Did you know there is only one Yahrzeit date specifically mentioned in the Torah? We know the dates of many others from oral tradition, but there's only one Yahrzeit date recorded in the Chumash.
That Yahrzeit is today (July 29, 2022)! Today, on the 1st of Av, we remember Aharon, the brother of Moshe.
Incredibly, it is also in this week's Parsha, Masei, that records the date of this Yahrzeit!
On the Yarzeit of a loved one, we take time to learn from their life and perpetuate their ways. With that in mind, today is the perfect day for the Aharon Challenge
When our Sages tell us to be like Aharon, they use the words OHEV SHALOM and RODEF SHALOM, love peace and pursue peace.
Most people will say they love peace. (I mean, who actually enjoys living with ugly arguments?) But yet, we also know all too well expressions like:
"Well, if you knew what X said to me, you'd understand why I no longer speak to her."
"I should call him? He should be the one reaching out to me first to apologize..."
In using the word "pursue," our Sages are highlighting something deep.
If you truly love something, you’ll do everything you can to pursue it, not wait for the other person to come to you. That means loving shalom more than you love being right, and more than you want the other person to be wrong. You'll be willing to give up a lot for that Shalom -- whether that be a few dollars or your pride...
It’s not a game in which there’s only one winner. Your letting go (in Hebrew, what is called being mevater) is the ultimate win in the game of life.
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Aharon's Yarzeit is a very timely for this season.
The 1st of Av, also begins the 9 days of mourning leading up to Tisha B'av, the saddest day on the Jewish Calendar.
Our Sages explain that the destruction of Jerusalem was due to "unwarranted hatred." There was a lack of concern, love, and respect for each other. The Jewish people, even during the siege of Jerusalem, remained fractionalized and divided. One would have thought that this crisis would have brought them together. But they lacked this greatness taught by Aharon, and succumbed to senseless fighting, often over petty issues.
And so, today, the first of Av, is the perfect time for the "Aharon Challenge," reversing this mistake by going to the other extreme.
It's when we are inspired to go above and beyond in the department of love and unity to one another even when there is no logical reason to do so.
Is there someone with whom you previously had an argument? Reach out with warmth to them today, even if you feel it should be the other person who should be apologizing.
Is there a someone with whom a cold silence has developed over time? Call them today with a warm Shabbat Shalom.
Is there someone in the Jewish community with very, very different views from yourself? Find a way to connect and spend meaningful time together in the coming week.
And if you're asked what prompted the call...you can simply say Aharon!