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 Encyclopedia
Judaica 2nd Edition
An essential source of information on
Jewish life, culture, history, and
religion.
In 1972, the Encyclopaedia Judaica
fulfilled the longstanding dream of
capturing the full richness of Jewish
culture in a single authoritative
publication, heralded in the scholarly
community as one of the best reference
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AARON
By : J. Frederic McCurdy Kaufmann Kohler
ARTICLE HEADINGS:
Biblical
Data:
His Function
Becomes Priest of Israel
Rebellion of Korah
Death
Typical Signification
In
Apocryphal and Rabbinical Literature:
Moses and Aaron Compared
Death of Aaron
Critical View:
Biblical Data:
One of two brothers who play a unique part
in the history of the Hebrew people. He
was the elder son of Amram and Jochebed of
the tribe of Levi;
Moses, the other son, being three
years younger, and
Miriam, their sister,
several years older (Ex. ii. 4). Aaron was
the great-grandson of Levi (Ex. vi. 16-20)
and represented the priestly functions of
his tribe. While Moses was receiving his
education at the Egyptian court and during
his exile among the Midianites, Aaron and
his sister remained with their kinsmen in
the eastern border-land of Egypt. Here he
gained a name for eloquent and persuasive
speech; so that when the time came for the
demand upon Pharaoh to release Israel from
captivity, Aaron became his brother's nabi,
or spokesman, to his own people (Ex. iv.
16) and, after their unwillingness to
hear, to Pharaoh himself (Ex. vii. 9). |
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His
Function.
Aaron's function included the duties of
speaker and implied personal dealings
with the court on behalf of Moses, who
was always the central moving figure.
The part played by Aaron in the events
that preceded the Exodus was, therefore,
ministerial, and not directive. He
shared the miraculous powers of Moses,
and performed "signs" before his people
which impressed them with a belief in
the reality of the divine mission of the
brothers (Ex. iv. 15, 16). At the
command of Moses he stretched out his
rod in order to bring on the first three
plagues (Ex. vii. 19, viii. 1, 12). In
the infliction of the remaining plagues
he appears to have acted merely as the
attendant of Moses, whose outstretched
rod drew the divine wrath upon Pharaoh
and his subjects (Ex. ix. 23, x. 13,
22). The potency of
Aaron's rod had already been
demonstrated by its victory over the
rods of the Egyptian magicians, which it
swallowed after all the rods alike had
been turned into serpents (Ex. vii. 9 et
seq.). During the journey in the
wilderness Aaron is not always prominent
or active; and he sometimes appears
guilty of rebellious or treasonable
conduct. At the battle with Amalek he is
chosen with Hur to support the hand of
Moses that held the "rod of God" (Ex.
xvii. 9 et seq.). When the revelation
was given to Moses at Sinai, he headed
the elders of Israel who accompanied
Moses on the way to the summit. Joshua,
however, was admitted with his leader to
the very presence of the Lord, while
Aaron and Hur remained below to look
after the people (Ex. xxiv. 9-14). It
was during the prolonged absence of
Moses that Aaron yielded to the clamors
of the people, and made a golden calf as
a visible image of the divinity who had
delivered them from Egypt (Ex. xxxii.
1-6). At the intercession of Moses,
Aaron was saved from the plague which
smote the people (Deut. ix. 20; Ex.
xxxii. 35), although it was to Aaron's
tribe of Levi that the work of punitive
vengeance was committed (Ex. xxxii. 26
et seq.).
Becomes Priest of Israel
At the time when the tribe of Levi was
set apart for the priestly service,
Aaron was anointed and consecrated to
the priesthood, arrayed in the robes of
his office, and instructed in its
manifold duties (Ex. xxviii. and xxix.).
On the very day of his consecration his
sons, Nadab and Abihu, were consumed by
fire from the Lord for having offered
incense in an unlawful manner (Lev. x.).
This stroke Aaron bore in silence.
Rebellion of Korah
From the time of the sojourn at Sinai,
where he became the anointed priest of
Israel, Aaron ceased to be the minister
of Moses, his place being taken by
Joshua. He is mentioned in association
with
Miriam in a jealous complaint
against the exclusive claims of Moses as
the Lord's prophet. The presumption of
the murmurers was rebuked, and
Miriam
was smitten with leprosy. Aaron
entreated Moses to intercede for her, at
the same time confessing the sin and
folly that prompted the uprising. Aaron
himself was not struck with the plague
on account of sacerdotal immunity; and
Miriam, after seven days' quarantine,
was healed and restored to favor (Num.
xii.). It is noteworthy that the prophet
Micah (vi. 4) mentions
Moses, Aaron, and
Miriam as the leaders of Israel after
the Exodus (a judgment wholly in accord
with the tenor of the narratives). In
the present instance it is made clear by
the express words of the oracle (Num.
xii. 6-8) that Moses was unique among
men as the one with whom the Lord spoke
face to face. The failure to recognize
or concede this prerogative of their
brother was the sin of
Miriam and Aaron.
