The Kohen Gadol must hold himself above and beyond all material aspects of this world, to the point where he may not have any physical ties, nor is he permitted to defile himself by dealing with the death of even his closest relatives. The gemara recounts an unusual question that was asked of Rav Avahu: If a Kohen Gadol is not allowed to deal with a dead body and become impure, how is that Hakadosh Boruch Hu, Himself, personally dealt with the burial of Moshe Rabbeinu? After all, Hashem is regarded as the Holiest of Holies, and His purity is certainly greater than that of the Kohen Gadol; if so, by all halachic accounts, He should not have handled the death and burial of even a tzaddik like Moshe?
The Maharsha, R’ Shmuel Eidels zt”l, gives a novel explanation and says that the Torah tells us, “And no one knew where he (Moshe) is buried until this very day.” Since Moshe Rabbeinu’s death and burial is unknown and shrouded in mystery, he is considered to be like a corpse whose burial is not being attended to, and as such, even a Kohen Gadol is permitted to deal with it and become impure.
Another answer is given by R’ Yosef Schwartz zt”l of Grosswarden. A Kohen Gadol is related to his family through physical, familial ties; however, by raising himself above his peers spiritually, he severs these ties. Thus, he is not permitted to deal with the death of his relatives, allowing himself to become tamei. Hashem, on the other hand, will never sever his ties to Klal Yisroel, for we are bound to Him forever through the spirit of our collective soul. Thus, Hashem can never become tamei from Klal Yisroel.
During the seven weeks of sefirah, 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva died and we mourn for them. But certainly there has been no shortage of other tragedies in our history. Why do we mourn specifically for these students, specifically at this time?
R' Meir Chodosh zt”l quotes the renowned medrash (cited by Rashi), that when Bnei Yisroel arrived at Har Sinai, they were united "as one person, with one heart." It appears that the 49-day period from Yetzias Mitzrayim to Kabbolas Hatorah was a time when Bnei Yisroel learned not to be self-centered, not to focus on their personal necessities, but rather, to focus on the needs of others. This was a prerequisite to receiving the Torah.
However, Chazal tell us that the reason the students of Rabbi Akiva died between Pesach and Shavuos was “Because they did not treat each other with respect.” Many meforshim explain that this “lack of respect” refers to lashon hara and evil gossip that the students spoke against each other. Clearly, their deaths during these weeks were not incidental; the Divine service of these weeks is to learn to care for others as the Jews did in the desert, yet the students of Rabbi Akiva failed to incorporate this lesson and were summarily punished.
For this very reason, the Sages singled out this tragic event. It highlights the special significance of this period of the year, a time when we should demonstrate extra care for one another, drawing closer to our brethren in preparation for receiving the Torah “as one person, with one heart.”
