Hashem told Aharon… ‘I have given to you all the holy things of the Children of Israel for distinction and an eternal portion for your sons.’ (Bamidbar 18:8)

A Cohain is given all holy items. In the Beis HaMikdash, they would be given certain gifts from the offerings. They would get the first fruits and first born animals. Whenever there is a group, he is given the first portion. He is to be given the honor to lead Birchas HaMazon. Also, he is to be given the first aliyah whenever we take out the Torah.

I was recently learning Mishna Brura with a few friends when we came across an interesting law. It states that a Cohain is allowed to forgo the honor due to him in all areas, except for one. He is not supposed to forgo the honor of being given the first aliyah (NOTE: this is not meant to be a Halacha work. It is being mentioned to learn an important lesson from it. For the exacts pertaining to this halacha, please discuss with your Rav.) The reason he should not forgo getting the first aliyah is for Shalom. If the Cohain does not get the first aliyah, people might fight by saying “I am better than him, so I should get the first aliyah.” Now that the Cohain gets the first aliyah, no one argues over going first. Although there are sometimes arguments that still exist (why did he get the third aliyah and I got the sixth?) but the total amount of fights is less because the Cohain automatically gets the first aliyah. Therefore, for Shalom a Cohain gets the first aliyah.

Shalom is extremely important!

How many times have I heard, “you are correct but for Shalom don’t do it.” Just recently, I was doing something proper but someone very firmly told me that I was incorrect in what I was doing. I asked my Rav and he said that I was correct in what I was doing. He then told me that although I am right, I should change the way I do it for Shalom. Don’t get the other person upset. We must always seek peace.

If a person erases a single letter of Hashem’s Holy Name, he has transgressed a negative commandment. But, for the sake of peace between a husband and wife, Hashem commands us to erase His entire Name! We must always seek peace!

In this week’s parsha, Moshe gets up and goes to Dasan and Aviram to try to end a dispute they are having with him. The commentators point out that this is one of the only times in history (if not the only time) when one side was 100 percent correct while the other side was totally wrong. Moshe is the one who was totally correct, yet he got up to seek peace.

If Moshe would go so far, certainly we must try our best to seek peace.

Good Shabbos!
-yes
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