My daughter’s kindergarten class reenacted the Passover story and one of the questions asked of the kids was who was the hero? My daughter answer Aaron, “because he went with Moses to see Pharaoh,” while most of the kids said Moses. Now, my daughter usually right on most matters so I put some addition thought into it, and of course as I’ve mentioned multiple times, Aaron is the only person in the Torah whose name is associated with he word “Moshiach.”
And while neither Moses, nor Aaron, nor Abraham have parshot (portions) named after them, Moses’ name is mentioned 616 times,which is the numerical value of “H’Torah” (The Torah), representing all 5 Books of Moses. The numerical value of Aaron’s name is 256, which is the same as Devarim, the last of the 5 Books, and Abraham’s numerical value of 248 is the same as Bamidbar, the 4th of the 5 Books. Moreover the sum of the names of the 5 Books is 2480 or 10 x 248 (Abraham), which is fitting since the Zohar tells us we were given the 10 sefirot (dimensions( in the merit of Abraham. And is we add Aaron and Abraham together plus the kolel of the letters in the 3 Names (Aaron, Abraham, and Moses), which is 12 for the 12 tribes, we get 256 + 248 + 12 = 616, (H’Torah).
But getting back to my daughters point, G-d spoke to Moses directly, so how hard was it for him obey and visit pharaoh? Not to downplay Moses role, but Aaron, had to take it on faith that Moses was talking to G-d and stand before pharaoh–that takes real courage and convictions. So I guess Aaron was the real hero.
And like Abraham and Moshe, while they don’t have one of the 54 portions named after them, they have Books and the entire Torah feeding off their energy. That Aaron’s is the last Book (Devarim) is interesting because we know that the full cycle of the 27 letters in the alef-bet, or 54, as in 54 x 107 = 5778, the 107th triangular number and the year prophesied by the tzaddikim for the arrival of Mashiach and the numerical value for Aaron’s name, 256 + 107 = 363, the value of H’Moshiach (The Messiah).
While both brothers Moshe and Aaron are the 26th generation in the lineage of Adam, both are also of the soul root of Moshiach, and while we work to bring the great redeemer, let us not forget that both men stood before pharaoh and that like Moses, Aaron will be there at the end of the 107 cycles of 54. And that to be the hero of the story, we must summon up our own great courage and faith.
Chag Sameach and Happy Pesach!
