After HKB”H speaks with Moshe and tells him that he’ll lead BY out of Mitzrayim, He adds that Aharon will be waiting for him to act his Moshe’s spokesperson. HKB”H notes that Aharon would be happy to see Moshe; Rashi points out that because of Aharon’s happiness at Moshe’s new position and title, Aharon merited to become the Kohen Gadol.
There is a fascinating Midrash in Rus (5:6) that speaks of
three individuals who seemingly did not perform mitzvos wholeheartedly; had they
known that HKB”H would record their actions, the Midrash claims that they would’ve
gone the extra mile. These individuals are Reuven, Aharon, and Boaz. Reuven had
made efforts to save Yosef from his brothers and convinced them to throw him into
a pit instead of killing him. Had Reuven known that HKB”H recorded how he saved
Yosef, he would’ve put Yosef on his shoulders all the way back to Yaakov. As
noted, Aharon went out to greet Moshe on the way to Mitzrayim with a happy
heart. Had Aharon known that HKB”H recorded his feelings, he would’ve greeted Moshe
with an ensemble of drums and dances. Boaz showed kindness to Rus and provided
her with some grain to eat upon her first visit to his field. Had Boaz known
that HKB”H recorded his kindness, he would’ve prepared fattened cows as a meal
for her. This Midrash seems to imply that these Tzaddikim would be motivated by
honor. How could that be? Doesn’t Pirkei Avos (6:6) count “distancing oneself from
honor” is a way to acquire Torah?
The Yefeh Anaf (Rabbi Shmuel Yaffe Ashkenazi) explains that this
is not how understand this Midrash. Chas V’shalom that such holy people would pursue
honor in such ways! Rather, had they known their actions would have been recorded
for future generations, they would’ve gone the extra mile with these mitzvos to
set a precedence. Their wholehearted actions would inspire their descendants to
act the same way in giving 100% to their dedication.
The Yefeh Anaf then continues on saying how even such
Tzaddikim will refrain from full efforts at times for certain reasons. In
Reuven’s case, he was outnumbered by his brothers, and he was afraid that his
brothers would rise up against him. Had he known he would be role model for
future generations, he would’ve put his life on the line for Yosef. Regarding
Aharon, he was afraid of being mocked by others if he were to greet Moshe in a
grandiose way. Had he known he would be an example for his descendants, he
would’ve gone full red carpet for Moshe despite the mockery. Lastly, Boaz was afraid
of criticism from his workers saying that he was only looking to distinguish
himself from the rest of the group in an act of haughtiness to impress Rus. Had
he known his actions would be recorded forever, he would’ve provided her with a
lavish meal despite the potential criticism.
The Yefeh Anaf concludes by saying that the lesson here is
to do mitzvos to the greatest extent you can despite potential reasons to
refrain from doing so. While the topic of finding human faults in such holy
people is a debated topic, it allows us to connect more with these figures. We
get to see their human side and how they dealt with emotions despite their
greatness. The Midrash is emphasizing how there is always room for improvement
no matter what your spiritual level is.
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