Moses, Aaron and Miriam

Synopsis

Rabbi Chizkiyah talks about God's desire for Yisrael and His special treatment of them. We learn that Moses, Aaron and Miriam had higher gifts, and that Aaron was the right arm of Moses. During Moses' lifetime Yisrael ate manna or heavenly bread, but as soon as Joshua took over, the manna ceased to fall and the people reverted to eating the bread of the land.

Cloud Firstborn Hands Likenesses Moses Sanctuary Seven Shechinah Water

1. "And Moses went and spoke these words to all Yisrael" (Devarim 31:1). Rabbi Chizkiyah opened with the verse, "That caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, dividing the water before them..." (Yeshayah 63:12). Blessed are Yisrael that the Holy One, blessed be He, favored them. Since He favored them, He called them holy firstborn sons, and brethren. He, so to speak, went down to dwell with them. This is the meaning of, "And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them" (Shemot 25:8). And He wished to establish them in the likeness of above, and He caused the seven clouds of glory to rest over them, and His Shechinah goes before them, as it is written: "and Hashem went before them by day" (Shemot 13:21).

1. וַיֵּלֶךְ מֺשֶׁה וַיְדַבֵּר אֶת הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֶל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל. ר' חִזְקִיָּה פָּתַח, מוֹלִיךְ לִימִין מֺשֶׁה זְרוֹעַ תִּפְאַרְתּוֹ בּוֹקֵעַ מַיִם מִפְּנֵיהֶם וְגוֹ,' זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְעֵי בְּהוּ, וּבְגִין דְּאִתְרְעֵי בְּהוּ, קָרָא לוֹן בְּנִין בּוּכְרִין קַדִישִׁין, אַחִין כִּבְיָכוֹל, נָחַת לְדַיְּירָא עִמְּהוֹן. הה"ד, וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם. וּבָעָא לְאַתְקְנָא לְהוּ כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, וְשָׁארִי עָלַיְיהוּ שִׁבְעָה עֲנָנֵי יְקָר, שְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ אַזְלָא קַמַּיְיהוּ, הה"ד וַיְיָ' הוֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם יוֹמָם.

Aaron Arad Atarim Body Cloud Hands Merit Miriam Moses

2. Three holy siblings went among them. They are Moses, Aaron and Miriam. It is for their merit that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them supernal gifts. Throughout Aaron's days the clouds of glory did not move away from Yisrael. We have established that Aaron is the right arm of Yisrael, as it is written, "the Canaanite, the king of Arad...heard tell that Yisrael came by the way of Atarim..." (Bemidbar 21:1). THE WAY OF ATARIM MEANS THAT YISRAEL WERE like a man walking without an arm, supporting himself in each AND EVERY place, AS ATARIM MEANS PLACES. Then, "he fought against Yisrael, and took some of them prisoners" (Ibid.). THIS HAPPENED because they were without the right arm. Come and see, Aaron was the right arm of the body, WHICH IS TIFERET. Hence it is written, "That caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses." Which is that? It is Aaron, THE RIGHT ARM OF TIFERET.

2. תְּלַת אַחִין קַדִישִׁין אַזְלִין בֵּינַיְיהוּ, וּמַאן אִינּוּן. מֺשֶׁה, אַהֲרֺן, וּמִרְיָם. וּבִזְכוּתֵהוֹן, יָהַב לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מַתְנָן עִלָּאִין. כָּל יוֹמוֹי דְּאַהֲרֺן, לָא אַעְדוּ עֲנָנֵי יְקָר מִיִשְׂרָאֵל. וְהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ, דְּאַהֲרֺן דְּרוֹעָא יְמִינָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל הֲוָה. וְהַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב, וַיִּשְׁמָע הַכְּנַעֲנִי מֶלֶךְ עֲרָד וְגוֹ,' כִּי בָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֲתָרִים וְגוֹ.' כב"נ דְּאָזִיל בְּלָא דְּרוֹעָא, וְסָמִיךְ גַּרְמֵיהּ לְכָל אֲתָר, וּכְדֵין וַיִּלָּחֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִשְׁבְּ מִמֶּנוּ שֶׁבִי, בְּגִין דַּהֲווֹ בְּלָא דְּרוֹעָא יְמִינָא. ת"ח, אַהֲרֺן דְּרוֹעָא יְמִינָא דְּגוּפָא הֲוָה. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, מוֹלִיךְ לִימִין מֺשֶׁה זְרוֹעַ תִּפְאַרְתּוֹ. וּמַאן אִיהוּ. אַהֲרֺן.

Aaron Body Moses Strength

Astrology Body Bread Heaven Joshua Manna Moon Moses Passover Sun Zeir Anpin

4. Throughout Moses' life Yisrael ate bread from heaven. When Joshua came, it is written, "and the manna ceased on the morrow..." (Yehoshua 5:12), "And they did eat of the corn of the land on the morrow after the Passover" (Ibid. 11). What is the difference between them, THE MANNA AND THE CORN OF THE LAND? It is that the manna is from above, HEAVEN, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, while that, THE BREAD OF THE LAND, is from below, FROM MALCHUT CALLED LAND. As long as Moses was alive, the body of the sun, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, ruled and shone on the world. Once Moses departed, the body of the sun was gone, and the body of the moon came out, WHICH IS MALCHUT, THE ASPECT OF JOSHUA. THUS THE BREAD FROM HEAVEN STOPPED AND THEY ATE OF THE CORN OF THE LAND, WHICH IS MALCHUT.

4. כָּל יוֹמוֹי דְּמֺשֶׁה, אַכְלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לֶחֶם מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם. כֵּיוָן דְּאָתָא יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, מַה כְּתִיב וַיִּשְׁבּוֹת הַמָּן מִמָּחֳרָת וְגוֹ.' וַיֺּאכְלוּ מֵעֲבוּר הָאָרֶץ מִמָּחֳרָת הַפֶּסַח. מַה בֵּין הַאי לְהַאי. אֶלָּא דָּא מִלְעֵילָּא. וְדָא לְּתַתָּא. כָּל זִמְנָא דְּמֺשֶׁה, אִשְׁתְּכַח גּוּפָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא שַׁלִּיט, וְנָהִיר לְעָלְמָא. כֵּיוָן דְּאִסְתְּלַּק מֺשֶׁה, אִתְכְּנַשׁ גּוּפָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא, וְנָפִיק גּוּפָא דְּסִיהֲרָא.