Weekly Dvar Torah: Aaron The High Priest

This Shabbos, Rosh Chodesh (first day of the month) Menachem Av (comforting father), is the Yartzait (date of passing) of Aaron the High Priest.

Interestingly, Aaron’s date of passing is the only one recorded in the Torah, we learn about the passing of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Miriam and others, but the Torah does not record the date that they died.

Another curious fact that the Torah records about the death of Aaron, that when Aaron died, the “entire” Jewish congregation cried, and our sages highlight this point, to distinguish between the reaction of the Jewish people to the death of Aaron and the death of Moses.

By Moses, the one who led the Jews out of Egypt, split the sea, got the Torah at Mt. Sinai, brought down the Manna from heaven for 40 years in the desert, and much much more, the Torah says that the Jewish people mourned him, but by Aaron the Torah emphasizes that the “entire” Jewish congregation cried.

The sages explain that this was because Aaron was all about peace, he would always run around between the Jews and look for ways to make peace, between husband and wife, broken friendships, angry adversaries, he loved peace and he pursued peace at any cost, and that’s why “everybody” mourned him even more than Moses, because Aaron affected everybody on any and every day-to-day level.

Another blessing that Aaron brought to the Jews, were the “Clouds of Glory” that protected the Jews for 40 years in the desert, they came in his merit.

What’s so special about the clouds? They were a wraparound benefit to all the Jews, if you were inside, it didn’t matter your size, or who you are, or what you were about.

To enjoy the Manna, you had to actively digest it, and every person has their limits how much they can handle, to study Torah depended on how smart you were, but to benefit from the clouds you just had to be there.

Last but not least, Aaron the high priest, was all about blessings, it was his job to bless the Jews, period.

So on the first day of the month of Av, which is also the first day of the nine days of mourning for the destruction of the Temples, we are told not to despair and lose hope, because this is the day that the Torah tells us that the culmination (which is also the peak) of Aaron’s life (because on the day of a person’s passing he reaches the zenith of his life), is most powerful on this day.

This is the day of the highest blessings, this is the day of ultimate peace, this is the day when your personal state of mind can’t interfere with the big picture, because you are protected by the clouds of glory under the blessing of Aaron.

We are all wrapped around by the clouds of glory, we are all blessed without exception, and no reason can prevent us from having peace, as the saying goes, the devil is in the details, because on this day we rise above the details.

This is the exact dose of energy that we need to overcome the negativity of the days of mourning, this is the booster shot that the Torah gives us by telling us the date of Aaron’s passing, this is the blessing that enables us to march forward towards the redemption, which will come because of baseless love.

Aaron, a man of peace, who loved peace, and pursued peace.

Have a lovely, peaceful Shabbos,

Gut Shabbos, Gut Chodesh

Rabbi Yosef Katzman