Familiarity and Respect

Parshas Shemini

G-d created the physical world in six days. On the seventh day, we cease work in recognition of this fact. On the eighth day G-d Himself entered the Mishkan, His embassy on earth. The eighth day is beyond creation. It reflects the existence of another world to which we will all belong in the future. It is this reflection on earth of the world to come that gives meaning to the lives we live today.

The kohanim were given the privilege of being the embassy staff. They had to have clearance before they could assume their positions. Their slate had to be wiped clean by the pardoning of any prior violations.

Perfection starts at the top.

First, Aharon, the kohen gadol, had to be exonerated from his sin. He achieved this pardon by bringing several korbanot. The first was a calf to atone for acquiescing in the building of the golden calf (9:2). But isn’t there a rule that says that the item that represents a sin cannot be used to expiate the sin. The answer is that Aharon’s reasoning for not standing in the people’s way was selfless. He understood that if he would block the venture, he would be killed like his nephew Chur before him. Were that to happen, the Jews would never be forgiven (Eichah 2:20) and they would be destroyed. With their destruction, G-d’s plan for the world, the giving of the Torah to the Jews, would be frustrated. So in a sense, Aharon’s indiscretion was acceptable to G-d, just like Moshe’s shattering of the tablets for which G-d thanked him (Shabbos 87a).

In addition to the calf, Aharon had to offer up a ram as an Olah offering. We know that an Olah offering is brought to atone for not performing a positive commandment. The positive commandment that Aharon forwent was the obligation to offer up one’s own life to prevent the cardinal sin of idol worship. He reasoned his way out of it. He should have done what G-d commands one to do in such situations. That is why he had to bring a ram for atonement. He should have conducted himself like Yitzchak who also could have reasoned his way out of the Akeidah. “G-d,” he could have argued, “You promised Avraham that the Jewish nation would be born through Yitzchak (Bereishis 21:12). How is that going to happen if I am killed?”

But Yitzchak said nothing. We are not there to reason on behalf of G-d. If G-d promises that something will happen, it will happen. How? That’s not our business. Our business is to fulfill the positive commandment of Kiddush Hashem and G-d will work out the rest as He did with the ram that showed up to save Yitzchak. It is the ram, which signifies Yitzchak’s faith in G-d, that Aharon brought to achieve atonement for his failure.

The people of Israel themselves also had to bring korbanot to clear the way for G-d’s entry into the Mishkan. The first offering they had to bring was a goat as a sin offering (9:3). This korban was prescribed for inadvertent idol worship. What was inadvertent about what the Jews did? In a way it was inadvertent because it was sanctioned by their leader Aharon. In addition, the Jews had to bring a calf and a lamb as an Olah. This was their forgiveness for not fulfilling the mitzvas asei of the first commandment to believe in one G-d.

Having achieved complete forgiveness, Aharon and the people of Israel then brought a bull and a ram in thanks for their pardon (9:4).

After Aharon concluded bringing the offerings for his own sins and the sins of the people, he blessed them with the priestly blessing (9:22). The korbanot, when brought with sincere intent to mend ones ways, are pleasing to G-d. When G-d is happy with us, it is the most propitious time to ask for a blessing. We continue this custom to this very day by having the kohanim recite the priestly blessing after recalling the korbanot in the prayer of Retzei.

Yet something was still missing. G-d’s presence in the Mishkan would be manifest in the form of fire descending from heaven and consuming the korbanot – “The L-rd will come in fire” (Yeshayahu 66:15). But even after all of the above korbanot were piled on the altar, no fire came down from heaven. It was as if all of the offerings were rejected by G-d. What was missing were prayers. The last step required was for Moshe to enter the Mishkan and pray for forgiveness (Rashi 9:23). It was only then that the fire came down and through it G-d’s presence filled the Mishkan.

The opening word of our parsha, “Vayehi,” has a double meaning. Sometimes is denotes happiness, and sometimes in denotes sadness. Here, it denotes both. On the one hand, the Jews were happy that G-d’s fire came down from heaven. On the other hand, it was a sad day because Nadav and Avihu died.

There are many reasons given for the tragic end that befell Nadav and Avihu.

One of them is that they mistook G-d’s proximity for familiarity. They brought a strange fire that G-d had not commanded them to bring. This was a continuation of their previous behavior when they looked at G-d during the revelation even as they continued to eat and drink (Shemos 24:9-10).

When living close to G-d, one must maintain a respectable distance. G-d tells us “I will walk among you,” and yet “I am Hashem your G-d” (Vayikra 26:12-13). Rashi explains the proximity of these two phrases as follows: “G-d will stroll with us in Gan Eden and will be like one of us. We will not tremble in His presence. One might therefore think that we will not be in awe of Him? To teach us otherwise, the verse says, “I will be a G-d to you.”

It is easy to blur the lines of love and respect. G-d had to teach us a lesson by punishing his closest. There was nobody closer to G-d than Nadav and Avihu. They were the first kohamim who took over the sacrificial rites from the first born after the sin of the golden calf. They were the ones who brought the sacrifices on behalf of the Jews even before the Mishkan was in existence. The hard lesson of maintaining a distance had to be learned through them. Even those closest to G-d must keep a respectable distance.