ויקרא רבה - Rebbe Chelbo said: Moshe Rabbeinu performed the avodah of the Kohen Gadol for all seven days of the Miluim, the seven days of ‘practice’ before the actual inauguration of the Mishkan, and thought the position was his. On the seventh day, Hakodosh Baruch Hu told him: It is not yours. Rather, it is Aharon your brother’s – as the posuk says, “ויהי .ביום השמיני” Why was Moshe not given the position of Kohen Gadol?
The Shem Mishmuel explains that Shabbos Kodesh is greater than Yom Tov. As it says in the Zohar Hakadosh, Yom Tov receives its kedusha from Shabbos, as Shabbos is called “קודש” and Yom Tov is only called “מקרא קודש.” However, Klal Yisroel has more of a connection to the kedusha of Yom Tov than to the kedusha of Shabbos.
The Ramban says that we don’t recite the bracha on besamim on Motzai Yom Tov. The reason for the besamim on Motzai Shabbos is that the neshama is sad that the “נשמה יתירה” the person received for Shabbos Kodesh left, and the neshama has hana’ah, benefit, from smelling the besamim. Thus, we smell besamim at the departure of Shabbos as some sort of consolation for the neshama upon losing the neshama yeseira. On Yom Tov, we also receive a neshama yeseira, but that extra neshama does not leave us upon the departure of Yom Tov; rather, it stays with us.
We have no power over Shabbos Kodesh; it comes every seven days. But Yom Tov is dependent upon us; when Yom Tov will fall is determined by when the beis din is mekadesh the new month. Man has some control over Yom Tov, and thus, there is more of a connection between us and Yom Tov. Shabbos Kodesh is so great that the neshama yeseira of Shabbos can only remain within us as long as the great kedusha of Shabbos is with us. Once Shabbos is gone, so is the neshama yeseira. However, the neshama yeseira of Yom Tov is on a lesser level. We have more of a grasp of it, and thus, even when Yom Tov leaves us, the neshama yeseira of Yom Tov remains with us.
Moshe was considered a bechinah, an aspect, of Shabbos, as we say, “ישמח משה במתנת חלקו,” while Aharon was considered to be like Yom Tov. He received his kedusha from Moshe, just as Yom Tov receives its kedusha from Shabbos. Thus, just as Yom Tov has more of a connection to Klal Yisroel, for it is on a lesser level of kedusha, the same was with Aharon. Moshe represented the higher level of kedusha, the kedusha of Shabbos Kodesh. We try to grasp as much of that kedusha as we can, but it is still way above us, while we are able to have more of a connection to the kedusha of Yom Tov. Moshe was not chosen to be the Kohen Gadol, not because he wasn’t worthy, but rather, because he was on a more exalted level of ruchniyos, one which Klal Yisroel would not have been able to grasp.
We must strive to utilize the neshama yeseira, which is returned to us every Shabbos Kodesh, as well as the neshama yeseira that we receive from Yom Tov, which remains with us.
RABBI ELIMELECH BIDERMAN
RABBI YAKOV YOSEF SCHECHTER
