Hagaon Rav Baruch Epstein zt”l on Parshat Vaeira
(from Torah Temima on Shemot 6:26)
Is
Aaron Really Equal to Moshe?
“This is the same Aaron and
Moshe to whom G-d told, ‘Take the Jewish people, all of their hosts, out of
Egypt.’” (Shemot 6:26)
The Tosefta at the end of
Masekhet Keritot asks: Why does
Aaron precede Moshe in this verse, whereas Moshe usually precedes Aaron? The Tosefta answers that Moshe and Aaron
are equal.
This statement is puzzling.
The last question is less
severe. The Mishnah might only list comparisons with halakhic ramifications,
and the Moshe-Aaron comparison has none. However, questions 1 and 2 still stand;
in a number of sources Moshe is clearly superior.
Apparently our Tosefta in
Keritot is making a much more limited statement. In general, Moshe is superior to Aaron. However, the verse here refers to Aaron
and Moshe’s role in the Exodus, where each one played an equally important
role in the mission. Moshe was
much more centrally involved in actually taking the Jews out of Egypt, as
will be evident from subsequent parshiot, and Aaron's role was secondary.
Aaron, though, was the main spokesman in interactions with Pharoah,
where Moshe was secondary.
Yet the Torah, one verse
after another, switches the order of their names.
When it speaks about the actual Exodus – “to whom G-d told, ‘Take the
Jewish people, all of their hosts, out of Egypt” – where Moshe was central,
it lists Aaron first – “Aaron and Moshe.” (Shemot
6:26) Then, in the next verse when it talks of speaking to Pharaoh
– “They are the ones who speak to Pharaoh the king of Egypt . . .” – it lists
Moshe first – “this is Moshe and Aaron.” (Shemot
6:27) This switching of the names actually teaches a lesson. By listing
Aaron first concerning the area where Moshe was central and listing Moshe
first
from
Classic Divrei Torah on Parshat Shavua
Print Version of http://www.darchenoam.org/articles/web/parsha/ar_vaeira.htm
Copyright 2003 Darche
Noam Institutions
