THEOSISJerome of Stridon
In the context of the thirty-fourth encampment, interpretations vary significantly. While some might translate the term "Or" as light—an acceptable translation if the letter aleph had been used—others might opt for skin, which would indeed be valid if it were written with an ain. Some even render it as well, which might align if accompanied by the particle get. However, considering it appears as "ge," the most fitting translation is mount, suggesting that Aaron the priest ascended to the summit of the mount. This signifies that the high priest did not perish merely on any mountain but upon the mount of the mount, denoting a place befitting his stature. Notably, he died in the year when the new nation was poised to enter the land of promise, at the borders of Idumea.
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Despite his passing on the mountain, he entrusted the priesthood to his son Eleazar, ensuring that the law would elevate its adherents to the highest perfection. Yet, this exalted height does not extend beyond the reaches of the Jordan, remaining within the confines of earthly existence. For thirty days, the people mourned for Aaron, but Christ is not mourned. The law bears witness to the descent into the realm of the dead, while the gospel proclaims the ascension to heaven. As word spread among the Canaanites that Israel had arrived, they fought at the site of the previous spies' transgression against the Lord, capturing many from Israel. Again, they clashed at that very location, and due to the vow made, the victors triumphed while the defeated faced ruin, prompting the naming of that place as “Orma,” meaning anathema.
It is essential to acknowledge that the human experience within this earthly journey is ever-changing—some meet death in the valley, others in the fields, and some on the heights, not just any mountain but atop the high peak. When we find ourselves bereft of divine support, faced by adversaries and captured, we should not succumb to despair regarding our salvation. Instead, let us prepare for renewed conflict, for it is in the very places where we have faced defeat that we may arise victorious, achieving triumph in the same locales where we once suffered loss.