Question

A parable used to justify a tradition with these animals involves a handmaiden cleaning up after her son in a king’s palace. Dan Merkur claimed that Moses’s visions were from consuming mushrooms that grew on these animals’ excrement. According to the Talmud, the only mitzvot that Solomon didn’t understand involved a sabbath named after these animals that occurs immediately after Purim. The remains of a hyssop, cedar stick, and yarn (15[1])were blended with the (*) blood of this animal to create the water of separation. (10[1])Numbers 19 describes a purification ceremony (10[1])after coming (10[1])into contact (-5[1])with a corpse, which requires the ashes of a red one (10[1])of these animals. (10[3])The Israelites drank the dust of one of these animals, whose representation prompted a slaughter by the Levites. For 10 points, Aaron used melted jewelry to create a golden idol of what (10[1])animal? ■END■

ANSWER: cows [accept calf or bulls or cattle or bovines; accept heifers or red heifers or parah adumah; accept the golden calf or egel HaZahav; prompt on livestock]
<GE, Religion (Judaism)>
= Average correct buzz position