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Eighteen Times Moses and Aaron Stood Together

The rabbis counted every place in the Torah where Moses and Aaron's names appear as equals. The total was eighteen, and nothing about that was accidental.

Curated by Arthur · Told by Maggid ·
Table of Contents
  1. A verse so ordinary it looked like throat-clearing
  2. Eighteen and the Amidah
  3. Three patriarchs and the schedule they did not know they were setting
  4. Seven strings and what they will become

A verse so ordinary it looked like throat-clearing

The verse at the opening of Numbers 2 is one of hundreds like it. The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying. It has no drama. It announces a census. It pairs the two brothers as it has paired them dozens of times before across the first two books of scripture.

The rabbis of Bamidbar Rabbah read it twice. Then they started counting.

They went back through the Torah and found every verse where Moses and Aaron appear as equals, not one commanding the other, not one superseding the other, but side by side as co-recipients of the same divine address. They found eighteen such moments.

Eighteen and the Amidah

The number was not arbitrary. Every weekday, three times a day, a Jew stands for the central prayer of Jewish worship and recites eighteen blessings. The Amidah, the standing prayer, the backbone of every service. The rabbis looked at the Torah and saw the count waiting there, embedded in the roll call of the two brothers, as if the liturgy had been drafted before the first synagogue was built.

The pairing suggested something larger. Every time Moses and Aaron stood together and heard the same word, they were modeling a posture that prayer would eventually formalize. Two brothers receiving together, not competing for precedence, became the template for a community standing together three times a day.

Three patriarchs and the schedule they did not know they were setting

The rabbis also wanted to know where the three prayer times came from. The Torah does not announce that Jews shall pray in the morning, the afternoon, and the evening. The schedule had to be found somewhere else.

Abraham rose early in the morning to stand in the place where he had stood before God. That is morning prayer. Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. That is afternoon prayer. Jacob, camped on the road to Haran, arrived at the place as the sun was setting and lay down to sleep with stones around his head. God appeared to him in the night. That is evening prayer.

Three men who did not know they were establishing a liturgy. Three moments of prayer pulled out of narrative context and laid end to end as a schedule. The rabbis understood the patriarchs not as people who prayed when they felt like it, but as people who were inadvertently building a structure that their descendants would inhabit for the rest of history.

Seven strings and what they will become

Numbers 8:6 commands Moses to take the Levites and purify them for service. Hidden in that verse, the rabbis found a question they had to answer: how many strings were on the lutes the Levites played in the Temple?

Rabbi Yehuda said seven. He found the number in Psalm 16:11, the verse about abundant joy in God's presence, but he read the word sova, abundance, as sheva, seven. Seven joys for seven strings. That was the Temple's count.

But then Rabbi Yehuda added a future. The next world will require an eight-string lute. And in the days of the Messiah, a ten-string instrument. In the final redemption, ten strings will not be enough, and the instrument will grow to a configuration the present age cannot manufacture. The strings increase with the closeness.

PrayerMusicMidrash RabbahBamidbarLute
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From the tradition

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The texts this telling draws on, in full. Open a card to read inline, or expand it for a wider, quieter read.

Bamidbar Rabbah 2:1Bamidbar Rabbah

One tiny, but fascinating corner of that history, exploring the origins of prayer times and blessings.

Our story begins in the Book of Numbers, in Hebrew, Bamidbar, specifically the second verse of the second chapter. It reads: "The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying.” (Numbers 2:1). But in Bamidbar Rabbah 2, the Midrash, that is, the interpretive tradition, finds hidden depths.

The Midrash points out something interesting: the names of Moses and Aaron appear together as equals in eighteen different places in the Torah. Why eighteen? The Rabbis see a connection to the eighteen blessings of the Amidah, the central prayer in Jewish services. It’s a beautiful idea, this mirroring of leadership and devotion. Each time we say these blessings, we’re echoing the unity and strength embodied by Moses and Aaron.

Where did the idea of reciting these prayers come from in the first place? The Midrash goes on to connect the origins of our three daily prayer services to the three patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It’s not explicitly stated in the Torah that they established these prayers, but the Rabbis find clues in their actions.

For Abraham, we have the verse: “Abraham arose early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord” (Genesis 19:27). The Midrash argues that "standing" here is synonymous with prayer, citing (Psalms 106:30), "Pinḥas stood and prayed." So, Abraham's early morning standing is interpreted as the origin of Shacharit, the morning prayer.

Then comes Isaac. We read, “Isaac went out to stroll [lasuaḥ]” (Genesis 24:63). The Hebrew word lasuaḥ, "to stroll," isn't taken literally. Instead, the Midrash connects it to the word sicho, meaning "plea," as in the verse: “The prayer of a poor man when he is faint and pours out his plea [sicho] before the Lord” (Psalms 102:1). Therefore, Isaac's stroll becomes associated with Mincha, the afternoon prayer.

