Take Aaron - Chosen and Brought Near to Halt the Plague

"Take Aaron." As Scripture says, "Happy is the one You choose and bring near, that he may dwell in Your courts" (Psalms 65:5). Happy is everyone whom the Holy One, blessed be He, has chosen, even though He has not brought him near; and happy is the one whom He has brought near, even though He has not chosen him. The best of the patriarchs whom the Holy One, blessed be He, chose but did not bring near—this is Abraham our father. You find that the Holy One, blessed be He, chose him, and he brought himself near, as it is said, "You are the Lord God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans, and changed his name to Abraham, and found his heart faithful before You" (Nehemiah 9:7-8). Jacob the Holy One, blessed be He, chose, as it is said, "Jacob whom I have chosen" (Isaiah 41:8), and it is written, "For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His treasured possession" (Psalms 135:4); yet He did not bring him near, and he brought himself near, as it is said, "And Jacob was a wholehearted man, dwelling in tents" (Genesis 25:27). Moses the Holy One, blessed be He, chose and brought near, as it is said, "Had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach before Him" (Psalms 106:23), and it is written, "And Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was" (Exodus 20:18). And David, peace be upon him, the Holy One, blessed be He, chose, as it is said, "And He chose David His servant" (Psalms 78:70), and he brought himself near, as it is said, "I am a companion to all who fear You" (Psalms 119:63). Happy are these whom the Holy One, blessed be He, chose, even though He did not bring them near. Jethro the Holy One, blessed be He, brought near but did not choose; Rahab the harlot the Holy One, blessed be He, brought near but did not choose; Ruth He brought near but did not choose. Happy is Aaron doubly, for He chose him and brought him near. And from where do we know that He chose him? As it is said, "And it shall be that the man whom I choose" (Numbers 17:20). And from where do we know that He brought him near? As it is said, "And you, bring near to yourself Aaron" (Exodus 28:1). "Take Aaron and his sons." And when did he take Aaron? At the time when the wrath went forth from above to destroy the enemies of Israel; and when Moses saw it, he said to him, "Why do you stand? Take the censer and put fire upon it" (Numbers 17:11). Aaron said to Moses, "My brother, do you wish to kill me? My sons, because they offered before Him a common fire, were burned, as it is said, 'And they offered before the Lord a strange fire which He had not commanded them' (Leviticus 10:1), and what is written after it? 'And fire went forth from before the Lord and consumed them' (Leviticus 10:2); and you say to me, 'Take the censer'?" Moses said to him, "Go, do it quickly," as it is said, "And carry it quickly" (Numbers 17:11). When Aaron heard this, he said, "Even if I am to die for Israel, I will not delay." Immediately, "And Aaron took it as Moses had spoken, and ran into the midst of the assembly" (Numbers 17:12). He went for the sake of Israel. Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, "You go first and exalt Aaron with 'taking.' As Aaron took my children out of the midst of the plague, so you too exalt him with 'taking.'" Therefore it is said, "Take Aaron." Another interpretation: "Take Aaron." As Scripture says, "The righteous man who walks in his integrity—happy are his children after him" (Proverbs 20:7). And who was this? This was Aaron and his sons. And if so, Samuel too was a righteous man and a great prophet, as it is said, "And all Israel knew" (1 Samuel 3:20), yet his sons were not like him, as it is said, "And his sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after gain" (1 Samuel 8:3). If so, of whom is it said, "Who walks in his integrity"? This is Aaron, who saw his sons alive, standing and serving in the high priesthood. Therefore, "Take Aaron and his sons." Another interpretation: "Take Aaron." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, "Open with him with words, because he flees from authority"; and "take" is nothing other than a language of persuasion. For so Nebuzaradan, whom Nebuchadnezzar commanded concerning Jeremiah, he said to him, "Take him and set your eyes upon him" (Jeremiah 39:12). And so it says concerning Sarah our mother, as it is said, "And the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house" (Genesis 12:15)—for she did not wish to go, and they persuaded her. And as it says concerning Dinah, "And he took her and lay with her and afflicted her" (Genesis 34:2)—for she did not wish, and they persuaded her. So too with Aaron, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, "Open with him," because he flees from authority, as it is said, "Take Aaron."