Before I became Principal of my current Yeshiva, I was a Rebbe there for approximately three years. During that time, I was notorious to the students as the "chilled out Rabbi" who was always willing to lend a hand and help get a student out of trouble. This was, I believe, a great part of my success with students during that time. Unfortunately, when I gave up my position as Rebbe to accept the leadership role of Principal in the very same Yeshiva, my relationship with the students - by default - changed as well. Baruch Hashem, I still maintain a very good relationship with majority of the students - but being that it is my role to discipline, I am no longer perceived as the "chilled out Rabbi" (though I still manage to find a way).
It seems to be the nature of society to dislike the leader. No matter what he or she is really like as a person, we often assume leaders to be mean and against us - so we choose to stay away from them. Despite this, however, it also seems to be the nature of society to strive for leadership roles. The title of "leader" is highly coveted and considered to be very chashuv. I find it very interesting that people are so willing to be disliked simply so that they can be called "leader."
In this weeks parasha, Aaron teaches us a profound lesson on what our priorities in life should actually be...
After hitting the rock rather than speaking to it as instructed by Hashem, Moshe and Aaron are told that they will not merit entering Israel with the rest of the nation. Hashem tells Moshe to take Aaron and his son Elazar up to Mount Hor. Once there, Moshe was to take the holy garments off of Aaron and put them on Elazar after which Aaron would die. The men do as they are told and Moshe and Elazar descend from the mountain. "The entire assembly saw that Aaron had perished, and they wept for Aaron thirty days, the entire House of Israel." Rashi explains "the Entire house of Israel" to mean "the men and the women, for Aaron would pursue peace and instill love between parties to a quarrel and between a man and his wife."
So many of us are focused on achieving the leadership role and being disliked. Aaron had a different mission. Aaron's goal was not to be leader - let Moshe handle that. Instead, Aaron's life was dedicated to helping others succeed and be happy. Indeed, for doing so he was rewarded with a leadership role of his own - Kohen Gadol. He did not strive for or earn this role however - rather, he deserved it.
May we all take a lesson from Aaron that more important than being the leader is helping others and may we all make it our goal to do so. In accomplishing this, may we be zoche to see the coming of Mashiach speedily in our days!
Shabbat Shalom!
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