Beha'alotecha

Adapted from Rabbi Moshe Chayyim Ephraim (a.k.a. the Degel Machneh Ephraim)

At the opening of Parshat Beha'alotecha, God says to Moshe: Speak to Aharon and tell him, "When you light the lamps toward the front of the menorah, the seven lights will glow." The Hebrew words for "toward" (el mool) can be interpreted to mean "across from" the menorah, or "in the opposite direction."

Aharon always followed God's directions precisely. He had to, because as the Cohen Gadol (High Priest), he was in constant contact with the raw power of God. If he did not protect himself by conducting rituals very precisely, he could die. So why would God instruct him to perform one of his duties "in the opposite direction"?

If we read Aharon's story closely, through the eyes of Rabbinic midrash, we see there are a few occasions on which Aharon did not follow Godís instructions. When the Israelites feared that Moshe had died on the mountain and wanted reassurance, Aharon helped them make a golden statue of a calf. When Aharon's sons died, he insisted on his family's right to mourn instead of performing their priestly duties without a break. When Moshe neglected his own wife, Aharon and his sister Miriam questioned the good judgment of their brother Moshe.

All these are situations in which Aharon bent the rules in order to create peace between people. At the beginning of Parshat Beha'alotecha, God acknowledges the work Aharon does in the pursuit of peace. God in effect says: Sometimes when you go against the rules in the name of peace, a very bright light will glow.

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