After the chaos of Korah’s rebellion – the arguments, the accusations, the earth swallowing people whole – it’s this small moment that stands out. The Torah tells us Aaron “returned to Moses… and the plague had stopped”. No dramatic speeches. No big announcement. Just a quiet return, and peace.
Let’s rewind. When a deadly plague breaks out among the people after Korah’s rebellion, Moses tells Aaron to take incense and run into the crowd. Not to protect himself. Not to rebuke anyone. But to stand, literally, “between the living and the dead”. To become a bridge. To stop the damage.
Aaron doesn’t pause to ask why. He doesn’t hesitate, even though many of these people had just attacked him. He moves toward the suffering, not away from it.
In our world today, especially in Israel, we’ve seen too much division. Different voices, different camps, each convinced they’re right. It’s easy to fall into that. But then we come across a moment like this: someone who just steps in to help, no questions asked. Not because people deserve it. But because it’s the right thing to do.
The most powerful part of this verse isn’t the miracle. It’s the return. Aaron comes back to Moses, his brother. After everything – after tension, trauma, leadership under fire — they come back together. That’s the quiet strength of the verse: not just stopping a plague, but restoring trust.
Sometimes healing doesn’t look like a big gesture. Sometimes it’s just showing up again. Being there. Not to prove a point. Not to win. But to help.
We all know people who are hurting, people who’ve felt let down, or who’ve been on the other side of a disagreement.
The Aaron approach is simple but powerful: move toward them. Step into the mess, the grief, the tension. Be a presence of peace.
That’s the kind of unity the Torah celebrates. Not perfect agreement, but quiet courage. Not loud declarations, but small, human acts of connection.
Aaron returns. The plague stops. And without fanfare, the healing begins.
Image: Botticelli's The Punishment of Korah (Wikimedia Commons)
