What Do You Think?
I Miss You, Aaron

I never met you, Aaron, but I miss you.

If you would only be alive I would love to be your secretary, scheduling for you meeting after meeting where you would do what you did best.

I already prepared a list for you.

You, who after your death, had thousands of children named after you because if not for your saving their parent's marriage they would have never entered this world—

I would set you up with millions of couples who are about to untie the knot. Maybe you would save a few.

I would set you up with family members who have disowned their flesh and bloodYou, who never said to a man or woman, "You have sinned!" Instead, when you would walk along and meet an iniquitous person, you would warmly greet him, "Shalom!" The next day, when this person desired to commit a transgression, he would say to himself: "Woe is to me! How will I show my face afterwards to the holy Aaron, who greets me all the time?" As a result, this person would refrain from transgression—

I would set you up with so many men, women and children who have lost their direction in life. Maybe you would be able to touch the hearts of those who have fallen off the beaten path, and bring our lost children home.

You, who when two people quarreled, would go and sit with one of them and say to him: "My son, have you seen what your friend is doing? He beats his breast and rends his clothes, saying: 'Woe is to me! How can I lift my eyes to see my friend? I am ashamed to show myself to him, for I have done him offense!'" And so you would sit with him, until he removed the jealousy from his heart. Then you would go and sit with the other and say to him: "My son, have you seen what your friend is doing? He beats his breast and rends his clothes, saying: 'Woe is to me! How can I lift my eyes to see my friend? I am ashamed to show myself to him, for I have done him offense!'" And so you would sit with him, until he removed the jealousy from his heart. When the two would meet, they would embrace and kiss each other—

I would set you up with family members (aren't we all family members?) who have disowned their flesh and blood. Maybe you know how to bring all of us back to the same table where we would make peace and unite all as one.

You, who the entire Jewish people mourned for thirty days after your death (unlike when your brother Moses passed away, when only "the sons of Israel" cried), because you touched the life of each Jew—

I would beg my brothers and sisters who have yet to find the beauty of Torah to meet you. Maybe you would find a way to touch the souls of the millions of our brethren who have yet to ignite their match.

It's more than three millennia since your death, not much has changed. Sandals are still in style, the Middle East is still the center of major world events and controversies, anti-Semitism is vibrant as ever by the descendants of our first tormentor Amalek, and we still fight over the same petty things such as respect, money and convenience.

You would feel right at home.

I would love to welcome you back.1

This article is lovingly dedicated in honor of my son, Aharon, in honor of his Pidyon Haben that will take place on the auspicious day of the 3rd of Tammuz 5770 (2010). May he be a worthy bearer of the name of peace.