I listened to Daf Yomi many years ago on the Bus from Monsey New York to Work. I heard one of the Maggid Shirem give a great interpretation of The Golden Calf incident and Aharon HaKohane actuually risking his like in this world and In HOLEM HA-BA to save KAL YISRAEL If you have a source for this could you let me know I can no longer find the Daf he included it with. Thank you
Harold Loiterman, Norfolk
Harold,
Sorry for the delay in responding. The source is the Gemara in Sanhedrin 7a based on the verse in Eichah 2:20 that describes the sin of killing a Kohen and Navi as one of extreme severity, and apparently there was a Kabalah that it was so severe that Klal Yisrael would never be able to achieve atonement for this Aveirah.
After Chur was killed, Aharon ha'Kohen (who was also a Navi) was afraid he would be next and there would be no hope for Klal Yisrael. He did the lesser of two evils with the assumption there was a chance of Klal Yisrael achieving atonement for the Aveirah of the Egel.
Avraham Phillips