tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833655522920475085.post2278441431981906273..comments2023-11-03T05:38:02.929-07:00Comments on The Dvar Torah Project: Ki Tissa- The Golden Calf and Aharon's FallBen Greenfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436935130008960024noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833655522920475085.post-66915358465417904062008-02-21T13:08:00.000-08:002008-02-21T13:08:00.000-08:00Readers of this piece may be interested in Aaron's...Readers of this piece may be interested in <A HREF="http://curiousjew.blogspot.com/2007/06/aarons-flaw.html" REL="nofollow">Aaron's later guilt as connected to this flaw (of inaction, or improper action).</A> To illustrate the main thrust of the idea:<BR/><BR/>Aaron had been placed in a position where he was supposed to act, to respond, to stop the people from committing a grave sin. He <I>did</I> act, but incorrectly. He aided them in this sin, thinking that he was limiting the damage. Aaron believed himself to be responsible for the sin of the Golden Calf; for the rest of his life, he strove to make up the damage.<BR/><BR/>"For ever since Aaron had become aware that through the construction of the Golden Calf he had brought about the transgression of Israel, it was his endeavor through the following course of life to atone for his sin. He would go from house to house, and whenever he found one who did not know how to recite his Shema', he taught him the Shema'; if one did not know how to pray he taught him how to pray; and if he found one who was not capable of penetrating into the study of the Torah, he initiated him into it. [634] He did not, however, consider his task restricted 'to establishing peace between God and man,' but strove to establish peace between the learned and the ignorant Israelites, among the scholars themselves, among the ignorant, and between man and wife. [635] Hence the people loved him very dearly, and rejoiced when they believed he had now attained a higher rank than Moses." (<I>Legends of the Jews</I>, "Preparing Aaron for his Impending Death," page 740)<BR/><BR/>How, then, could Aaron remain silent when he heard Moses refer to his brethren, his people as הַמֹּרִים - fools and rebels? He was the peacemaker! This was the way in which he strove to atone for his sin, his sin of inaction, or rather, of improper action!<BR/><BR/>And yet, when placed in the same situation, Aaron did not act. Once again he allowed events to take their course. Once again he did not truly intervene... He did not respond to Moses' words, did not defend the people as he ought to have done. If Aaron had truly understood the flaw, the problem with his actions when it came to the Golden Calf, he would not have remained silent. He would have spoken up; he would have argued with Moses, told him that he could not refer to the people in this manner.<BR/><BR/>[for the rest of the idea, see the full post]Chanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17655144434904957767noreply@blogger.com