Ilustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
וַיִּרְאוּ כׇּל הָעֵדָה כִּי גָוַע אַהֲרֹן
וַיִּבְכּוּ אֶת אַהֲרֹן שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם כֹּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
The whole community knew that Aharon had breathed his last. The entire house of Israel wept for Aharon for thirty days.
When a person dies, their close family and friends are sad and they mourn. Why does the Torah emphasize that ALL of Benei Yisrael cried when Aharon died?
שְׁנֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם שֶׁעָשׂוּ מְרִיבָה זֶה עִם זֶה, הָלַךְ אַהֲרֹן וְיָשַׁב אֵצֶל אֶחָד מֵהֶם אָמַר לוֹ: בְּנִי רְאֵה חֲבֵרְךָ מַהוּ, מְטָרֵף אֶת לִבּוֹ וְקוֹרֵעַ אֶת בְּגָדָיו. אוֹמֵר: אוֹי לִי הֵיאַךְ אֶשָּׂא אֶת עֵינַי וְאֶרְאֶה אֶת חֲבֵרִי בֹּשְׁתִּי הֵימֶנּוּ שֶׁאֲנִי הוּא שֶׁסָּרַחְתִּי עָלָיו. הוּא יוֹשֵׁב אֶצְלוֹ עַד שֶׁמֵּסִיר קִנְאָה מִלִּבּוֹ.
וְהוֹלֵךְ אַהֲרֹן וְיוֹשֵׁב אֵצֶל הָאַחֵר וְאָמַר לוֹ: בְּנִי רְאֵה חֲבֵרְךָ מַהוּ, מְטָרֵף אֶת לִבּוֹ וְקוֹרֵעַ אֶת בְּגָדָיו. אוֹמֵר: אוֹי לִי הֵיאַךְ אֶשָּׂא אֶת עֵינַי וְאֶרְאֶה אֶת חֲבֵרִי בֹּשְׁתִּי הֵימֶנּוּ שֶׁאֲנִי הוּא שֶׁסָּרַחְתִּי עָלָיו. הוּא יוֹשֵׁב אֶצְלוֹ עַד שֶׁמֵּסִיר קִנְאָה מִלִּבּוֹ.
וּכְשֶׁנִּפְגְּשׁוּ זֶה בְּזֶה גָּפְפוּ וְנָשְׁקוּ זֶה לָזֶה. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר "וַיִּבְכּוּ אֶת אַהֲרֹן שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם כֹּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל."
When two people were fighting with each other, Aharon would go and sit next to one of them and say: “My child, look at what your friend is going through! Your friend is heartbroken and sad. Your friend is saying, ‘How can I face my friend? I am so ashamed, I am at fault.’” Aharon would sit with this person until the jealousy left their heart.
Then Aharon would go to sit with the other person in the fight and say: “My child, look at what your friend is going through! Your friend is heartbroken and sad. Your friend is saying, ‘How can I face my friend? I am so ashamed, I am at fault.’” Aharon would sit with this person until the jealousy left their heart.
Then when the two people saw each other, they would embrace and kiss one another. And that is why the Torah says, “The entire house of Israel wept for Aharon for thirty days.
The midrash explains that Aharon went above and beyond his role as the High Priest to bring peace to the community of Israel. Even when he wasn’t involved in an argument, he would go out of his way to try to help resolve conflict between people.
- What do you think about Aharon’s strategy for peace-making? Why was it effective?
- How does this story explain why people felt so sad when Aharon died? What had they lost?
Hillel the Elder teaches us that we should all strive to be like Aharon.
הֱוֵי מִתַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל אַהֲרֹן, אוֹהֵב שָׁלוֹם וְרוֹדֵף שָׁלוֹם, אוֹהֵב אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת וּמְקָרְבָן לַתּוֹרָה:
Be among the students of Aharon, loving peace and pursuing peace,
loving human beings and drawing them close to the Torah.
- What seems to go hand in hand with coming close to the Torah?
- What can you do to bring peace into your world?
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