Moses was greater than Aaron, for Moses was the guest of the King, and Aaron was the guest of the Matrona. Just as a king might appoint for his queen a companion to attend to her and her house, and therefore the companion would never appear before the king without the queen, so of Aaron it is written, “With zoth (this, i.e. the Shekinah) shall Aaron come”, etc. (Lev. 16, 3).
Moses, however, was invited as a guest by the King himself, and afterwards “the Lord spoke to him”. All Aaron’s discourse was for the purpose of bringing harmony between the King and the Queen, and therefore he made his dwelling with her to attend to her house, and for this he was perfected after the supernal model and was called “high priest”.
So he obtained all his requests of the King, and therefore it fell to him to purify all those who came before the Queen, so that there should be none unclean among those who entered the sanctuary. Hence it is written: “And he shall take for him that is to be cleansed two birds”, etc.’
R. Judah cited the verse: “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh, the Lord shall have them in derision” (Ps. 2, 4). The word “laugh”, he said, has reference to Isaac, who came from the side of wine, which first smiles and then rages and kills.
רִבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח, (ויקרא א׳:א׳) וַיִקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ' אֵלָיו מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֵאמֹר. וַיִקְרָא אָלֶף זְעֵירָא, אֲמַאי. אֶלָּא בְּגִין לְאַחֲזָאָה מַאן הוּא הַהוּא דְּקָרָא, הַהוּא דְּשָׁרֵי בְּמַקְדְּשָׁא, וּכְדֵין זַמִּין לְמֹשֶׁה, כְּמַאן דְּזַמִּין אוּשְׁפִּיזָא. הָכָא א' זְעֵירָא, הָתָם א' רַבְּתָא, אָדָם שֵׁת אֱנוֹשׁ. (ס"א אדם) דָּא שְׁלִימוּ דְּכֹלָּא.
Who was it that called? The One who abides in the sanctuary.
תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה בֵּין מֹשֶׁה לְאַהֲרֹן, הֵי מִנַּיְיהוּ עִלָּאָה. אֶלָּא מֹשֶׁה עִלָּאָה, מֹשֶׁה שׁוּשְׁבִינָא דְּמַלְכָּא, אַהֲרֹן שׁוּשְׁבִינָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא. מְתַל לְמַלְכָּא דְּהֲוָה לֵיהּ מַטְרוֹנִיתָא עִלָּאָה. מָה עֲבַד. יָהַב לָהּ שׁוּשְׁבִינָא לְתַקְּנָא לָהּ וּלְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּמִלֵּי דְּבֵיתָא. וְעַל דָּא, כַּד עַיִּיל שׁוּשְׁבִינָא דָּא לְמַלְכָּא, לָא עַיִּיל אֶלָּא עִם מַטְרוֹנִיתָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, בְּזֹאת יָבֹא אַהֲרֹן וְגוֹ'.
Moses was greater than Aaron, for Moses was the guest of the King, and Aaron was the guest of the Matrona. Just as a king might appoint for his queen a companion to attend to her and her house, and therefore the companion would never appear before the king without the queen, so of Aaron it is written, “With zoth (this, i.e. the Shekinah) shall Aaron come”, etc. (Lev. 16, 3).
מֹשֶׁה שׁוּשְׁבִינָא לְמַלְכָּא, בְּגִין כָּךְ אִזְדָּמַן כְּאוּשְׁפִּיזָא, וּלְבָתַר, וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ' אֵלָיו. אַהֲרֹן הוּא שׁוּשְׁבִינָא לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, וְכָל מִלּוֹי הֲווֹ, לְפַיְּיסָא לְמַלְכָּא בְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, וְיִתְפְּיָיס מַלְכָּא בַּהֲדָהּ. וְעַל דָּא בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ, שׁוּשְׁבִינָא לָהּ שַׁוִּי מָדוֹרֵיהּ בַּהֲדָהּ, לְתַקְּנָא בֵּיתָא וּלְעַיְינָא תָּדִיר בְּמִלֵּי דְּבֵיתָא. וְעַל דָּא אִתְתְּקַּן כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, וְאִקְרֵי כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל. מְנָא לָן. דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים ק״י:ד׳) אַתָּה כֹהֵן לְעוֹלָם עַל דִּבְרָתִי מַלְכִּי צֶדֶק.
