The story isn't quite so simple.
According to the Legends of the Jews, as retold by Ginzberg, Aaron, eager to begin his sacred duties, headed straight for the Tabernacle. But Moses stopped him. "Not so fast," Moses said, in essence, "we have to go beyond the camp first."
Beyond the camp? What was that about?
Once they were outside, Aaron, naturally curious, asked Moses to tell him exactly what God had commanded. But Moses, again, held back. "Wait until we reach the mountain," he replied.
Talk about building suspense!
Finally, at the foot of the mountain – and we're not told exactly which mountain, though we can assume it's Mount Sinai where so much Divine communication occurred – Moses addressed the people. "Stay here," he instructed, "until we return. Aaron, Eleazar, and I will go to the top of the mount. We'll come back once we've heard the Divine revelation."
And so, the three of them—Moses, Aaron, and Eleazar—ascended.
Isn’t it fascinating how even after such a monumental event as Aaron's appointment, there's still this element of mystery, this sense of anticipation? What was so important that it needed to be revealed outside the camp, and then only on the mountain? What was this Divine revelation they were about to receive?
It leaves you wondering, doesn't it, about all the unspoken moments, the untold stories that shape the grand narratives we know so well. What do you think was going through Aaron's mind at that moment? What was the significance of going "beyond the camp"? Food for thought, indeed.