Chukas 20:29 · unit 1 — they feared — not merely saw — when Aharon died

Parashas Chukas · Passuk 20:29

The Complete Passuk

וַיִּרְאוּ֙ כׇּל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה כִּ֥י גָוַ֖ע אַהֲרֹ֑ן וַיִּבְכּ֤וּ אֶֽת־אַהֲרֹן֙ שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים י֔וֹם כֹּ֖ל בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

And the whole congregation saw that Aharon had expired, and the whole house of Yisrael wept for Aharon thirty days.

Torah Temimah: Taanis 9a

Core Text

אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ, אַל תִּקְרֵי וַיִּרְאוּ אֶלָּא וַיִּירָאוּ.

English: R. Abbahu said: do not read “and they saw” but “and they feared.”

Al tikrei reading of the consonants.

At Aharon’s death the people experienced fear (loss of the clouds of glory), not mere visual recognition.