Moses, however, was invited as a guest by the King himself, and afterwards “the Lord spoke to him”. All Aaron’s discourse was for the purpose of bringing harmony between the King and the Queen, and therefore he made his dwelling with her to attend to her house, and for this he was perfected after the supernal model and was called “high priest”.
וּבְגִין כָּךְ כָּל מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ מִבֵּי מַלְכָּא, נָטִיל, וְלֵית מַאן דְּיִמְחֵי בִּידֵיהּ. וְעַל דָּא הוּא קָאִים לְדַכְּאָה לְכָל אִינּוּן דְּעָאלִין לְבֵי מַטְרוֹנִיתָא, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִשְׁתְּכַּח מִסְאֲבָא בְּאִינּוּן בְּנֵי הֵיכָלָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב, וְלָקַח לַמִּטַּהֵר שְׁתֵּי צִפֳּרִים וְגוֹ'.
So he obtained all his requests of the King, and therefore it fell to him to purify all those who came before the Queen, so that there should be none unclean among those who entered the sanctuary. Hence it is written: “And he shall take for him that is to be cleansed two birds”, etc.’
רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (תהילים ב׳:ד׳) יוֹשֵׁב בַּשָּׁמַיִם יִשְׂחָק יְיָ' יִלְעַג לָמוֹ. יוֹשֵׁב בַּשָּׁמַיִם יִשְׂחָק, דָּא יִצְחָק דְּאָתֵי מִסִּטְרָא דְּחַמְרָא, נָהִיר בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וְחַיִיךְ, וּלְבָתַר זָעִים וְתָרִיךְ. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב יוֹשֵׁב בַּשָּׁמַיִם וְלָא כְּתִיב, יוֹשֵׁב שָׁמַיִם. יִשְׂחָק, נָהִיר וְחַיִיךְ. וְעַל דָּא דִּינָא נָהִיר וְחַיִיךְ, לְהוּ לְרַשִׁיעַיָּיא.
R. Judah cited the verse: “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh, the Lord shall have them in derision” (Ps. 2, 4). The word “laugh”, he said, has reference to Isaac, who came from the side of wine, which first smiles and then rages and kills.
וּלְבָתַר מַה כְּתִיב, אָז יְדַבֵּר אֵלֵימוֹ בְאַפּוֹ וּבַחֲרוֹנוֹ יְבַהַלֵמוֹ. וְכַךְ אָרְחֵי דְּחַיָּיבַיָּא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נָהִיר לְהוּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְנָהִיר לוֹן אַנְפִּין כְּחַמְרָא, דְּנָהִיר בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וּלְבָתַר זָעִים וְקָטִיל. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מָשִׁיךְ לוֹן לְחַיָּיבַיָּא, אִי יְהַדְרוּן לָקֳבְלֵיהּ, יָאוּת, וְאִי לָא שָׁצֵי לוֹן מֵהַהוּא עָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, וְלֵית לוֹן בֵּיהּ חוּלָקָא, וְיִשְׁתֵּצוּן מִכֹּלָּא. אַתּוּן לְאִתְדַכְּאָה, מְסַיְּיעִין לוֹן. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מְדַכֵּי לוֹן וְקָרִיב לוֹן לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְקָארִי עָלַיְיהוּ שָׁלוֹם. הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב (ישעיהו נ״ז:י״ט) שָׁלוֹם שָׁלוֹם לָרָחוֹק וְלַקָּרוֹב וְגוֹ'.
So God is patient with the wicked: if they turn to Him, it is well, but if not, He destroys them from the future world and they have no share in it.