APRIL 8 • 2021 | 33
When No Means No
W
hat a terrible
tragedy. Nadav
and Avihu,
Aaron’s two sons, have just
perished in the presence
of their father, Aaron. At
what should have
been the high point
of their careers, these
two young men were
killed by a heavenly
flame as they brought
an unsanctioned fire-
pan of incense into
the confines of the
Tabernacle.
Why did this ter-
rible event happen?
Some people say they
were drunk, having
partied all night in
anticipation of the
consecration of the Tent of
Meeting. Others say that
they were trying to usurp
their father’s position.
Perhaps the true answer is
that they did not follow the
ritual directions in the pre-
scribed fashion. The results
were disastrous.
One of the basic prin-
ciples we learn in the sto-
ries of the Torah is that as
much as God reaches out
to humans and as much as
people desire God’s inti-
macy, actual contact will
be disastrous. God tells
Moses when he asks to
“know him” that no person
can truly experience God
and live. God destroys the
construction of the early
descendants of Noah who
tried to build a tower with
its head in the heavens. The
Israelites are told that they
can only approach Mount
Sinai if they are properly
sanctified; otherwise they
will die. Proximity without
preparation is fatal.
Keeping this principle
in mind, let us look at the
Book of Leviticus, Vayikra.
It can be seen as an opera-
tions manual of the priests,
the kohanim. It informs the
kohanim who are learning
about sacrifices, the laws
of tumah and tohorah
(two terms that are
difficult to translate
relating to the physical
readiness to carry out
rituals), holiness and
holidays. The kohanim
are reminded over
and over again that
they must perform
their duties exactly as
directed by God. There
is no room for devia-
tion.
Nadav and Avihu
had heard these
instructions. They
knew that absolute adher-
ence to the rules was essen-
tial. Yet they seemed to have
forgotten what they had
been taught and, as a result,
they lost their lives. Some
tragedies are unavoidable
if one does not follow the
approved directives.
If a worker on a construc-
tion site does not follow
mandated safety protocols,
a terrible accident may hap-
pen. If medical guidelines
are not followed during
a pandemic, sickness and
even death may follow.
The story of Nadav and
Avihu is one of the few
narratives in Vayikra. Many
would rather it be excised
from the text. But this selec-
tion teaches an important
message: No one, not even
the most esteemed and priv-
ileged, can escape the con-
sequences of ill-conceived
actions.
Rabbi Mitch Parker is the rabbi
at B’nai Israel Synagogue in West
Bloomfield.
Rabbi
Mitch Parker
Parshat
Shemini:
Leviticus
9:1-11:47;
II Samuel
6:1-7:17.
SPIRIT
TORAH PORTION
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