Chukas 77
The Torah tells us (20.23) that Aharon was to die near the border of Edom because, as Rashi explains, since they attempted to connect with edom 'nifritzah ma' aseihem' and they lost this tzaddik.
Everyone is bewildered by this criticism as Rashi in the passuk just before says that 'kol ha' eidah' refers to the fact that they were all 'shalem' and upon them it is written חיים כולכם היום. What did the Jews do wrong and what exactly was the "break down" in their deeds that Rashi refers to?
R Chaim Kanievsky says that not necessarily did they do anything WRONG. Simply the fact that in some manner they connected to reshaim, has its natural consequence. R Nissin Alpert says similarly that attachment to Eisav automatically is a detachment from righteousness.
I would like to bring out a point regarding the great person that our entire nation lost just this week. R Meir Zlotowitz ztz''l. There is surely alot to say about the man who has probably affected the learning or davening of every Jew in America, but here is a thought from R Yakov Salomon. Rabbi Zlotowitz did not invent anything new. He did not try to create a revolution. There were English translations to the Siddur, Tanach, and Gemara that were already published and they were quite good as well.
But R' Meir was not satisfied with good, or good enough. He took what was good and made it excellent. And THAT created a revolution.
Perhaps we can learn from him and from the Parsha as well, to realize that anything short of excellent can be improved. Moshe and Aharon were called to task in this Parsha because of a slight shortcoming in the perfect Kiddush Hashem that COULD HAVE BEEN.
We all owe Rabbi Zlotowitz. Let's raise the bar. Let's dream big and aim for excellence in SOME area that perhaps we've become smug comfortable with. May our growth be a gift to his neshama and a z'chus for all.
