The Death of Aharon

Parshat Chukat

by Rabbi Avi Billet

Towards the end of chapter 20, in the aftermath of the infamous events of Mei Merivah (Waters of Strife – which includes the incident where Moshe hit the rock) in which Moshe and Aharon are fated not to lead the people into the Promised Land, Aharon ascends to the top of Mount Hor and dies. 

Aharon’s death is later reported to us in Parshat Masei at the 7th or 8th to last stop, “They traveled from Kadesh,and camped at Mount Hor. Aharon went up the mountain at God’s instruction and died there in the 40th year since the time of the Exodus. This was on Rosh Chodesh (Av) of the 5th month. Aharon lived to 123 years.” (33:37-29) Following the chronology presented to us in the Torah, this makes sense. 

But Aharon’s death is recorded in Parshat Eikev as well, in a context that meets no criteria – either of chronology or of associating Aharon’s death to Mei Merivah, which is part of the explanation given to him at the actual time of his death in our parsha, in 20:24, when Aharon is told “Aharon will die, for he will not come to the land I have promised to the Bnei Yisrael, on account of your rebelling against My word at Mei Merivah.” 

In Eikev, the death of Aharon is recorded in association with events being reviewed for the benefit of those who will be entering the land, in hopes they will not repeat the errors of their parents’ generation, most specifically the Golden Calf. After recounting that God told him to make an ark of wood and to bring two new tablets for God to inscribe upon them the words of the Tablets Moshe had broken, Moshe describes how, armed with the second set of tablets, “‘I turned and descended from the mountain and placed the Tablets in the ark I had made, and they remained there as God had instructed me.’ And the Children of Israel traveled from Beerot Bnei Yaakan to Mosair: there Aharon died and was buried there, and his son Elazar was made Kohen in his place. From there they traveled to Gudgode, and from there to Yatvat, the land of rivers.” (Devarim 10:5-7) 

Those locations are reported on in Masei (Bamidbar 33:30-33), several verses and several stops before the events we saw (2nd paragraph above) which were recorded in the 40th year. [Rashi in Devarim 1:46 notes that they were in Kadesh for 19 years, so even though there aren’t a lot of stops between Yatvat in 33:33 and Aharon’s death 4 pesukim later, their arrival in Kadesh in 33:36 explains the passage of time.] 

Obviously the mention of Aharon’s death in Eikev in that context requires an explanation. Ibn Ezra rejects the need for an explanation, simply accepting that the locations mentioned are different places, and that the place where Aharon actually died had multiple names – which is not an uncommon feature of the Torah. Most views, however, do not accord with that of Ibn Ezra (though R Yosef B’chor Shor agrees with Ibn Ezra!). 

 Taking a number of narrative pieces from Parshas Chukas, stringing them together to form a larger picture of what was going on in the Israelite encampment, Targum Yonatan describes a battle with Amalek which caused a number of groups to return to Egypt. The tribe of Levi pursued them, and a civil war/battle ensued in which 8 families were killed on the Israelite side, and 4 Levite families fell as well. They asked themselves, what caused this to happen? And they realized it was because they did not heed the teachings of Aharon, to love your fellow, and specifically because they didn’t adequately mourn for him. So they decided to eulogize him on that spot, as if he had died and been buried there. [This is brought down in Yerushalmi Sotah 1:10 (8b)] – some of this is hinted to in Divrei Hayamim in that Yerushalmi passage.] 

Rashi’s presentation explains this a little more clearly. After noting a discrepancy in the order of the travels, and asking about the true location of Aharon’s death, Rashi writes (translation from Sefaria): 

“…Go and count and you will find that there are eight stations from Mosera to Mount Hor! — But really this also is part of the reproof offered by Moses. In effect he said, “This, also, ye did: when Aaron died on Mount Hor at the end of forty years and the clouds of Divine Glory departed, ye feared war with the king of Arad and you appointed a leader that ye might return to Egypt, and ye turned backwards eight stages unto Bene Jaakan and hence to Mosera. There the sons of Levi fought with you, and they slew some of you, and you some of them, until they forced you back on the road along which you had retreated. From there (Mosera) ye returned to Gudgodah, — that is identical with Hor Hagidgod (Numbers 33:32). 

