Shemini

Innovating Spiritually for the Sake of the Community

Jenny R. Labendz, 5764

Parashat Shemini describes the eighth day of the Mishkan's inauguration. Often we jump right to the dramatic episode of the deaths of Nadav and Avihu, Aharon's sons who sacrifice a "strange fire" to God (10:1-3). I want to begin a few verses before that.

Most of chapter 9, the opening of our parashah, is a description of the sacrifices that Aharon and his sons perform on this 8th day. Read verses 22-24; this is the end of that section, which immediately precedes the Nadav and Avihu story.

Now skim back over the whole chapter. Who are the characters in these last three verses? What is everyone's role? Verses 22, 23, and 24 each describe a distinct event; what happens, why, and why in this order? Where are all the other characters? These are short verses; maybe try re-telling the story yourself, embellishing the scene as you see fit, while sticking as closely to the chapter as possible.

The Sifra (Shemini, Parahah 1, s.v., "ויהי ביום":29) states that verse 22 is inverted. That is, first Aharon stepped down, having performed the sacrifices, and then he blessed the people, since sacrificial worship should precede the blessing and not the reverse, the text seems to say. However, the Netziv (my favorite Torah commentator) disagrees with the Rabbis. The Netziv says that the verse says it like it was. Aharon performed the incense sacrifice, described in verse 20, and then descended from the altar. He then went up again to bless the people, and while he was there, since it would be disrespectful to go up to the altar without sacrifice, he added these three sacrifices mentioned in verse 22 after the blessing, and then be came back down from the altar. The Netziv suggests that Aharon had not been commanded to perform these extra sacrifices, since all of the commanded sacrifices were performed by Aharon with his sons. Here, though, Aharon sacrificed these offerings because at this moment, he "was awakened" (the Netziv's word) to go up to a high place above the nation, i.e., to the altar, and bless them.

What struck me about the Netziv's comment is that Aharon innovated in the sacrificial system in response to some inner feeling or excitement he had. Right after he did it, things continue happily just as they were supposed to: verse 23 describes the official blessing from both Aharon and Mosheh, and in verse 24, both God and the people react as hoped. But in the very next section, the opposite consequences are in store for Aharon's sons: the two young priests innovate-and according to one Rabbinic position (held by the Netziv) they, like Aharon, do so out of great love for Hashem-but, nevertheless, they are killed in a divine fire! Let's read the story (10:1-3) and attempt to understand what went wrong.

Let's leave verse 3 alone for now, because Mosheh's reflection and Aharon's silence are really subjects of a whole separate devar Torah. Our question is why Aharon's sons were killed for doing something apparently similar to what their father had also done without being criticized in the least. Granted, the phrasing of verse 1 already hints pretty strongly that things are going to go awry. I have heard many divrei Torah emphasize that the problem with what Nadav and Avihu did is that they stepped outside the "daled amot" (four cubits) of halakhah - they innovated, instead of worshipping God in the way the God specifically commanded them. I believe that there is something to this point; having a strict architecture to our worship, like the architecture of the Mishkan, and working within precise structures is one of the values I see in the Torah. However, according to the Netziv, Aharon also innovated too, in almost precisely the same way and just two minutes ago! So what is the difference between 9:22 and 10:1, between Aharon's innovation and his sons'? I have come up with two differences, but I encourage you to think about others and other nuances to the story and to discuss them over Shabbat.

I asked above who the characters are. Skimming through the whole of chapter 9, we see Aharon's sons quite a bit (vv. 1, 9, 18-19, 20). There is a lot to be done, and though Aharon is clearly the main priest, his sons are by his side helping. According to the Netziv, at the end of verse 21, Aharon, and presumably his sons with him, descend from the altar. But then, in verse 22, Aharon goes back up and does his own thing. Where are his sons? There are four of them, remember, Nadav, Avihu, Elazar, and Itamar. I wonder if they are watching from below with everyone else, aware that their job is done for now. Or maybe Elazar and Itamar are happily receiving the blessing with the rest of the nation, while Nadav and Avihu are watching, jittery and excited, full of holy passion, trying to emulate their father Aharon and to figure out what he is thinking and doing all the time. They were brought into the priestly scene but suddenly things are happening that they didn't expect. That's OK for Aharon to do. He is the High Priest, and enjoys a very special relationship with Hashem and with the nation. But Nadav and Avihu are in a different position. They are priests and of very special status, but they're not Aharon. But did anyone point that out to them? Did anyone stand by their side, maybe put an arm around them, and say, "We know we've brought you into this, but let's be clear about what your role is"? Maybe Elazar and Itamar figured it out (maybe it was easier for them, as younger sons, to realize it), but it looks like Nadav and Avihu might have gotten lost in the shuffle.

Getting lost in the shuffle (or "on the shovel," as my grandmother says) is a rough experience. Are you familiar with it in your life? Even in the holiest place we might manage to lose track of one another. There in the Mishkan, it had disastrous consequences for two of Aharon's sons. Maybe that is why Aharon is silent in verse 3; he understands why this has happened. What can he say? That is one difference I see between the two innovations: Aharon was in special position but Nadav and Avihu did not have the right, and no one made that clear enough for them.

The second point of difference I see between Aharon's innovation and that of his sons is perhaps closer to the text than the one I just wrote (but maybe not; you be the judge).

When Aharon innovated, the Netziv says he "awakened" to go up and bless the people. Something inside said, "You have to go up and give them a berakhah". What was the inner stirring of Nadav and Avihu? To offer incense, a powerful tool for coming close to God. The beneficiaries of each innovation are different. Aharon's benefits the people, whereas his sons' innovation benefits them (and maybe God).

Perhaps this points to a notion that might be important for a religion full of specific requirements. When it comes to our own religious life, it is probably best to stick to the structure. If we engage together in the same rituals externally, like at the Seder table or in shul, then we equalize and elevate the space that we are all in. From that level playing field each of us can find ways to be internally creative and spiritually daring, without stepping on anyone else's toes. That is how we might see our personal religious lives and ritual-the sphere of "bein adam laMakom" - between a person and God. In that sense, Nadav and Avihu wreck the equilibrium by changing their own ritual.

But when it comes to matters that relate to other people, sometimes the equilibrium needs to be shaken up. Sometimes people need blessings, or attention, or inclusion (or the page to be shown to them). Aharon was awake to that, and was able to step out of his own space and innovate not in order to raise himself up, but in order to make sure that the people were raised up with him, to offer blessing. The religious zeal of Nadav and Avihu may have been admirable on its own, but in acting on it, they lost sight of everyone else, and their innovation was unwelcome to God. Aharon innovated precisely because he was aware of the people around him.

May we merit being aware of those around us and not losing people in the shuffle, and may we have the courage to make ourselves known to our leaders when we feel lost ourselves, and may our innovations be acceptable to Hashem and to our peers.