And finally, Jacob. The verse says, “He encountered [vayifga] the place…” (Genesis 28:11). Again, the Midrash sees deeper meaning. The word pegia, "encountered," is linked to prayer. (Jeremiah 7:16) says, “And you, do not pray on behalf of this people…and do not plead [tifga] with Me.” Thus, Jacob's encounter becomes the foundation for Maariv, the evening prayer.

So, we have this beautiful chain of connection: Moses and Aaron, linked to the eighteen blessings, and the patriarchs, laying the groundwork for our daily prayer times. And how does it all tie together? The Midrash suggests that just as Moses and Aaron are paired in eighteen places, hinting at the eighteen blessings, these blessings also correspond to the eighteen mentions of God’s name found in the Shema Yisrael and Psalm 29 ("A psalm by David. Give to the Lord, sons of the mighty").

It's a rich tradition, isn't it? These connections might seem like small details at first glance, but they reveal a profound understanding of tradition and the way our ancestors sought meaning in every aspect of their lives. It makes you wonder, doesn't it? What seemingly small actions are we taking today that will shape the traditions of tomorrow?

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Bamidbar Rabbah 15:11Bamidbar Rabbah

The Book of Numbers, Bamidbar in Hebrew, tells us to "Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and purify them" (Numbers 8:6). But hidden within that instruction, our sages saw a whole world of musical meaning. Bamidbar Rabbah, a rich collection of rabbinic interpretations of Numbers, asks a fascinating question: how many strings were actually on the lute the Levites played?

Rabbi Yehuda has an answer, and it's a bit of a word puzzle! He suggests there were seven strings. How does he arrive at that? He points to the verse, "Abundant [sova] joy in Your presence, [eternal] pleasure" (Psalms 16:11). But, Rabbi Yehuda tells us, don't read it as "abundant" (sova). Instead, understand it as "seven" (sheva) joys. Seven strings, seven joys, a fitting harmony for the Temple service.

David himself seems to agree with this number. He sings, "Seven times a day do I praise You for Your righteous ordinances" (Psalms 119:164). Seven times!

The story doesn't end there. It gets even more interesting when we look to the future. According to this Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), in the messianic era, the lute will gain another string, becoming an eight-stringed instrument. David hints at this when he writes, "For the conductor: With instrumental music on the eight-stringed lute" (Psalms 6:1). a subtle shift in the music reflecting a profound shift in the world.

And it doesn't stop there, either! Looking even further ahead, the Midrash imagines a time when the lute will have ten strings! As it is written, "God, I will sing a new song to You on a ten-stringed harp" (Psalms 144:9). Talk about an upgrade! What will that music sound like?

So, who was responsible for establishing this musical tradition? The Midrash tells us it was Samuel and David. We find this in I (Chronicles 9:22): "It was they who were established, by David and Samuel the seer, in their entrusted task [be’emunatam]." The rabbis cleverly expound on the word be’emunatam, interpreting it as beomanutam, "their music." They didn't just establish the musicians; they established the music itself, setting the divisions for song.: The Levites stood on the platform, singing before the very One who spoke the world into existence. What an honor!

The text emphasizes the special relationship between God and the Levites. God says to Moses, "The Levites are greatly beloved before Me. Take them for a position of authority in My name." This directive, "Take the Levites," emphasizes their unique role and divine favor. The Holy One, blessed be He, chose them.

What's the takeaway here? It's not just about the number of strings on a lute. It's about the evolution of our relationship with the Divine, expressed through music. It's about the love God has for those who dedicate themselves to His service. And maybe, just maybe, it’s a reminder that even in the most ancient traditions, there’s always room for growth, for more strings, for a richer, fuller song.

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Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Beha'alotcha 12:1Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Beha'alotcha

(Numbers 8:5-6:) "And the LORD spoke etc. Take the Levites." Let our master teach us: how many strings were on the harp upon which the Levites played? Thus did Rabbi Judah teach: there were seven strings on that harp, as it is said (Psalms 16:11), "fullness (sova) of joys is in Your presence", do not read it sova ("fullness") but sheva ("seven"). And so did David say (Psalms 119:164), "Seven times a day I praise You." And in the days of the Messiah it will be made eight, for so did David say in song (Psalms 6:1), "For the leader, with stringed music, upon the eighth (al ha-sheminit)." And in the time to come it will be made ten, as it is said (Psalms 144:9), "(Sing to God a new song etc.) [O God, a new song I will sing to You; upon a ten-stringed harp (nevel asor) I will make music to You.]" And who established them? Samuel and David, as it is said (1 Chronicles 9:22), "These did David and Samuel the seer establish in their trust." And they set up the divisions of the song, and the Levites would stand upon the platform and sing before the One who spoke and the world came into being. See the affection with which the Holy One, blessed be He, cherished the Levites; and from the beginning the Holy One, blessed be He, ordained concerning them that they should serve Him. Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: the Levites are exceedingly beloved before Me; take them for My name, for high office, [from where, from what is read in the matter:] "Take the Levites."

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