Reply To: Short & Sweet

Vaeira: Equality For All

Rashi points out that when the Torah refers to Moshe and Ahron, sometimes Moshe’s name is listed first and sometimes Ahron’s is listed first. Rashi says this goes to show that the two were equal. But we know that Moshe was the greatest Navi of all time – how can they be equal?

R’ Moshe Feinstein explains this based on a Gemora which states that Olam Haba is the opposite of this world – some of those who seem great here are not viewed as being great there, while some who don’t seem special in this world are considered extraordinary in the next world. In Olam Haba, one is not ranked by how much they did, but by how they could have done. Somebody who accomplished everything they could have is great, even if those accomplishments may seem meager. Somebody who has not all that they could is not great, even if they seem to have done impressive things. Moshe and Ahron were equal not in their accomplishments, but in that both of them did everything they could to live up to their potential.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בו ר׳ בןציון שלום