The Torah describes HaKadosh Baruch Hu's revealing Himself to Moshe Rabenu at the burning bush where He instructs Moshe to return to Egypt and redeem the Jewish nation. Moshe Rabenu at first refuses stating "shlach na beyad tishlach" "send through whomever You will send" (Shmos 4:13). There are several interpretations in the commentaries regarding who this is referring to. One of the explanations was Moshe asking Hashem to send the one whom He had been accustomed to sending. Moshe was referring to his brother Aharon HaKohen whom until now had been the leader of the Jewish nation, the prophet, the one who had been dealing with Pharaoh. Would it not be appropriate that he be the one for this mission as well? Rashi writes that Moshe spent seven days discussing with Hashem whether he should be the one.

The question remains, if Hashem instructs Moshe Rabenu to save the Jewish nation, should he not run to do so? Is this the time to argue whether or not he should accept the mission? Rashi explains, as we stated above, that Moshe was concerned that this may result in the slighting of the honor of Aharon. The question still remains - let us say a fire broke out in the house and it was questionable whether it was possible to save everyone, would this be the time to start with kibbudim - "you are the older brother, you go first", whatever it takes must be done to save whoever could be saved. The same thing over here, Moshe Rabenu was asked to go and save the Jewish people, was this the time to argue about kibbudim?

It appears that Moshe Rabenu realized that the redemption from Egypt was not to take place through natural means, therefore it was possible to accord the honor to the appropriate person. Hashem responds that not only will there be no slighting to Aharon's honor but Aharon will greet Moshe with great joy in his heart? Do we need Hashem's promise that Aharon will be glad? Who would not rejoice upon the return of a brother he has not seen for sixty years, not to mention one who arrives with the great tidings of the Jewish people leaving Egypt, receiving the Torah, and entering the land flowing with milk and honey, and Pharaoh receiving the punishment he deserves? Should Aharon not be overcome with joy?

The explanation is that Aharons' joy will be complete without the slightest bit of envy for his younger brother assuming the role as leader which Aharon had all these years. Envy would be only natural. Aharon's heart is so pure and so full of love for others that he wishes no honor for himself, he only cares about what is good for Hashem, for his fellow Jews, and for Moshe Rabenu.

By the same token, we find that Moshe Rabenu too was only interested in his brother's welfare.  Referring to the anointing of the Kohen Gadol, the pasuk states: "Like the precious oil upon the head running down upon the beard, the beard of Aharon, running down over his garments" (Tehillim 133:2).  Why is the word beard, written twice, Aharon, after all had only one beard?   Chazal explain that Aharon's anointment with the shemen hamishcha brought Moshe such joy that he felt the oil flowing down his own beard.  Moshe and Aharon were only interested in what was good for each other.

Moshe and Aharon said about themselves: "venachnu ma" - who are we? Dovid HaMelech said about himself "veanochi tolaat velo ish" - "I am but a worm but not a person. Avraham Avinu referred to himself as "dust and ash". Moshe and Aharon viewed themselves as not being even that.

Chazal teach us that all the prophets prophesied beaspaklaria she-eina meirah - through an unclear glass, while Moshe Rabenu prophesied through an aspaklaria hameira, a clear glass with clear vision. This is because other prophets had their own soul and character effect the prophecy and its interpretation. Moshe, on the other hand had a pure heart, there was nothing of himself and he was able to see the prophecy and transmit it clearly. This can be compared to a light shining on a pane of glass, when the window is clear then the light emerges clear on the other side, when the window is colored then the light emerges colored on the other side. One whose soul and heart is clear is able to receive and deliver a prophecy in a clear manner.

Aharon too as we said was totally unselfish. Perhaps the reason he did not prophesy with a clear glass was because he had too much love for his fellow Jew and this slightly colored his prophecy. We know that one place Aharon erred was during the chet haegel, and Hashem became angry for this. It was only due to his great love for the Jewish nation that he made the calf. He feared that just as they killed Chur perhaps they would kill him as well - "Should Kohen and prophet be slain in the Sanctuary of the L-rd?" (Eicha 2:20). Aharon feared that killing him would result in severe punishment for the Jewish nation, he did his best ton insure that Klal Yisrael not be guilty of such a terrible aveirah. Moshe Rabenu certainly was a great ohev Yisrael, but perhaps he was able to keep it from coloring his vision.

