In Honor of Aharon and In Honor of Two Brothers

(ו) וַתִּפְתַּח֙ וַתִּרְאֵ֣הוּ אֶת־הַיֶּ֔לֶד וְהִנֵּה־נַ֖עַר בֹּכֶ֑ה וַתַּחְמֹ֣ל עָלָ֔יו וַתֹּ֕אמֶר מִיַּלְדֵ֥י הָֽעִבְרִ֖ים זֶֽה׃

Exodus 2:6

(6) When she opened it, she saw that it was a child, a boy crying. She took pity on it and said, “This must be a Hebrew child.”

Look carefully at the psukim- what can we learn about Moshe and Aharon here as individuals and as a team?

והנה נער בכה ראתה אהרן בוכה שאחיו היה- לפיכך ותאמר מילדי העברים

שמות ד׳:י״ג-ט״ז

(יג) וַיֹּ֖אמֶר בִּ֣י אדושם שְֽׁלַֽח־נָ֖א בְּיַד־תִּשְׁלָֽח׃ (יד) וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֨ף ה' בְּמֹשֶׁ֗ה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הֲלֹ֨א אַהֲרֹ֤ן אָחִ֙יךָ֙ הַלֵּוִ֔י יָדַ֕עְתִּי כִּֽי־דַבֵּ֥ר יְדַבֵּ֖ר ה֑וּא וְגַ֤ם הִנֵּה־הוּא֙ יֹצֵ֣א לִקְרָאתֶ֔ךָ וְרָאֲךָ֖ וְשָׂמַ֥ח בְּלִבּֽוֹ׃ (טו) וְדִבַּרְתָּ֣ אֵלָ֔יו וְשַׂמְתָּ֥ אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים בְּפִ֑יו וְאָנֹכִ֗י אֶֽהְיֶ֤ה עִם־פִּ֙יךָ֙ וְעִם־פִּ֔יהוּ וְהוֹרֵיתִ֣י אֶתְכֶ֔ם אֵ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּעֲשֽׂוּן׃ (טז) וְדִבֶּר־ה֥וּא לְךָ֖ אֶל־הָעָ֑ם וְהָ֤יָה הוּא֙ יִֽהְיֶה־לְּךָ֣ לְפֶ֔ה וְאַתָּ֖ה תִּֽהְיֶה־לּ֥וֹ לֵֽאלֹקִֽים׃

Exodus 4:13-16

(13) But he said, “Please, O my lord, make someone else Your agent.” (14) ה' became angry with Moses and said, “There is your brother Aaron the Levite. He, I know, speaks readily. Even now he is setting out to meet you, and he will be happy to see you. (15) You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth—I will be with you and with him as you speak, and tell both of you what to do— (16) and he shall speak for you to the people. Thus he shall serve as your spokesman, with you playing the role of God to him.

שמות ד׳:כ״ז-ל״א

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר ה אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן לֵ֛ךְ לִקְרַ֥את מֹשֶׁ֖ה הַמִּדְבָּ֑רָה וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ וַֽיִּפְגְּשֵׁ֛הוּ בְּהַ֥ר הָאֱלֹקִ֖ים וַיִּשַּׁק־לֽוֹ׃ כח וַיַּגֵּ֤ד מֹשֶׁה֙ לְאַֽהֲרֹ֔ן אֵ֛ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֥י ה' אֲשֶׁ֣ר שְׁלָח֑וֹ וְאֵ֥ת כָּל־הָאֹתֹ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּֽהוּ׃ כט וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְאַהֲרֹ֑ן וַיַּ֣אַסְפ֔וּ אֶת־כָּל־זִקְנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ל וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אַהֲרֹ֔ן אֵ֚ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָאֹתֹ֖ת לְעֵינֵ֥י הָעָֽם׃ לא וַֽיַּאֲמֵ֖ן הָעָ֑ם וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֡וּ כִּֽי־פָקַ֨ד ה' אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְכִ֤י רָאָה֙ אֶת־עָנְיָ֔ם וַֽיִּקְּד֖וּ וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוּֽ

Exodus 4:27-31

The LORD said to Aaron, “Go to meet Moses in the wilderness.” He went and met him at the mountain of God, and he kissed him. Moses told Aaron about all the things that the LORD had committed to him and all the signs about which He had instructed him. Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites. Aaron repeated all the words that the LORD had spoken to Moses, and he performed the signs in the sight of the people, and the people were convinced. When they heard that the LORD had taken note of the Israelites and that He had seen their plight, they bowed low in homage.

אור החיים על שמות ד׳:כ״ז:א׳

לך לקראת משה וגו'. ונבואה זו אין ספק שנאמרה לאהרן הגם שאמרו ז''ל (תו''כ א') שכל מקום שנאמר וידבר ה' אל משה ואל אהרן לא נאמר הדיבור אלא למשה שיאמר לאהרן, ומזה אתה למד שהיה נביא לעצמו:

Or HaChaim on Exodus 4:27:1

לך לקראת משה, "go towards Moses, etc!" Although we have heard G'd say to Moses already in 4,14 that his brother Aaron was on his way to meet him, the actual instruction to Aaron came from G'd while Aaron was still in Egypt. There is no question that the prophecy in this verse was adressed directly to Aaron even though we learned in Torat Kohanim 1 that wherever the Torah writes: "G'd spoke to Moses and Aaron," that the directive was spoken to Moses only and he in turn was to convey it to Aaron, this does not apply here. Even according to the view of Rabbi Yossi Haglili who excludes Aaron from receiving a communication from G'd directly even while both were in Egypt, he referred only to communications which concerned an independent mission to outsiders. There is no reason to believe that G'd did not speak to Aaron directly concerning what Aaron himself was to do. Our verse proves that Aaron was a prophet in his own right.