“Moses placed this reproof immediately after the mention of the breaking of the tablets to indicate that the death of the righteous is as grievous before the Holy One, blessed be He, as the day on which the tablets were broken, and to tell you that it was displeasing to Him when they said, (Numbers 14:4) “Let us set up a head (another god; see Rashi on that verse) in order to part from Him, as was the day on which they made the golden calf (Leviticus Rabbah 20:12).”

 This approach suggests that Moshe reported on Aharon’s death, not chronologically, but thematically, to present a message of behavior to the Bnei Yisrael not to fall prey to their yetzer Hara – turning from God in spite, such as with the Golden Calf, such as when clouds of glory depart, such as at a time of war – all brings about negativity which is on par with the loss of a righteous leader (consider that the whole Mei Merivah story seems to be triggered by the death of Miriam, and the inability to mourn properly). 

 Rashbam intimates a subtle hint Moshe is sending to the people. Aharon could have died at the time of the Golden Calf. But he didn’t die at that time on account of the prayers of Moshe (see also Devarim 9:20). [See here for other reasons too!]

 Ramban notes how Rashi’s comment is taken from a different passage in Yerushalmi (Yoma 1:1), as he suggests that Mount Hor was actually a very big mountain spanning many parasang (one need merely look to the east of Israel, to the mountains of Moab, to see how easily this can be true), and that Moshe is referencing various points on the same mountain range – putting Aharon’s death in a particular context. Aharon’s death WAS in the 40th year, and it WAS in Mosair (or Mosera), which is a geographical point in a larger range of mountains known as Mount Hor. The context of mentioning Aharon’s death related to the aftermath of the Golden Calf is because Moshe prayed on his behalf at that time (see Rashbam in the previous paragraph), and Moshe is talking to the people in Eikev about negative outcomes and positive outcomes that are much dependent on behavior and trust in God. 

The implication in the passage of Eikev, therefore (as Chizkuni spells it out) is as if Moshe is saying “Don’t assume or ever claim that Aharon died at the time of the Golden Calf, because he didn’t die at that time! I prayed for him, and we moved on from that time. Aharon died 40 years later, at the location mentioned… not at the bottom of Har Sinai.”

 Kli Yakar combines all of the components of the narrative of Chukas to demonstrate why Aharon’s death is referenced by Moshe in Eikev – noting that the deaths of the righteous are as difficult for God as the breaking of the Tablets, while also noting that the people are supposed to learn that the merit of the righteous carries through to the Children of Israel even after they have passed. But the Children of Israel must demonstrate that they believe that, in order for it to work. 

There are people in our ranks who are the best at expressing this. And there are people in our ranks who forget that while all is in God’s hands, our own choices and behaviors, and heeding of lessons sent to us if we are only paying attention, all play a significant role in the outcomes our people face. 

 For example, we are grateful for the incredible sacrifices, ethic, and dedication of the IDF. At the same time, many have lost their lives. How much do we attribute their successes and failures to their tactical training (which is of course quite important), and how much do we attribute to our own successes and failures (I speak of each of us as individuals, and all of klal Yisrael in general)? Do we – all of Am Yisrael – see our own hand affecting the tides of battle and the successes of our soldiers in their holy task of protecting the people of Israel, and Jews around the world by extension? 

That is part of the message of Aharon’s death being recorded in a chronological context outside of reality – to remind people that the righteous impact the world in ways we can’t comprehend. And therefore it is incumbent upon each of us to dedicate ourselves to achieve higher levels of righteousness. For the sake and safety of Am Yisrael.