Moshe and Aharon: voice, vessel, and the peace that holds blessing

במדרש וזה הדבר אשר תעשה להם הה"ד לעולם ה' דברך נצב בשמים כו' כשמים כו' ע"ש.

In the Midrash: "And this is the thing that you shall do for them" — this is the meaning of the pasuk, "Forever, Hashem, Your word stands firm in the heavens"… "like the heavens"… see there.

The Midrash links the consecration of the kohanim to the pasuk that Hashem's word stands eternally firm, suggesting that what is established here has a heaven-like permanence (Tehillim 119:89).

הענין הוא כי הקב"ה נתן לבני ישראל מתנה מרע"ה ואהרן הכהן.

The matter is that Hashem gave to Bnei Yisrael a gift: Moshe Rabbeinu and Aharon HaKohen.

The two leaders themselves are the divine gift to Bnei Yisrael, each embodying a distinct channel of divine influence.

ועל ב' אלו נאמר ה' עוז לעמו יתן שהוא מרע"ה שורש התורה.

And concerning these two it is said, "Hashem will give strength to His people" — this is Moshe Rabbeinu, the root of the Torah.

"Strength" (oz) refers to Moshe, who is the source of the Torah given to Bnei Yisrael (Tehillim 29:11).

ה' יברך כו' עמו בשלום הוא אהרן אוהב שלום ורודף שלום ובזכותו פרס ה' עלינו סוכת שלום.

"Hashem will bless… His people with peace" — this is Aharon, who loves peace and pursues peace, and in whose merit Hashem spreads over us a sukkah of peace.

The blessing of "peace" corresponds to Aharon, whose defining trait was loving and pursuing shalom, drawing down Hashem's sheltering peace upon Bnei Yisrael (Avos 1:12).

והענין הוא בחי' מרע"ה הוא התורה שבכתב בחי' הקול.

And the matter is that the aspect of Moshe Rabbeinu is the Written Torah, the aspect of the "voice."

Moshe represents Torah shebichsav, the original divine "kol" (voice) that comes directly from above.

ואהרן הכהן הוא כלי המקבל.

And Aharon HaKohen is the receiving vessel.

Aharon is the keli (vessel) that receives and contains the divine flow that comes through Moshe.

והוא בחי' תורה שבע"פ בחי' דיבור שהוא הנהגתו ית' את העולם בבחי' הטבע.

And he is the aspect of the Oral Torah, the aspect of "speech," which is Hashem's conduct of the world through the aspect of nature.

Aharon corresponds to Torah she'be'al peh — the "dibbur" (speech) through which the abstract divine voice is drawn down and applied within the natural workings of the world.

והוא הכח שיש בנ"י בהתאספם להיות נקודה אחת.

And this is the power that Bnei Yisrael have when they gather to become one point.

This receiving aspect is the unifying force by which Bnei Yisrael, when joined together, become a single nekudah (point) — one unified whole.

ולכן דרשו ממנו יתד על אהרן הכהן.

Therefore Chazal expounded "from him a peg" as referring to Aharon HaKohen.

The "peg" that holds everything firm is identified with Aharon, the one who fastens Bnei Yisrael together (Zechariah 10:4).

כמ"ש ותקעתיו יתד במקום נאמן.

As it is written, "And I will fasten him as a peg in a sure place."

Aharon is like a peg driven into a firm place, providing the stable anchor that holds the structure of Klal Yisrael together (Yeshayahu 22:23).

שכה"ג קישר וחיבר בנ"י בשורש הי"ב שבטים כמ"ש באבני חושן ואפוד ואין כלי מחזיק ברכה אלא שלום ודו"ק:

For the Kohen Gadol bound and joined Bnei Yisrael at the root of the twelve tribes, as expressed in the stones of the Choshen and the Ephod — and there is no vessel that holds blessing except peace; understand this well.

By bearing the twelve tribes upon the stones of the Choshen and Ephod, Aharon united all of Bnei Yisrael at their source. And since only shalom is a vessel that can hold and preserve blessing, it is precisely Aharon, the man of peace, who makes Klal Yisrael into a vessel fit to receive Hashem's blessing (Uktzin 3:12).

Summary: Moshe and Aharon are Hashem's twin gifts to Bnei Yisrael. Moshe is the Written Torah — the divine "voice" of strength from above; Aharon is the receiving vessel, the Oral Torah and "speech" that draws the Torah down into the natural world and unites Bnei Yisrael into a single point. As the man of peace, Aharon is the firm peg that binds the twelve tribes at their root, for only shalom is a vessel capable of holding Hashem's blessing.