Parshat Shemini; Leviticus 9:1-11:47

The portion begins with the first official offerings by Aaron and his sons. The Tabernacle had been dedicated with a week’s worth of inaugural celebrations. Each of the days’ sacrifices during the inauguration was does by Moses. But on the eighth day—it was finally time for the Priesthood to take charge and do as God commanded. This was the official beginning of the priestly duties. Aaron made atonement for himself as well as for the people and he offered a special blessing to the people of Israel. God’s Divine Glory appeared as a result of the correct formula of sacrifice and blessing. And a Heavenly Fire consumes the offering made by Aaron.

But shortly thereafter the Torah relates that two of the sons of Aaron, Nadav and Abihu offered their own offering. “They put a fire in their fire pans… and brought before God an alien fire (10:1)…” This offering brings a fire from God —but a fire that consumes Nadav and Abihu. Something goes terribly wrong. Tradition teaches that the Heavenly fire entered their nostrils and burned out their souls but did not burn or affect their clothing or bodies. God did not command the incense offering brought by Aaron’s sons.
Were they challenging their father and Moses by offering their own concoction? Were they merely goofing around in the tabernacle and not giving the proper honor and sanctity to the sacred, holy space and sacred, holy service?

Next to this story is an injunction against drinking wine when one comes to the Tent of Meeting. It specifically mentions that intoxicating wine keeps one from distinguishing between the sacred and the profane. Commentators throughout the generations have used the proximity of these two sections of Torah text to explain Nadav and Abihu’s behavior—that they must have been drunk when they offered their “Strange” fire. And this is of course why God makes an example of them with such a harsh punishment as death?

The 18th century commetator Ohr Hachayim suggests the opposite—that Nadav and Abihu were actually exemplary priests with a particularly close and passionate relationship to the Divine. The fire they offered was the fire of longing to be close to God and this was the fire that consumed them. They got caught up in their passion and devotion to God. Perhaps the text is trying to teach us that this too—blind devotion, is not what God wants of us. Moses says to Aaron, “God will be sanctified by those who are nearest Me (10:3).” Implying that Nadav and Abihu are indeed near to God.

The torah makes it clear that the job of the priesthood in particular is to make clear between the holy and profane, pure and impure and to teach the Children of Israel the difference. This story of Nadav and Abihu perhaps teaches us that not everything we decide on our own to offer up to God is proper or appropriate. Indeed perhaps there are some cosmic rules, mitzvot even—commandments even that are the requirements for proper worship of God. Thus we are left with a puzzling moment, Aaron’s silence in the face of his children’s death and Nadav and Abihu’s devotion to God but inappropriate offering that brings about their death. Is it a Divine irony?

Perhaps our lesson in all of this is for each of us to examine the offering that we make ourselves to God. Perhaps we should be devoted to doing the Divine Will, but not doing so with our own devices. As Nadav and Abihu put their personal devotion ahead of the communal sacrificial order, perhaps we too ought to reinvest in a sense of communal prayer and commitment even in a society that continually emphasizes the individual. Perhaps this is our Jewish challenge to maintain the communal distinctions even as the needs of the individual come into play.

Posted by Lee at March 29, 2005 11:07 AM