Perashat Shemini 5777

Perashat Shemini 5777

In this week's perasha, Shemini, we read about the deaths of Aharon's two sons, Nadab and Abihu.  The midrash on our perasha states as follows:  "Moshe said to Aharon:   My brother; at Sinai I was told that Hashem would sanctify this house [i.e., the Mishkan, the Tabernacle] with a great person - and I thought that it would be sanctified through me.  However, now it would appear that your two sons [i.e., Nadab and Abihu] are greater than you and me."

The famous Maggid, the preacher of Dubna asked why it was necessary for Hashem to offer, as it were, a human sacrifice in order to sanctify his Mishkan; the earthly dwelling-place of His Shekhina (the Divine Presence) - and how, can we even comprehend that it became sanctified in such a manner?  He offered the following parable to answer that question:

There once was a new city that was founded with all the modern conveniences civilization had to offer, and among its institutions, a state-of-the-art hospital was built.  A doctor was hired who was a "world-class" physician with an international reputation.  All the citizens of the city attended the inauguration of the new hospital - and suddenly, bar-minan, one of the participants fell ill with a "non-life threatening" illness.  The doctor immediately proceeded to attend to the first patient of this new hospital, examined him and admitted him, in order to personally nurse him back to health.  A few days later, the patient died.  The entire population of the city were dumb-founded!  How could it be that this "world-class" physician could not save this patient from death?!  After all, he did not have a serious illness - and this was a "doctor's doctor!"  The doctor was brought in front of the mayor and his administration to testify as to what had taken place.  In a shocking statement, the doctor said, "I am guilty for this man's death.  I could have saved him, however, I decided that it was in the city's best-interest that I not make an all-out effort to save him."  They asked him to explain himself.  "I was concerned," said the doctor, "that having a thoroughly modern hospital with a reputable physician would cause the people of the city to think mistakenly, that they were protected from all illnesses.  From now on, they would allow themselves to eat and drink as they pleased, and to endanger themselves in any manner they pleased - since they would assure themselves that a special hospital with a special doctor will cure all their ills.  Therefore, I decided that perhaps it would be best if this patient died, so that others may live."  [One may certainly question the ethics of this doctor, but the purpose of a parable is the message we try to take away from it.]

So too, was it with the Mishkan.  B'nei Yisrael were likely to make a mistake - as indeed we find during the days of the Temple's destruction - that the Jews felt that the very essence of the Bet ha-Mikdash, the edifice, itself would save them from all their troubles.  In order to dispel such a notion, the midrash maintains that it was necessary to sanctify the Mishkan with the deaths of these two Saddikim, Nadab and Abihu, and thereby teach the people the true nature of the Temple; it is not a guarantee of safety for anyone.  It places upon us major responsibilities; nor does it offer us any automatic rewards.  It is not a fortress of strength, but rather a place of extreme holiness - that can be hazardous if we do not treat it with the proper respect.

The sin of Nadab and Abihu is that they showed disrespect to G-d and to the Mishkan by offering unauthorized Ketoret / Incense.  In their own minds, they did what they thought was proper for the honor of the Mishkan's inauguration.  They innocently thought that they would initiate a sacrifice of their own,Le'shem Shamayyim - for the sake of Heaven, in honor of the occasion.  We might think that even though it was not legally mandated, it should not be considered a grievous sin.  However, this was not the case as it was not the proper time, nor place, to commit an illegal act.  After all, the Mishkan was being installed as the place of Legal authority where the Divine would commune with Moshe Rabbenu, and instruct him in the laws that he was to convey to the nation.  To blatantly go against His instructions, was truly not, "for the sake of Heaven."  In applying the logic that, "The end justifies the means," by deciding on their own, that after all, since the Mishkan was established to honor G-d, and whatever we do to this end is acceptable, is the ultimate in disrespect.  It was therefore, necessary to uproot this mistaken idea, that for the sake of the Mikdash, anything goes.  This was the reason why the B'nei Aharon, though Saddikim - though righteous and well-meaning - were punished to the extreme.  

The notion of violating the law for the, "Sake of Heaven," is also an issue found in today's Haftara.  The reaction of Uzzah, to "prevent" the Aron - the Ark - from falling by reaching out and touching it, was a mistake.  Uzzah's action, was of course, a natural human reaction - and of course, was done for the, "Sake of Heaven;" however, he should have thought harder about the origin of the Aron's  sanctity.  The Aron held the Torah, given to us by Almighty G-d, and the holiness of the Torah derives from its observance.  Since the Torah itself commands that the Aron be carried only by the Levi'im and Kohanim, should it G-d forbid, fall on the ground - its very holiness demands that it not be touched  by an unauthorized person!   

Uzzah's reaction was spontaneous and not thought out.  We on the other hand, have more of an opportunity to think things out.  The lesson of the deaths of Aharon's sons and of Uzzah should be for us to be Mekaddesh Shem Shamayyim - to Sanctify G-d's name through all our actions - including our speech - by thinking things through before acting upon them.  We should constantly say to ourselves before doing something:  "Is this what G-d really wants?"