וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל אַהֲרֹן קַח לְךָ עֵגֶל בֶּן בָּקָר. וְלָמָּה לֹא אָמַר לוֹ פַּר אֶלָּא עֵגֶל. לְפִי שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הָעֵגֶל נִתְפַּקְפְּקָה הַכְּהֻנָּה בְּיָדְךָ, וּבָעֵגֶל הִיא מִתְבַּסֶּסֶת בְּיָדְךָ. וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא יְהוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹמְרִים: יֵשׁ לָהֶם עֲוֹנוֹת מִמַּעֲשֵׂה הָעֵגֶל. לְפִיכָךְ אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אַף הֵם יַקְרִיבוּ עֵגֶל. וְאֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּדַבֵּר לֵאמֹר קְחוּ שְׂעִיר עִזִּים לְחַטָּאת וְעֵגֶל, שֶׁיֵּדְעוּ הַכֹּל שֶׁנִּתְכַּפֵּר לָהֶם עַל מַעֲשֵׂה הָעֵגֶל. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה נִתְכַּפֵּר לָהֶם עַל יְדֵי קָרְבָּן. וְלָעוֹלָם הַבָּא אֲנִי מוֹחֶה עֲוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁלֹּא בְּקָרְבָּן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אָנֹכִי אָנֹכִי הוּא מוֹחֶה פְשָׁעֶיךָ לְמַעֲנִי (ישעיה מג, כו). (Lev. 9:2:) “Then he said unto Aaron, ‘Take a calf [of the herd for a sin offering].’” Why was it not told him [to take] a bull instead of a calf? He said to him, “Because through the calf (of Exod. 32) the priesthood was shaken in your hand, through a calf it is being established in your hand.” And not only that, but lest Israel say there are sins [clinging] to them from the deed of the calf, for that reason He said they should offer a calf [for a sin offering]. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 9:3), “And you shall speak unto the Children of Israel, saying, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering and a calf….’” [These things were said] so that they would know that they had been forgiven for the deed of the calf. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “In this world, they have been forgiven through offerings, but in the world to come I will wipe away their sins without an offering.” It is so stated (in Is. 43:25), “I, even I, will pardon12Mohel; cf. the Masoretic Text which reads moheh (“wipe away”). your transgressions for My own sake and will not remember your sins.”