This week’s parsha begins with a special Mitzvah, a commandment to tell the Kohanim, the descendants of Aharon, to observe the special purity rules that only apply to them. A Kohain must maintain his special status and may not become impure through any contact with a corpse or even be under the same roof as a corpse. This should not be viewed as an onerous restriction. On the contrary, it is a remarkable badge of honor that is a testament to his special status.
The Midrash (Vayikrah Rabbah 26:6) explains that this special set of purity laws must be kept forever – by Aharon, his sons and grandsons until the end of all generations. But how did Aharon earn this special set of purity laws? The Midrash above cites a verse in Tehillim (19:10), “’The fear of Hashem is pure, existing forever; the judgments of Hashem are true, altogether just.’ Rav Levi explains from this verse that, ‘He [Aharon] merited this special status through the fear of Hashem that Aharon demonstrated before Hashem.’”
The previous Aleksander Rebbe, Rav Avrohom Menachem Danciger ZT’L (1921–2005), author of the Imrei Menachem, explains that the fear cited in the Midrash refers to Aharon’s complete submission to Hashem’s will, which the Sages call “Hachna’ah”. It is this complete submission that propelled Aharon to an extremely high level of truth in word and deed. Since he reached this level of truth, he merited receiving the special set of purity laws.
How does Hachna’ah lead one to truth? The answer can be found in another Midrash that explains the verse in Tehillim (85:12), “Truth sprouts from the ground” – to mean that truth sprouts only from someone who makes himself like the ground, i.e. where all step upon him and he neither has, nor demonstrates any personal agenda or animosity toward anyone. Since he bears no ill will to anyone and has no personal agenda, his actions are sincere, and his words are completely true and without compromise.
“Truth,” writes the Imrei Menachem further, “is one of the only things that is established and lasts forever.” This is the meaning of the Talmudic statement in Shabbos 104a that truth is what lasts. Since Aharon reached this remarkable level of truth - the reward that Aharon received, measure for measure, was the lasting special purity laws that were to be kept forever as mentioned above.
The Imrei Menachem understands this Midrash as revealing two remarkable observations. The first observation is that the sole means to achieving this extremely high level of truth in all that we say and do is through having no personal agenda or animosity toward others, and being entirely submissive to Hashem and His will (as the Midrash said that truth sprouts only from someone who makes himself like the ground). The second observation is that just like Truth is eternal and everlasting, so too is the reward to be received by one who is truthful.
