Encourage People to Try to Make Peace

Imagine that you are a personal student of the great Sage Hillel. You admire and respect his exemplary character traits. His extreme patience is one of a kind. His love for each and every person enables him to focus not only on the positive qualities of people but also on their potential for being and becoming even greater people.

If you asked Hillel for an easily understandable guiding principle for living a wonderful life, Hillel in his modesty would never say, "Be like me." Rather he would tell you, "Be like Aharon, Moshe Rabbeinu's older brother, and the first High Priest who devoted his life to serving the Creator." Hillel taught all of us, "Be a student of Aharon. Love peace and pursue peace. Love people and bring them close to Torah." (Pirkei Avos, ch. 1)

Aharon saw the potential for peace in everyone. If two friends were quarreling, Aharon figured out a strategy for enabling them to become friends again. When a husband and wife weren't getting along, Aharon knew what to say to ignite their previous love and respect for each other.

Learn from all the disciples of Aharon whom you have met or heard about or read about.