The validity of the exclusive priesthood
of the family of Aaron was attested
after the ill-fated rebellion of Korah,
who was a first cousin of Aaron. When
the earth had opened and swallowed up
the leaders of the insurgents (Num. xvi.
25-35), Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was
commissioned to take charge of the
censers of the dead priests. And when
the plague had broken out among the
people who had sympathized with the
rebels, Aaron, at the command of Moses,
took his censer and stood between the
living and the dead till the plague was
stayed (Num. xvii. 1-15, xvi. 36-50, A.
V.). Another memorable transaction
followed. Each of the tribal princes of
Israel took a rod and wrote his name
upon it, and the twelve rods were laid
up over night in the tent of meeting. On
the morrow Aaron's rod was found to have
budded and blossomed and borne ripe
almonds (Num. xvii. 8; see Aaron's Rod).
The miracle proved merely the
prerogative of the tribe of Levi; but
now a formal distinction was made in
perpetuity between the family of Aaron
and the other Levites. While all the
Levites (and only Levites) were to be
devoted to sacred services, the special
charge of the sanctuary and the altar
was committed to the Aaronites alone
(Num. xviii. 1-7). The scene of this
enactment is unknown, nor is the time
mentioned.
Death
Aaron, like Moses, was not permitted to
enter Canaan with the successful
invaders. The reason alleged is that the
two brothers showed impatience at
Meribah (Kadesh) in the last year of the
desert pilgrimage (Num. xx. 12, 13),
when they, or rather Moses, brought
water out of a rock to quench the thirst
of the people. The action was construed
as displaying a want of deference to the
Lord, since they had been commanded to
speak to the rock, whereas Moses struck
it with the wonder-working rod (Num. xx.
7-11). Of the death of Aaron we have two
accounts. The principal one gives a
detailed statement to the effect that,
soon after the above incident, Aaron,
with his son Eleazar and Moses, ascended
Mount Hor. There Moses stripped him
(Aaron) of his priestly garments, and
transferred them to Eleazar. Aaron died
on the summit of the mountain, and the
people mourned for him thirty days (Num.
xx. 22-29; compare xxxiii. 38, 39). The
other account is found in Deut. x. 6,
where Moses is reported as saying that
Aaron died at Mosera and was buried
there. Mosera is not on Mount Hor, since
the itinerary in Num. xxxiii. 31-37
records seven stages between Moseroth (Mosera)
and Mount Hor.J. F. McC.
Typical Signification
In Apocryphal and Rabbinical Literature:
The older prophets and prophetical
writers beheld in their priests the
representatives of a religious form
inferior to the prophetic truth; men
without the spirit of God and lacking
the will-power requisite to resist the
multitude in its idolatrous
proclivities. Thus Aaron, the typical
priest, ranks far below Moses: he is but
his mouthpiece, and the executor of the
will of God revealed through Moses,
although it is pointed out (Sifra,
Wa-yik.ra, i.) that it is said fifteen
times in the Pentateuch that "the Lord
spoke to Moses and Aaron." Under the
influence of the priesthood which shaped
the destinies of the nation under
Persian rule, a different ideal of the
priest was formed, as is learned from
Mal. ii. 4-7; and the prevailing
tendency was to place Aaron on a footing
equal with Moses. "At times Aaron, and
at other times Moses, is mentioned first
in Scripture—this is to show that they
were of equal rank," says Mekilta , 1;
and Ecclesiasticus (Sirach), xlv. 6-24,
expressly infers this when introducing
in his record of renowned men the
glowing description of Aaron's
ministration.
