Aaron not the Ayatollah

As we enter an uncertain Shabbat with our safe room ready and stocked, many of us will turn to this week’s Parshah. There is a crucial lesson for us, and for the Iranian regime, in this week’s Torah portion, Behaalotecha. It comes right at the beginning in the form of the way Aaron – a man of peace – complies with G-d will.

For years, Iran has provoked and stirred conflict, funding terrorism and supporting the training of groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, which have caused significant havoc. Alongside Qatar, Iran has been a chief financier of these groups, enabling their destructive actions.

Until recently, Iran preferred to operate indirectly, letting others carry out their agenda. However, the regime remains unpopular domestically, especially as it expends Iran’s natural resources on pursuits many view as unjust.

At its core, the regime is driven by religious fundamentalism. They profess absolute faith in an extreme interpretation of Islam, invoking God’s name to justify actions that, from my perspective, spread hatred and desecrate the divine. They bend religious teachings to support their fanatical views, amplifying the perception that religion fuels war, hardship, and pain. In Jewish terms, they are a Chilul Hashem—a desecration of God’s name.

I believe in a just God, one whose agenda we serve, not the other way around. A God who calls us to respect the dignity of all people and beliefs and to do good in the world. The Iranian regime’s actions do a disservice to this vision, giving religion a bad name.

In this week’s Parshah, we find a counterexample in Aaron HaKohen. Known for his love of peace and unity, Aaron lights the Menorah at the opening of the Sedra, as described in Numbers 8:3 (Sefaria):

וַיַּ֤עַשׂ כֵּן֙ אַהֲרֹ֔ן אֶל־מוּל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הַמְּנוֹרָ֔ה הֶעֱלָ֖ה נֵרֹתֶ֑יהָ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃
Aaron did so; he mounted the lamps at the front of the lampstand, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Rashi explains:

And Aaron did so — This is stated to praise Aaron, that he did not deviate from God’s command (Sifrei Bamidbar 60).

Aaron faithfully followed God’s will, earning praise for his devotion. Similarly, Hillel teaches in Pirkei Avot 1:12:

Be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving all people and bringing them closer to Torah.

Two lessons emerge:

1. Our role model is Aaron—loving and pursuing peace.

2. Religious leaders are charged with carrying out God’s will, not manipulating texts to fit fundamentalist agendas. I believe they have the relationship the wrong way round.

I believe the vast majority of Muslims also desire peace, though they are too often led by those who gain power through divisive, populist messages. I pray for a quiet Shabbat and that Israel’s actions have weakened this insidious regime. I also hope extremists within our own communities reflect on these lessons.

Let Aaron’s voice of peace prevail. May we see a world free from those who stoke, fund, and carry out terror, and who desecrate God’s name in the process.