Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Exodus 32:22/רמב"ן על שמות ל״ב:כ״ב
אאַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ אֶת הָעָם כִּי בְרָע הוּא יֹאמַר כִּי הֵם בְּדֶרֶךְ רָעָה, כִּי אָמְרוּ לִי לַעֲשׂוֹת לָהֶם מוֹרֵה דֶּרֶךְ בִּמְקוֹם אֲדוֹנִי עַד שׁוּבוֹ אֵלַי אוּלַי יָשׁוּב, וְנָתְנוּ לִי הַזָּהָב וָאַשְׁלִכֵהוּ בָאֵשׁ וְהִנֵּה יָצָא לָהֶם הָעֵגֶל הַזֶּה, כִּי הֵם חָשְׁבוּ בּוֹ מַחְשָׁבָה רָעָה שֶׁיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לוֹ וְיִזְבְּחוּ לוֹ. וּבַעֲבוּר שֶׁלֹּא רָצָה אַהֲרֹן לְהַאֲרִיךְ בְּסֻרְחָנָן, קִצֵּר וְאָמַר "וַיֵּצֵא הָעֵגֶל הַזֶּה", שֶׁיָּצָא לָהֶם הָעִנְיָן הָרַע הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר אֲדוֹנִי רוֹאֶה:
1THOU KNOWEST THE PEOPLE, THAT THEY ARE SET ON EVIL. Aaron is saying: “They proceeded along the path of evil. They told me to make them a guide in the place of my lord until he returns to me, for perhaps he will return, and then they gave me the gold and I cast it into the fire367 and behold there came out this calf for them, for they had an evil intention as to the gold, [and wanted] to worship it and sacrifice to it.” But because Aaron did not want to speak at length about their corruption, he spoke briefly and said, and there came out this calf,367 meaning, “there came out for them this evil matter that my lord sees.”