Moses and Aaron Compared
According to Tan. (ed. Buber, ii. 12),
Aaron's activity as a prophet began
earlier than that of Moses. The writer
of the Testaments of the Patriarchs,
however, hesitates to rank Moses the
faithful, "him that speaks with God as
with a father," as equal with Aaron
(Testament of Levi, viii. 17). The
rabbis are still more emphatic in their
praise of Aaron's virtues. Thus Hillel,
who in Herod's time saw before him
mainly a degenerate class of priests,
selfish and quarrelsome, held Aaron of
old up as a mirror, saying: "Be of the
disciples of Aaron, loving peace and
pursuing peace; love your fellow
creatures and draw them nigh unto the
Law!" (Abot, i. 12). This is further
illustrated by the tradition preserved
in Abot deR. N. xii. Sanh. 6b, and
elsewhere, according to which Aaron was
an ideal priest of the people, far more
beloved for his kindly ways than was
Moses. While Moses was stern and
uncompromising, brookingno wrong, Aaron
went about as peacemaker, reconciling
man and wife when he saw them estranged,
or a man with his neighbor when they
quarreled, and winning evil-doers back
into the right way by his friendly
intercourse. The mourning of the people
at Aaron's death was greater, therefore,
than at that of Moses; for whereas, when
Aaron died the whole house of Israel
wept, including the women (Num. xx. 29),
Moses was bewailed by "the sons of
Israel" only (Deut. xxxiv. 8). Even in
the making of the Golden Calf the rabbis
find extenuating circumstances for Aaron
(Sanh. 7a). His fortitude and silent
submission to the will of God on the
loss of his two sons are referred to as
an excellent example to men how to
glorify God in the midst of great
affliction (Zeb. 115;b Josephus, "Ant."
iii. 8, § 7). Especially significant are
the words represented as being spoken by
God after the princes of the Twelve
Tribes had brought their dedication
offerings into the newly reared
Tabernacle: "Say to thy brother Aaron:
Greater than the gifts of the princes is
thy gift; for thou art called upon to
kindle the light, and, while the
sacrifices shall last only as long as
the Temple lasts, thy light of the Law
shall last forever" (Tan., ed. Buber, ,
6).
Death of Aaron
In fulfillment of the promise of
peaceful life, symbolized by the pouring
of oil upon his head (Lev. R. x., Midr.
Teh. cxxxiii. 1), Aaron's death, as
described in the Haggadah, was of a
wonderful tranquility. Accompanied by
Moses, his brother, and by Eleazar, his
son, Aaron went to the summit of Mount
Hor, where the rock suddenly opened
before him and a beautiful cave lit by a
lamp presented itself to his view. "Take
off thy priestly raiment and place it
upon thy son Eleazar!" said Moses; "and
then follow me." Aaron did as commanded;
and they entered the cave, where was
prepared a bed around which angels
stood. "Go lie down upon thy bed, my
brother," Moses continued; and Aaron
obeyed without a murmur. Then his soul
departed as if by a kiss from God. The
cave closed behind Moses as he left; and
he went down the hill with Eleazar, with
garments rent, and crying: "Alas, Aaron,
my brother! thou, the pillar of
supplication of Israel!" When the
Israelites cried in bewilderment, "Where
is Aaron?" angels were seen carrying
Aaron's bier through the air. A voice
was then heard saying: "The law of truth
was in his mouth, and iniquity was not
found on his lips: he walked with me in
righteousness, and brought many back
from sin" (Mal. ii. 6, 7). He died,
according to Seder 'Olam R. ix., R. H.
2, 3a, and Josephus, "Ant." iv. 4, § 7,
on the first of Ab. Josephus says also
that "he died while the multitude looked
upon him." The pillar of cloud which
proceeded in front of Israel's camp
disappeared at Aaron's death (see Seder
'Olam, ix. and R. H. 2b-3a). The seeming
contradiction between Num. xx. 22 et
seq. and Deut. x. 6 is solved by the
rabbis in the following manner: Aaron's
death on Mount Hor was marked by the
defeat of the people in a war with the
king of Arad, in consequence of which
the Israelites fled, marching seven
stations backward to Mosera, where they
performed the rites of mourning for
Aaron; wherefore it is said: "There [at
Mosera] died Aaron." See Mek., Beshallah.,
Wayassa', i.; Tan., Huk.k.at, 18; Yer.
Sot.ah, i. 17c, and Targ. Yer. Num. and
Deut. on the abovementioned passages.
The rabbis also dwell with special
laudation on the brotherly sentiment
which united Aaron and Moses. When the
latter was appointed ruler and Aaron
high priest, neither betrayed any
jealousy; instead they rejoiced in one
another's greatness. When Moses at first
declined to go to Pharaoh, saying: "O my
Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of
him whom thou wilt send" (Ex. iv. 13),
he was unwilling to deprive Aaron, his
brother, of the high position the latter
had held for so many years; but the Lord
reassured him, saying: "Behold, when he
seeth thee, he will be glad in his
heart" (Ex. iv. 14). Indeed, Aaron was
to find his reward, says Simon ben
Yoh.ai; for that heart which had leaped
with joy over his younger brother's rise
to glory greater than his was decorated
with the Urim and Thummim, which were to
"be upon Aaron's heart when he goeth in
before the Lord" (Cant. R. i. 10). Moses
and Aaron met in gladness of heart,
kissing each other as true brothers (Ex.
iv. 27; compare Song of Songs, viii. 1),
and of them it is written: "Behold how
good and how pleasant [it is] for
brethren to dwell together in unity!"
