We all know the story: Moses is up on Mount Sinai, receiving the Torah, and the Israelites, feeling abandoned, demand a new god. But what was going on behind the scenes? What choices were being made, and what were the consequences?
Well, let's delve into a fascinating account from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a non-canonical Jewish text that expands on biblical narratives and fills in the gaps. This passage focuses on Aaron, Moses' brother, and the impossible situation he found himself in.
The text tells us that when Aaron saw that Hur, his sister's son, had been killed (presumably for trying to stop the idol-making), he realized he had to act, and fast. "Aaron arose and saw that Hur, the son of his sister, was slain; and he built for them an altar, as it is said, 'And when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it' (Ex. 32:5)." This wasn't an act of faith, but a desperate attempt to control a volatile situation.
Aaron knew he couldn't outright refuse the people. Their desperation had already turned violent. So, according to Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, Aaron strategized. "Aaron argued with himself, saying: If I say to Israel, Give ye to me gold and silver, they will bring it immediately; but behold I will say to them, Give ye to me the earrings of your wives, and of your sons, and forthwith the matter will fail, as it is said, 'And Aaron said to them, Break off the golden rings' (Ex. 32:2)."
He reasoned that if he asked for something more personal, something that required the cooperation of their families, the project might stall. He specifically asked for the earrings of their wives and children, hoping it would be a hurdle too high.
But here's where the story takes a beautiful turn. "The women heard (this), but they were unwilling to give their earrings to their husbands; but they said to them: Ye desire to make a graven image and a molten image without any power in it to deliver." The women refused! They saw the folly of the situation and stood firm in their faith. What a powerful image!
And the text emphasizes that their righteousness did not go unnoticed. "The Holy One, blessed be He, gave the women their reward in this world and in the world to come." According to Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, the reward in this world is that "they should observe the New Moons more stringently than the men." The Rosh Chodesh, or New Moon, became a special holiday for women, a time for rest and celebration.
And what about the reward in the world to come? "They are destined to be renewed like the New Moons, as it is said, 'Who satisfieth thy years with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle' (Ps. 103:5)." Just as the moon waxes and wanes, but always returns, so too will these women be eternally renewed.
Isn't that a stunning detail? It adds so much depth to a story we think we know. It reminds us that even in moments of collective failure, individual acts of courage and faith can have profound consequences, rippling through generations and even into the world to come. It makes you wonder, what small acts of faith and resistance are we capable of today? And what impact might they have on the future?