The expression "Aaron's rod" is often found in religious literature. But its interpretation is not clear to everyone. More famous is the biblical story about the rod of Moses, with which he performed miracles, for example, parted the waters of the Red Sea during the flight of the Jews from Egypt, carved water from a rock. But what does “Aaron’s rod that froze” mean? This phrase will be discussed.
Main shrines
In the Tabernacle of Meeting, which was used by the Jews as a camp temple before the Jerusalem Temple was built after it, the greatest holy things were gathered. These include:
- Tables with the Ten Commandments, which on Mount Sinai the Lord told the Jewish people through Moses.
- The vessel with the manna that fell from heaven and fed the people of Israel during their forty years of wandering in the wilderness.
- The budding rod of Aaron, the elder brother of Moses.
The tabernacle was a symbol of the presence of God among people, who, having given these shrines to the Jews, expressed thereby hismercy and love. And if the first two of them are more or less well-known, then the third should be said in more detail.
Dispute between the tribes of Israel
When the Jewish people, led by Moses, wandered through the wilderness, some of their tribes protested. The dissatisfaction was due to the fact that they were against the election of the tribe of Levi to the service of God. Others have also claimed this privilege. It was not possible to resolve the dispute on our own. And then it was decided to turn to the “judgment of God.”
Each of the chiefs of the tribes had wands, which were a symbol of their seniority. They were left at the Tabernacle overnight. Among them was the rod of Aaron, the elder brother of Moses and his companion. The next morning, an amazing picture emerged. Aaron's rod sprouted like an almond tree. This was proof that the Levites in their appointment to the priesthood were God's chosen ones. In memory of this wonderful event, the staff was placed in the Tabernacle as a sacred relic.
How this happened is described in one of the books of the Pentateuch - in Numbers.
The Book of Numbers, chapter 17
The content of this chapter boils down to:
- The Lord told Moses to take a rod from each of the chiefs of the tribes and write on them the name of each.
- Further, the Lord also ordered to write on the rod of Levi the name of Aaron as the head of the tribe.
- Next it was necessary to put the rods in the Tabernacle of Meeting, placing them in front of the ark of revelation,where God himself will appear.
- "The rod of the one whom I choose will flourish, and thereby the murmuring of the sons of Israel will be quieted," was the word of the Most High to Moses.
- Moses conveyed the meaning of God's instructions to the children of Israel, and they obeyed them, providing the rods of each leader according to the number of the twelve tribes, and Aaron's rod was the thirteenth among them.
- The next day, when Moses entered the Tabernacle with Aaron, he saw that the rod from the house of Levi had budded, sprouted, given color and almond fruit.
- God ordered Moses to put the rod in front of the ark of revelation with the tablets of commandments. He should be a sign for the disobedient and stop their murmuring against the Almighty.
As the legend says, the wand was kept in the Holy of Holies and never withered, continuing to be in flowers. The biblical story of fruit bearing without fertilization was the reason that in the Middle Ages, almonds were perceived as a symbol of maiden purity.
The interpretation of the clergy
According to the beliefs of the Church, the flourishing rod of Aaron was not only proof of the chosen tribe of Levi by God, but also acted as a prototype of a number of events. These include the following:
- The origin of Jesus Christ without seed from the flesh of the virgin Mary, who is "bezbezkoy", that is, we are talking about the immaculate conception. So, in one of the canons dedicated to the Theotokos, it is said that "Aaron's rod, vegetative" was a prototype of the root of the tree of Jesse. The latter is an allegory of the genealogy of Jesus Christ.
- The incorruptibility of the flesh of Christ. St. Ephraim the Syrian, in his interpretation of the Book of Numbers, says that Emmanuel (one of the names of Jesus), having become the son of a corruptible nature, alone remained incorruptible, revealing in himself the mystery of immortality, and Aaron’s rod became “the likeness of the future resurrection.”
- The manifestation of God's grace in the Church of Christ. The canon of the honest life-giving cross says that Aaron's rod is a type of the sacraments of the Church, bringing believers closer to the grace of God, which she did not have before.
In conclusion, it should be noted that the wand is called not only "blossoming", but also "vegetating" for the following reason. The participle "vegetating" comes from the verb "chill", which, in addition to the modern interpretation - "freeze", also has other, outdated ones. Previously, it also meant “tear apart” and “grow.”
