“Gather to Me seventy men” – where were the initial ones? This is what the verse said: “He shatters the powerful without number and sets others in their place” (Job 34:24). While they were in Egypt, they had seventy elders, as it is stated: “Go and assemble the elders of Israel” (Exodus 3:16), and they departed from Egypt with them. When Moses ascended to receive the Torah, they were with him, as it is stated: “Moses and Aaron, Nadav and Avihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel ascended” (Exodus 24:9).
“To the elders he said: Remain here for us” (Exodus 24:14). When Moses ascended, he stipulated with Israel that he would descend at the end of forty days. When he tarried in descending, as it is stated: “The people saw that Moses tarried [boshesh] in descending” (Exodus 32:1), and boshesh is nothing other than an expression of tarrying, as it is stated: “Why does his chariot tarry [boshesh] to arrive, why are the hoofbeats of his chariot late” (Judges 5:28), all Israel entered to the elders and said to them: ‘Moses stipulated that he would descend at the end of forty days.
It is now six hours later and he has not descended and we do not know what became of him. “Rise, craft for us a god that will go before us, as this [ki zeh] man, Moses, who took us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him”’ (Exodus 32:1). When they [the elders] heard this, they said to them: ‘Why are you provoking the One who performed all those miracles and wonders on your behalf?’
They did not heed them and they killed them. Because Ḥur stood and confronted them with harsh words, they stood against him and killed him, too. All of Israel entered to Aaron with great bustle, as it is stated: “The people assembled around Aaron and said to him: Rise” (Exodus 32:1). [They said:] ‘Why are you sitting? Rise.’
Rabbi Yitzḥak said: The Divine Spirit is screaming: “I abhor the assembly of evildoers [and will not sit with the wicked]” (Psalms 26:5). [They said:] ‘“Rise, craft for us a god,” and if not ki zeh, we will do to you like this [kazeh]. Just as we stood agains Hur and killed him, so we will do to you.’ When Aaron saw what they had done to the elders and to Ḥur, he feared them, as it is stated: “Aaron saw and built an altar [vayiven mizbe’aḥ]” (Exodus 32:5); he understood [hevin] from the one who was slaughtered [mimi shezavuaḥ] before him.
From where is it derived that they killed the elders and Ḥur? It is as Jeremiah rebukes Israel: “Moreover, on the edge of your garments [biknnafekha]20This is expounded to mean in assembly [bukhnufiya]. the blood of the lives of the blameless poor is found; you did not find them clandestinely; rather on all these” (Jeremiah 2:34). What is “on all these [eleh]”? It is because of: “This is [eleh] your god” (Exodus 32:4).
What retribution did he exact against them? “The Lord afflicted the people, because they crafted the calf” (Exodus 32:35). After the passage of time, when He forgave them, He said to Moses: “Gather to Me seventy” in place of their seventy ancestors who were killed for the sanctification of My name. This is what is written: “He shatters the powerful without number and sets others in their place.”