Parshas Shemini - a thought on the first Rashi

And Moses said to Aaron, "Approach the altar and perform your sin offering and your burnt offering, atoning for yourself and for the people, and perform the people's sacrifice, atoning for them, as the Lord has commanded.		ז. וַיֹּאמֶר משֶׁה אֶל אַהֲרֹן קְרַב אֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וַעֲשֵׂה אֶת חַטָּאתְךָ וְאֶת עֹלָתֶךָ וְכַפֵּר בַּעַדְךָ וּבְעַד הָעָם וַעֲשֵׂה אֶת קָרְבַּן הָעָם וְכַפֵּר בַּעֲדָם כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהֹוָה:
Approach the altar: [Moses had to order Aaron to do so,] because Aaron was bashful and afraid to approach [the altar]. So Moses said to him: “Why are you ashamed? For this [function] you have been chosen!” - [Torath Kohanim 9:7]

The beginning of Parsha Shimini describes Aaron's, and his sons', first day on the job as the Cohanim for the nation of Israel.

This was not Aaron’s first day in the limelight. Aaron was the leader of the nation of Israel before Moshe and, on HaShem’s instructions, Aaron went with Moshe to Pharaoh each time that Moshe demanded the release of Israel from the Egyptian slavery.  Aaron was a man who was accustomed to leadership positions and when Moshe went up to Har Sinai to receive the Torah, Aaron was left to lead Israel. However, it was also under Aaron's leadership that Israel committed one of the nation’s worst sins, the sin of the Golden Calf.  Although Aaron tried to stop this great transgression, he failed and the Golden Calf was created. 

Why was Moshe required to say, or according to Rashi - to order, Aaron to approach the altar and perform his tasks?  Why did Aaron hesitate to perform his job?  Rabbi Davis on his commentary on Rashi says that Aaron was afraid to approach the mizbeach (altar), in the mishkan (tabernacle), because he failed to prevent the creation of the Golden Calf. Moshe had to urge Aaron to fulfill his task in life  - the role of the Cohen Gadol.

So too by us. We may fail at times in a given task, but we must continue to fufill our purposes in life – no matter how many obstacles are placed in our way. We must remember that a winner is not judged by how many times he falls but by how many times he gets up. Even Aaron fell yet we know that he was a winner because ultimately he arose to fulfill his role on earth. May we all learn the fortitude exemplified by Aaron and continue to arise in spite of the periodic failures we experience.  

Guest posting by Michael Garber
President, Congregation Ohav Emeth
Highland Park, NJ
and an aspiring botanist