E stresses the plagues in Mitzraim, J does not know about these plagues. J stresses the wanderings through the Desert, E does not know about these wanderings. J has the people eat Manna, but E has them eat only cakes from Mitzraim. Do E and J agree on anything? They agree that Moshe went up to Har Sinai, the mountain of G-d. They agree that there was a calamity before that, but then again, they differ regarding the details. J says there was a calamity from HaShem; E has a calamity through human actors, the Bnei Levi. Both agree, that they came from Mitzraim, and both agree that Moshe could not handle the people alone, although they differ on the details of that. J says that there was a Divine command to institute the Sanhedrin; E has Yitro coming along with his human advice.
But Moshe went up, both agree. To meet HaShem.
This seems to be somewhat different in Sefer Bereshit. Regarding Yosef, for instance. Both E and J agree that Yosef was brought to Mitzraim, that he rose to a position of power, that he tested his brothers, and that they were reunited. The same basic story is told, seen through different glasses.
The point is that the editor of the combined "work" of E and J was not bothered by the differences. To the contrary, it seems that the editor loved them. Moshe went up, and from up there, there are no differences. But from down here, the differences proved too glaring to be tolerated. Hence P came, "Aharon," and covered it all up, with his editing pen, and with his Avodah Zarah, the molten calf.
They exclaimed: "This is your god, Israel, which brought you up from the land Mitzraim." And Aharon called out and said: "A festival to HaShem tomorrow!" Moshe said to Aharon: "What did this people do to you, that you brought a grievous sin upon it." Aharon said: "Let not my master's anger flare up. You know that the people is disposed towards evil." That is, towards a natural religion. So I said to them, "Who has gold?" Golden stories, which they want to believe. "I threw it in the fire, and this calf emerged."
