And Ahron the Cohen went up to Mount Hor at the commandment of Hashem, and died there, in the fortieth year after Klall Yisroel came out of the land of Egypt, in the first day of the fifth month. {33:38}
In describing the deaths of Moshe and Miriam, the Torah does not mention their exact dates of death. When discussing the death of Ahron, though, the Torah tells us that Aaron died in the fifth month - Av - to hint to us that this would be the month in which the Beis HaMikdosh, represented by Aaron the Cohen Godol, would be destroyed.
• Netziv
And the cities which you shall give to the Levi'im shall be six cities of refuge, which you shall appoint for the slayer that he may flee there; and to them you shall add forty-two cities. {35:6}
The six cities of refuge call to mind the six words of the verse “Shema Yisrael”, in which a person should find a spiritual refuge for his weary head which is beset with confusion at all times. The forty-two cities call to mind the 42 words in the first section of the Shema recital (beginning with ואהבת) through which a person can strengthen himself in the service of his blessed Creator.
• Oheiv Yisroel, Apter Rov
So you shall not pollute the land in which you are, for blood pollutes the land; and the land can not be cleansed of the blood that is shed there, but by the blood of him who shed it. {35:33}
The Torah tells us that murder is "Chanifa" for the land. Chanifa usually means flattery. "How," asks Rav Moshe Feinstein, "is murder flattery for the land?" He answers that murder is not accepted by any society. However, the reason for this varies greatly from the Torah's reasoning. Murder is outlawed because it would destroy civilization. The Mishna in Pirkei Avos says that we must thank the rule of law, for without proper policing, each man would swallow his neighbor. There are some ramifications for this approach. For example, murder is condoned and even lauded if it will make the world a better place. This is the justification for horrific wars. On the other hand, there is little respect for "Chayei Shoh" the life of someone terminally ill or doomed to die. Similarly, the lives of elderly people are not as important, as they have already finished contributing to society. Not so the Torah, which values the essence of life itself, not withstanding the person's value to civilization. Someone can only murder after reaching the conclusion that the world needs to, for whatever reason, rid itself of his victim. This is in essence saying that man is only here to serve the world, instead of vice versa. Murder is the ultimate flattery of the world. Hashem tells us, "Do not murder, and do not flatter the world." Human life is what should be respected and flattered. Value the elderly and infirm, and respect even a few sacred moments of life.
