of the palace, a daughter of kings, one of the magnates of the generation; for every prince and great man who arose in Israel had his name called an Ephrathite, as it is said, "And Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite" (1 Kings 11:26); and it says, "And David was the son of that Ephrathite" (1 Sam. 17:12). Was he then an Ephrathite? Was he not of the tribe of Judah? But he was a nobleman, a son of kings, one of the magnates of the generation. But since Hur was of the tribe of Judah, and one of the magnates of the generation, he began to reprove Israel with harsh words, and the plunderers who were in Israel arose against him, and slew him. Aaron arose || and saw that Hur, the son of his sister, was slain; and he built for them an altar, as it is said, "And when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it" (Ex. 32:5). Moses said to Aaron: What hast thou done to this people? Thou hast made them unruly, like a woman who is unchecked owing to immorality. He said to Moses: I saw what they did to Hur, and I feared very greatly.

דָּבָר אַחֵר, רָאֹה רָאִיתִי וגו', מַהוּ עֳנִי עַמִי, זֶה קְהַל הָעֵגֶל.

וּפְלִיגָא דְּרַבִּי תַּנְחוּם בַּר חֲנִילַאי, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי תַּנְחוּם בַּר חֲנִילַאי: לֹא נֶאֱמַר מִקְרָא זֶה אֶלָּא כְּנֶגֶד מַעֲשֵׂה הָעֵגֶל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיַּרְא אַהֲרֹן וַיִּבֶן מִזְבֵּחַ לְפָנָיו״. מָה רָאָה? אָמַר רַבִּי בִּנְיָמִין בַּר יֶפֶת אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: רָאָה חוּר שֶׁזָּבוּחַ לְפָנָיו. אָמַר: אִי לָא שָׁמַעְנָא לְהוּ הַשְׁתָּא, עָבְדוּ לִי כְּדַעֲבַדוּ בְּחוּר, וּמִיקַּיַים בִּי ״אִם יֵהָרֵג בְּמִקְדַּשׁ ה׳ כֹּהֵן וְנָבִיא״, וְלָא הָוְיָא לְהוּ תַּקַּנְתָּא לְעוֹלָם. מוּטָב דְּלִיעְבְּדוּ לְעֵגֶל, אֶפְשָׁר הָוְיָא לְהוּ תַּקַּנְתָּא בִּתְשׁוּבָה.

§ And the various Sages who offered interpretations of the verse: “And the covetous blesses himself, though he despises the Lord” (Psalms 10:3), disagree with the explanation of Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai. As Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai says: This verse was stated only with regard to the incident of the Golden Calf, as it is stated: “And Aaron saw this, and he built [vayyiven] an altar [mizbe’aḥ] before it…and said: Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord” (Exodus 32:5). What did Aaron see? Rabbi Binyamin bar Yefet says that Rabbi Elazar says: He saw Hur, who had been appointed together with Aaron by Moses to lead the people during Moses’ absence (see Exodus 24:14), slaughtered before him, as he had protested the plan to fashion a calf and had been murdered by the people as a result. The verse is therefore interpreted not as: Aaron built an altar before the calf, but rather: He understood [vayyaven] from the slaughter [mizavuaḥ] before his own eyes; and he then called for a feast. Aaron said to himself: If I do not listen to them now, they will do to me as they did to Hur, and the verse: “Shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?” (Lamentations 2:20), will be fulfilled through me, and they will never have a remedy for such a sin. It is better for them to worship the calf, as it is possible they will have a remedy through repentance. Nevertheless, according to Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai, whoever praises Aaron for this compromise is provoking God.

וְאֵין הַטַּעַם שֶׁיַּעַמְדוּ שָׁם כָּל הַיּוֹם וְכָל הַלַּיְלָה עַד שׁוּבָם, כִּי אָמַר וְהִנֵּה אַהֲרֹן וְחוּר עִמָּכֶם מִי בַעַל דְּבָרִים יִגַּשׁ אֲלֵהֶם, וּבַמַּחֲנֶה יִהְיוּ בַּעֲלֵי הַדְּבָרִים, וְשָׁם מְקוֹם הַמִּשְׁפָּט, וּכְבָר אָמַר לְכֻלָּם "שׁוּבוּ לָכֶם לְאָהֳלֵיכֶם" (דברים ה כז). וְהִנֵּה צִוָּה שֶׁיֵּשְׁבוּ הַזְּקֵנִים וְאַהֲרֹן וְחוּר מוֹשַׁב ב"ד כְּמֹשֶׁה עַל שָׂרֵי הָאֲלָפִים וְהַמֵּאוֹת עַד שׁוּבוֹ, כִּי יָדַע שֶׁיִּתְעַכֵּב בָּהָר.

It does not mean that they were to stay there day and night until their return, for he said, and behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whosoever hath a cause, let him come near unto them, and it is in the camp that parties to a dispute would be found, since that was where the seat of justice was, and he had already told everybody, Return ye to your tents. Thus Moses commanded that the elders together with Aaron and Hur should sit as a court, just as he himself did, over the officers of thousands and hundreds, until he returns, since he knew that he would tarry in the mountain.

