The Legends of the Jews, that incredible collection of stories and expansions on the biblical narrative compiled by Louis Ginzberg, recounts just such a moment. We find Moses facing the imminent death of his brother, Aaron. Can you imagine the weight of that?
The text tells us that "there was a tumult in his heart, and he knew not what to do." He wept so passionately, the grief threatened to overwhelm him. But Moses, ever the faithful servant of God, knew he had a duty. He had to carry out God's command. He had to inform Aaron of his impending death.
Think about the weight of that task.
It had been the custom for forty years, during their wanderings in the desert, for the people to gather each morning. First before the seventy elders, then, guided by the elders, before the princes of the tribes. Finally, all of them would appear before Eleazar and Aaron, and together they would go to Moses to offer their morning greetings. A daily ritual, a rhythm of life in the wilderness.
But on this day, everything was different.
Moses, after a night spent weeping, summoned Eleazar – Aaron's son – at the first crow of the cock. "Go and call to me the elders and the princes," he instructed, "for I have to convey to them a commission from the Lord."
Accompanied by these men, Moses went to Aaron. Seeing Moses, Aaron asked, "Why hast thou made a change in the usual custom?"
Moses replied, "God hath bidden me to make a communication to thee."
"Tell it to me," Aaron urged.
But Moses insisted, "Wait until we are out of doors."
And so, Aaron donned his eight priestly garments – the sacred vestments, symbolic of his holy office – and together they went outside.
This small detail is so poignant! Before receiving such difficult news, Aaron dresses in his full priestly regalia. Was this out of respect for God? For Moses? Was it a sense of duty overriding his own fear and grief? The text doesn't say, but it adds a layer of depth to the scene.
What follows, of course, is the unfolding of God's will, the acceptance of mortality, and the transition of leadership. But this moment, this quiet change in the daily routine, this heavy burden placed upon Moses, it speaks volumes about duty, grief, and the human condition. And it reminds us that even the greatest among us face moments of profound sorrow and uncertainty.