[Avodah] EGEL ZAHAV

[cantorwolberg at cox.net]

The explanation I heard for Aaron's agreeing to make the egel was that 
they only gave him the choice of making the egel or being killed like 
Chur.  Why were those the only choices?  Because they were hysterical.


Chur said no to their request instead of giving them options.
Had Chur (or the 70 Elders for that matter, who also had been killed) told the eiruv rav that Aaron could be their leader,
that would have been a different scenario. But that never happened.
Let's say you are a teacher in school and your students love the principal (it should only happen) and they also love the ass't principal.
The principal goes to a conference and the students think that the principal died at the conference. (The midrash says that the
soton gave the people an image of Moshe lying in a coffin dead). The students then come to you and say that either you make them 
an idol to be in lieu of the principal or they will kill you. If you outright refuse their request, then they will kill you. But did it ever occur to
you to suggest that the ass't principal can take over? 
The people were never given that option so we don't know that it wouldn't have worked.
BTW, the Beverly Hills Chabad Rabbi Shusterman feels that was an option.
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