“And Aharon was silent …” (Vayikra 10:3)
On the very day that the dedication of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) took place, Nadav and Avihu, two of the sons of Aharon, the Kohen Gadol (High Priest), died. Aaron’s most noteworthy traits were his great love for his fellow man and his desire to bring peace between people. Certainly, he loved his sons deeply – and yet his love of Hashem was greater. When confronted with a divine decree that must have been painful in the extreme, his reaction was humble, with silent acceptance.
The great Rav Yechiel Michel of Zlotschov zt”l inherited the tefillin of his saintly father, Rav Yitzchok of Drovitch zt”l, a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov. The pair of tefillin was very precious to him. Wealthy individuals offered large amounts of money for it and at times even his wife recommended that he should sell the tefillin. Despite being poverty-stricken, Rav Yechiel Michel would not hear of it. One year as the Yom Tov of Sukkos was fast approaching, no esrog (citron) seemed to be available in his town of Zlotschov.
It wasn’t until the day before Sukkos that a man appeared with the most beautiful esrog, demanding an exorbitant price. Rav Yechiel Michel decided to sell his father’s tefillin and buy the esrog. Upon returning home his wife noticed the beautiful esrog and demanded to know where he got the funds to buy it.
When he admitted it was from the sale of his father’s tefillin, she flew into a rage. “How could you have sold the beautiful tefillin for a mere esrog?” she demanded. With that she grabbed the esrog, bit off the pitam (“head” of the esrog) and smashed the esrog on the floor, making it pasul (invalid). Rav Yechiel Michel remained absolutely silent. He simply said to himself that if this was the will of Hashem, that his esrog should be ruined, he accepts it with love. That night, his father appeared to him in a dream and told him, “When you sold my tefillin for an esrog it caused an uproar in heaven, you’re keeping quiet when your wife destroyed it caused a far greater uproar.
From here we see how important it is to remain quiet. The Gemara teaches that the world rests on the merit of those who remain silent even when insults are hurled at them, or when they are challenged with struggles. (Torah Novel Thoughts)
