Aaron the Palm Tree Flourishing in the House of the Lord

"And it came to pass on the eighth day" (Leviticus 9:1). This is what the verse says: "The righteous one shall flourish like the palm" (Psalms 92:13) — this is Aaron, as it is said, "And behold, the staff of Aaron had blossomed" (Numbers 17:23). All the trees, one plants them and they grow up by themselves, but this palm, one plants it and it sends up roots from all its sides. So too was Aaron planted, and roots came up — these are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son (1 Chronicles 6:35). "The righteous one shall flourish like the palm" — where was he planted? "Planted in the house of the Lord" (Psalms 92:14), and "from the door of the Tent of Meeting you shall not go out" (Leviticus 8:33). Therefore it is said, "And it came to pass on the eighth day" (Leviticus 9:1).