It's not just a love poem; it’s a treasure trove of wisdom, and the Rabbis of old found layers of meaning within its verses. Take the verse, “Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, your neck with beads” (Song of Songs 1:10). Simple enough, right? But as Shir HaShirim Rabbah, the Midrashic commentary on Song of Songs shows us, there’s so much more.
"Your cheeks are lovely" – the Rabbis see a parallel here. Just as cheeks are made for speech, so too were Moses and Aaron created for speech, for communication, for leadership. They were, in essence, the voice of the Jewish people. And the phrase "with ornaments [batorim]"? That can be interpreted in multiple ways, one being "with two Torahs": the Written Torah (Torah Shebichtav) and the Oral Torah (Torah Shebe'al Peh) – the written law and its interpretations.
But the Midrash doesn't stop there. Another understanding of batorim is "many Torahs," referencing the numerous laws outlined in Leviticus: the law of the burnt offering, the meal offering, the guilt offering, the peace offering, and even the law concerning death in a tent, as we find in Numbers 19:14. Each one a facet of God's teaching.
And there's still more! The word batorim can also mean "with two countenances [te’arim]," bringing us back to Moses and Aaron. The Midrash emphasizes the beautiful relationship between these two brothers, whose faces shone with mutual respect and admiration. This one rejoiced in the other's greatness.
Rabbi Pinḥas highlights this dynamic, referencing Exodus 4:16: “He will speak to the people on your behalf, and he will be a mouth for you, and you will be an elohim for him.” The Rabbis ask, did Moses actually become a god for Aaron? Of course not! Rather, God was saying to Moses, "Just as fear of Me is upon you, so too, your fear will be upon your brother." In other words, Aaron would hold Moses in the highest esteem.
But the Midrash points out that Moses took it a step further. He didn't just accept Aaron's respect; he reciprocated it fully. As Exodus 4:29-30 tells us, Moses and Aaron "assembled all the elders of the children of Israel; Aaron spoke all the matters.” Moses equated his shoulder to Aaron's shoulder, standing shoulder to shoulder, treating each other as equals. They worked together, each celebrating the other's role.
How do we know Aaron rejoiced in Moses's prominence? Exodus 4:14 states, "He will see you and he will rejoice in his heart." Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai adds that the heart that rejoiced in Moses’s greatness would be worthy to wear the Urim and Tumim, the oracular objects placed in the breastplate of judgment, as described in Exodus 28:30: "You shall place the Urim and the Tumim in the breastplate of judgment and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart.”
And how do we know Moses rejoiced in Aaron's prominence? Here, the Midrash brings a beautiful image from Psalms 133:2: “It is like fine oil on the head, descending onto the beard, the beard of Aaron.” Rabbi Aḥa asks, why does it say "the beard" twice? Was Aaron sporting two beards? The explanation is that when Moses saw the anointing oil descending onto Aaron’s beard, it was as if it were descending onto his own. He rejoiced in his brother's honor.
What can we take from this? It's more than just a clever interpretation of scripture. It's a lesson in humility, respect, and the power of celebrating others' successes. Moses, despite his own incredible stature, recognized and rejoiced in Aaron's unique gifts. In a world that often encourages competition and self-promotion, the story of Moses and Aaron reminds us of the beauty and strength that come from genuine, mutual appreciation. Can we, too, learn to see the "ornaments" on the faces of those around us and celebrate their unique contributions?