Baruch Atah Ado-nai Elo-henu Melech Ha-olam asher kidshanu be-mitzvotav ve-tzivanu la-asok bi-div-ray Torah.
Blessings to You Ado-nai Our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who made us holy with the mitzvoth and instructed us to busy ourselves with Torah study.
- Aaron is 3 years older than Moses, but younger than sister Miriam.
- The first mention of Aaron in the Torah.
- Why is Aaron introduced here as "The Levite"? Moses is also a Levite.
Rabbi Mallai taught that as reward for Aaron’s lack of jealousy at seeing his brother Moses rise to greatness, as it is stated: “And he will see you and be glad in his heart,” he merited to become the High Priest, and for the breastplate of judgment to rest on his heart.
- How does Aaron know to go out to greet his brother in the desert?
- Moses claimed to God he was 'slow of speech' and unable to speak convincingly to Pharaoh. Aaron will be his spokesperson but Moses is still God's designated representative.
- The Torah, however, only records Moses and Aaron speaking to Pharaoh, never Aaron alone.
- Moses and Aaron produce signs that 'convince' the Israelites of God's power and promise to liberate them, but only Moses and Aaron end up going to Pharaoh - without the Israelite elders.
(יד) וְאַחַר בָּאוּ משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, הֵיכָן הָלְכוּ הַזְּקֵנִים שֶׁלֹא חָשַׁב אוֹתָם עִמָּהֶם, שֶׁכְּבָר אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא (שמות ג, יח): וּבָאתָ אַתָּה וְזִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ הָלְכוּ עִמָּהֶן הַזְּקֵנִים וְהָיוּ מְגַּנְבִין אֶת עַצְמָן וְנִשְׁמָטִין אֶחָד אֶחָד שְׁנַיִם שְׁנַיִם וְהָלְכוּ לָהֶן, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ לְפַלְטֵרִין שֶׁל פַּרְעֹה לֹא נִמְצָא אֶחָד...
And afterwards Moses and Aaron went - Where did the elders go that they were not with Moses and Aaron? God had said, "Go, you and the elders of Israel."(Ex. 3:18) Our Sages explained: The elders went with them [toward Pharaoh] but they dropped out and disappeared one by one, or two by two and scurried away, and by the time Moses and Aaron reached Pharaoh's palace none were left, as it says, "And afterwards Moses and Aaron went..."
- What is Aaron's role in this popular uprising? Does he allow the people to persuade him toward idolatry & also lead the way in the Golden Calf?
(ב) עגל מסכה. כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִשְׁלִיכוֹ לָאוּר בְּכוּר, בָּאוּ מְכַשְּׁפֵי עֵרֶב רַב שֶׁעָלוּ עִמָּהֶם מִמִּצְרַיִם וַעֲשָׂאוּהוּ בִכְשָׁפִים...
(2) עגל מסכה A MOLTEN CALF — As soon as he (Aaron) had thrown it (the gold) into the fire in a melting pot the magicians amongst the mixed multitude who had come up with them from Egypt came and made it (the golden calf) by their magic art.
- We see here an effort to clear Aaron of responsibility for creating the Golden Calf.
- The commentary in the Etz Hayim chumash (p. 530) points to a more fundamental explanation of Aaron's role in the Golden Calf: Aaron is portrayed in Jewish tradition as a peacemaker and conciliator whereas Moses is the 'lawgiver proclaiming standards and prohibitions'. Aaron accepts the people 'where they are'. In this moment at Sinai, Aaron's "inclination to accept, rather than to challenge, popular will" leads to misfortune.
Avot de Rabbi Natan (12)
Hillel said: Be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving our fellow human beings and bringing them closer to Torah.
Loving peace: How is this to be done? It t teaches that a person should love peace within the Jewish people between every person, in the same way Aaron did...
(Malachi 2:6) "(Speaking of the Levites)...he turned away many from sin": Rabbi Meir explains this to mean when Aaron was walking on his way and met a wicked person and greeted him with 'Shalom'. The next day, the wicked person was about to commit a sin and he says to himself [in that moment], "Woe is me! How can I [commit this sin] and then see Aaron again [with my] shame before him since he [had been so kind as to] greet me with 'Shalom'. This individual then decided to refrain from committing the sin.
And similarly, there were two people in conflict with one another. Aaron went and sat with one of them and said to him, "My son, see how what your friend is saying is hurting his heart [and causing him to] tear his clothing." The individual says to himself, "Woe is me! How can I see see my friend [in this way]...I am the one who offended him." Then Aaron went to the other...[and similarly the other recognized his own responsibility in offending his friend.] [For both, Aaron sat with them until their anger was removed from their hearts.] When the two friends met, they embraced each other.
For all these reasons, the Torah records the Israelites mourned Aaron for thirty days.
Similarly Aaron resolved disputes between husband and wife showing them that neither of them [intentionally] offended the other whereas Moses rebuked the people with harsh words such that the Torah records the Israelites mourned Moses.(Without any timeframe suggesting it was shorter than the mourning for Aaron.)
(ו) ד"א הצור - התקיף. תמים פעלו - פעולתו שלימה עם כל באי העולם, ואין להרהר אחר מדותיו אפילו עונה של כלום, ואין אחד מהם שיסתכל ויאמר: מה ראו אנשי דור המבול שנשטפו במים? ומה ראו אנשי מגדל שנתפזרו מסוף העולם ועד סופו? ומה ראו אנשי סדום ועמורה להשתטף באש וגפרית? ומה ראה אהרן ליטול הכהונה? ומה ראה דוד ליטול את המלכות? ומה ראה קרח ועדתו שתבלעם הארץ?
