(Vayikra 9:23)

“As soon as Aharon saw that all the sacrifices had been brought and all the deeds had been done yet the Shechinah still had not come down to Bnei Yisrael he was distressed and said 'I know Hashem is angry with me and it is because of me that the Shechinah has not come down to Bnei Yisrael.' He said to Moshe 'My brother Moshe look what you have done to me that I have gone in and been shamed.…' ” (Rashi ibid.)

Aharon's shame and his words are in contradiction to human nature. In general when a person suffers a misfortune instead of attributing it to his sins he blames others for his suffering.

This is the case with the suffering of individuals and it is even truer of communal misfortunes Rachmana litzlan. In these cases the hardship is shared by many people and there's nothing easier or more comfortable than blaming someone else. Add to this the natural human resistance to accepting the blame for causing distress to the entire community. (Lekach Tov Rabbi Yerucham Levovitz Daas Torah)

I wake from a satisfying afternoon nap and gape at the chaotic scene. Blankets notebooks crayons pieces of paper the mop and broom apple cores cookie crumbs used cups a keyboard.… How did my children create such upheaval in 90 minutes?

“Children!” I call urgently. “Everyone come here -- right now!”

They come slowly some accompanied by friends.

“Who made this terrible mess?”

Utter silence.

“Who turned the house upside down?”

“I didn't do it Mommy.”

“I also didn't.”

“Not me!”

No one's responsible?

“Fine.” I pick up the mop and broom. “Who took these out?”

“I did” says my four-year-old.

“And these?” A blanket missing its cover and a cover missing its blanket.

My eight-year-old confesses. “We wanted to make tents.”

“And this?” The keyboard.

“I needed to practice” says my 11-year-old daughter.

And so it continues with every item. It was no one's fault I think. No single person made the whole mess. Each made their own contribution.

The Gemara teaches that when a public fast is decreed the chazzan's podium is brought out into the street so people will be ashamed of their misdeeds. These words of Chazal should be an open rebuke to those who tend to place the blame on others. If everyone were to do that what would be the benefit of having a fast day? Who would be embarrassed and who would do teshuvah?

It must be that to derive the proper benefit from whatever decrees have been passed against the community every individual must find fault with himself must examine his own deeds and seek within himself the sins that have brought misfortune upon the community.

When Aharon saw that the Shechinah hadn't come down to Bnei Yisrael he was distressed. Instead of pinning the blame on anyone else -- even though there were those who'd sinned more than he had such as those who'd sinned with the eigel -- Aharon blamed only himself. We must learn from this and awaken ourselves to be concerned at every misfortune for perhaps “our hands have spilled this blood;” we must worry that perhaps had we not sinned this calamity would not have come upon the community. And even if we see others who have sinned let's not be too quick to blame them for perhaps “my portion is greater than theirs” and “this whole storm is because of me.” (ibid.)

Many times there's a mess surrounding us. Who made thismess? Not us; certainly not. There are many people acting far worse than we are.

But don't we have the ability to clean up one small piece of this giant mess? Isn't there something small we can do some way we can improve? Can't we wake ourselves up when that great cry is heard? Are we better than Aharon HaKohein who admitted he knew Hashem was angry with him?

The moment we learn about someone else's tragedy or pain let's make a greater effort to say brachos with kavanah to be more careful to avoid lashon hara to be more forgiving more modest … anything we feel needs improvement.

Even one small piece at a time cleans up a mess.