Ki Tisa - Exodus 30:11-34:35

Let's Talk About Aaron

In the first dozen chapters of Exodus, Aaron is introduced as a spokesperson for Moses, only repeating what he was told by Moses and/or God. He is never quoted as saying anything on his own, and is, in effect, an extension of Moses, with no individuality of his own.

Aaron is so identified with his brother that when the people murmur against Moses, they also murmur against Aaron as well. 

And Aaron never complains, but goes along with things.

Moses was a theocratic king, but without the title. He chose his brother and nephews to lead the people in service to Yahweh, neither Aaron nor his sons respond. They simply go along and do what they are told.

And later, in the Book of Leviticus, when Yahweh sends forth a fire to burn to death the two eldest sons of Aaron, either as punishment, or as a sacrifice, Aaron again, will say nothing.

Aaron simply does what he is told, and doesn't rock the boat.

This personality trait, if you want to call it that, is so pronounced, that the Jewish sages wrote of Aaron that he was "A man of peace" and "One who considered shalom bayit (peace in the home) to be the most important thing", even more important than personal dignity. They tell of a story where a husband was yelling at his wife, and that Aaron let the man spit in his face in order to reduce the friction in the home.

This is, of course, reading into the text, to make Aaron's lack of character as being a positive trait.

In this week's parasha, Moses (whom Aaron refers to as "my lord") is away, talking with Yahweh on His Mountain, and the people come to Aaron and want him to make for them a golden calf to worship.

While, in a later post, I may address (1) who were those people, (2) why a calf, and (3) whose fault was this, I want to bring up a few interesting points.

The first is: Why Aaron? Why not have one of the artisans who were making up all of the religious items with gold to also make the calf?

I an suggesting that they chose Aaron, because he was the one person who never argued. He would go along with it.

And what was Aaron's reaction when they told him to do this?

"Sure. Bring me the gold, and I'll do it". Not only that, but Aaron becomes the most talkative he had ever been, not only making a calf, but an altar as well, and telling them that a feast for Yahweh was the following day, and people were all excited and prepared for a big party.

When Moses comes down, he sees the celebration, gets upset, breaks the two tablets, and did an odd ritual (32:20).

Moses then turns to his brother and goes, "WTF?!" Aaron tries to appease Moses by telling him that the people were set on doing evil, the people told him to do it, so he asked them for gold, tossed it in the fire, and out came a calf.

In other words, he couldn't say "no".

There is a Midrash that expands upon this story, since Aaron was not a craftsman; magic was used by him to cause the molten gold to turn into a golden calf that leaped out of the fire.

And after all of this, Moses tells everyone who is to be with him, to stand with him.

And, of course, Aaron stands with his brother.

After all, that's what Aaron does. He does what he thinks people want him to do.

And Aaron is never punished.

Those who participated in the idolatry were punished with death.

Except the brother of Moses and his sons.

It is something worth thinking about.

Perhaps this is the message of the priestly text: the priesthood is to be held to a different standard, and can only be judged by God.

It's hard to say.