(ז) כי כל דרכיו משפט - יושב עם כל אחד ואחד ונותן לו את הראוי לו: אל אמונה - בעל פקדון:
(6) Variantly: "The Rock": "the Resolute." "Perfect is His work": His work is whole with all creatures, and His ways are not to be brought into question. The slightest variation is not to be entertained regarding any of them — "What did the men of the generation of the flood see that brought the deluge upon them?" "What did the men of the Tower (of Bavel) see that caused them to be scattered from one end of the world to the other?" "What did the men of Sodom and Amorah see to be swept away by fire and brimstone?" "What did Aaron see that accorded him the priesthood?" "What did David see that accorded him kingdom?" "What did Korach and his congregation see to be swallowed up by the earth?"
(7) Thus: "For all of His works are justice": He sits in judgment with everyone and gives him what he deserves. "a faithful G-d": trustworthy.
- Despite what happens at Sinai, God believes Aaron is worthy of being the first high priest and founder of the line of the kehunah, priesthood, for all time.
(ב) דָּבָר אַחֵר, וְאַתָּה הַקְרֵב אֵלֶיךָ. אָמְרוּ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיָּרַד משֶׁה מִסִּינַי וְרָאָה יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאוֹתוֹ מַעֲשֶׂה, הִבִּיט בְּאַהֲרֹן וְהָיָה מַקִּישׁ עָלָיו בְּקוּרְנָס, וְהוּא לֹא נִתְכַּוֵּן אֶלָּא לְעַכְּבָם עַד שֶׁיֵּרֵד משֶׁה, וּמשֶׁה הָיָה סָבוּר שֶׁהָיָה אַהֲרֹן שֻׁתָּף עִמָּהֶן, וְהָיָה בְּלִבּוֹ עָלָיו, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, משֶׁה, יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי כַּוָּנָתוֹ שֶׁל אַהֲרֹן הֵיאַךְ הָיְתָה לְטוֹבָה...
When Moses went down from Sinai and saw the Israelites in that event [the Golden Calf] Moses looked at Aaron and hit him with a hammer. But Aaron only intended to delay the Israelites until Moses came down, whereas Moses believed Aaron conspired with them and Moses convinced himself of this. God said to him, "Moses, I know Aaron's intention was for the good..."
(1) Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took his fire pan, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered before the LORD alien fire, which He had not enjoined upon them. (2) And fire came forth from the LORD and consumed them; thus they died at the instance of the LORD. (3) Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when He said: Through those near to Me I show Myself holy, And gain glory before all the people.” And Aaron was silent. (4) Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come forward and carry your kinsmen away from the front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.” (5) They came forward and carried them out of the camp by their tunics, as Moses had ordered. (6) And Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not bare your heads and do not rend your clothes, lest you die and anger strike the whole community. But your kinsmen, all the house of Israel, shall bewail the burning that the LORD has wrought. (7) And so do not go outside the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, lest you die, for the LORD’s anointing oil is upon you.” And they did as Moses had bidden.
(א) וידום אהרן (ויקרא י, ג). קיבל שכר על השתיקה כו' (זבחים קטו, ב). ומזה ילמוד כל אדם לבל ימאוס במוסר ה' ויקבל באהבה:
(1) וידום אהרן . Aaron was rewarded for his silence in 10,3 when G–d spoke to him exclusively in 10,9. We are to learn from this that we must accept with good grace what appear to be G–d's strictures and afflictions.
- The Rabbis attribute great spiritual strength to Aaron for his acceptance of the tragedy. His sons Nadav and Avihu die at the altar after offering a 'strange fire'.
- Aaron though is not unemotional or dismissive of grief, as we see at the end of the same chapter, Leviticus 10. Moses notices Aaron and the other priests have not eaten the purification offering, instead, it was burned on the fire. Aaron and his other sons chose not to eat the sacrifice since they were in mourning.
- Moses recognizes Aaron's thoughtfulness and wisdom in this most horrible and trying moment.
Conclusion:
Aaron, like Moses and Miriam and Joshua, and others later, is a leader of the people. He accompanies Moses before Pharaoh and contends with a people at Sinai who are about to rebel. At that moment, there are several reactions from the leaders of the people. Joshua hears the sound of war in the camp. Moses tells Joshua it's the sound of celebration. Moses, upon seeing the calf, smashes the tablets and the Torah records Aaron 'had let them get out of control.' The Torah is ambivalent about Aaron's role in this incident, but later tradition vindicates him since his life reflects on the the line of the priesthood through until today. The Torah is consistent about its heroes that they are flawed and fallible. Moses and Aaron will later on receive punishment from God for not sanctifying God's Presence before the people. Perhaps the Golden Calf story is a reminder of how easy it is to slip from belief in God to run toward idols and that the priesthood is not holy by nature but through its decisions and actions. As the first High Priest, he later accepts significant responsibility in carrying out the rituals of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). The upkeep of the Mishkan is the maintenance of Israel's heart and soul, the Presence of God in their lives through the wandering in the wilderness. Aaron and his descendants dedicated their lives toward creating a visible holiness, one that, in accord with God's instructions, showed the people that despite what happened at Sinai, God would always be with them.