Shemini - The Sound of Silence

B"H

Full text here

Sorry for the delay, am still catching up post-Pesach and also had to go home to Scotland this week. The next post on Tazria-Metzora may also be a little delayed, but pg I hope to be back to normal afterwards.

Also, in case you are wondering the post title is only indirectly related to the blog itself (as a Simon & Garfunkel fan I couldn't resist...;-)

Sources:

1) Midrash Tanchuma Shemini, Chapter 1

סימן א
זה שאמר הכתוב, שומר מצוה לא ידע דבר רע (קהלת ח ה). מי היה. זה אהרן שנאמר, ומפתח אהל מועד לא תצאו שבעת ימים, ופתח אהל מועד תשבו יומם ולילה. אמר להם משה לאהרן ולבניו, שמרו אבלות שבעת ימים עד שלא יגיע בכם. ושמרתם את משמרת ה', שכך שמר הקדוש ברוך הוא שבעת ימי אבילות עד שלא הביא את המבול, כביכול. ומנין שנתאבל, שנאמר, וינחם ה' כי עשה את האדם ויתעצב אל לבו (בר' ו ו). ואין עציבה אלא אבל, שנאמר, ותהי התשועה ביום ההוא לאבל על ישראל כי אמר העם כי נעצב המלך על בנו (ש"ב יט ג). וכן עזרא אמר לישראל בשעה שהיו בוכין איש אל אחיו ואיש אל בנו, לכו אכלו משמנים ושתו וגו' ואל תעצבו כי חדות ה' היא מעזכם (נחמיה ח י). באותה שעה שמר הקדוש ברוך הוא שבעת ימי האבל עד שלא הביא את המבול, שנאמר, ויהי לשבעת הימים ומי המבול היו על הארץ (בר' ז י). וכן הוא אומר לאהרן ולבניו, כשם שנתאבל הקדוש ברוך הוא על עולמו עד שלא הביא את המבול, אף אתם שמרו את ימי האבל עד שלא יגיע בכם. היו משמרים ולא היו יודעים על מה משמרים. כמה שנאמר, שומר מצוה לא ידע דבר רע. ועת ומשפט יודע לב חכם (קהלת ח ה), זה משה, שכבר אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא, ונועדתי שמה לבני ישראל ונקדש בכבודי (שמו' כט מג), מתקדש אני שם במכבדי. והיה משה משמש כל שבעת ימי המלואים. והיה מתירא לומר שמא מדת הדין פוגעת בו, שנאמר, ונקדש בכבודי. ולא עשה, אלא אמר לאהרן, שמרו אבל שבעת ימים. אמר לו, למה. אמר לו, כך אמר לי הקדוש ברוך הוא, כי כן צויתי. כיון ששמרו שבעת ימי האבל ובא יום השמיני, נכנסו נדב ואביהוא להקריב, פגעה בהן מדת הדין ונשרפו, שנאמר, ותצא אש מלפני ה' ותאכל אותם וימותו לפני ה'. בא משה ואמר לאהרן, הוא אשר דבר ה' לאמר בקרובי אקדש. והיכן דבר. במדבר סיני, ונועדתי שמה לבני ישראל ונקדש בכבודי. וכן אמר משה לאהרן, העת שאמר לי בקרובי אקדש, חשבתי כי בי או בך יפגע, ועכשיו אני יודע כי הם גדולים ממני וממך. וידום אהרן, היה לו הדבר לנחמה. לכך נאמר, שומר מצוה לא ידע דבר רע:

2) Vayikra 8:35 - 36


.  לה וּפֶתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד תֵּשְׁבוּ יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת-מִשְׁמֶרֶת יְהוָה וְלֹא תָמוּתוּ  כִּי-כֵן צֻוֵּיתִי.  לו וַיַּעַשׂ אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו אֵת כָּל-הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר-צִוָּה יְהוָה בְּיַד-מֹשֶׁה
3) Kohelet 8:1-5

 מִי כְּהֶחָכָם וּמִי יוֹדֵעַ פֵּשֶׁר דָּבָר חָכְמַת אָדָם תָּאִיר פָּנָיו וְעֹז פָּנָיו יְשֻׁנֶּא.  ב אֲנִי פִּי-מֶלֶךְ שְׁמֹר וְעַל דִּבְרַת שְׁבוּעַת אֱלֹהִים.  ג אַל-תִּבָּהֵל מִפָּנָיו תֵּלֵךְ אַל-תַּעֲמֹד בְּדָבָר רָע  כִּי כָּל-אֲשֶׁר יַחְפֹּץ יַעֲשֶׂה.  ד בַּאֲשֶׁר דְּבַר-מֶלֶךְ שִׁלְטוֹן וּמִי יֹאמַר-לוֹ מַה-תַּעֲשֶׂה.  ה שׁוֹמֵר מִצְוָה לֹא יֵדַע דָּבָר רָע וְעֵת וּמִשְׁפָּט יֵדַע לֵב חָכָם.


