*Parashat Va’etchanan – Thinking of Others*

*Parashat Va’etchanan – Thinking of Others*

Moshe Rabenu prayed 515 tefillot in order to be allowed into Eretz Yisrael, so strong was his desire to enter the ‘palace of the King’ and to fulfil all the mitzvot that are only applicable there. The question is what about Aharon? He also was not allowed to enter the Land; surely he must have been bothered as Moshe was, so why do we not encounter his tefillot?
I once heard a beautiful explanation. Aharon knew that the sin of mei merivah, when Moshe hit the rock instead of speaking to it, was primarily Moshe’s sin (albeit on a very small level that only a righteous man would be judged for). Although Aharon was present, he himself was not the agent who was required to draw water from the rock, and thus he was not as guilty (see Rashi Devarim 33:8 s.v. teriveihu). Aharon believed that if he were to pray to be allowed entry into the land, perhaps G-d might in fact forgive his part in the sin and allow him entry, and he was afraid that this would exasperate Moshe’s punishment and cause him more anguish. Aharon’s entire being was primarily concerned with peace and acts of kindness, and he was willing to forgo the possibility that he would enter the land in order that someone else would not suffer because of him.
May we learn from Aharon and
follow in his footsteps!
Shabat shalom!
Rabbi itzchak lasry .