Aharon’s Death Triggers Even Greater Emotions Than Moshe’s Death

Aharon loved and pursued peace. Chazal consider this a very important concept. The Yalkut Shimoni says that when it came time for Aharon to die, G-d, kaviyachol, did not have it within Him to go to Aharon and tell him directly that his time was up. G-d had to ask Moshe Rabbeinu a favor to tell Aharon to go up to his place of death.

Rav Bergman, in his Sefer, Shaare Orah, points out that there is no such teaching when it was time for Moshe Rabbeynu to die. Nowhere do we find that G-d was embarrassed to tell Moshe Rabbeinu that the time had come for him to leave this world. In what way was Aharon superior? Rav Bergman suggests it was Aharon’s attribute of being the pursuer of peace among the Jewish nation that gave him this special status.