Why Moses Delayed and Aaron Rejoiced in His Heart

Another interpretation of "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses" (Exodus 4:27). This is what Scripture says: "O that you were as a brother to me" (Song of Songs 8:1). Israel says to the Holy One, blessed be He: O that You were as a brother to me. As which brother? You find that from the beginning of the creation of the world until now, brothers have hated one another. Cain hated Abel and killed him, as it is said, "And Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him" (Genesis 4:8). Ishmael hated Isaac, as it is said, "And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing" (Genesis 21:9); and "playing" means nothing other than that he sought to kill him, as it is said, "Let the young men now arise and play before us" (II Samuel 2:14). And Esau hated Jacob, as it is said, "And Esau said in his heart" (Genesis 27:41). And the tribes hated Joseph, as it is said, "And they hated him" (Genesis 37:4). And as which brother? Israel said: like Moses and Aaron, as it is said, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is" (Psalms 133:1), for they loved one another and cherished one another. For when Moses received the kingship, and Aaron the high priesthood, they were not jealous of one another, but rather they rejoiced, this one in the greatness of that one, and that one in the greatness of this one. Know it for yourself, for so you find: when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, "And now, go, and I will send you to Pharaoh" (Exodus 3:10), Moses said to Him, "Send, I pray, by the hand of him whom You will send" (Exodus 4:13). You might suppose that Moses held back so as not to go; but he did nothing other than show honor to Aaron. Moses said: Before I arose, Aaron had been prophesying to them for eighty years, as it is said, "And I made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt" (Ezekiel 20:5). And from where do we know that Aaron was prophesying to them? As it is said, "And there came a man of God to Eli, and said to him: Thus says the Lord, I revealed Myself indeed to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house, and chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest" (I Samuel 2:27–28). He said: All these years Aaron has been prophesying to them, and now I am to come to them into my brother's domain, so that he would be distressed? Therefore Moses did not wish to go. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Aaron your brother is not distressed in this matter, but rather he rejoices. Know it for yourself, for he is going out to meet you, as it is said, "Behold, he comes forth to meet you, and when he sees you he will be glad in his heart" (Exodus 4:14) — not with his mouth alone, but in his heart, his heart more than his mouth: "and when he sees you he will be glad in his heart." Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said: The heart that rejoiced in the greatness of his brother shall wear the Urim and Thummim, as it is said, "And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be upon Aaron's heart" (Exodus 28:30). Hence, "And also, behold, he comes forth to meet you, and when he sees you he will be glad in his heart." When He had said this to him, he took upon himself to go. Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to Aaron and said to him: Go out to meet Moses your brother, so that he may know that you rejoice in the matter. Therefore it is said, "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses" (Exodus 4:27). Hence, "O that you were as a brother to me" — like Moses and Aaron, who loved one another. "If I should find you outside, I would kiss you" (Song of Songs 8:1); "And he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him" (Exodus 4:27).