And these are the generations of Aaron and Moses. [Betai Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary)ot Third Chamber] Our rabbis taught: Brothers who are partners and who increased assets, even if their father left them only a bed or an axe, divide equally. Why? Because they are brothers (Baba Bathra 143b), and you find that partners who are brothers were beloved before the Holy One, blessed be He, like Moses and Aaron, about whom the community of Israel said before the Holy One, blessed be He: "Who will make you like a brother to me etc." Since the Holy One, blessed be He, calls Israel "brothers", as it says "For my brothers and companions' sake etc." (Psalms 122:8), she said before Him: "Who will make you like a brother to me", not like all brothers who hated one another, but like Moses and Aaron who loved one another and raised one another and rejoiced in each other’s greatness (Numbers Rabbah 21:3, Exodus Rabbah 5:5, Tanhuma Shemot 27). Know this from what we read regarding "And these are the generations of Aaron and etc." This entire passage, Aaron prophesied to them in Egypt, and from where do we know that Aaron prophesied to them in Egypt? As it says "And a man of God came to Eli etc." (I Samuel 2:27) and it is written "And I chose him etc." (Psalms 105:26). Therefore Moses said: Aaron my brother was prophesying to them all these years, now I will go to him. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Moses! He rejoices in your greatness. When? When he was anointing Aaron with the anointing oil, the oil bubbled and flowed down Aaron’s beard. Moses thought it was on his own beard, as it says "Like the goodly oil upon the head etc." (Psalms 133:2). What is "upon the beard"? One beard! Did Aaron have two beards? Rather, it flowed down on Aaron's beard as if it was on Moses' beard (see Vayikra Rabbah 3). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: By your life, any greatness that I bestow upon Aaron is through you that I bestow upon him, as it says "And you shall bring near to yourself Aaron your brother, and this is the thing that you shall do to them" (Exodus 28:1, 29:1). Therefore it says "And these are the generations of Aaron and Moses." This is what the verse says: "A crown of elders are children’s children etc." (Proverbs 17:6). When are elders praised? When their children follow their deeds. What is the reason? "Instead of your fathers will be your sons etc." (Psalms 45:17). Therefore it says "And these are the names of Aaron’s sons, the firstborn Nadab etc." Another interpretation: "And these are the generations of Aaron and Moses" - in every place it puts Moses before Aaron, as it says "And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders," and in one place it puts Aaron before Moses, as it says "He is Aaron and Moses, whom the Lord said to them etc." (Exodus 6:27), teaching that they are equal to each other (Mekhilta Bo, Tanhuma Bo 5, Bereishit Rabbah end of 91, Vayikra Rabbah 34). And in every place it puts Joshua before Caleb, as it says "And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh" (Numbers 14:6), and in one place it puts Caleb before Joshua, as it says "Except for Caleb son of Jephunneh etc." (ibid. 14:30), teaching that they are equal to each other. In every place it puts the father before the mother, as it says "Honor your father" etc., and in one place it says "A man, his mother and his father shall you revere" (Leviticus 19:3), teaching that they are equal to each other. But the Sages said: The father precedes the mother in every place, because he and his mother are obligated to honor his father (Kiddushin 31b). One verse says "He is Moses and Aaron", and one verse says "And the sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses and Miriam etc.... and Moses, the man of God, his sons were called to the tribe of Levi" (I Chronicles 23:13-14), R' Berechyah and R' Yehudah ben Korchah: all those forty years that the Israelites were in the wilderness, Moses did not refrain from serving as High Priest (Shocher Tov 99, Pesikta Parah, Vayikra Rabbah 11). This is what is written: "Moses and Aaron among His priests etc." (Psalms 99:6). R' Berechyah said in the name of R' Simon: We learn from here: "And the sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses and Miriam etc.... and Moses, the man of God, his sons were called etc." Moses was counted among the priests, "And these are the generations of Aaron and Moses." Until the Tabernacle was erected, He spoke to him (Moses) in the thornbush, as it says "And God called to him from amid the thornbush." And He spoke to him in Midian, as it says "And the Lord said to Moses in Midian." And He spoke to him in Egypt, as it says "And it was on the day that the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt." And He spoke to him at Sinai, as it says "And these are the generations of Aaron and Moses on the day that the Lord spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai." [And He spoke to him] from the Tent of Meeting - "How good are modesty and humility etc." [And He returned and spoke] from the Tent of Meeting: "And the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai etc." The Holy One, blessed be He, said: My glory, that I should speak from within, as it says "And when Moses would come etc." (Exodus 34:34). The Holy One, blessed be He, established three leaders for Israel, and these are they: Moses, Aaron and Miriam, as it says "And I sent before you Moses, Aaron and Miriam." And in their merit the Israelites were sustained in the wilderness: the manna through the merit of Moses, as it says "And He fed you the manna." Know that it was through the merit of Moses that it descended, for when Moses was gathered in, what does it say? "And the manna ceased etc." (Joshua 5:12). Through the merit of Aaron, the Clouds of Glory, and know that when Aaron was gathered in, "and the soul of the people grew impatient on the way" (Numbers 21:4), because the sun beat down upon them (see end of Midrash on the Death of Aaron below). Through the merit of Miriam was the well, for when Miriam passed away, what does it say? "And there was no water for the congregation etc." (Numbers 20:2). You have thus learned that through the merit of these three the Israelites were sustained - fortunate are they! Moses and Aaron encamped from the east, as it says "And those encamping before the Tabernacle" (Numbers 3:38), and adjacent to them were three tribes: Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. And because they were adjacent to Moses and Aaron, they merited to be great in Torah, as it says "The scepter shall not depart from Judah" (Genesis 49:10), "And from the children of Issachar, men who understand the times" (I Chronicles 12:33), and similarly it says "And from Zebulun they that handle the pen of the scribe" (Judges 5:14), because they were neighbors of Torah, for there is no greater trait than Torah, as it says "The Torah that Moses commanded us" (Deuteronomy 33:4). Therefore it says "And these are the generations of Aaron and Moses." Another interpretation: This is what the verse says: "Behold how good and how pleasant etc." (Psalms 133:1). And so you find that never were there brothers who loved each other like Moses and Aaron, as it says "And these are the generations of Aaron and Moses etc." It teaches that most brothers hate each other: Cain hated Abel, as it says "And Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him" (Genesis 4:8). And Ishmael hated Isaac, as it says "And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian laughing etc." (Genesis 21:9). And Esau hated Jacob, as it says "And Esau said in his heart: 'The days of mourning for my father will draw near, and I will kill Jacob my brother'" (Genesis 27:41). And similarly Abimelech killed his brothers, as it says "And he came to his father's house, to Ophrah, and killed his brothers" (Judges 9:5). And similarly Jehoram killed his brothers, as it says "And Jehoram rose up...and killed all his brothers by the sword" (II Chronicles 21:4). [It teaches that] brothers hate each other, but Moses and Aaron loved each other and cherished each other, and both were great and equal, as we read regarding "And these are the generations of Aaron and Moses." "Your two breasts are like two fawns" (Song of Songs 7:4) - this is Moses and Aaron, the majesty of Israel. Therefore it says "And these are the generations of Aaron and Moses." Just as these breasts are the adornment of a woman, so Moses and Aaron are the majesty of Israel (Shir Hashirim Rabbah 4:12, Midrash Shmuel 15). Another interpretation: "Your two breasts" - just as these breasts are the beauty of a woman, so Moses and Aaron are the beauty of Israel. Therefore it says "And these are the generations of Aaron and Moses."