Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 20:26/רמב"ן על במדבר כ׳:כ״ו
אוְהַפְשֵׁט אֶת אַהֲרֹן אֶת בְּגָדָיו – הֵם בִּגְדֵי כְּהוּנָּה גְּדוֹלָה שֶׁנִּתְרַבָּה בָּהֶם אֶלְעָזָר בְּנוֹ עַתָּה. וְהַקָּרוֹב כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר יָרַד אַהֲרֹן מֵעֲשׂוֹת הַתָּמִיד וְהִקְטִיר הַקְּטֹרֶת וְהֶעֱלָה הַנֵּרוֹת, הֶעֱלָה אוֹתוֹ אֶל הֹר הָהָר כְּשֶׁהָיָה לָבוּשׁ בִּגְדֵי כְּהוּנָּה וְהִפְשִׁיט אוֹתָם. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט הִלְבִּישׁוֹ תַּכְרִיכֵי הַמֵּת אֲשֶׁר הֵכִין לוֹ, וְהִפְשִׁיט אֶת אֶלְעָזָר בִּגְדֵי הַחוֹל וְהִלְבִּישׁוֹ בִּגְדֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה עִמּוֹ בְּיוֹם הַמִּלּוּאִים (ויקרא ח ז-ט). וּמִדְרַשׁ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ בָהֶם נִסִּים, אָמְרוּ: הֵיאַךְ מֹשֶׁה יָכוֹל לְהַפְשִׁיט אֶת אַהֲרֹן כְּסִדְרָן, וַהֲלֹא הָעֶלְיוֹנִים הֵם הָעֶלְיוֹנִים לְעוֹלָם וְהַתַּחְתּוֹנִים הֵם הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים לְעוֹלָם? אֶלָּא מַעֲשֵׂה נִסִּים עָשָׂה לוֹ הַמָּקוֹם בְּמִיתָתוֹ יוֹתֵר מִבְּחַיָּיו. הֶעֱמִידוֹ מֹשֶׁה אֶל הַסֶּלַע וְהִפְשִׁיטוֹ בִּגְדֵי כְּהוּנָּה, וּבִגְדֵי שְׁכִינָה נִלְבָּשִׁים תַּחְתֵּיהֶם. "וַיַּלְבֵּשׁ אוֹתָם אֶת אֶלְעָזָר בְּנוֹ" (במדבר כ׳:כ״ח) - וְכִי הֵיאַךְ יָכוֹל לְהַלְבִּישׁ אֶת הַבְּגָדִים כְּסִדְרָן לְאֶלְעָזָר? אֶלָּא כָּבוֹד גָּדוֹל חָלַק לוֹ הַמָּקוֹם לְאַהֲרֹן בְּמִיתָתוֹ יוֹתֵר מִבְּחַיָּיו, שֶׁנִּלְבְּשׁוּ בִּגְדֵי שְׁכִינָה תְּחִלָּה לְמַטָּה וְחָזַר מֹשֶׁה וְהִפְשִׁיט אֶת אַהֲרֹן הַבְּגָדִים כְּסִדְרָן וְהִלְבִּישׁ אֶלְעָזָר כְּסִדְרָן, כָּךְ שָׁנוּי בְּת״כ (מלואים א ו):
1AND STRIP AARON OF HIS GARMENTS. These are the garments [reserved only] for the High Priest, with which Eleazar his son was now appointed [High Priest in his stead]. It is likely that when Aaron came down from offering the Daily Whole-offering, and burnt the incense and kindled the lamps, Moses took him up to Mount Hor whilst he was still dressed in the garments of the [High] Priest, and [then] he stripped him of them. And according to the plain meaning of Scripture [the verse is to be interpreted: And strip Aaron of his garments in order to] put on him the shrouds of a dead man which he had prepared for him, and then he stripped Eleazar of his ordinary clothes and put the sacred garments upon him, as he did to him on the day of initiation. And according to the Midrashic interpretation of our Rabbis,211 1:6. various miracles occurred in connection with these garments.212 Thus they said: “How could Moses strip Aaron of his garments in their proper order? Are not the upper ones always on top, and the lower ones always underneath? But G-d did miraculous deeds for Aaron at the time of his death, even more so than during his lifetime. Thus Moses put Aaron upon the rock and stripped him of the priestly garments, and [alternative] celestial garments clothed themselves [upon him] underneath them.213 robe, he was covered with a corresponding celestial garment underneath his tunic [which was the lower garment directly on his body]. Moses could then proceed to remove the tunic [which was now above the celestial “upper” robe, thereby fulfilling the Divine command of stripping Aaron of his garments “in their proper order.” As he removed the tunic, a corresponding celestial tunic likewise clothed itself underneath the celestial robe. This interpretation of the Torath Kohanim is based upon Malbim’s commentary. And he put them upon Eleazar his son.214 But how could Moses put the garments upon Eleazar in their proper order?215 [We must say that this was not natural], but that G-d bestowed a great honor upon Aaron at the time of his death, even more so than during his lifetime, in that celestial garments first [miraculously] clothed themselves underneath [the other garments], and then Moses stripped Aaron of the priestly garments in their proper order,216 and [also] put them on Eleazar in their proper order.” So it is taught in the Torath Kohanim.211 1:6.