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Berachah

Moshe & Aharon: Two Peacemakers


 The Torah portion of Berachah, the concluding portion of the Torah, describes the events surrounding Moshe's passing and the fact that he was mourned by the "children of Israel" for: thirty days. In describing Aharon's demise, the Torah state earlier, "The entire House of Israel mourned Aharon for thirty days.

Our Sages comment: "Moshe was mourned by the men while Aharon was mourned both by the men and women. This was because Aharon pursued peace and brought about peace between man and his fellowman and between husband and wife.

The Torah portion that speaks of Moshe's passing is the logical place to relate Moshe's qualities. Indeed, the verse does so when it states: "His eyes were undimmed .... There has never again arisen a prophet like Moshe ...." Why, then, does it allude to a fact that accentuated the special quality of Aharon - and by implication Moshe's failing - in connection with Moshe's demise?

Why, indeed, did not Moshe conduct himself like Aharon regarding the bringing of peace "between man and his fellowman and between husband and wife?" Surely this was not a result of Moshe's lack of love for his fellow Jew, for Moshe extolled as "a lover of the Jewish people"

In fact, Moshe not only loved the Jewish people, but also provided them with their spiritual and rnaterial needs. Moshe taught them all, and not only the basic laws of the Torah, but other facets of Torah as well. Moreover, it was in his merit than G-d provided the people with manna during their forty­ year sojourn in the desert.

The reason Moshe did not conduct himself like Aharon is that his very being, as well as his life's mission, necessitated a different form of conduct in the love of his fellow Jews and in bringing peace between them.

Our Sages relate that Aharon would sometimes stretch the truth in order to bring about peace between people who were at loggerheads. The Torah condones such behavior when it is the only possible way to make peace; as our Sages say, "One may modify a staternent in the interest of peace."

The very essence of Moshe, however, was the personifica­tion of truth. It was therefore impossible for him to bring about peace between people if it would necessitate his telling an untruth. Although such conduct is permitted in the Torah, it went against the grain of Moshe's essence - that of complete and total honesty and truth; such conduct was more in keeping with Aharon, who personified the attribute of kindness. Moshe, the "man of truth," brought about peace through truth.

Since both these manners of conduct are in accordance with the Torah, it is to be understood that each possesses a quality lacking in the other. The merit in Moshe's conduct was that he did not deviate in the slightest form the truth. The merit of Aharon's conduct was his ability to affect even so lowly an individual who could be reached only by stretch­ing the truth.

During his lifetime, Moshe was totally occupied in his manner of service - divine service through the attribute of truth. However, on the day of his passing, having already ­completed his mission in this world, he was able to realize the special quality of Aharon's service - that it brought peace all Jews.

Moshe, in his selfless love for the Jewish people, desire­ that they act toward their fellows in the best possible manner.­ He therefore alluded to the special quality of Aharon's service. ­when he prophetically wrote in the Torah that he was mourned by the "Children of Israel" and not by all of Israel, since his own quality of peacemaking was not as far-reaching as was Aharon's.

 



     
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