And the children of Israel cried for Moshe on the plains of Mo’av for thirty days, and the days of crying for the mourning of Moshe ended.
This possuk has Klal Yisroel crying for thirty days for Moshe Rabbeinu, when we find that when Aaron Hacohen passed away, the possuk (Bamidbar 20:29) says ןֹרֲהַא תֶא וּכְּב יַו שְלשִּים יוֹם כֹּל בֵּית יִּשְרָאֵּל – and the entire house of Israel cried for Aharon for thirty days. There is a difference between Moshe and Aaron. When Aaron passed away, the entire house of Israel cried, but when Moshe Rabbeinu passed away, it seems that there were some exceptions to this.
The Ohr Hachaim quotes multiple explanations for this. He first quotes the Avos derabbi Nosson (12:3) that explains that Aaron Hacohen was an אוהב שלום ורודף שלום – he loved peace and chased after peace. The tanna writes that Aaron would walk in the streets and meet a wicked man. He would graciously greet him with the word ‘Shalom’, giving him the feeling that they are important people. The next day, when that man wanted to sin, he would say to himself, “How will I be able to look Aaron in the face; I will be so embarrassed when he wishes me Shalom again.” This man would stop himself from sinning, due to the influence of Aaron Hacohen. Similarly, when two people were fighting, Aaron would sit next to one of them and say, “My son, look at the anguish your friend is going through! His heart is ripped apart, and he is tearing at his clothes with regret at what he did. He is saying, ‘how can I face my old friend? I am so ashamed I betrayed his trust’.” Aaron would sit with him until his rage subsided. Then Aaron would go to the other person in the fight and make a similar appeal, describing the regret of the other person. Aaron would sit with him until his rage subsided. When the two people saw each other, they would embrace and kiss one another and peace was returned.
This is why, when Aaron Hacohen passed away, the entire nation mourned and cried. Aaron’s influence extended all over people’s lives. When there was peace in the community, everything was more successful.
When Moshe Rabbeinu passed away, some people did not feel a personal connection to him, and only those who did cried and mourned.
Reb Yehoshua Leib Diskin would say that this was the job of Moshe Rabbeinu in the world. The Gadol Hador, the Talmid Chacham who taught Torah to Klal Yisroel, would never be able to be beloved by all. A leader cannot be afraid of conflict, and a true leader will never be universally mourned. There will always be some people whose feelings are disturbed by the strong stand of the Gedolei Hador, and he may not live in fear of this. Moshe’s position was such that people could end up losing out, and nothing can change that.
Another explanation given by the Ohr Hachaim is in the name of the Ibn Ezra. He explains that the mourning for Aaron Hacohen was not so much about Aaron’s passing, but in sympathy with his grieving brother. Moshe Rabbeinu was the leader of Klal Yisroel, and his brother had passed away. When Moshe passed away, he did not have any siblings to mourn him, and they did not grieve that much. The Ohr Hachaim does not like this explanation, claiming that this wrongly maligns Klal Yisroel, claiming that their mourning was insincere.
The Ohr Hachaim offers other explanations into the difference between the crying and mourning for Moshe Rabbeinu and that of Aaron Hacohen. Aaron Hacohen was commanded to climb Hor Hahar and die there. Klal Yisroel had no warning. His death came as a shock to Klal Yisroel, increasing their pain and sense of loss. Moshe Rabbeinu, on the other hand, spent more than a month preparing them for his passing. He was constantly telling them that he was about to die and they would enter Eretz Yisroel without him. When he died, they were prepared for it and could handle it better.
Another reason for the extra crying that occurred when Aaron passed away is that as soon as he passed away, the clouds of glory disappeared, and they were not protected anymore. They were now in danger of the Canaanim, who immediately attacked them, and they felt the pain on their own skin. That is why they all mourned and cried when Aaron passed away. The Gemara says that Klal Yisroel had three leaders who helped them, and Hashem gave them three gifts in their merit. Moshe, Aaron, and Miriam were three sustainers of Klal Yisroel, and Hashem gave us three gifts in their merit. The well of water came in the merit of Miriam, the clouds came in the merit of Aaron, and the man came in the merit of Moshe. When Miriam passed away, the well disappeared, when Aaron passed away, the clouds disappeared. Both returned in the merit of Moshe Rabbeinu, and when Moshe Rabbeinu passed away, they all left. However, because when Moshe passed away, nothing untoward happened, even though they lost the clouds of glory again, they did not cry like they did when Aaron passed away. In addition, their pain was ameliorated by the happiness of the knowledge that they were about to enter Eretz Yisroel.
The last explanation offered by the Ohr Hachaim is that when Moshe Rabbeinu passed away, they immediately received Yehoshua as a leader in his place, and they were consoled. This is similar to someone who lost a diamond and found another one immediately. Even if the second one is not as valuable as the first, he is consoled with the second one. This is why not everyone cried at the time. This is the explanation for the next possuk - וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ בִן נוּן מָלֵא רוּחַ חָכְמָה כִי סָמַךְ ָלֵא וּעְמְש יַו ויָלָע ויָדָי תֶׁא הֶׁשמיו בְנֵי יִשְרָאֵל וַיַעֲשוּ כַאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' אֶׁת משֶׁה - Yehoshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moshe had laid his hands on him. And the Children of Israel listened to him, and did as Hashem commanded Moshe. By telling us this, the Torah is explaining why only some people cried over Moshe Rabbeinu, not everyone. Yehoshua was filled with the Divine spirit that was passed to him from the hands of Moshe Rabbeinu and Klal Yisroel had someone to listen to and follow.
When Aaron Hacohen passed away, they lost a diamond and nobody replaced him. Elazar was the new Cohen Gadol, but that was only for the job. He did not take over the great level of Aaron Hacohen in how he treated others. Nobody replaced him, and that is why they all cried.
