Aharon felt remiss that he did not take part in the dedication ceremony of the Tabernacle. G-d reassured him that he would be given the mitzvah of kindling the menorah in the Tabernacle instead. This was considered to be a greater merit, since it was not merely a one-time mitzvah, but rather a mitzvah that was fulfilled each day.
Ramban adds that Aharon’s merit was passed on to his descendants. Many years later, the Second Temple was desecrated by the Greeks. It was the descendants of Aharon, the Maccabees, with their desire to serve in the Temple, who fought the war victoriously. There, too, they were rewarded with the merit of re-kindling the menorah. Commemorative of Aharon’s desire, we continue to kindle the menorah each year during Chanukah.
Another incident is recorded about people who felt remiss about missing a mitzvah. There were some individuals who were unable to bring the Passover offering the year after the Exodus because they had come in contact with a human corpse. Some opinions say they were the ones who had carried Joseph’s bones, and others say they were the ones who had buried Aharon’s sons. They came to Moshe and Aharon and complained that they too wanted to have a part in the Passover offering. Although they knew that being impure, they could not have brought the Passover sacrifice, they wanted another chance. Moshe brought their complaint before G-d, and G-d responded with the mitzvah of Pesach Sheni.
If a person was unable to bring the offering on the fourteenth day of Nissan, the eve of Passover, he would have a second opportunity to bring it on the fourteenth day of Iyar, the following month. This day is not considered a holiday, and the prohibition against having leavening in the house does not apply. However, the sacrifice itself was eaten together with matzo and bitter herbs, like the regular Passover offering. The other laws concerning the sacrifice, i.e. the obligation to finish it before the next morning, and the prohibition against breaking any of the animal’s bones, were also applicable.
These occurrences teach us that if a person truly wants to fulfill mitzvos, he will be granted ample opportunities.
“…in place of the first issue of the womb, the firstborn of all the Children of Israel…” (Num. 8:16)
The Midrash comments that the firstborn redeemed themselves from the Kohanim for five shekalim, commemorating the five shekalim that the brothers received when they sold Joseph. Rabbi Irving Bunim explains the connection between Joseph and the firstborn’s redemption, that if we see that the Midianites were willing to pay five shekel for a Jew, we must certainly not value ourselves for any less.
We must not underestimate ourselves. If we see that the missionaries are willing to spend thousands of dollars and tremendous efforts to ensnare even a single Jew, we must certainly be willing to spend that much time and money to educate our children too.
Did You Know...
One should mention an ill person’s name when praying for him or her. It is customary to mention the person’s Hebrew name and the name of the mother, although if the mother’s name is not known one may pray using the father’s name, the name Sarah—since all Jews are considered children of the Matriarch Sarah, or the person’s first name alone. If praying in the same room as the person, it is not necessary to mention the name at all.
If a person is dangerously ill it is customary to add a name for the person’s merit. The idea behind that is that even if the person with the original name is not destined to recover, perhaps the person with the new name may recover.
