Tetzaveh II

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AND BRING NEAR TO YOU AARON YOUR BROTHER, AND HIS SONS WITH HIM; from where? FROM AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.

It can be compared to a king who possessed a friend and when he wished to appoint a controller of his finances, he appointed him over his entire treasury.

After some time, he decided to appoint a chief of his bodyguard, and his friend thought that he would appoint him, but he did not, for the king said to him: ‘Go, and appoint for me a chief of the bodyguard.'

He asked: ‘Your Majesty, of which family ?'

The king replied: ‘Of yours.'

So when God was about to appoint a supervisor over the work of the Tabernacle, he appointed Moses president over the judges and over everything; and when God was about to appoint a High Priest, Moses believed that he would be made High Priest, but God said to him: ‘Go and appoint Me a High Priest.'

Moses replied: ' Lord of the Universe! From which tribe shall I appoint him?'

The divine reply was: ' From the tribe of Levi.'

Moses was thereupon exceedingly glad, saying, ' So beloved is my tribe!'

God further said to him: ‘It shall be Aaron your brother,' as it says, AND BRING NEAR TO YOU AARON YOUR BROTHER.

Our Sages have said that Moses ministered as High Priest all the forty years' that Israel was in the wilderness;

but others hold that he only did so during the seven days of the consecration of the Tabernacle.

R. Berekiah in the name of R. Simon said: Moses ministered as High Priest all the forty years, because it says, And the children of: Aaron and Moses (I Chronicles 5:29), and it is also written, But as for Moses the man of God, his sons are named among the tribe of Levi (I Chronicles 23:14).

The following talks about Aaron's role in the Golden Calf Debacle.

Another explanation of AND BRING NEAR TO YOU. They said: When Moses descended from Sinai and beheld Israel engaged in that unspeakable act, he looked at Aaron, who was beating it with a hammer. The intention of Aaron was really to restrain the people until Moses came down, but Moses thought that Aaron was a partner in their crime and he was incensed against him.

Then God said to Moses: ' I know that Aaron's intention was quite good.'

It can be compared to a prince whose mind became unsteady, and who took a digging-tool to undermine his father's house.

His tutor said to him: ' Do not weary yourself: give it to me and I will undermine it.' When the king beheld this, he said: ' I know yourgood intention. As you live, none shall rule over my palace except you.'

Similarly, when Israel said to Aaron, 'Up, make us a god' (Exodus 32:1), he replied, 'Break off the golden rings.' He further said to them: ‘Since I am a priest, let me make it and I will offer up sacrifices before it,' his sole idea being to restrain them till Moses should come down.

Then God said: ‘Aaron, I know what your intention was; guaranteed, only you shall have full sovereignty over the sacrifices which My children will bring. Hence it says, AND BRING NEAR TO YOU...

Where was this said to Moses?

In the Tabernacle.

R. Levi said: It can be compared to the friend of a king who was a member of the imperial cabinet and a judge. When the king was about to appoint a palace governor, he notified his friend, saying: ‘It is your own brother.'

So the Lord made Moses superintendent of the palace: "My servant Moses is not so; he is trusted in all My house." (Numbers 12:7);

He made him a judge, for it says, "That Moses sat to judge the people" (Exodus 18:13).

When he was about to appoint a High Priest, He notified him saying: 'It shall be your brother Aaron.'

Another explanation of AND BRING NEAR TO YOU.... It is written, Happy is the man whom You choose and bring near that he may dwell in Your courts (Psalm 45:5). R. Isaac said: It can be compared to a friend of the king whom the latter called into his service and made a life-guardsman, so that he should not stir from the palace and should eat of what the king has left.

Aaron likewise was at first on the same level as all Israel, but the Holy One, blessed be He, made him High Priest and said to him: 'Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary' (Leviticus 21:12), and of what was left of what God would he eat, as it says, "But that which is left of the meal-offering shall be Aaron's and his sons' (Leviticus 2:3).

Another explanation of AND BRING NEAR TO YOU. It is written, "Unless Your law had been my delight, I should then have perished in my affliction (Psalm 119:92). When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, AND BRING NEAR TO YOU, he was displeased, but God comforted him by saying: ‘The Torah I possessed I gave to you; had it not been for the Torah, I would have destroyed My world.'

It can be compared to a wise man who married a relative of his, and though he lived with her for ten years, she did not give birth to a child. He then said to her: 'Seek a woman for me,' further explaining to her: ' I can really take a woman without your permission, only I desire your patience.'

This is also what God said to Moses: 'I could have appointed your brother as High Priest without informing you of it, but I wanted you to be his superior.'

FROM AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. Out of all countries, the Holy One, blessed be He, chose the Land of Israel; and from the Land of Israel He selected the Temple, and from the Temple He selected only the Holy of Holies. Similarly, God selected Israel, and from Israel He selected the tribe of Levi, and of the tribe of Levi He chose Aaron, as it says, And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest... (I Samuel 2:28).....

AND YOU SHALL SET IN IT SETTINGS OF STONES (Exodus 28:17). How were they set? A ROW O F CORNELIAN, TOPAZ, AND SMARAGD SHALL BE THE FIRST ROW. On the CORNELIAN were written the names of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Reuben.

On the TOPAZ was written Simeon, and on the SMARAGD Levi.

AND THE SECOND ROW, A CARBUNCLE, A SAPPHIRE, AND AN EMERALD. On the CARBUNCLE was written Judah, on the SAPPHIRE Issachar, and on the EMERALD Zebulun.

AND THE THIRD ROW A HYACINTH, AN AGATE, AND AN AMETHYST. On the HYACINTH was written Dan, on the AGATE Naphtali, and on the AMETHYST Gad.

AND THE FOURTH ROW A BERYL, AND AN ONYX, AND A JASPER. On the BERYL was inscribed Asher, on the ONYX Joseph, and on the JASPER Benjamin: the tribes of Jeshurun. (Shivtei Yeshurun; it includes the letter "tet;" all letters of the alphabet were thus carved on the stones.)


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