Perashat Shemini

Perashat Shemini

Tragedies, unfortunately, abound. We hear and read on a daily basis about tragedies that we can’t explain or even understand. We turn our thoughts and prayers to the A-mighty in bewilderment in an attempt at finding a justification of the events and the reasoning behind them. Of course, we rarely receive an explanation or an understanding, since

G-d does not have to give us any explanations of His actions. Our intellectual ability is very far from understanding G-d’s actions.

We read of such a tragedy in Perashat Shemini, where the two children of Aharon the High Priest, Nadab and Abihu die in an attempt to participate in the inaugural offerings at the Sanctuary; a death that has baffled our Sages throughout the ages.  Several opinions are offered for their death.

1. Nadab and Abihu erred in bringing their own incense into the Holy of Holies - where even the High Priest may enter only on Yom Kippur - to show their enthusiasm for the Service.

2.They offered the Daily incense upon the Inner Altar though they had not been commanded to do so.

3. They wanted to reciprocate G-d’s display of love by sending a Heavenly Fire to consume the offering, so they brought their own fire and incense as their means of doing so; they assumed that they should act on their own.

The common denominator of all the opinions is that they acted on their own volition and reasoning, without being asked, advised or commanded. They wanted to show their own initiative and inventiveness in the service to G-d.

The attempt of explanations  by all of our Sages was not to justify their death; of course not! Instead it was to understand the tragedy that befell Aharon. What was so wrong with the actions of Nadab and Abihu that would bring death upon them?

Unfortunately, the mistake of Aharon’s children, Nadab and Abihu, has been repeated many times throughout history; and it continues to be repeated. We see it around us where people, organizations, institutions and different streams and denominations of Judaism practice. There has to be a certain air of arrogance and self-assurance present in all people who attempt at relying on their own volition and reasoning on how to service Hashem. It may come totally from their good intention and enthusiasm, yet it was not and it is not what G-d has advised, requested or commanded. Others even have the audacity to declare:  “we prefer to do it differently, and understand better what G-d wants. Anyhow, we live in modern times and we need to update and modernize our service to G-d”. A situation like that, of course, is more severe than doing it from a good intention!

Would we defy our boss, our chief, our superiors, when they give us strict instructions of how they would like us to proceed? Would we have the audacity to declare that we know better? Would we attempt at second guessing them when they instructed us in a detailed fashion on how they would like things done? No, we would not, even though they are human! Therefore, how shall we act when it comes to G-d’s instructions?