We read on Shabbat Shemot the following two verses:
ה֥וּא אַהֲרֹ֖ן וּמֹשֶׁ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמַ֤ר יְהֹוָה֙ לָהֶ֔ם הוֹצִ֜יאוּ אֶת־בְּנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם עַל־צִבְאֹתָֽם׃
It is the same Aaron and Moses to whom G’d said, “Bring forth the Israelites from the land of Egypt, troop by troop.”
הֵ֗ם הַֽמְדַבְּרִים֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם לְהוֹצִ֥יא אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם ה֥וּא מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְאַהֲרֹֽן׃
It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt to free the Israelites from the Egyptians; these are the same Moses and Aaron.
In the first Pasuk it says – Ahron and Moshe, Ahron first. In the second Pasuk it changes to Moshe mentioned first . So, who is higher ranking ?
Rashi says this very fact proves that they were of “equal importance”.
During a very interesting and nicely arranged lunch “Chavura” at the British Chief Rabbi’s house, Rav Mirvis שליט”א quoted in his warm welcoming words the legendary Rav Moshe Feinstein, asking: “Can one compare Moshe to Aharon ?” Surely Aharon HaKohen was one of the greatest Tzadikim of all times. But the status of Moshe Rabeinu was that of a King. Plus his prophecy was on a different level, And he was the one who delivered the Torah to us. So can we say that they were “equal” ?
Rav Feinstein (in one of two explanations) says that although Moshe Rabeinu was greater in many ways. The very fact that both performed perfectly their (different) life missions, makes them of “equal” importance. Beautiful idea.
It reminded me of an anecdote I heard many years ago :
Rav Joseph Ber Soloveitchik (Boston.) once attended a charity concert for the Maimonides School Brookline, Massachusetts which he founded together with his wife Tonya. The famous Boston pops orchestra (under Arthur Fiedler) was playing. Rav Soloveichik noticed that one of the eighty musicians has used his instrument only once throughout the 2 hour concert…. Out of curiosity, the Rav approached the conductor after the concert, asking him “What is the salary of that musician” ? The surprised conductor responded that he gets the same salary as the rest of the team. He went on to explain : “True, this musician has only played for less than one minute during the concert. But without his contribution – there is no concert !”… Rav Soloveichik loved the reply and said later: Some of our people have a very humble contribution, but without them “There is no concert”….
How true!
Warm regards and Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Chaim Michael Biberfeld