Shabbos Parashas Shemos - 5776

Shabbos Parashas Shemos - 5776

Rabbi Hal Miller

The anger of Hashem burned against Moshe and He said, "Is there not Aharon

your brother, the Levite?" [Shemos 4:14]

Hashem directed Moshe to return to Egypt and lead the Jews out from under Pharaoh.

Moshe repeatedly complains that he is not the best choice for the job, and Hashem

finally gets upset about it. There are three points being made in our verse.

First, the clause about the burning anger of Hashem. Rashi lets us know that this phrase

is well-known throughout the Torah, each instance coming with some form of consequence.

He asks what the consequence is here for Moshe, and finds the answer to this question in

the third part of our verse.

Second, Hashem refers to "Aharon your brother". How does this fit into our situation? Our

answer comes from Sforno, "If it had been My intention to appoint someone naturally suited

to the task, there is your brother Aharon, the Levite, undoubtedly a wise man as are all his

brothers, the Levites. For I am well aware that he is an excellent speaker without needing

training." In other words, G-d says, I know what I'm doing, don't question Me. I have My

reasons to call upon you.

Third, Aharon is called a Levite. Throughout most of the Torah, Aharon is called the

Kohen. Only here is he labeled the Levite. Why? What does it mean to be a Levite?

Rav Hirsch answers the second of those two questions. He writes, "To be a Levi one

must have strength, courage and decisiveness." He adds, "Your brother has all these."

Thus, Aharon has special traits that G-d had planned to apply for the benefit of the

nation.

Rashi applies this answer to the other question, why, and in doing so, answers our question

above about consequences. "I had intended that the Kehunah would come forth from you,

Moshe. Now it will not be so, rather Aharon will be a Kohen and you will be the Levite."

Each of us has a role to perform on the team of the nation of Israel. G-d knows who is

supposed to do which role. If we, as did Moshe, complain too much about our role, then

some role critical to the nation as a whole is not being performed, and someone else

will need to step up to cover it. Aharon had a role, that of Levite. Moshe had a role, that

of Kohen. When Moshe angered G-d, He exchanged their positions, warning Moshe in

effect that if he did not perform that role, one of his other brethren of the tribe of Levi would

have to step up yet again. Moshe, the greatest of our leaders, was only human.