תורת משה - אלשיך, שמות ד׳:כ״ח:א׳

וילך ולא אמר וילכו. כי כאיש א' היו בלב אחד

תנחומא בובר, שמות כ״ה:א׳

ד"א לך לקראת משה המדברה. חסד ואמת נפגשו צדק ושלום נשקו (תהלים פה יא), צדק זה משה, שלום זה אהרן, חסד זה אהרן, ואמת זה משה, , לכך חסד ואמת נפגשו, וילך ויפגשהו וגו', צדק ושלום נשקו, וישק לו.

Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Shemot 25:1

Another interpretation (of Exod. 4:27): GO INTO THE DESERT TO MEET MOSES. This text is related (to Ps. 85:11 [10]): FAITHFULNESS AND TRUTH MEET; RIGHTEOUSNESS AND PEACE KISS.¹¹⁵Tanh., Exod. 1:28; Exod. R. 5:10. RIGHTEOUSNESS: This is Moses, <of whom> it is stated (in Deut. 33:21): HE CARRIED OUT THE LORD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS.¹¹⁶The biblical context is Moses’ blessing of Gad. For the midrash these words form part of an aside at the conclusion of the Gad blessing. So understood, they refer to the one giving the blessing, i.e., Moses. PEACE: This is Aaron, of whom it is stated (in Mal. 2:6): IN PEACE AND UPRIGHTNESS HE WALKED WITH ME. FAITHFULNESS: This is Aaron, of whom it is stated (in Deut. 33:8): AND OF LEVI HE SAID: LET YOUR THUMMIM AND URIM BE WITH YOUR FAITHFUL ONE. AND TRUTH ('MT): This is Moses, of whom it is stated (of Moses in Numb. 12:7): HE IS TRUSTED (rt.: 7MN) IN ALL MY HOUSE. Therefore (in Ps. 85:11 [10]): FAITHFULNESS AND TRUTH MEET. (Exod. 4:27): SO HE (Aaron) WENT TO MEET HIM (Moses) <ON THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD>. (Ps. 85:11 [10], cont.): RIGHTEOUSNESS AND PEACE KISS. (Exod. 4:27, cont.): AND KISSED HIM.

בראשית ל״ג:ד׳

וַיָּ֨רָץ עֵשָׂ֤ו לִקְרָאתוֹ֙ וַֽיְחַבְּקֵ֔הוּ וַיִּפֹּ֥ל עַל־צַוָּארָ֖ו וַׄיִּׄשָּׁׄקֵ֑ׄהׄוּׄ וַיִּבְכּֽוּ׃

Genesis 33:4

Esau ran to greet him. He embraced him and, falling on his neck, he kissed him; and they wept.

שמות רבה ה׳:י׳

וַיִּשַּׁק לוֹ, אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן מָשָׁל לְזֶהָבִי שֶׁהֵבִיאוּ לוֹ מוֹנִיטָה אַחַת וְרָאָה אוֹתָהּ מִבִּפְנִים שֶׁל חֶרֶס וּמִבַּחוּץ שֶׁל זָהָב, לְיָמִים הֵבִיאוּ לוֹ מוֹנִיטָה שֶׁכֻּלָּהּ זָהָב, אָמַר לָהֶם הָרִאשׁוֹן חֶרֶס הָיָה וְהָיָה מְצֻפֶּה זָהָב, אֲבָל זֶה כֻּלָּהּ זָהָב. כָּךְ נְשִׁיקָה שֶׁנָּשַׁק עֵשָׂו לְיַעֲקֹב לֹא הָיָה אֶלָּא לִפְסֹלֶת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי כו, כג): כֶּסֶף סִיגִים מְצֻפֶּה עַל חָרֶשׂ. וּמֶה הָיָה סוֹפוֹ (משלי כו, כג): שְׂפָתַיִם דֹּלְקוֹת וְלֶב רָע, שֶׁלֹא בִּקֵּשׁ לְנָשְׁקוֹ אֶלָּא לְנָשְׁכוֹ. אֲבָל נְשִׁיקָה שֶׁל אַהֲרֹן וּמשֶׁה הָיְתָה נְשִׁיקָה שֶׁל אֱמֶת,

תנחומא בובר, שמות כ״ה:ב׳

ד"א וישק לו, כל הנשיקות של תיפלות, חוץ משלש, ואלו הן, נשיקת פרישה, ונשיקת גדולה, ונשיקת פרקים, נשיקת פרישה, שנאמר ותשק ערפה לחמותה (רות א יד), נשיקת גדולה, שנאמר ויקח שמואל את פך השמן ויצק על ראשו וישקהו וגו' (ש"א י א), נשיקת פרקים, שנאמר וילך ויפגשהו בהר האלהים וישק לו.

Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Shemot 25:2

Another interpretation (of Exod. 4:27): AND KISSED HIM. All kisses are indecent except three, and these are the following: the kiss of departure, the kiss of greatness, and the kiss of reunion (literally: of crossroads).¹¹⁷Exod.R.5:1. The kiss of departure <is not silly> because it is stated (in Ruth 1:14): AND ORPAH KISSED HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; the kiss of greatness, because it is stated (in I Sam. 10:1): THEN SAMUEL TOOK THE FLASK OF OIL, POURED IT UPON HIS HEAD, AND KISSED HIM….; the kiss of reunion, because it is stated (in Exod. 4:27): SO HE WENT TO MEET HIM <ON THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD> AND KISSED HIM.

שמות רבה ה׳:י׳

וַיִּשַּׁק לוֹ, מַהוּ וַיִּשַּׁק לוֹ, זֶה שָׂמַח בִּגְדֻלָּתוֹ שֶׁל זֶה וְזֶה שָׂמַח בִּגְדֻלָּתוֹ שֶׁל זֶה.