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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Vayikra
- Shmini
Commentators offer a variety of different reasons for their death:
- They decided a law in front of their rabbis, Moshe & Ahron;
- They were intoxicated;
- They added a new offering to the Avoda othat had not been commanded to them;
- They added an extra ingredient to the Korban.
The fact that there are so many diverse opinions seems to indicate that no one really is sure exactly what went on here.
What IS clear is that Nadav & Avihu were extremely righteous people; this we know because Moshe explicitly tells us so. In fact, he assures Ahron that his sons were even greater than they – Moshe & Ahron - are! And this, by the way, is why Ahron is stunned into silence ("Vayidom Ahron"): He finds himself at an "emotional impasse:" He grieves for the loss of his children, yet at the same time he rejoices that his sons lived, & died, as "wholly holy" individuals.
But, of course, this only complicates matters. If they were such tzadikim, then why did they die?
I suggest that the key to this puzzle can be found in two little words: "Lifnei Hashem." The pasuk tells us that they died when they offered strange fire "before G-d." Now, that phrase can mean, literally, "in front of Hashem" (i.e. they brought their offering in the Mishkan, where G-d’s presence most intensely dwelt). But "before Hashem" can also mean "preceding Hashem," as in, "I go before you in line, I take precedence."
In other words, while Nadav & Avihu certainly worshipped Hashem, they overstepped their bounds in their desire to come close to Him. They were so determined to connect to Hashem, they superseded even HIS directives!
It's comparable to a soldier who finds a comrade pinned down by enemy forces. His commanding officer orders him to stay put, because the situation is too dangerous. But the soldier is so determined to rescue his fellow soldier that he rushes forward, kills the enemy, and saves his friend's life. The commander praises the soldier for extreme bravery, and then puts him into jail for disobeying orders.
And so, because they disobeyed orders from the Supreme Commander, because they came TOO close to the fire - or, to put it another way, because they were TOO passionate - Nadav & Avihu suffered terminal "burn-out," & were no more.
There are times when we so want to impress G-d, when we are so filled with religious ecstasy, that we lose perspective. And then we lose control; we do things that we think will bring us closer to Hashem when, in reality, it only drives us further away from Him & injures us spiritually. We forget that G-d comes first & that He has the final say, even if we don’t approve.
The road to hell-fire, alas, is all too often paved with good intentions.
Rabbis in Midrash
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The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
Chukat "HOW ENTEBBE STOLE THE BICENTENNIAL
The Difference Between Historic & Eternal"
As we approach America's 250th birthday, it's worth remembering her 200th Bicentennial birthday, on Jul. 4th 1976, when Israel "stole the show" by shocking the world & miraculously saving 101 hostages in a foreign continent. As Pres. As Pres. Trump decides which countries get priority in his new Middle-East, it's worth reminding him of the difference between historic events and eternally historic ones. This obviously connects with this week's parsha, as well!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 6 - The Parable of the King of India
The advantages of testimony over circumstantial evidence or philosophical speculation.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 5- "Proofs of G-d"
This may be the most important class of the entire book, where we finally get to the Jewish proof of the existence of G-d and truth of the Torah. We should follow His own direction where He tells us how to get to Him: through the Nation of Israel: Jewish history, Jewish prophets (and today, prophecies fulfilled), and national reward & punishment towards Am Yisrael.
Ein Aya One Humanity, One Creator, One Jerusalem
Rav Kook innovatively and beautifully explains this aggadeta where our sages say that after Jerusalem was destroyed her cinnamon fragrance is only found locked in a particular kingdom's treasury.
