For a speedy recovery, for Yerachmiel Reuven Yonah ben Maryim Leah The Torah says in chapter 8:3, "Aaron did as he was told." Says Rashi, to show the praise of Aaron that he didn't change anything. The obvious question is, what is the praise for Aaron, that he didn't change anything that he was told to do? If Hashem would speak to us, I would like to think that we would obey him. Hashem spoke to Moshe to speak to Aaron and Aaron listened, WOW!!!, What is the big deal? One explanation is that a person always wants to put in his two cents. A person always thinks he can make the situation new and improved, Hashem doesn't want new and improved, Hashem wants the old Torah way, Leave it as is!! The only way one can make the Torah better is by not improving it. Another explanation I heard, when a person makes peace between two dissenting parties, he may sometimes bend the law this way or that way for the sake of Shalom. Aaron was the greatest mediator. The Mishna says in Ethics, "He loved peace and pursued Shalom." In pursuing Shalom, he never compromised. He did what the Halacha said. That is the praise of a person of peace. I am sure he had many temptations to fudge it a little but he didn't. The Torah speaks about Pesach Sheni later on in the Parsha. The Torah says in Chapter 9:7, "why should we be less, by not offering Hashem's offering in its appointed time." Because they didn't want to be less, they had the priviledge of adding a parsha to the Torah. They were ineligible to bring the offering because they were contaminated. Having an intense desire to bring the Korban Pesach, they appealed to Moshe. In reward for their wanting, G-d made them the agents through whom he revealed the new commandment of Pesach Sheni. In simple Brooklynese, the truth is they didn't have to bring a Pesach offering because they were impure. But because they wanted so so much, they felt short changed, Hashem changed the rules. Hashem made up new rules. If a person wants to do a Mitzvah, Hashem will always find a way for him to do it. May it be the will of Hashem, that we only want to do Mitzvahs. Torah Blessings, Y. Bertram bertram@ohr.israel.net