Turns out, he played a pretty significant role, especially in those early, dramatic displays of divine power.
According to Legends of the Jews, as retold by Ginzberg, a whole year passed between the first plague and the final release of the Israelites. Why a year? Because, as the text explains, twelve months is the term God sets for the expiation of sins. Think about it: the Flood lasted a year, Job suffered for a year, and even sinners in hell get a year! It's a recurring motif of divine judgment and redemption.
But let’s get back to Aaron. The story goes that Moses would announce the first plague – water into blood – to Pharaoh in the morning. Why in the morning? Well, Pharaoh had a little secret. He pretended to be a god, immune to human needs. To keep up the act, he’d sneak off to the riverbank each morning to, ahem, relieve himself. It was during one of these private moments that Moses confronted him: "Is there a god that hath human needs?" The encounter reveals the sheer absurdity of Pharaoh's claim to divinity.
It’s a great illustration of the difference between God and humans. A human might plot in secret to harm an enemy, but God? God warns publicly. Moses would give Pharaoh and the Egyptians three weeks' notice before each plague struck, even though the plague itself only lasted a week!
Now, here’s where Aaron comes in. To bring about the plague of blood, Aaron, not Moses, stretched out his rod over the waters of Egypt. Why Aaron? Because, as God said to Moses, "The water that watched over thy safety when thou wast exposed in the Nile, shall not suffer harm through thee." The river had protected Moses as a baby, so he couldn't be the one to strike it. Divine justice, right?
As soon as Aaron acted, all the water turned to blood – even the water in wooden and stone vessels! The Egyptians were in dire straits. But here's a twist: the plague was actually a financial opportunity for the Israelites. If an Egyptian and an Israelite tried to draw water from the same source, only the Egyptian’s portion would turn to blood. So, the Egyptians had to pay the Israelites for untainted water. Talk about turning a crisis into an opportunity!
Of course, the Egyptian magicians managed to replicate the plague of blood, thanks to "Angels of Destruction." This meant Pharaoh wasn't particularly impressed. He didn't see it as a punishment from God.
Next up: the plague of frogs. Again, it was Aaron who performed the miracle, stretching out his hand over the rivers. Moses, still indebted to the water, was kept from "poisoning his savior" with reptiles. We're told that at first, only one frog appeared, but it croaked and summoned so many friends that the land swarmed with them. They even found a way into the marble palaces of the Egyptian nobles. "Make way," the frogs would call out to the stone, "that I may do the will of my Creator." Imagine that!
These frogs were serious about fulfilling God’s will. They even threw themselves into red-hot ovens to devour the bread. This act of self-sacrifice becomes a powerful parable. Centuries later, when Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were ordered by Nebuchadnezzar to worship idols or be burned alive, they remembered the frogs. "If the frogs... threw themselves into the fire... how much more should we be ready to expose our lives to the fire for the greater glory of His Name!"
And just as the frogs were rewarded, so too were the three holy children saved from the furnace.
This time, even though the Egyptian magicians duplicated the plague of frogs with the help of demons, Pharaoh felt the personal inconvenience. The frogs were everywhere, causing physical suffering. So, he promised to let the people go. But, as we know, Pharaoh was not the most reliable. As soon as the frogs were gone, he hardened his heart again.
Then came the plague of lice. This time, Moses was excluded, "for," said God, "the earth that afforded thee protection when she permitted thee to hide the slain Egyptian, shall not suffer through thine hand." The magicians tried to replicate this plague, but they failed miserably. Why? Because, according to the text, demons can only produce things larger than a barley grain, and lice are smaller than that. "This is the finger of God," they admitted, finally acknowledging the divine power at play.
Even this wasn't enough to sway Pharaoh. So, God warned Moses that the fourth plague would be even worse.
What does this all tell us? It highlights the complex relationship between divine action, human agency, and even the natural world. Aaron’s role, in particular, reminds us that even seemingly minor figures can play a crucial part in the unfolding of monumental events. And it makes you wonder, doesn't it? What seemingly small acts of service or sacrifice might we be called upon to perform, without even realizing the profound impact they might have?