But he said, “I beseech You, my L-rd, send now with whom You would send.” And the wrath of HaShem was kindled against Moshe, and He said, “Is there not Aharon your brother, the Levi? I know that he will surely speak, and behold, he is coming forth toward you. And when he sees you, he will rejoice in his heart” (Shemos 4:13-14).
When HaShem told Moshe to lead the Jews out of Egypt, Moshe refused and asked HaShem to send the person he usually sent, who, Rashi explains, was Aharon. Moshe did not want to offend his older brother Aharon, who had been the prophet and agent of HaShem until this time.
In the following pasuk, when HaShem answered Moshe, He referred to Aharon as the Levi. Rashi tells us that Aharon was originally supposed to be the Levi, while the kehunah was supposed to have come from Moshe. Now, however, since Moshe had angered HaShem by refusing to lead the Jews out of Egypt, this would no longer be the case. Instead, Aharon would be promoted to the status of Kohen, and Moshe would be demoted to the rank of Levi.
If he refused for the best of reasons – the honor of his older brother – why was Moshe punished? We know that HaShem runs the world with the concept of middah keneged middah, quid pro quo; how did the punishment of losing the kehunah correspond to Moshe’s action?
The corollary to this question is: Why was Aharon then given the kehunah? Is it possible that just as Moshe did something that warranted his losing the kehunah, Aharon did something that entitled him to it?
Rashi explains that HaShem told Moshe that his concern for the feelings of his older brother was unfounded, for Aharon would not feel slighted in being passed over for this mission.
Why did HaShem tell this to Moshe? It is as if HaShem was saying, “Your brother who should have been the Levi will now become the Kohen in your stead, while you become the Levi, meaning that your refusal brings consequences. And even more so, you can’t even take solace in knowing that you did it for a good cause – to protect your brother`s feelings – because he will see you and rejoice in his heart. So you fought a battle for someone who would not have minded, and you still lost the kehunah.” This seems to be adding insult to injury.
Before we can explain how it was appropriate for Moshe to lose the kehunah, we have to realize that there were others who lost the same gift. On his deathbed, Yaakov informed his eldest son, Reuven, that his earlier impropriety – the moving of his father`s bed – resulted in his loss of the kehunah (Rashi: Bereishis 49:3-4).
Here, too, we can ask: What was so bad about Reuven’s deed? He was defending the honor of his mother. In fact, many sefarim maintain that Yaakov did have a change of heart and agreed that the bed should be moved, so why was Reuven punished, and why with the loss of kehunah? What was the middah keneged middah?
We find yet another antecedent to the loss of kehunah. In Parashas Lech Lecha (Bereishis 14:18-20), we read how Malkitzedek the king of Shaleim, who was a Kohen, brought bread and wine when he heard of Avram’s success in war. He then blessed Avram by saying, “Baruch Avram le’Keil Elyon Koneih shamayim va’aretz – Blessed be Avram to the Most-High G-d, Possessor of heaven and earth.”
The Gemara (Nedarim 32b) states that Malkitzedek lost the kehunah because he gave a blessing to Avram (a servant) before HaShem (the Master).
Here again, we can ask: What was wrong with Malkitzedek’s act? Even in his blessing to Avram, he acknowledged HaShem. What caused the loss of kehunah? And once more, what is the middah keneged middah?
Rav Chaim Simcha Gibber (see also Tzeidah La’Derech, brought down by Me’am Loez, Shemos 4:14) explained that in order to merit the status of kehunah, a person must be totally dedicated to HaShem; he must have only one agenda, the honor of HaShem. Anything else, however laudable and otherwise proper, cannot get in the way of carrying out the request or desire of his Master. There is no saying, “But I had to do it,” or “It was the right thing to do.” Putting anything before HaShem is tantamount to failure in one’s role as a Kohen, the absolute servant of HaShem.
Yes, Malkitzedek was right to bless and give honor to Avram; acknowledgement of a righteous person’s greatness is most appropriate. But praising a human before praising HaShem shows that the Al-mighty is not the premier focus in one’s life. A true Kohen is always aware of the greatness of HaShem and the responsibility that comes along with his title. Hence, Malkitzedek was not deserving of the kehunah.
Likewise, Reuven meant well; he was standing up for his mother’s honor, but at whose expense? We generally assume that his offense was bein adam la’chaveiro, an affront to the honor of Yaakov. However, that is not how it was understood by our Sages.
According to Rashi on that pasuk (Bereishis 49:4), Yaakov was not faulting his son for any disrespect toward his father, but for the apparent lack of respect he exhibited toward HaShem. The Shechinah resided above Yaakov’s bed, and when Reuven moved that bed, he disturbed HaShem’s Presence. It was that seeming disregard for HaShem that Yaakov was criticizing. Reuven seemed to be showing more concern for his mother’s honor than for the honor of the Al-mighty. Hence, he was not deserving of the kehunah.
In this same manner, we can explain why Moshe lost the kehunah. Although Aharon had been the heretofore point-man in Mitzrayim, HaShem tasked Moshe with leading the mission to save the Yidden. Obviously, HaShem felt that Moshe was best suited for the job. On Moshe’s lofty level, his refusal, out of concern for his older brother, could appear to others as if he were more concerned with the feelings of a human than the will of HaShem. Hence, he was not deserving of the kehunah.
Now we can explain why HaShem told Moshe, “Ve’ra’acha ve’samach be’libo – And when he sees you, he will rejoice in his heart.” HaShem was not rubbing it in by saying, “Your noble gesture on behalf of your brother was worthless and served no purpose.” Rather, he was explaining why Aharon deserved the kehunah that Moshe just lost. Until now, Aharon had been HaShem’s ambassador. But he realized that HaShem chose Moshe to take the Jews out of Egypt, since Moshe was the best person for the job.
Aharon, by being pleased to go out and greet his replacement, showed that he had only one agenda – that which best serves HaShem.
