"The entire congregation saw that Aharon had passed away and
all the House of Israel mourned Aharon for thirty days."
Rashi notes that "all the House of Israel" includes the men
and the women, since Aharon pursued peace and would promote
love where there was dissension between man and wife or man
and fellow man.
We find, however, that at the end of Devorim,
regarding Moshe Rabbenu's demise, it is written, "And the
Children of Israel mourned Moshe in the plains of Moav for
thirty days." We do not find the added emphasis of "all."
Rashi explains the reason: "The Children of Israel -- the
males." Aharon pursued peace and established peace between
man and wife so that even the women mourned him.
This idea is expanded upon in Ovos deR' Nosson: "The
Torah of truth was in his mouth and injustice was not found
upon his lips. He walked in peace and with
straightforwardness, and many did he prevent from sinning."
When Aharon walked along and chanced to meet a wicked person,
he would greet him warmly. On the following day, that sinner
was tempted to sin, but he stopped short and said, `Oh, no!
How will I be able to face Aharon if I meet him again,
knowing that I have sinned? And he did greet me.' Thus it was
that the sinner withheld himself from evil.
"And why did all of Israel mourn Aharon for thirty days,
women inclusive, as it is written, ` . . . all the House of
Israel,' whereas by Moshe it only states `Israel [mourned
him]?' This is because Moshe was a true judge who gave
reproof with words. Aharon, however, never accused a person
to his face and said, `You sinned.'"
HaGaon R' Avrohom Yitzchok Bloch zt'l, rosh
yeshivas Telz, formulates the obvious question:
We see from the above that a person's conduct should be
directed towards peace, even if it means veering somewhat
from the strict truth. Just like Aharon did. But Moshe's way
was different: he represented absolute truth. The question we
must ask is: if Aharon's way was preferable, why didn't
Moshe, who was the prototype of all subsequent prophets,
pursue it? Moshe was nonpareil!
The answer lies in a deeper analysis.
It is written in Sanhedrin 6b: It is forbidden to
mediate between two litigants; whoever does so sins. Justice
must be served, no matter what. It brooks no compromise. How,
then, reconcile Aharon's practice of pursuing peace? His path
also seems to be valid and to comply with truth.
It is clear that the two brothers walked different paths,
with there being no contradiction in this fact. This is
because teaching truth is not the same as practicing it in
real life.
Truth can be expressed in two ways: first, whereby the one
who disseminates it and declares it to be true does so by
virtue of his inner clarity that his belief is true. This is
not at all tempered by the listener, the one upon whom he
wishes to impose his outlook.
The second manner is by relating to the other person and
understanding him and, from this vantage point, to influence
him in a way suited for him to accept the truth, according to
his strengths and makeup. In other words, to convince the
other person why, in his own sight, the truth is binding to
him.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches. In
the first method, in starkly presenting the unadorned truth,
there is greater clarity and force, for thus truth rings out
clear like a clarion. The disadvantage here is that not
everyone is able to embrace such a perfect truth for we are
imperfect mortals.
In the second method there is a danger in tailoring truth to
each customer, each person according to his particular makeup
of weaknesses and strengths. Truth loses much of its impact
and value this way and the receiver may not accept it fully
or will accept secondary rather than primary aspects. This is
why it is necessary for the voice of Hashem to ring out loud
and clear, in full potency and might, in total glory and
grandeur, to make the maximum impression that will never
fade, that will guide a person through life in general, and
through his personal life and the hurdles he will face due to
his individual weaknesses.
First he must be convinced of the absoluteness of the Torah
truth, that there is no other way. It is fundamental and
binding upon all. Once he has accepted this basic premise, we
can attempt to appeal to this or that side of a person's
nature and make it palatable to him so that it will guide him
through life.
*
The teaching of truth must be all encompassing and make a
total impact. A person must feel that there is no
alternative. For if something is tailored to the individual,
and in the process is cut to size or adjustments made, it
will no longer be the full truth; something will be lacking
and no matter what or how small, it will introduce
imperfection which will flaw the truth by very definition.
Torah must be transmitted intact, perfectly, without
mitigating considerations. Pure and whole. Unadulterated.
Its application in life must be in such a manner that it
leads to the desired goal. To this end, it is necessary to
take into consideration what approach is best to achieve
this. And here the individual element comes into play, for
not everyone is capable of absorbing the naked truth as are
exalted beings. Not everyone is at a high level and even
within a person, there are times when he is elevated
spiritually and capable of absorbing more than at other
times, when he is in a lower state. In order for Torah to
penetrate to the heart of the listener, it is necessary to
find the right approach, the personal appeal that will make
it binding to him, which is through the introduction of
peace.
The task of Moshe Rabbenu, the giver and transmitter of the
Torah, was to present Torah in full glory, in totality, with
full impact. Anything of lesser degree would have detracted
from it and it would no longer be the absolute unmitigated
truth.
But Torah is no mere intellectual exercise of study; it is
life, and it must be applied to life's circumstances through
justice and conduct.
When it comes to applying it to the community as a whole, it
must be total and pure, for the world depends on it. Aharon,
however, was entrusted to inject the Torah into people's
hearts by overcoming natural weaknesses, by an individual
approach that highlighted their strengths and circumvented
their weaknesses. He needed the attribute of peace to achieve
this goal.
Moshe Rabbenu was the symbol of Torah, and he exemplified it
in every way. He was the voice of Hashem in strength: pure
and potent. No compromise, no quarter, no adaptations. The
law is supreme and inviolate. If the listeners are not
capable of absorbing it at this point, it will endure for
other generations to accept. Still, there is need for an
`Aharon' to come and plant it within the hearts of the
people, each according to his propensity, through love and
understanding and not strict justice.
Pure truth as presented by Moshe was absorbed into the hearts
of each person through the peaceful presentation of
Aharon.
It is necessary to remember, however, that the one who treads
the path of peace can reach his intended goal only when the
foundation, the beginning through to the end, comply to the
truth. One need not confront a person with the accusation
that he sinned, for this may distance him. He can be made to
reach that realization, and to repent and mend his ways,
through love.
Aharon, who transmitted to us the method of teaching truth by
introducing it through peace, was not silent in the face of
sin. He did not ignore evil. But in coming to chastise the
sinner, he looked for a good side to him. He sought a tender
spot in the sinner's heart to appeal to, whereby the sinner
would himself realize his sin. "The Torah of truth was in his
mouth." The truth was pure and true, it was the Torah of
Moshe, but he applied it with pleasantness, "with
straightforwardness did he walk with Hashem and many did he
restrain from sin."
Aharon loved peace and pursued peace. He loved his fellow man
and drew him close to Torah. His love for man and his pursuit
of peace was for the purpose of drawing people close to Torah
and enabling them to absorb its pure truth.
Such peace leads to the goal of truth. When the truth is bent
and manipulated for the sake of peace, when it is repressed
and adulterated for the sake of love of mankind, not only
does truth suffer but even peace will not be attained. It
will be a truncated peace, for peace not based upon a
foundation of truth is destructive, not constructive; it is
fear and not peace.