4) Vayikra 10:1 - 11

א וַיִּקְחוּ בְנֵי-אַהֲרֹן נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא אִישׁ מַחְתָּתוֹ וַיִּתְּנוּ בָהֵן אֵשׁ וַיָּשִׂימוּ עָלֶיהָ קְטֹרֶת וַיַּקְרִיבוּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֵשׁ זָרָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא צִוָּה אֹתָם.  ב וַתֵּצֵא אֵשׁ מִלִּפְנֵי יְהוָה וַתֹּאכַל אוֹתָם וַיָּמֻתוּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה.  ג וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-אַהֲרֹן הוּא אֲשֶׁר-דִּבֶּר יְהוָה לֵאמֹר בִּקְרֹבַי אֶקָּדֵשׁ וְעַל-פְּנֵי כָל-הָעָם אֶכָּבֵד וַיִּדֹּם אַהֲרֹן....    ו וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-אַהֲרֹן וּלְאֶלְעָזָר וּלְאִיתָמָר בָּנָיו רָאשֵׁיכֶם אַל-תִּפְרָעוּ וּבִגְדֵיכֶם לֹא-תִפְרֹמוּ וְלֹא תָמֻתוּ וְעַל כָּל-הָעֵדָה יִקְצֹף וַאֲחֵיכֶם כָּל-בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל יִבְכּוּ אֶת-הַשְּׂרֵפָה אֲשֶׁר שָׂרַף יְהוָה.  ז וּמִפֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֹא תֵצְאוּ פֶּן-תָּמֻתוּ כִּי-שֶׁמֶן מִשְׁחַת יְהוָה עֲלֵיכֶם וַיַּעֲשׂוּ כִּדְבַר מֹשֶׁה 
{פ}
ח וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל-אַהֲרֹן לֵאמֹר.  ט יַיִן וְשֵׁכָר אַל-תֵּשְׁתְּ אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ אִתָּךְ בְּבֹאֲכֶם אֶל-אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְלֹא תָמֻתוּ  חֻקַּת עוֹלָם לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם.  י וּלְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין הַקֹּדֶשׁ וּבֵין הַחֹל וּבֵין הַטָּמֵא וּבֵין הַטָּהוֹר.  יא וּלְהוֹרֹת אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵת כָּל-הַחֻקִּים אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהוָה אֲלֵיהֶם בְּיַד-מֹשֶׁה. 

Shomer mitzvah lo yeda d'var ra; v'et u'mishpat ye'da lev hacham - He who guards the commandment[s] will not know evil; and time and justice is known by the heart of the wise man (Kohelet 8:5)

Out of all the events recorded during the long journey from Mitzraim to Eretz Yisrael, the deaths of Nadav and Avihu are one of the most emotionally difficult to deal with, particularly from the perspective of Aharon as the Kohen Gadol. Picture the scene: it is the climax of the inauguration of both the Mishkan itself and of Aharon and his sons as the kohanim; G-d’s Presence has finally returned to the midst of B’nei Israel for the first time since the Chet Ha-Egel/Golden Calf incident; and suddenly tragedy strikes as Aharon’s two eldest sons are struck down by the same heavenly fire that has just been a cause for celebration. The hardest part of this is that Aharon and his two remaining sons are forbidden to mourn their own flesh and blood, and must instead continue with their services as the kohanim as if nothing untoward has occurred. Poignantly, in the face of Nadav and Avihu’s death Aharon’s only reaction is therefore his silence.*

The Midrash Tanchuma on parshat Shemini (source 1) attempts to provide some consolation by recasting the seven days which Aharon and his sons waited at the entrance of the Mishkan before the inauguration ceremonies of the eighth day (see source 2) as a ‘shiva’ period of mourning, which was undertaken for Nadav and Avihu before their deaths even took place. According to this midrash, back in parshat Noach G-d Himself mourned for a seven-day period before bringing the destructive waters of the mabul (Flood) upon the earth –so, too, Aharon and his sons mourned for Nadav and Avihu before their deaths. 

We might be tempted to see this as a comfort for Aharon and his remaining sons – after all, even though they were unable to mourn for Nadav and Avihu at the time of their deaths, at least they were able to go through some period of mourning before the deaths themselves. Surely that must be better than nothing, right? Well, not quite - after all, when G-d was mourning before the mabul. He was obviously fully aware of what was about to happen. The same cannot be said of Aharon and his sons (including Nadav and Avihu themselves), who would have had no idea of who or what they were mourning for at the time of their 'shiva' period at the entrance of the Mishkan. How then could this be a meaningful form of consolation for Aharon?

