by Rabbi Avi Billet
One of the counter-claims that Moshe makes to those challenging Aharon is ואהרן מה הוא כי תלינו עליו – “and what is Aharon that you are complaining against him?” (16:11) In other words, why do you have a problem with him, when he is not the one who appointed himself? If you have issues with me, keep them aimed at me, and leave Aharon out of this!
The Kotzker Rebbe explained Moshe’s response to mean, “Do you know WHAT Aharon is? Do you know WHO Aharon is? Do you have any concept of his greatness and his holiness?”
It’s a real attempt at shutting down those who are challenging the man hand-picked by God to be the Kohen Gadol.
The story of Korach is followed by two tales which are attempts at answering the question. In the first, Aharon heroically steps “between the dead and the living” during a plague, carrying ketores, to stop the plague. His efforts might even be stopping two areas of “attack” as the Torah indicates twice that the plague stopped. (17:13,15) When we consider how this plague was against those who complained that “you have caused the deaths of the nation of God” (17:6), and how those people referenced had died on account of their bringing ketores in a manner unavailable to them, the implication that Aharon is unique becomes quite apparent pretty quickly. R Shimshon Rafael Hirsch writes, “He thus demonstrate to the people his true nature and true nature of his mission: to redeem and to conquer death.”
In the second, Aharon’s staff, a dead piece of wood among the staffs (other dead pieces of wood) of the leaders of the tribes, blossoms with flowers and almonds, proving that the tribe of Levi was selected to serve God in the capacity that had been assigned to them. With Aharon’s name on his staff, his personal status is exalted.
These episodes are capped off by chapter 18, which further proves the idea of Aharon’s unique stature.
In the Torah, God speaks directly to Aharon five times (He speaks to Moshe and Aharon together 16 times). Those speakings are introduced by the words ויאמר or וידבר. The first time is when He told Aharon to meet Moshe who is coming back to Egypt to take Israel out. The second time is in the immediate aftermath of the deaths of Nadav and Avihu, a communication which began with the words יין ושכר אל תשת, don’t be under the influence of alcohol when serving in the Mishkan. The other three times are in Bamidbar chapter 18, the last chapter of Parshas Korach.
In other words, the answer to Moshe’s question of “And what is Aharon?” is THIS IS AHARON. A Kohen Gadol, a PROPHET, a man to whom God communicates directly.
The communications in chapter 18 carry the following messages.
I. You and your children must carry the iniquity against the sanctuary, as well as the iniquity against your being Kohanim.
R Hirsch notes that this simply means that no other tribe can work in the Mishkan, and that while it is not Aharon-and-sons’ job to keep the people out of the Mishkan, what happens in the Mishkan is the responsibility of Aharon and sons alone. They must bear all responsibility, and they alone are subject to repercussions of messing up what is supposed to take place in the Mishkan.
Hashem’s instruction goes on to include all of the tribe of Levi in the company of those who service the Mishkan. R Hirsch emphasizes that this gift of the Kohanim and Leviim translates to all of us how “the giving of ourselves and of our possessions to God emanates from the deepest wellsprings of our moral freedom of will.” While he takes this to a deeper message of our responsibilities in our personal and collective Service of the Divine, this message, in general, is one conveyed through Aharon.
II. I have given you the charge of My uplifted donations (Terumos); also, the holy things of the people of Israel have been given to you and your sons as consecration for all time.
This refers to the matnos Kehunah (the gifts given to Kohanim). The main messaging of this instruction is that a form of service of the people is to gift certain food items to the Kohanim, the vessels through which kedusha in the Mishkan is achieved. Components of some Korbanos, some oils, some wines, first fruits, etc. Kohanim are also to be given first-borns of people and of animals, since they have inherent kedusha from birth. The Torah makes quite clear, in the same verse, that the standard is to redeem first-born sons through Pidyon HaBen, and first-born tamei (i.e. not kosher) animals. First-born Kosher animals are not to be redeemed. Their kedusha is utilized in the Mishkan in whatever way is God’s preference (see 18:17-18).
III. The final message to Aharon is regarding the living conditions of the Kohanim and Leviim in the land of Israel, and how their “portion” is not a singular area for their tribe, but in cities spread out throughout Israel.
There is a certain fulfillment of what Yaakov Avinu said to Shimon and Levi in his final words to them, אחלקם ביעקב ואפיצם בישראל, that I will divide them amongst Jacob and spread them across Israel. In a way Yaakov blessed (or doomed?) the tribes of Shimon and Levi to not have their own portions of tribal land when it would come time to resettle. Indeed Shimon ended up within the tribe of Yehuda, and Levi, as noted, was spread throughout the land.
But the message of the Leviim and their living conditions is that “I (God) am your portion and your inheritance in the midst of the Children of Israel.” (18:20)
For a person who, at the beginning of the parsha, was maligned as unfit and unworthy, the product of nepotism, picked by an opportunist brother, one who brought no qualifications of his own, the rest of the parsha demonstrates, in no uncertain terms, that Aharon’s appointment was anything but a mistake or something concocted by Moshe to have his brother sit easy in any space.
Responsibility, holiness, the task of servicing the people in the Service of God… this is Aharon. Conveying a message to the people, both his sons and the tribe of Levi AND the nation of Israel as a whole, does not fall on an unworthy person.
Aharon’s accusers were wrong. He was the best among the tribe of Levi.
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