Divrei Torah on the weekly portions

Shemot: Shemot

Who's Jealous?

God says to Moshe after appointing him as leader and redeemer: "… Behold, he [Aharon] is setting out to meet you [Moshe] and when he sees you he will be glad in his heart" (Shemot 4:14).

The Midrash (Rut Rabbah 5:6) teaches that if Aharon had known that God would write about this event of Aharon meeting Moshe, then Aharon would have gone to meet him with great fanfare, such as timbrels and choruses!

How are we to understand this Midrash? Did Aharon not fulfil this Mitzvah properly because he thought it wouldn't be recorded in the Torah? Surely if timbrels and choruses were required then Aharon would have brought them; and since Aharon didn't bring them they surely were not required!

The Kohelet Yitzchak explains, but not without first inquiring: Why was Moshe chosen ahead of his older brother Aharon to lead the Jewish People since, according to Rashi (on Shemot 6:26) , they were equally great?

Gemara Taanit 25b relates a fascinating episode concerning a time of drought. Rabbi Eliezer led the communal prayers for rain but was not answered. Rabbi Akiva followed and was answered! A Heavenly Voice then proclaimed: It's not because this one is greater than the other, but this one is 'Maavir Al Midotav' and the other is not 'Maavir Al Midotav'.

Chochmat Manoach asks what does 'Maavir Al Midotav' mean in this context and, if Rabbi Akiva is 'Maavir Al Midotav' and Rabbi Eliezer isn't, then doesn't that mean Rabbi Akiva is greater?

In truth, they were equally great. The difference was that Rabbi Akiva was descended from converts and Rashi comments on Gemara Horayot 13a that the Yeitzer Hara (innate Evil Inclination) of a convert is naturally more evil than the Yeitzer Hara of one who is born Jewish. Therefore, the convert has to fight harder against his Yeitzer Hara to overcome it and will achieve a greater reward due to his greater effort. Although it was Rabbi Akiva's father who was the convert, Rabbi Akiva grew up with the same struggle. So, even though Rabbi Eliezer was just as great, it was Rabbi Akiva whose prayers were answered because he had also overcome his natural character traits, i.e. 'Maavir Al Midotav'.

The Kohelet Yitzchak applies this rationale to Moshe and Aharon. Aharon knew only holiness and righteousness, growing up in the home of Amram and Yocheved; whereas Moshe grew up in Pharaoh's palace and needed to control his less sociable tendencies, only making use of them on appropriate occasions. For instance, when the Jewish People sinned with the golden calf, Moshe needed to exercise some of the trait of cruelty when he said to the Levites: "… Every man, put his sword by his side … and kill his brother, his friend and his neighbour" (Shemot 32:27) . By contrast, Aharon had only said to the rebels: "… break off the golden earrings from the ears of your wives …" (Shemot 32:2) , because he could not stand up to the rebels since cruelty was alien to him.

After Moshe's appointment by God, Moshe was naturally concerned that perhaps his older brother Aharon might be jealous. That is why Aharon had to come to meet him to show that, on the contrary, he was delighted for Moshe. Therefore, God said to Aharon: "Go to meet Moshe in the desert" (Shemot 4:27) . Timbrels and choruses were appropriate to emphasise to Moshe that Aharon was delighted for him and not jealous of his younger brother. However, Aharon, "God's holy one" (Tehilim 106:16) , was so removed from bad character traits that he had never even considered being jealous of Moshe and was completely unaware that he was now supposed to allay Moshe's concerns by bringing fanfare.

In conclusion, we can now understand the Midrash's deeper meaning. If Aharon would have known that God wanted him to emphasise, for Moshe's benefit, Aharon's lack of jealousy for his younger brother's new appointment then he would have gone to meet him with timbrels and choruses. We can now also appreciate the Gemara's statement (Shabbat 139a) of Rabbi Malai: "Aharon's reward for 'when he sees you he will be glad in his heart' (Shemot 4:14) was that he merited to wear the breastplate which would rest on his heart". Since Aharon's heart was so pure, containing no bad qualities, he deserved to be the first Kohen Gadol and wear the breastplate close to his heart.