וַיְדַבֵּר ה', אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר.דַּבֵּר, אֶל-אַהֲרֹן, וְאָמַרְתָּ, אֵלָיו: בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ,אֶת-הַנֵּרֹת, אֶל-מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה, יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרוֹת. וַיַּעַשׂ כֵּן, אַהֲרֹן--אֶל-מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה,הֶעֱלָה נֵרֹתֶיהָ: כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' אֶת מֹשֶׁה --And Gd spoke to Moses, saying:'Speak to Aaron, and say to him: When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the candlestick.' And Aaron did so: he lighted the lamps so as to give light in front of the candlestick, as Gd commanded Moses. (Numbers 8:1-3)
On the words ‘And Aaron did so….as Gd commanded Moshe,’ Rashi comments that these words speak of the greatness of Aaron that he did not change anything. Rebbe Meir of Parmeshlan asks what is it that we are to learn from Rashi’s comment – that is, are we to believe that Aaron would veer from the instructions that Gd gives to him via Moshe? Read as such, Rashi’s comment is insulting to Aaron! Rather, says Rebbe Meir, that even though Aaron was elevated to the most lofty of positions from his people – he is chosen to be the Kohen Gadol from amongst all the others – Aaron did not change his ways from earlier. Aaron continued to live among and be one of the people; he continued to work for peace and love among his brethren, between spouses, and to bring people closer to Gd and Torah. Rashi’s comment that ‘Aaron did not change anything’ teaches us that Aaron did not allow his character to be changed by his elevated status.
