HKB”H said to Moshe: Aharon does not care about this (this does not bother him). Not only is he not upset, but he is very happy. Know that He said to him (ibid. 14): “Moreover, behold, he is going out to meet you and he will see you and he will rejoice in his heart.” It does not say that he expressed happiness or was simply happy, but rather that his heart was happy. Rashbi said: The heart that rejoiced in his brother’s greatness, should come and rejoice and wear the Urim V’Tumim, as it says (ibid. 28, 30): “Into the Choshen HaMishpat shall you place the Urim and the Tumim, and they shall be on Aharon’s heart.”
We now have cause to rejoice! We can begin to comprehend the profound reasoning of HKB”H for issuing the command: ונשא אהרן את שמות בני ישראל בחושן המשפט על לבו בבואו אל הקודש לזכרון לפני ה' תמיד. For, as we learn from this Midrash, Aharon was the first of all the brothers that preceded him to exist amicably and happily with with his younger brother Moshe. In fact, his brother’s rise to greatness gave him genuine joy and pride, as attested to by HKB”H: “When he sees you, he will rejoice in his heart.” In fact, we see that Aharon felt genuine love not only for his brother Moshe but for all of Yisrael. Hence, he is characterized as: אוהב שלום ורודף שלום.
Therefore, in his infinite mercy, kindness, and wisdom, HKB”H commanded: “Aharon shall bear the names of Bnei Yisrael on the Choshen HaMishpat over his heart”—he should gather together the names of all twelve shevatim of Yisrael and place them in the Choshen HaMishpat, in one place, over his pure heart. Thus, his heart will exert a positive influence over all the twelve shevatim of Yisrael to live together harmoniously, in keeping with the depiction: וראך ושמח בלבו. Thus, he will be able to impart the abundant good inherent in all the Berachos in the merit of the shalom that will prevail among the people of Yisrael “when he enters the Sanctuary, as a constant remembrance before Hashem.”
In conclusion, the twelve names of Bnei Yisrael that Aharon bore on his two shoulders (split six and six) were to commemorate before Hashem the “mesirus nefesh” demonstrated by Aharon when there was divisiveness among the shevatim of Yisrael. At that time, Aharon accepted upon himself the blame for the “cheit ha’eigel” rationalizing: “It is preferable that the stench be attributed to me and not to Yisrael.” In that merit, HKB”H chose him to the Kohen Gadol responsible for the atonement of Bnei Yisrael. Whereas the placement of the twelve names of Bnei Yisrael over his pure heart, all together in one place, was designed to instill brotherly love and harmony from the love in his heart in all of Yisrael. In that situation, they will merit all of the Berachos inherent in the Birkas Kohanim that culminate with the berachah וישם לך שלום—and He will bring you shalom!
