“He went, and he met him [at the mountain of God and he kissed him]” – that is what is written: “Kindness and truth met, righteousness and peace kissed” (Psalms 85:11). “Kindness [ḥesed]” – this is Aaron, as it is stated: “Of Levi he said: Your Tummim and your Urim for the man of your piety [ḥasidekha]” (Deuteronomy 33:8). “And truth” – this is Moses, as it is stated: “My servant Moses is not so, [in all My house he is trusted]” (Numbers 12:7).
That is: “Kindness and truth met,” as it is stated: “He went, and he met him at the mountain of God.” “Righteousness” – this is Moses, as it is stated: “He executed the righteousness of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 33:21). “And peace” – this is Aaron, as it is stated: “He walked with Me in peace and uprightness” (Malachi 2:6). “Kissed” – “and he kissed him.”
Our Rabbis say: All kisses are indecent except for three. “He kissed him” – what is “he kissed him”? This one was glad for the prominence of that one, and that one was glad for the prominence of this one. Alternatively, “he kissed [vayishak]15This is an expression of economy [meshek], indicating a transaction. him” – they took the priestly and Levite status; this one took the priestly status and transferred the Levite status, and that one took the Levite status and transferred the priestly status.
Another interpretation: “He kissed him” – Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: This is comparable to a goldsmith to whom they brought a coin and he saw that inside it was earthenware and outside it was gold. Later, they brought him a coin that was solid gold. He said to them: The first was earthenware and was plated with gold, but this is solid gold. Similarly, the kiss that Esau kissed Jacob was only dross, as it is stated: “An earthen vessel plated with silver dross” (Proverbs 26:23).
What was its end? “Burning lips and a wicked heart” (Proverbs 26:23) – he did not seek to kiss him, but rather to bite him. But the kiss of Aaron and Moses was a kiss of truth. In their regard it says: “Kindness and truth met.”
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon says: “Kindness” – this is Aaron; “and truth” – this is Moses. Rabbi Azarya says: “Kindness” – this is Moses, who performed kindness with Joseph. “Truth” – this is Aaron, as it is written: “The law of truth was in his mouth” (Malachi 2:6). That is: “Kindness and truth met” – this is Moses and Aaron.
“He kissed him” – we do not know to whom the Holy One blessed be He accorded deference, whether it was to Aaron or to Moses.16In other words, who was the one who was kissed. Some say that it was to Aaron, who was in Egypt and prophesying to Israel that the Holy One blessed be He is destined to deliver them. [Moses accorded him honor] so that [when] Moses would come and testify in support of Aaron’s words, Israel would say: Aaron was prophesying the truth.
Some say that it was to Moses, [and Aaron accorded him honor] so that Moses would come and they would believe his words.