What was Aharon’s reaction? He could’ve complained.
Even though we can question G-d, a Rabbi gives us a different perspective:
“When life gets rough, ask not ‘why’ this is happening to me but ‘what’ this happening is asking of me. In every painful situation choose to find opportunities for growth and humbly reserve judgment of the Master Mind of the universe.”
The Kotzker Rebbe (i.e. Menachem Mendel Morgensztern of Kotzk) once said, “Man has two eyes with which to see his life from two perspectives - one to see the greatness of the Creator; the other to see his own shortcomings.”
Through those near to Me I show Myself holy,
And gain glory before all the people.”And Aaron was silent.
What is the value of silence?
רָבָא אָמַר: כׇּל הַמַּעֲבִיר עַל מִדּוֹתָיו — מַעֲבִירִין לוֹ עַל כׇּל פְּשָׁעָיו.
Rava understood this verse differently and said: With regard to whoever forgoes his reckonings with others for injustices done to him, the heavenly court in turn forgoes punishment for all his sins.
When one does not calculate the exact measure of retribution that his attacker deserves; rather he tolerantly drops the entire matter and goes on his way (See ArtScroll Rosh Hashanah 17a, footnote 37), Hashem’s Attribute of Justice relinquishes its right to exact punishment for his transgressions as well (Ibid., footnote 38).
כׇּל הַמְרַחֵם עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת — מְרַחֲמִין עָלָיו מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם.
Anyone who has compassion for God’s creatures will receive compassion from Heaven.
(כ) וְיֹאמַר, מַה הֵם הַיִּסּוּרִין הַיּוֹתֵר טוֹבִים שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם שֶׁלֹּא יַטְרִידוּנִי מֵעֲבוֹדַת יקוק, אֵין חָבִיב בְּכֻלָּם מֵאֵלּוּ שֶׁיְּחָרְפוּהוּ וִיבַזֻּהוּ וִיגַדְּפֻהוּ, שֶׁהֲרֵי לֹא יִמְנְעוּ מִמֶּנּוּ כֹּחוֹ וְאֹנוֹ בָּחֳלָאִים, וְלֹא יִמְנְעוּ אֲכִילָתוֹ וּמַלְבּוּשׁוֹ.
(20) And he [should] say, "What are the best afflictions in the world, which will not disturb me from the service of God?" There is nothing more beloved in all of them than that they should curse him, and disgrace him and condemn him. As behold, they do not prevent him from his strength and vitality with sicknesses; and they do not prevent his eating and his clothing.
Intelligent, if he seals his lips.
מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים: יָפָה שְׁתִיקָה לַחֲכָמִים, קַל וָחוֹמֶר לַטִּפְּשִׁים...
From here the Sages stated: Silence is fitting for the wise, and a fortiori the same is true for fools...
רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר... סְיָג לַחָכְמָה, שְׁתִיקָה:
Rabbi Akiva said... A fence to wisdom is silence.
הָא אֵינוֹ מְדַבֵּר אֶלָּא בִּשְׁתִיקָה מִדִּבְרֵי הָרְשׁוּת שֶׁבֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ, שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ לָאָדָם לְמַעֵט הַדִּבּוּר בָּהֶם כָּל מַה שֶּׁאֶפְשָׁר. וַעֲלֵיהֶם אָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה (משלי יז) גַּם אֱוִיל מַחֲרִישׁ חָכָם יֵחָשֵׁב:
Hence it is only speaking about optional words between a man and his fellow, in which a person should minimize his speech as much as possible. And about them Shlomo said (Proverbs 17:28), "A fool who is silenced is also considered a wise man."
ופירוש "לא מצאתי לגוף טוב אלא שתיקה", רוצה לומר במה שהאדם בעל גוף יפה לו השתיקה. וזה כי הדבור הוא נפש המדברת, אשר נפש המדברת הוא כח גופני, שהדבור כח גופני, ואינו שכלי לגמרי. לכך ראוי לו השתיקה, שלא יבא לידי טעות ושבוש. כי כאשר הוא פועל בכח הדברי, מבטל כח השכלי, כמו שיתבאר בסמוך, לכך ישתוק, ויהיה פועל בכח השכלי אשר אינו גופני כמו שהוא כח דברי, שלא ימלט מן הטעות...
vows are paid to You;
שִׁמְעוֹן בְּנוֹ אוֹמֵר, כָּל יָמַי גָּדַלְתִּי בֵין הַחֲכָמִים, וְלֹא מָצָאתִי לַגּוּף טוֹב אֶלָּא שְׁתִיקָה...
Shimon, his son, used to say: all my days I grew up among the sages, and I have found nothing better for a person than silence...
Rabbi Pesach Krohn points out that the words silent and listen are spelled with the exact same letters. He says that in shul, you have to be silent and listen to what the chazzan is saying. Whether it is Chazaras HaShatz, Berachos, Krias HaTorah (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 146:2 and Mishnah Berurah 146:5) or what the Rav is saying. [To understand the importance of tefillah, read The Har Nof Massacre – Is There Any Lesson to Learn?]
אַבָּא חָנָן אוֹמֵר מִי כָמוֹךָ חֲסִין יָהּ מִי כָמוֹךָ חָסִין וְקָשֶׁה שֶׁאַתָּה שׁוֹמֵעַ נִיאוּצוֹ וְגִידּוּפוֹ שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ רָשָׁע וְשׁוֹתֵק דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל תָּנָא מִי כָּמֹכָה בָּאֵלִים ה׳ מִי כָּמוֹכָה בָּאִלְּמִים
Abba Ḥanan says: The verse states: “Who is strong like You, O Lord?” (Psalms 89:9). Who is strong and indurate like You, as You hear the abuse and the blasphemy of that wicked man and remain silent. Similarly, the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught that the verse: “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods [elim]” (Exodus 15:11), should be read as: Who is like You among the mute [ilmim], for You conduct Yourself like a mute and remain silent in the face of Your blasphemers.
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: עֲלוּבִין וְאֵינָן עוֹלְבִין, שׁוֹמְעִין חֶרְפָּתָן וְאֵינָן מְשִׁיבִין, עוֹשִׂין מֵאַהֲבָה וּשְׂמֵחִין בְּיִסּוּרִין — עֲלֵיהֶן הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר: ״וְאֹהֲבָיו כְּצֵאת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בִּגְבֻרָתוֹ״.
The Sages taught: About those who are insulted and do not insult, who hear their shame and do not respond, who act out of love and are joyful in suffering, the verse says: “And they that love Him are as the sun going forth in its might” (Judges 5:31).
וְלִמְקַלְ֒לַי נַפְשִׁי תִדּוֹם וְנַפְשִׁי כֶּעָפָר לַכֹּל תִּהְיֶה...
To those who curse me, may my soul be unresponsive; and let my soul be like dust to all...
אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ: יִצְרוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם מִתְגַּבֵּר עָלָיו בְּכׇל יוֹם וּמְבַקֵּשׁ לַהֲמִיתוֹ... וְאִלְמָלֵא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁעוֹזֵר לוֹ — אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לוֹ...
Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: A person’s evil inclination overcomes him each day and seeks to kill him... And if not for the Holy One, Blessed be He, Who assists him with the good inclination, he would not overcome it...
With Hashem’s help, if someone hurls an insult at you, it will appear to you like a speck of dust on your jacket!