This last Thursday, Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av, was the yahrzeit of Aharon HaKohen. This shiur is dedicated to analyzing the personality of this iconic figure, to learn an important lesson for the nine days before Tisha B’Av.
Aharon was a Levi, eldest son of Amram, the Gadol HaDor. When Amram died, Moshe was in Midyan and Aharon, the elder (of the sons), became Amram’s successor and leader of Am Yisrael. Aharon was also a prophet.
The first time the Torah mentions Aharon, is after the Burning Bush. Hashem commands Moshe to return to Egypt to redeem Am Yisrael, but Moshe is reluctant. He has a speech impediment, but mostly – because he does not want to supplant Aharon as leader.
The fact that Moshe had been chosen to lead Am Yisrael was known to Aharon, by prophecy. G-d tells Moshe (Shemot 4:14) that Aharon has been informed and he is on the way to meet you “and he saw you and was happy in his heart” (past tense). This gives us our first insight into Aharon’s character. It doesn’t say “and he will see you and be happy in his heart.” Aharon has already prophesied that Moshe was to become leader and had time to mull this over before his reunion with Moshe. It could easily be a prickly issue, the younger brother “deposing” his elder brother. Aharon had ample time before meeting up with Moshe and you might think that, after thinking long and hard, Aharon finally accepted it. But no, the pasuk tells us – “he saw you and was happy.” From the instant he first heard the prophecy, he was happy and bore no animosity to Moshe, quite the opposite, he was happy in his heart – not just outwardly happy where everyone else could see, but deep in his heart, where only G-d can see.
Hashem tells Moshe that Aharon will be his “mouthpiece,” he will do the talking. For such a “big talker,” the p’sukim almost never mention Aharon himself actually saying anything – it is always Moshe and Aharon. From being the leader of Am Yisrael, Aharon is seemingly without any “personality,” nothing is his own initiative. Whatever he says to Pharaoh is what Hashem tells Moshe to tell him to say.
The only time Aharon speaks independently is when Moshe is not there. Moshe has gone up to Har Sinai to receive the Torah. Aharon and Hur are left behind, in charge. When Moshe is “late” in returning, the erev rav ask Aharon and Hur to create a replacement for Moshe. Then, for the first time, Aharon speaks from his own initiative, not something he has been told to say. “Take off the earrings from your wives’ and daughters’ ears and bring them to me.” Aharon then says “Tomorrow is a chag.” Am Yisrael sin with the golden calf. When Moshe returns and reprimands Aharon, Aharon replies, from his own initiative, “Do not be angry my lord, you knew ‘this people’ that they were bad.”
That’s it meanwhile for Aharon speaking. After that it is back to the old pattern – Hashem telling Moshe, telling Aharon what to do. The whole of sefer Vayikra is like that.
We then have the tragedy of Nadav and Avihu, Aharon’s two sons who died bringing Ketoret when they were not supposed to. What is Aharon’s response to that? “Vayidom Aharon,” Aharon is silent! If any two words in the Torah epitomize the character of Aharon as it appears on the surface, it is these two words. Aharon is silent, he seemingly does not say anything unless told to, he doesn’t do anything unless told to, he doesn’t object, he doesn’t do anything!
The last time the Torah mentions Aharon actually “saying” anything of his own volition, is when Miriam speaks lashon hara against Moshe. Aharon’s words are a plea for Moshe to pray to G-d to heal their sister.
Korach challenges Aharon’s appointment as Kohen Gadol. Aharon says nothing. Moshe tells Aharon to bring Ketoret in the camp to stop the plague. Aharon knows that anyone bringing Ketoret in the wrong place will die, but he says nothing and does as he is told. Moshe strikes the rock instead of speaking to it and Hashem says that for this sin Moshe and Aharon will die and not enter Eretz Yisrael. Aharon says nothing. G-d tells Moshe to tell Aharon to ascend Am Yisrael where he will die. Aharon doesn’t say “Just give me five minutes to say goodbye to my wife, children and grandchildren.” He does as he is told and immediately follows Moshe up the mountain.
Aside from the tragedy with the golden calf and with Miriam getting leprosy, Aharon does not open his mouth to speak his mind. Aharon has no opinion! There is a word for that – a robot. Relying on the p’sukim alone, this is what Aharon appears to be. No mind of his own, always doing others’ bidding, devoid of feeling, even when his two sons die, even when his status is challenged, when he is seemingly being unjustly punished … not even saying farewell to his family before he dies!
However, the first pasuk (Shemot 4:14) that mentions Aharon in the Torah hints that all is not as it seems. When Aharon saw Moshe, he was happy in his heart. The true Aharon was nothing like a robot! This was a man of unending initiative. Aharon was expert at speaking and he did a lot of it. The Torah only lists twice, with the golden calf and with Miriam – both times self-prompted speech to protect his beloved people and sister. Chazal say that behind the scenes, Aharon spoke a lot more, to restore peace within Am Yisrael – between rivals, between husband and wife.
Aharon HaKohen is a personality devoid of “self.” To Aharon HaKohen, Aharon the private individual did not exist. His entire being was devoted to the service of G-d and Am Yisrael. Aharon is blind acceptance and blind obedience of G-d’s commands – not that of a robot, but out of choice and with joy! Aharon is the model of pursuing peace and maintaining the unity and integrity of his people, down to the last individual. It is not for nothing that when he died 80,000 young men accompanied his coffin – all named Aharon – because they were born as a result of Aharon’s tireless efforts to preserve his beloved Am Yisrael.
Parshat HaShavua Trivia Question: What was the last stop on Am Yisrael’s journeys through the Midbar?
Answer to Last Week’s Trivia Question: When listing the tribes and their lineage, why does the Torah preface each name with the letter “heh” and suffix it with the letter “yud” (Bamidbar 27:2-51)? “Yud keh” is one of Hashem’s names and He “signed,” using His name, that each and every family in Am Yisrael that left Egypt, was pure and did not engage in infidelity with the Egyptians.