(Ps. cxxxiii. 1). Of them it is said
(Ps. lxxxv. 10): "Mercy and truth are
met together; righteousness and peace
have kissed [each other]"; for Moses
stood for righteousness, according to
Deut. xxxiii. 21, and Aaron for peace,
according to Mal. ii. 6. Again, mercy
was personified in Aaron, according to
Deut. xxxiii. 8, and truth in Moses,
according to Num. xii. 7 (Tan., Shemot,
ed. Buber, 24-26).
When Moses poured the oil of anointment
upon the head of Aaron, Aaron modestly
shrank back and said: "Who knows whether
I have not cast some blemish upon this
sacred oil so as to forfeit this high
office." Then the Holy Spirit spake the
words: "Behold the precious ointment
upon the head, that ran down upon the
beard of Aaron, that even went down to
the skirts of his garment, is as pure as
the dew of Hermon" (Ps. cxxxiii. 2, 3,
Heb.; Sifra, Shemini, Milluim; Tan.,
Korah, ed. Buber, 14).
Bibliography: Num. R. xix.;
Lev. R. x.;
Midr. Pet.irat Aharon in Jellinek's Bet
ha-Midrash, i. 91-95;
Yalk.. Num. 764;
Baring-Gould, Legends of Old Testament
Characters;
Chronicles of Jerahmeel, ed. M. Gaster,
pp. cxi. 130-133;
B. Beer, in Wertheimer's Jahrb., 1855;
Hamburger, Der Geist der Haggada, pp.
1-8;
the same, Realencyklopädie für Bibel und
Talmud, s. v.K.
Critical View:
It has always been found difficult to
construct a complete and consistent
biographical story from the Biblical
details as outlined above. According to
most modern critics, the difficulties
arise from the fact that these details
come from different sources, and that
the sources themselves are of different
dates and represent separate stages in
the development of the Hebrew religion
and ritual. The Jahvistic document
(usually cited as J) and the Elohistic
(E) are held to have proceeded from the
ninth or eighth century B.C.; while the
Deuteronomic (D) reflects the time of
Josiah, and the priestly document (P)
the periods of the Exile and the Return.
The genealogy (Ex. vi.) belongs to the
priestly source (distinguished as P),
while the details are about evenly
divided between P and J (Jahvist) and E
(Elohist) narratives, and one account of
Aaron's death appears in the
Deuteronomic source. It is found that
what concerns Aaron's consecration to
the priesthood and the acts of himself
and his family in that office, as well
as his relations to the tribe of Levi,
proceed from the priestly source (P).
This embraces most of what is said on
these topics in Exodus (xxv.-xl.),
Leviticus, and Numbers. Now it is
claimed that for historical purposes a
sharp dividing-line must be drawn
between P (which has for its aim to
describe the rise and progress of the
Aaronic priesthood) and the earlier
documents. The explanation of the
distinction takes account of the fact
that Moses and Aaron represent the
genius and the mission of Israel as no
other men do; the one being the great
lawgiver and prophet, the otherthe first
and typical high priest. Together they
thus represent the moral and religious
functions which Israel had to fulfil.
With this idea in mind, the later
Biblical writers treated the character
and work of the two men
representatively, so that they present
not only a historical, but an idealized,
Moses and Aaron. It is, moreover,
significant that, leaving P aside, a
fairly consistent biography may be made
out, and this must be adhered to in the
main; for P throughout is constructive
and idealistic, using its narrative to
indicate how the postexilian priestly
system must have grown up to its ideal
completeness in the course of Israel's
history. Much has been theorized by some
critics, tending to show that Aaron the
priest was a figment devised to give
validity to the sacerdotal order. Even,
however, if some interpolations in the
documents earlier than P, due to
priestly hands, be assumed, there
remains a substantial historical basis
of fact for the career of Aaron as the
assistant and spokesman of Moses, as the
deputy of his brother during the desert
wanderings, and as the chief priest of
his people. Among other considerations,
a guaranty for the soundness of the
tradition in the record of personal
actions is afforded by the fact that
what is disadvantageous to Aaron is told
as well as what is favorable, and that
he is shown, especially in the affair of
the calf-worship, to have been
influenced by the moral and spiritual
limitations of his age and environment.
See also Priests, Priesthood, etc.J. F.
McC. |
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