2022/5782

After the Torah finishes discussing the specifics of all the difficult services of the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur, the passuk states: “ויעש כאשר צוה ה’ את ־משה”, “And [Aharon] did just as Hashem commanded Moshe (Vayikra 16:34). Rashi points out that the Torah says this to praise Aharon “שׁלּא היה לוֹבשׁן לגדלּתוֹ אלּא כּמקיּם גּזירת המּלך”, because Aharon did not wear the special בגדי כהונה on Yom Kippur for his own greatness, but rather, as one who fulfills the decree of the king. Rashi points out that Aharon did not wear these garments with any type of pride or גאווה, and he did not let the honor of being chosen to represent all of כלל ישראל get to his head, rather he did everything לשם מצוה.

Rav Simcha Zissel Brody asks a very interesting question. The gemara describes  an incident with Rebbe Chanina Ben Dosa where he was davening and a serpent came and painfully bit his foot, but nonetheless, he continued davening because he had such intense כונה. The point of this gemara is to demonstrate that Rebbe Chanina Ben Dosa was so focused that he could be bitten by a snake and it wouldn’t make a difference– he was fully involved in תפילה. Rav Simcha Zissel asks: as great as Rebbe Chanina Ben Dosa was, he wasn’t on the level of Aharon HaKohen, and if Rebbe Chanina Ben Dosa can be fully focused on his davening, shouldn’t Aharon be solely focused on the עבודת יום הכיפורים? 

Rav Simcha Zissel explains that it’s much easier to overcome physical pain than the Middah of arrogance. Sometimes, one can get caught up in their own greatness. Therefore, it is a great חידוש to say that although Aharon was the most special man in the world at that moment, he remained humble and did everything לשם שמים. Every one of us has these moments when we feel haughty or superior to others and we must try to do our best to remain modest at all times. That was the גדלות of Aharon HaKohen.

He then quotes a fascinating Midrash that when Yitzchak was on the Mizbei’ach and about to be slaughtered during עקידת יצחק, the Satan tried to prevent Yitzchak from agreeing to die for Hashem. Surprisingly, the Midrash says that the Satan told Yitzchak that all of the clothing which his mother Sarah made for him would go to Yishmael if Yitzchak died: “The one who has been your enemy for your whole life will inherit everything you own”. Even though Yizchak Avinu still didn’t stop the Akeidah, the Midrash continues that the reason Yitzchak calls out “אבי” twice was because he sought rachamim from his father so perhaps Avraham wouldn’t go through with it.

The Zohar explains that Yitzchak was ready to be sacrificed, but part of Yitzchak’s hesitation stemmed from his jealousy that, of all people, Yishmael would take everything that belonged to him– even if it was just something as insignificant as his clothing.

These poor middot are so powerful that even some of the greatest גדולים struggled to completely overcome them, but Aharon completely rid of these feelings on Yom Kippur. Perhaps the final idea is that the Mishnah in Yoma famously states that Yom Kippur is only מכפר for sins between man and God, but עבירות בין אדם לחבירו such as improper Middts towards someone else, is between you and that person, and Yom Kippur cannot help someone for that. Therefore, we must try our best to always act kindly towards others and certainly remain humble just like Aharon HaKohen in the Mishkan.