Love Peace and Pursue Peace
Aaron taught us the true definition of love and unity. It is not just a means to an end; it is an end. We must be proactive in pursuing it. Love of the other is based on an understanding of the essential nature of the human being. Aaron also taught is that pursuing peace cannot be at the expense of the integrity of Judaism.
Loved by All
When Aaron died, the Torah—in this week’s parsha— describes how he was mourned by the entire Jewish nation.
Aaron was beloved by them because he was a man of peace. In the words of the great Sage Hillel:
“Be one of the disciples of Aaron, who loved peace and pursued peace, loved the creatures and drew them close to the Torah.”
Each one of these statements needs to be analyzed:
Loved Peace
There are people who view peace as a desirable state to be in only because it is a means to an end. As it is stated in the concluding statement of the Mishnah:
“G-d could not find a receptacle for blessing except for peace, as it is written: ‘G-d gave strength to his nation Israel, G-d blessed them with peace.’”
In other words peace is the most powerful force to generate all of G-d’s blessings. When there is peace one can concentrate on all the other important things in life.
When Hillel says that Aaron “loved peace” he meant that Aaron viewed peace as an end unto itself. Peace is not only that which leads to other good things, it is itself an intrinsically good thing.
The reason for this can be found in the statement that “G-d’s name is peace.” One of the characteristics of G-d is peace. And just as G-d is not only a means to an end, He is the end, so to speak, so too, His attribute of peace is not only a vehicle to other positive goals, it has intrinsic value as well.
Pursued Peace
There are many people who can appreciate the value of peace, but are passive when it comes to making peace between one person and another.
Aaron, by contrast, was not only a passive peace lover; he actively pursued avenues to get two feuding individuals together.
The Talmud relates that Aaron would find one of the two feuding parties and tell them a “white lie.” “I just met your adversary and he told me how sorry he was for having offended you. He really thinks highly of you and would love to make up.” Aaron would then proceed to the other party to the dispute and say the same thing to him. In the end, they would make up.
From this precedent, the Talmud concludes that it is permissible to dissemble in order to preserve the peace between people. And despite the Torah’s abhorrence of lying, nevertheless, when there is a choice between a conflict continuing, which can destroy the very fabric of the feuding people’s lives, the lives of their families and of the entire community, Torah dictates that peace takes precedence.
On a deeper level it can be said, the fact that two people can be brought back together with a simple misrepresentation of their true feelings proves that deep down they were not real enemies. Aaron was thus able to capitalize on this fact to make peace between them.
Loved the Created Beings
In the classic work Tanya (Chapter 32) R. Schneur Zalman of Liadi (Founder of the Chabad movement) explains that by adding the words “Loved the created beings,” Hillel was suggesting that Aaron loved even those people whose only apparent virtue was the fact that they were created by G-d.
Even those people Aaron loved.
When we love someone it is usually based on the overt qualities that an individual possesses. When it becomes apparent that those qualities are not as strong as one imagined them to be, or that they are canceled by other negative traits, the love will disappear. Not so, when we love someone for their essential being Drew them Close to the Torah Here is where Hillel adds an important caveat:
Hillel does not say “and drew the Torah close to them,” but rather “Drew them close to the Torah.”
The true sign of love to another is when you give them something authentic and complete. There are many who, in the name of love and peace, think they have to compromise the teachings of the Torah. By watering down the demands of Judaism in our dealings with other Jews, one might think that it would help them get closer to Judaism.
Hillel states that Aaron’s example demonstrated that the opposite is true. While it is obvious that one cannot get someone to do everything overnight, one may not alter or compromise the demands of the Torah in order to bring someone close to it. One must present the Torah the way it is, and slowly get them to appreciate its beauty and depth.
The Path to Redemption
Our Sages taught us that the way to bring the Redemption to the entire world is by love and unity. Aaron taught us the true definition of love and unity;, that it must be appreciated as an end and not just as a means, we must be proactive in pursuing it, and that realizing it is based on an understanding of the essential nature of the human being.
But in addition to all that, Aaron’s example—for which he was loved and respected—is that pursuing peace cannot be at the expense of the integrity of Judaism. This complete model of love and peace will usher in the age of true love and peace—the age of Moshiach and Redemption.
From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Chukas by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
