According to Legends of the Jews, as retold by Ginzberg, when Moses witnessed the immense grief for Aaron, felt by both humans and celestial beings, he was overcome. He wept, not just for Aaron, but for himself. "Woe is me," he cried, "that I am now left all alone!"
Think about it. Miriam, his sister, had passed, and only he, Aaron, and Aaron's sons were there to mourn and bury her. Now Aaron was gone. Who would be there for him? "I have neither father nor mother, neither brother nor sister," he lamented, "who then will weep for me?"
It's a deeply human moment, isn't it? This incredible leader, this prophet who spoke to God, feeling the sting of loneliness. But here's where the story turns. God, hearing Moses's despair, offers him comfort.
"Be not afraid, Moses," God says. "I Myself shall bury thee amid great splendor." And not only that, but just as the location of Aaron's burial was hidden, so too would Moses's be. No mortal would ever know the place where he rested.
And there’s more. The Angel of Death, the Malach ha-Mavet, had no power over Aaron, who died with the "kiss of God," a euphemism for a peaceful, divine passing. So too, the Angel of Death would have no power over Moses. He too, would die "by the kiss."
At these words, Moses grew calm. He knew then that he had his place among the blessed. As the text says, "Blessed are they, for not only does God in person gather them to Him, but as soon as they are dead, the angels go joyously to meet them and with beaming faces go to greet them, saying, 'Enter into peace.'"
The story reminds us that even in moments of profound loneliness and grief, we are not truly alone. There is comfort, perhaps not in the way we expect, but a divine presence that recognizes our pain and offers solace. And perhaps, more importantly, it reminds us of the honor bestowed upon the righteous – a welcoming embrace into eternal peace. Can you imagine a more comforting thought?