Binding deeds to their root above

במדרש ואהרן מה הוא.

In the Midrash: "And Aharon, what is he?" (Bamidbar 16:11)

The posuk, with which Moshe answers Korach’s complaint, asks rhetorically about Aharon — and the Midrash uses it to reveal Aharon’s greatness and humility.

בא וראה חסידותו של אהרן כשנמשח בשמן המשחה נזדעזע שמא מעלתי כו' יצא ב"ק מה טוב כו' שבת אחים כו' ע"ש.

Come and see the chassidus (piety) of Aharon: when he was anointed with the anointing oil he trembled, [thinking] perhaps I have misappropriated [sanctified property]…; a bas kol (heavenly voice) went out [declaring] "How good…" "the dwelling of brothers…"; see there.

Even at the moment of his exaltation as Kohen Gadol, Aharon worried he might be misusing the sacred oil; Heaven reassured him with the posuk "How good… brothers dwelling together" (Tehillim 133:1), affirming his worthiness.

פי' שבת אחים על משה ואהרן שהיו מתחברין יחד בעוה"ז ובעוה"ב.

The meaning is: "the dwelling of brothers together" refers to Moshe and Aharon, who joined together as one in this world and in the World to Come.

The "brothers dwelling together" are Moshe and Aharon, whose bond was so complete that it united them both in olam hazeh and in olam haba.

וזהו גם יחד כמו שהי' למטה כן הי' למעלה שבת אחים.

And this is "together as one" (gam yachad) — just as it was below, so it was above: "the dwelling of brothers."

Their unity was not only earthly; their connection below was perfectly mirrored by their joined place above at the root, so that "below" and "above" matched.

וזהו עיקר התכלית ותורת האדם להיות מכיר את מקומו להיות מעשיו למטה מיוחדות אליו גם למעלה בשורש.

And this is the essential purpose and the very Torah of a person: to recognize his place, so that his actions below should be specifically bound to him also above, at the root.

The Sefas Emes draws the central lesson: a person’s task is to know his unique place, so that what he does in this world stays connected to his soul-root above, never severed from its Divine source.

ומאחר דכתיב על בשר אדם לא ייסך א"כ כשנמשח אהרן נתלבש בלבוש מלאך ה'.

And since it is written "upon the flesh of a man it shall not be poured" (Shemos 30:32), it follows that when Aharon was anointed he was clothed in the garment of a malach of Hashem.

Because the anointing oil may not be placed on an ordinary "man," the fact that Aharon could receive it means that at that moment he was no longer merely a man but was enrobed in the form of an angel of Hashem.

וז"ש נזדעזע שנתהפך להיות מלאך ה'.

And this is the meaning of "he trembled" — that he was transformed into a malach of Hashem.

Aharon’s trembling expressed the awesome transformation he underwent: the anointing turned him into an angelic being, no longer standing on his earthly self alone.

ולכן כתיב הנועדים על ה' ואהרן מה הוא.

And therefore it is written, "those gathered against Hashem" — "and Aharon, what is he?"

Because Aharon had become a vessel for the Above, opposing him was opposing Hashem Himself; Moshe asks "what is Aharon?" — he is nothing of his own, only a conduit for the Divine.

ולכן ירא אהרן פן חלקו שלמטה אינו מוכן ומתאחד לחלקו הנשפע עליו מלמעלה בשעת עבודתו בקודש ויצא ב"ק כו' שבת אחים גם יחד כנ"ל:

And therefore Aharon feared lest his portion below was not prepared and unified with the portion bestowed upon him from above at the time of his avodah in the Kodesh — and a bas kol went out… "the dwelling of brothers together as one," as above.

Aharon’s fear was that his earthly self might not be fit to merge with the lofty Divine portion drawn down during his holy service; Heaven reassured him that his place below was indeed perfectly united with its root above.

Summary: Through Aharon’s trembling at his anointing, the Sefas Emes teaches that a person’s purpose is to know his place so that his deeds below stay bound to their root above — as embodied in the perfect unity of Moshe and Aharon, whose connection in this world mirrored their joined place in the upper world.