The first pasuk of Parshat Shmini states: “And it was on the
eighth day that Moshe called to Aharon and to his sons and to the Zkenim
(Elders of Israel).”
If God was commanding Aharon to bring the Korbanot
(offerings), then why was it necessary for the Elders to be there as well?
According to Rashi, God wanted to announce to the Elders
that it was by Divine command that Aharon entered the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and
served as the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) so that they should not say that he
entered into it on his own authority.
God also wanted to make sure that everyone knew that it
wasn’t Moshe who chose Aharon (his brother) to become the Kohen Gadol but
rather God’s choice.
In
we have the concept called Protectzia (connections) where “it doesn’t matter
what you know but rather who you know.”
Many people with Protectzia will get jobs/keep jobs that
they are not qualified for.
There is a current member of Knesset who was accepted into a
Master’s/PHD Program at one of
top universities yet he never completed his High School Bagrut (Matriculation
exams).
There are also many people who are extremely qualified for a
job and having Protectzia may help them get it over someone who doesn’t have
Protectzia.
For those of us without Protectzia, we know that whatever we
have it is because we worked for it and earned it.
Although it may seem that Aharon had Proectzia, God made it
very clear that it was His choice alone to make Aharon the first Kohen Gadol.