ויקרא חג לה' מחר. וְלֹא הַיּוֹם, שֶׁמָּא יָבֹא מֹשֶׁה קֹדֶם שֶׁיַּעַבְדוּהוּ, זֶהוּ פְּשׁוּטוֹ; וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ, בְּוַיִּקְרָא רַבָּה, דְּבָרִים הַרְבֵּה רָאָה אַהֲרֹן – רָאָה חוּר בֶּן אֲחוֹתוֹ שֶׁהָיָה מוֹכִיחָם וַהֲרָגוּהוּ, וְזֶהוּ וַיִּבֶן מִזְבֵּחַ לְפָנָיו – וַיָּבֶן מִזָּבוּחַ לְפָנָיו – וְעוֹד רָאָה וְאָמַר מוּטָב שֶׁיִּתָּלֶה בִי הַסֵּרָחוֹן וְלֹא בָהֶם, וְעוֹד רָאָה וְאָמַר אִם הֵם בּוֹנִים אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, זֶה מֵבִיא צְרוֹר וְזֶה מֵבִיא אֶבֶן וְנִמְצֵאת מְלַאכְתָּן עָשׂוּי בְּבַת אַחַת, מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁאֲנִי בוֹנֶה אוֹתוֹ וַאֲנִי מִתְעַצֵּל בִּמְלַאכְתִּי, בֵּין כָּךְ וּבֵין כָּךְ מֹשֶׁה בָא:

ויקרא חג לה׳ מחר AND CALLED OUT … TO-MORROW IS A FESTIVAL TO THE LORD — to-morrow, not to-day, for he hoped that Moses might return before they would worship it (the calf). This is the plain meaning of the verse. The Midrashic explanation of it in Leviticus Rabbah 10:3 (— it supplies an object to the verb וירא —) is: Aaron saw many things; he saw Hur, his sister’s son, who had reprimanded them, and whom they had killed. This is the meaning of ויבן מזבח, viz., וַיָבֶן, he realized (taking the word as from the root בון, to understand, to realize) מִזָּבוּחַ לפניו from him who lay slaughtered before him (מזבח is vowelled to be read as מִזָּבוּחַ) what would happen to him if he offered resistance. A further explanation of וירא אהרן in the Midrash is: He saw what the situation was and said: It is better that the offence should attach itself to me than to them. And yet a further Midrashic explanation of וירא is: He looked into the matter and said: If they build this altar themselves, one will bring a clod and another a stone and the result will be that their work will be accomplished all at once; through myself building it and being dilatory in my work, in the meantime Moses may come.

וַיַּרְא אַהֲרֹן טַעַם זֶה הַכָּתוּב שֶׁרָאָה אוֹתָם בְּרַע (שמות ל"ב:כ"ב) מְכַוְּנִים אֶל הָעֵגֶל, וְקָם וּבָנָה מִזְבֵּחַ, וְקָרָא "חַג לַה' מָחָר", שֶׁיִּזְבְּחוּ לַשֵּׁם הַמְּיֻחָד עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֲשֶׁר בָּנָה הוּא לִשְׁמוֹ, וְלֹא יִבְנוּ הֵם מִזְבְּחוֹת לַבֹּשֶׁת, וְלֹא תִּהְיֶה כַּוָּנָתָם בַּזְּבָחִים בִּלְתִּי לַה' לְבַדּוֹ: וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁאָמַר "מָחָר" לְהַאֲרִיךְ לָהֶם, אוּלַי יָבֹא מֹשֶׁה וְיַעַזְבוּ אֶת הָעֵגֶל, וְהֵם הִשְׁכִּימוּ בַּבֹּקֶר וַיַּעֲלוּ עֹלֹת וַיַּגִּשׁוּ שְׁלָמִים וְלֹא אָמַר הַכָּתוּב וַיַּעֲלוּ לוֹ עוֹלוֹת וַיַּגִּישׁוּ לוֹ שְׁלָמִים, וְהָעִנְיָן, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיוּ בָּהֶם מְכַוְּנִים לְשֵׁם הקב"ה כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר אַהֲרֹן, וּמֵהֶם מַשְׁחִיתִים וְזוֹבְחִים לָעֵגֶל. וְעַל אֵלֶּה אָמַר הקב"ה לְמֹשֶׁה (שמות ל"ב:ח') "וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לוֹ וַיִּזְבְּחוּ לוֹ", כִּי הֵם הַחַטָּאִים. וְאִם אוּלַי הָיָה אַהֲרֹן הַמַּקְרִיב קָרְבָּנוֹת, אָמַר סְתָם וַיַּעֲלוּ עֹלֹת וַיַּגִּשׁוּ שְׁלָמִים, כִּי הוּא מְכַוֵּן לְשֵׁם ה', וְהֵם דַּעְתָּם אֶל הָעֵגֶל אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ, וְהָיוּ הַבְּעָלִים מְפַגְּלִין:

AND AARON SAW. The meaning of this verse is that Aaron saw them set on evil, intent upon making the calf, and he arose and built an altar and proclaimed, Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Eternal, so that they should bring offerings to the Proper Name of G-d upon the altar which he built to His Name, and that they should not build altars to the shameful thing, and that their intent in the offerings should be [to none] save unto the Eternal only. It is possible that Aaron said, Tomorrow [shall be a feast], in order to delay them, thinking that perhaps Moses would come in the meantime and they would abandon the calf. But they rose up early in the morning and offered burnt-offerings, and brought peace-offerings. Now Scripture does not say “and they offered burnt-offerings to it, and brought peace-offerings to it.” The reason for that is that there were some people amongst them who intended them to be for the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, as Aaron had said, but some of them became corrupted and sacrificed them to the calf. It is with reference to this latter group that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, they have worshipped it, and have sacrificed unto it, for it is they who were the sinners. And even if it was perhaps Aaron who performed the sacrifical rites, Scripture used an indefinite expression — saying, they offered burnt-offerings and brought peace-offerings — in order to suggest that Aaron’s intention was directed towards the Name of the Eternal, whilst they set their mind towards the calf which they had made, and thus the owners [of the sacrifices] invalidated them.