Two Tales of the Golden Calf

I would like to review the two versions of the Golden Calf story as told both in the Quran and the Torah. First from the Quran, chapter 7, verses 148–155

“And while he was away, the people of Moses[1] took a calf (made) from their ornaments a body that lowed. Did not they consider that it did not speak to them Or guide them in any way?

They took it up and thus became wrongdoers. And when they wrung their hands

And saw that they have gone astray, they said, ‘Unless our lord has mercy on us, and forgives us, We surely will be among the losers’.

Then when Moses returned to his people, angered, and aggrieved, he said:

‘How evil is what you have done behind my back? Would you want to hasten the judgment of your Lord?’ And he cast the tablets and grabbed his brother by his hair pulling him. Aaron said:’ Son of my mother! Truly the people deemed me weak, and they were about to kill me. So let not the transgressors rejoice over me, and don’t place me among the wrongdoers’.

He said, ‘My Lord: forgive me and my brother And admit us into your mercy for You are the most merciful. As for those who took to the calf, wrath from their Lord will come upon them, and abasement in the life of this world. Thus, We requite the forgers of lies.

Now, when the anger of Moses abated, he took up the tablets, in their transcript were guidance and mercy for those who are in awe of their Lord. Then Moses chose seventy people for his appointment (With his Lord) and when the shiver came upon them, he said:

‘My Lord, if You so willed, You could have destroyed them as well as me. Will You destroy us for what the fools amongst us have done? It is Your tribulation whereby you misguide whomever You wish. You are the protector so forgive us and have mercy on us You are the best at forgiving.’”

To summarize the story, Moses goes up the mountain for his appointment with his lord and anoints his brother Aaron as his deputy in his absence. While up on the mountain, his people were seduced by a charlatan to use their jewelry to make a calf and worship it as their god. When Moses got back, he was initially very angry with his brother and drags him from his hair, but when Aaron told him what happened and how he was unable to dissuade them from what they were doing, Moses asked the Lord for forgiveness for both himself and his brother and takes the golden calf and destroys it.

Now let us look at the same story as given in the Torah. In chapter 32 of Exodus, it tells us that Moses went up to Mount Sinai for his appointment with his Lord. During his prolonged absence, the people go to Aaron and ask him to make them a god who could lead them to which Aaron complies[2]. He collects golden jewelry, melts it, and makes a calf out of it. The Israelites immediately proclaimed it to be God who brought them out of Egypt. They started partying and committing immoral acts. The Lord then informs Moses of what is happening and tells him He will destroy them all. Moses then enters into a dialog with his Lord trying to convince him not to destroy the great deed he accomplished by saving the Israelites in the first place. (As a result,) God changed His mind and relented. Moses came down angry and threw the tablets, took the calf and melted it, ground it, and then threw it into the water. Moses asks his brother what has happened, and he explains to him how wicked his people were. When Moses saw that the people had been committing adultery — at Aaron’s encouragement[3], he called out to all the people who stood on the Lord’s side to join him, and all the Levites came. He tells them to pull their swords and kill all others including brothers, neighbors, and friends so they killed about three thousand men that day.

It is very puzzling to me how Moses interceded with his Lord to spare his people and asked for forgiveness for their sins, and then he turned around, collected his followers of the faithful, and then ordered them to kill some three thousand men.

I welcome any comment from our Jewish scholars.

[1] In chapter 20:85, the Quran identifies the culprit who instigated the incident as a Samaritan.

[2] Muslims could not accept the notion that a prophet of God, such as Aaron is, could commit such a horrendous act as to make an idol for his people to worship aside from God.

[3] The author of Exodus does not seem to favor Aaron or accept him as Moses’ right-hand man.