However, while the midrash does conclude by interpreting Aharon's silence as a sign that he has been provided with some 'nechama' or consolation for the deaths of his sons, the mere fact of his following G-d's precedent of sitting shiva in advance of their deaths is not actually the reason for his subsequent consolation. Instead, the midrash bases itself upon the opening verses above from sefer Kohelet as its foundation, arguing that Aharon's (and his sons') exemplify the subject of the adage because 'hayu m'shamrim v'lo yodim al mah m'shamrim' (they kept [G-d's commandment regarding mourning for seven days - derived from 'm'shmeret HaShem' at source 2) above], and did not know what they were keeping). The midrash implies therefore that Aharon, Eliezer and Ithamar should 'know no evil' as a result of their obedience of G-d's commandment.

One might argue that this is not a sufficent explanation - after all, Nadav and Avihu presumably also kept the seven days of mourning for (as it turns out) their own deaths, so why doesn't this obedience-without-understanding also act as a source of protection for them?

In fact we can see this as the key to Nadav and Avihu's deaths and what distinguishes them from the other kohanim. It is true that, when it came to the seven-day period of waiting at the entrance of the Mishkan before the inauguration rituals of the eigth day, all of the kohanim faithfully kept G-d's commandment - 'v'ya'as Aharon u'banav et kol ha'devarim asher tzivah HaShem b'yad Moshe' (see underlined at source 2 above). Furthermore, following the deaths of Nadav and Avihu this obedience on the part of the remaining kohanim continues regarding not leaving the Mishkan to follow the normal mourning rites - v'ya'asu k'dvar Moshe (see underlined at source 4 above). Fatefully, it is precisely when Nadav and Avihu break this pattern of obedience by bringing a fire-offering which they had not been commanded ('asher lo tzivah otam' - also underlined at source 4) that their deaths occur. This therefore accounts for Nadav and Avihu themselves not being 'protected' from G-d's midat ha-din (attribute of strict justice) - this protection ceased the moment they ceased to do exactly as G-d had commanded of them (regardless of whether or not they understood the reason for the command). 

Following the deaths of Nadav and Avihu, G-d Himself speaks directly to Aharon to give him the injunction against the kohanim drinking alcohol before they enter the Mishkan, together with a 'mission statement' for the kohanim which includes teaching the B'nei Israel 'kol hachukim asher diber HaShem aleihem b'yad Moshe' (all the laws [specifically, those for which there is no 'rational' explanation]** which G-d has told to them through Moshe). Given the deaths of Nadav and Avihu for deviating - despite their best intentions - from the strict letter of what they had been commanded regarding the inauguration of the Mishkan, we can perhaps see this 'mission statement' of teaching the people the chukim as both the reason for the kohanim being set the high standards of obedience which Nadav and Avihu failed to reach, and the reward for Aharon and his remaining sons' continuing to obey G-d's command despite witnessing the deaths of their immediate family through divine means.

Shavua tov, v'Yom Ha'atzmaut sameach

RPT

PS I am aware that this is by no means a neat explanation for the deaths of Nadav and Avihu and how Aharon could be said to be consoled for them. While I have not gone into this part of the midrash in great detail, the latter part of the midrash refers to Moshe's misapprehension regarding G-d being 'sanctified' by the death(s) of someone 'close' to Him, and his subsequent comment to Aharon that Nadav and Avihu showed through their deaths that they were 'gedolim' in comparison to Moshe or Aharon themselves - which, the midrash implies, is the direct source of Aharon's comfort. However, given the both above regarding the shomer mitzvah and the implication of the full passage from Kohelet cited at source 3) (that G-d's ultimate power may mean that His decrees could appear to be a source of danger/evil to man) ultimately the justice of the deaths of Nadav and Avihu is something we may never be able to understand unless we are truly the chacham (wise one) referred to in Kohelet...

* Shortly afterwards we do see an oblique reference by Aharon to what has happened in the exhange between Moshe and Aharon over the chatat offering, which Aharon's remaining sons have burnt rather than eaten (thereby apparently going against Moshe's instructions) - see Vayikra 10:16-20. While the midrash doesn't directly address this, I have my own thoughts about what is going on here which iy"h will be returned to on another occasion...

**The Torah and subsequent Rabbinic literature generally uses 'mishpatim' to refer to those laws which could have been arrived at rationally, and which reflect those laws used in non-Jewish jurisdictions for society to be able to function. 'Chukim', by contrast, refers to laws such as kashrut for which there is no apparent rational explanation (and which at times even seem to defy logic), and therefore for which the sole justification is their divine source.