כָּל אוֹתָם שִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים שֶׁמּשֶׁה עָסוּק בַּמִּשְׁכָּן, הוּא הָיָה זוֹרֵק אֶת הַדָּם וּמַקְטִיר הַחֲלָבִים. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, מָה אַתָּה סָבוּר, קְרָא לְאָחִיךָ. לְכָךְ כְּתִיב: קָרָא מֹשֶׁה לְאַהֲרֹן וּלְבָנָיו וּלְזִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּדֵי לְגַדְּלוֹ בִּפְנֵי הַזְּקֵנִים. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, קְרָא לַזְּקֵנִים וּמַנֵּה אוֹתוֹ לִפְנֵיהֶם, שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ, מֵעַצְמוֹ נַעֲשָׂה כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל. קַח לְךָ עֵגֶל בֶּן בָּקָר. וְלָמָּה לֹא אָמַר פַּר. אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי עֵגֶל, נִתְפַּקְפֵּק הַכְּהֻנָּה בְּיָדְךָ, וּבָעֵגֶל מִתְבַּסֶּסֶת בְּיָדְךָ. וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא יְהוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹמְרִים: שֶׁלָּנוּ עֲוֹנוֹת מִמַּעֲשֵׂה הָעֵגֶל. לְפִיכָךְ אַף הֵם יַקְרִיבוּ עֵגֶל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְאֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּדַבֵּר לֵאמֹר קְחוּ שְׂעִיר עִזִּים לְחַטָּאת וְעֵגֶל וָכֶבֶשׂ בְּנֵי שָׁנָה, שֶׁיֵּדְעוּ שֶׁנִּתְכַּפֵּר לָהֶם מַעֲשֵׂה הָעֵגֶל. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה נִתְכַּפֵּר לָהֶם עַל יְדֵי קָרְבָּן, וְלָעוֹלָם הַבָּא אֲנִי מוֹחֵל פְּשָׁעֶיךָ בְּלֹא קָרְבָּן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אָנֹכִי אָנֹכִי הוּא מוֹחֶה פְשָׁעֶיךָ לְמַעֲנִי (ישעיה מג, כו). All of those seven days that Moshe was occupied with the tabernacle, he was sprinkling the blood and incinerating the fats. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "What do you think, call to your brother [so that he will do it from now on]." Hence it is written, Moshe called to Aharon and to his sons and to the elders of Israel” – so as to aggrandize him in front of the elders. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "Call the elders and appoint him in front of them, that they not say, 'He became high priest on his own.'" "Take for yourself a young calf" – and why did He not say, "A bull?" But rather, the priesthood was made doubtful in your hand with a calf, [so too,] is it established in your hand with a calf. And not only that, but [so] that Israel not say, "The sins from the event of the golden calf are [still] ours." Hence they should also offer a calf, as it is stated, "And to the Children of Israel speak, saying, 'Take a male goat for a sin-offering and a calf and a lamb that are a year old'" - so that they would know that they underwent atonement for the event of the calf. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "In this world, they underwent atonement with a sacrifice; and in the world to come, I pardon your transgressions without a sacrifice, as it is stated (Isaiah 43:25), 'I, I am the One that wipes away your transgressions for My sake.'"