Moshe Rabbeinu desperately and vigorously sought to dodge his appointment by Hashem as the redeeming agent of Israel. His primary motivation, explains Rashi, was the desire to avoid hurting his older brother Aharon. Aharon had been the leader of our people and Moshe was deeply concerned that his supplanting Aharon as leader would cause him pain.
Hashem reassured Moshe Rabbeinu that not only will Aharon not be upset, he will even rejoice. “V’ra’acha v’samach b’libo, he will see you and rejoice in his heart,” Hashem revealed to Moshe. As a reward for Aharon’s selflessness and kindhearted sacrifice he was rewarded with wearing the stunning choshen (breastplate) bearing 12 precious stones representing the shevatim on his heart, as noted by Rashi.
Every parent teaches their children that in order to prosper materially one must work hard to earn a living. One receives in exchange for his toil. The opposite, however, is true regarding spiritual attainments. Regarding these lofty matters one must give in order to receive. Aharon’s reward is a stunning illustration of this principle.
Rav Shlomo Wolbe (I thank my Talmid Avi Finkelstein TABC ’16 for alerting me to this beautiful insight) identifies three other instances where we find this principle expressed by Rashi. Shem is rewarded with his descendents receiving the mitzvah of tzitzit specifically for his kind-hearted covering of his father Noach at his weak moment.
We find the heroic shotrei Bnei Yisrael, the Israelite foremen who sustained beatings from their Egyptian taskmasters to spare the Israelite slaves from harm, appointed as the original 70 members of the Sanhedrin (Supreme Court) along with Moshe Rabbeinu. When the taskmasters ordered the foremen to beat those Israelites who could not meet their quota of bricks, the shotrei Bnei Yisrael stood in their stead and withstood the blows. Such men are most worthy as members of the Sanhedrin.
Our fourth example is an idea stressed by every rabbi. One who prays for others’ needs before his own is answered first. Avraham Avinu set the example by praying for Avimelech’s recovery before asking Hashem for Sarah Imeinu to bear a child. As reward, Sarah conceived before Avimelech healed. The road to spiritual attainments is indeed paved with acts of putting the needs of others before one’s own concerns.
No one exemplified this idea more than Congregation Shaarei Orah/the Sephardic Congregation of Teaneck’s beloved Ovadia Mussaffi, zt”l, whose seventh azakara (memorial) was commemorated this past Sunday. Ovadia was beloved by everyone who knew him. He represented pure love and concern for others. Deeply principled and giving to both individuals and community, Ovadia followed in the footsteps of Aharon, Shem, the shotrei Bnei Yisrael and Avraham Avinu.
Ovadia looked only to give and was rewarded with enduring love and admiration of anyone and everyone who had the pleasure and honor of interacting with him. Indeed, his extraordinarily kind personality seven years later serves as a guiding spirit for us at Shaarei Orah.
At Shaarei Orah we not only learn about the kind-hearted sacrifice of Aharon, Shem, the shotrei Bnei Yisrael and Avraham Avinu. We had the great merit to witness and experience firsthand a great man who embodied and exemplified in our times the greatness of our leaders of past generations. May Ovadia Mussaffi’s memory continue to guide and inspire not only those who knew him but the entire community that had the privilege of having him live in its midst.
By Rabbi Haim Jachter
Rabbi Haim Jachter is the spiritual leader of Congregation Shaarei Orah, the Sephardic Congregation of Teaneck. He also serves as a Rebbe at Torah Academy of Bergen County and a Dayan on the Beth Din of Elizabeth.
