Aharon/0
Aharon
Aharon's Roles
Spokesman
Political Leader
Priest
Unique Traits
Possible Sins In several instances in Torah, a simple reading of the story implies that Aharon might have sinned:
Sin of the Golden Calf
Shemot 32 details the Sin of the Golden Calf. One of the most troubling aspects of the story is that Aharon appears to play a lead role in the events Is it possible that Aharon was involved in an idolatrous rite, or is it blasphemous to even ponder such a possibility? Though commentators universally attempt to defend Aharon and agree that he did not worship the calf as an alternative deity, they differ in how they understand and mitigate his wrongdoing: [For a full discussion of the episode, see Sin of the Golden Calf.]
- Inappropriate worship of Hashem - The Kuzari portrays Aharon as having positive, albeit misguided, intentions. The nation desired a tangible object which could represent Hashem and to whom they could direct their worship. Aharon erred only in not recognizing that all graven images are prohibited, even of Hashem Himself.
- Replacing Moshe – According to R"Y Bekhor Shor, the calf was not connected to idolatry at all. Bereft of Moshe's leadership and his connection to the Divine, the people searched for an alternative to guide them in the wilderness. Aharon tried to placate them by providing a powerless leader whom they would abandon as soon as Moshe returned. Hashem's anger was aimed at avenging Moshe's honor, not His own.
- Delay Tactics – Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer and Rashi instead maintain that, though the people themselves viewed the calf as alternative god, Aharon himself did not and all his actions were aimed at delaying the people, hoping that Moshe would arrive before they sinned.
- Test – R. Saadia compares Aharon to Yehu,1 who similarly pretended to promote idolatry, but only in order to discover and eliminate those who were guilty of Baal worship. Aharon, too, acquiesced to the nation's request only to determine who was guilty.
Slandering Moshe
Bemidbar 12 describes Miryam and Aharon's criticizing of Moshe's marriage to the Cushite woman, and Miryam's ensuing punishment. What led Miryam and Aharon to criticize their brother and how we to evaluate their infraction? Was this malicious slander, idle chatter or simply poor judgment? [For elaboration, see Miryam's Critique of Moshe and his Cushite Marriage.]
