Aharon's Greatest Nachas - Elazar Takes Over

Parshat Chukat 

 by Rabbi Avi Billet 

Parshat Chukat contains the deaths of two great leaders, Miriam and Aharon. These transitions are the beginnings of the end of the time in the wilderness, as they set the stage for the mourning the Children of Israel will face over the coming year: Miriam dies in Nissan, Aharon dies in Av, and Moshe will die in Adar (there is an opinion that Moshe died on the 7th of Shevat – see Rabbi Eliezer in Mechilta of Rabbi Yishmael on Beshalach).

The mourning for Miriam is wholly inadequate (see Alshikh), and it opened the door for the unfortunate events of “Mei Merivah” (see Kli Yakar 20:2) which concluded with a need for different leadership to bring the people into the land (see Malbim).

Let us turn to Aharon’s death, which is described in a little more detail here (more is alluded to in Bamidbar 33:38), and the mourning which follows is much more fitting than what happens after Miriam’s death. Rashi gives a significant description of what took place, hanging it on the note God gives Moshe at the end of his life that “you will die in the manner that your brother Aharon died.” (Devarim 32:50) Of course, Rashi also notes that Miriam died in a similar manner, “with a kiss,” but that was hidden from the text for modesty reasons (20:1).

Many of the commentaries on 20:26 try to explain how “Divest Aaron of his vestments and place them on his son Elazar” could feasibly happen. Assuming one takes off outer garments first, how could they be put on Elazar in reverse order?

Ramban describes how Aharon had “Bigdei Shechina” (Divine garments) underneath his clothing, which allowed his clothes to be removed without exposure. He also mentions that burial shrouds were utilized, even though they are not mentioned in the text either.

Or HaChaim describes it slightly differently – that Aharon removed his clothing and then had another garment immediately upon him, namely he was clothed by the Clouds of Glory. (This might be an interesting explanation for what it means that the Clouds of Glory departed with Aharon’s passing – also mentioned in the Mechilta passage quoted above).

Concern is raised about how Aharon could wear the special garments of the Kohen Gadol outside of the Mishkan. Siftei Chakhamim suggests what should be obvious – that this was Divine instruction. Clearly the God who said these garments only belong in the Mishkan can also make an exception when Aharon is to die. In this way “Aharon would see that his son merits to become the Kohen Gadol in his place.”

Siftei Chakhamim further notes that Moshe was instructed to divest Aharon of his garments and dress Elazar even though both of them were fully capable of doing this themselves, “to demonstrate the kindness done to the dead, that Moshe was directly involved in all matters pertaining to tending to Aharon’s death.”

Seforno notes how Elazar had his own Kohen garments, which remained on him, while the four additional Kohen Gadol vestments are the only garments which exchanged bodies. Presumably, in this view, the remaining garments on Aharon, the “Bigdei Lavan” (white vestments) served as the burial shroud for Aharon.

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch took one of Siftei Chakhamim’s comments a step further when he wrote “thus before his own death, Aharon merited to see himself living on in the person of his son.”

Aharon’s death was most tragic for the Children of Israel. The idea of mourning for 30 days was introduced to us in the context of his passing, and there is no question of the impact it had on the people.

However, a few things come out of this narrative.

One, the idea that even the greatest leader is involved in tending to the dead is something we have always taken most seriously. Our watching Moshe tend to his brother shows how death is not only an equalizer when it comes to those who have passed, but it is also an equalizer in that everyone is obligated to tend to the dead in whatever way we can. There is no such thing as “it is not befitting my honor to tend to the dead.”

Two, Elazar’s status slowly rises in the course of the book of Bamidbar. He was the prince of Levi (3:32), he had his own commission when it came to the packing up of the Mishkan (4:16), he was given the task of hammering out the firepans in Parshat Korach (17:1-4), he was significantly involved in the instructions for the preparation of the Parah Adumah at the beginning of our parsha (19:3-4). It seems clear this path is the direction his life is taking, well before his father's death.

Finally, Aharon has the chance to see what every parent dreams to see. Not only does his son follow in his footsteps, as a religious Jew, as a God-fearing person, but as Rabbi Hirsch put it, he “saw himself living on in the person of his son.”

Maybe not every parent wants for their child to become them. Most parents want their children to be successful, to be able to make it on their own, to be blessed with a good and happy life, and to carve their own path.

But how many parents would object to their children following in their footsteps in every way – assuming that their son or daughter wanted that similar life?

May we be blessed to have a similar experience to the one Aharon had. We should see ourselves living in a manner in which we give all we can for the Jewish people, sacrifice ourselves for the Jewish people, and promote peace in our ranks to the degree Aharon did. May we merit to be missed when we are gone. And may we merit to see children and grandchildren living up to the bar and standard we set for ourselves in our Jewish lives – and may they even surpass our own dedication and commitment in Torah, mitzvot, and love and reverence of the Almighty.