Aharon's Type of Prayer

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Aharon's Type of Prayer

We see in Lev. 9:7, where Aharon is told to come near to the Mizbayach (altar) and provide atonement for him and the people of Israel. Why was Aharon chosen to represent the Hebrew people and provide the atonement? What unique quality did he manifest that showed him worthy of being the Kohen Hagadol (high priest)? The Targum Jonathan (commentary work on the Torah) cites that at Aharon's eulogy, Moses cried out, "Woe is me for you, Aharon, my brother, "the pillar of prayer for Klal Israel!" Now how could Aharon be the pillar of prayer for Israel?" Wasn't it Moses who called on YHVH constantly for the Hebrew people? Wasn't it Moses who entreated YHVH to part the Red Sea? Did not Moses entreat YHVH for Manna in the desert? What about the quail, who asked YHVH to give them the meat?

Why then, is Aharon crowned as the Hebrew people's great intercessor? To explain this, one needs to look at their two types of prayer. There was Moses's type that was a very focused prayer. This centered around things such as great miracles, the parting of the sea, the manna, the quail, and all the other miracles that happened on their forty year vacation in a nice warm, dry climate, at least that's what it said in the tour brochure. The second type is Aharons. It's a type of prayer for the everyday mundane life, things like health, livelihood, family harmony, or maybe depression. Every person has his own "peckel", personal baggage, his own list of requests that are important to "him." Now they may not be important to the overall scheme of life, but to that person they are "very important". This was Aharon's function, his area of expertise that drew all the people to him. Aharon was chosen because he had a heart to pray and intercede for the everyday Joe with the everyday problems. He was indeed the intercessor for all of Israel with all of their problems!