Chazal teach us: "whoever conveys something in the name of its author, brings deliverance to the world, as it is written: 'and Esther informed the king in Mordechai's name' (Esther 2:22)" (Pirke Avot 6:6).  Why does attributing something to its author bring deliverance to the world?  The Maharal explains that if redemption were to come about through someone who does not give credit where it is due, he would not attribute the redemption to Hashem, but would rather credit his own strength and wisdom for having delivered Am Yisrael! Only a person who is humble and who is able to sufficiently negate himself in order to credit an author with his remarks, understands that the redemption too must be attributed to the One Who has brought it about and not himself.   It would have been only natural for Esther, the king's wife, to take the credit for informing Achashverosh about Bigtan and Teresh's plot to assassinate the king, yet the Sefer HaZichronot did not mention Esther's name at all - it simply stated that Mordechai informed the king of the plot.  Esther, who was so pure of heart, was worthy of bringing about the redemption because she certainly would not take any credit for herself but would attribute it all to Hashem.

We do not find any specific mention of Moshe and Aharon quoting in the name of its author and yet they merited bringing about the redemption. Perhaps we can explain that Moshe and Aharon were not concerned at all for their own honor that there was no chance of their attributing the redemption to themselves.

Parshat Yitro opens with Yitro's arrival and is followed by the giving of the Torah. Given the principle "ein mukdam umeuchar baTorah" - the Torah was not written in chronological order - the commentaries dispute whether Yitro arrived prior to Matan Torah or following it. Although the Torah was not written in chronological order, there is still a need to explain why it recorded Yitro's arrival prior to Matan Torah if in effect he arrived afterwards. I once heard the following explanation from my father zt"l: Parshat Yitro describes Yitro's suggesting to Moshe Rabenu to divide some of his duties among judges. Moshe could have responded: "who are you to tell me what to do, I brought the nation out of Egypt, I brought them the Torah, and I have done so much for them, don't you think I know what I am doing?" Moshe Rabenu accepted his father-in-law's suggestion, he has no "self" to speak of.

We find in the midrash that when Moshe Rabenu was sentenced to remain on the other side of the Yarden and not enter Eretz Yisrael, Hashem told him: "you once said: slach na laavon haam hazeh "forgive now the iniquity of this people" (Bamidbar 14:19) and "let me now cross" (Devarim 3:25), you may choose one of them."   Moshe Rabenu was given the choice of forgiveness for the Jewish people or entering Eretz Yisrael. The midrash continues that Moshe prefers harm for himself rather than harm even the fingernail of a fellow Jew. Chazal in fact teach us that Moshe's desire to enter Eretz Yisrael was only in order to perform the mitzvos associated with the land, not for any selfish reason.

Every year we recited the nullification of our chametz (bitul). The halacha also requires that we burn it (or at least sell to a non-Jew). If we truly nullify it why should we need to destroy it as well? Nullifying it means we are treating it as dirt, when else do we declare something as dirt? At the end of Shmone Esrei we recite "venafshi ke-afar lakol tihye" "may my soul be like dirt to others". What would happen if immediately after we conclude the Shmone Esrei someone were to step on our toe? If this is what nullification means to us, is it any wonder that it is not sufficient?

I once heard the following story from HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlit"a: HaRav Yonnoson Eibshitz once visited a different town and was planning to spend Yom Kippur there. At Mincha on Erev Yom Kippur, he sat next to a man who recited his vidus with such fervor and concentration: "I am nothing in my lifetime, certainly after death." R' Yonnoson felt that sitting next to this devout Jew would be very inspiring. The gabbaim found him a seat next to this gentleman. Maariv was inspiring as was Shacharis. Then came Krias HaTorah. At the conclusion, he shouted to the gabbaim: "why did you give those people aliyot and not me?" R' Yonnoson approached him: "why does it matter, did you not declare that you are nothing?" The man responded, compared to the Creator I am nothing, but compared to him?" This was the man's idea of self-nullification. Moshe and Aharon truly viewed themselves as having no significance - venachnu ma.

We find in many places that Hashem is referred to as Elokei Avraham, Elokei Yitzchak, Elokei Yaakov, even in one place He is referred to as Elokei Eliyahu. Why do we not find Him referred to as Elokei Moshe? I believe we can base our explanation on the words of the mekubalim who explain that Moshe Rabenu had no need for a wife because he was the husband of the Shchina - it does not say Elokei Moshe because he is above the Shchina. For this reason when he descends from Har Sinai he does not turn his back, because he had returned from the Shchina, just as when one leaves the Shul he does not have his back towards the Shul.

The only reference we have to Hashem being G-d of Moshe is following the chet haegel where the Torah describes Moshe's entreaty on behalf of the nation as veyechal Moshe et pnei Hashem Elokav "Moshe pleaded before Hashem, his G-d" (Shmos 32:11). This is the only reference to Hashem being G-d of Moshe. This is because while the chet haegel was taking place below, Moshe was instructed by Hashem "lech reid" "go descend" (from your lofty position), when the Jewish people sin then Moshe descends from his high level. The greatness of Moshe Rabenu was to such an extent that he is referred to as the husband of the Shchina.