Friends
Parshas Shemini
Posted on March 28, 2019 (5779) By Rabbi Pinchas
Avruch | Series: Kol
HaKollel | Level: Beginner
“The sons of Aaron, Nadav
and Avihu, each took his fire pan, they put fire in them and placed incense
upon it; and they brought before G-d an alien fire that He had not commanded
them. A fire came forth from before G-d and consumed them, and they died before
G-d.”
(Vayikra/Leviticus 10:1-2)
At this moment of great intimacy between G-d and the Jewish Nation, they were,
Rashbam (1) explains, motivated to bring the daily incense that Moshe had not
yet told anyone to bring. They were unaware that Moshe was waiting for a
Heavenly Fire to descend and consume the incense, to have an even greater
sanctification of the Divine Name. How could two so righteous individuals
have made such a tragic miscalculation?
The Medrash Yalkut Shimoni
(#524) expounds that “each took his fire pan” indicates that each took his on
his own without consulting one another. Each thought they were fulfilling G-d’s
will with this bold step. As people of great spiritual measure – as Moshe
consoled his brother, “Of this did G-d speak, saying ‘I will be sanctified by
those nearest to me…'” (v.3) – they must have given the act great forethought. How
would consultation have altered the result? After great contemplation they both
came to the same conclusion that it was a great act of piety to bring this
alien fire. Would not that conclusion have been further solidified had they
consulted with one another?
Rabbi Alter Henach
Leibowitz (2) explains that the give and take of conversation is not merely an
opportunity to confirm previously determined rationales. Rather, the reduction
of thoughts and emotions to clear, concise expressions and the verbalization of
one’s reasoning and justification compels one to delve deeper into the issue
until he discovers the core truth.
Indeed, Pirkei Avos
(Ethics of the Fathers, 6:6) states that one of the forty-eight essential
qualities for acquisition of Torah is “friends attentive to detail”. Generally,
this is thought of as referring to friends who will correct errors. But from
our situation, concludes Rabbi Leibowitz, we comprehend another facet. When one
has a friend with whom he can share and discuss his thoughts, the friend’s
attention to detail will oblige the speaker to clarify the issues and arrive at
the truth.
Have a Good Shabbos!
Inner
Peace
Parshas Shemini
Posted on April 11, 2018 (5778) By Rabbi
Mordechai Kamenetzky | Series: Drasha | Level: Beginner
At
the most importune time in the history of a fledgling nation, tragedy strikes.
On the eighth day of the inaugural ceremonies for the Mishkan, in a terribly
marring scenario, the Torah tells us that “the sons of Aaron, Nadav and Avihu,
each took his fire pan, they put fire in them and placed incense upon it; and
they brought before Hashem an alien fire that He had not commanded them to
bring.” Immediately, “a fire came forth from before Hashem and consumed them,
and they died before Hashem” (Leviticus 10:1-2).
In the next verse, Moshe consoled his brother with words that may
not have appeased lesser mortals, “of this did Hashem speak, saying ‘I will be
sanctified through those who are nearest Me, thus I will be honored before the
entire people.” Ahron understood the true meaning, implications, and essence of
the message; and the Torah tells us “vayidon Ahron,” “and Ahron was silent.”
The Torah uses words more powerful than Ahron was quieted. It tells us he was.
The
Hebrew word dohme has the same association as dohmaim, an inanimate object.
That is how Ahron is described after hearing Moshe’s words: totally subdued and
content. Rashi tells us that in the merit of Ahron’s subjugation and total
subservience to Hashem’s decree, he merited to hear a Kohanic law, alone,
directly from the Almighty, a route that normally precluded him or at best had
him included as secondary to Moshe. The law bestowed on Ahron concerned the
prohibition of kohanim in drinking intoxicating beverages before serving in the
sanctuary. The Torah tells us, “Do not drink intoxicating wine, you and your
sons with you, when you come to the Tent of Meeting, that you not die — this is
an eternal decree for your generations” (Leviticus 10:9).Torah principles
usually correlate the reward with the act that merited it. What, then, is
the connection between Ahron’s silence in response to tragedy and his being the
sole student of the Heavenly ordinance against Divine service under the
influence?
Why did
the meritorious acceptance of the Almighty decree prompt a private transmission
of the laws against priestly intoxication?
Bill, and his friend were having too much to drink, when they
collapsed in a stupor. Bill managed to fall on dry ground, while his friend had
collapsed in the mud.
When Bill awoke and saw his friend he thought that he, too, suffered
the same filthy fate. Leaving his friend asleep in the grime, he stumbled
toward town, looking for a bucket of water to wash himself. In the dark of
night he found a bucket, brimming with liquid and sitting in front of the local
hardware store.
Bill thought it was filled with water. It was not. It was filled
with whitewash.
Intending to wash himself with it, he poured the contents over his
body, and scrubbed thoroughly. Satisfied, Bill drifted toward a grocery for
something more to drink.
Upon seeing the awful spectacle, the proprietor gasped, “Why, Bill,
what in Heaven’s name is the matter?”
To which Bill proudly proclaimed, “You should have seen me before I
washed myself!”
In order to understand the correlation between the prohibition of drunken
service and Ahron’s stoic acceptance of Hashem’s decree, one must appreciate
that a Kohen would, in his mind, drink to elevate his spirit, albeit
artificially, and thus his service. As one who accepts
Hashem’s decree, with no cry or outside manipulation, Ahron HaKohen showed that
he understood that there is no artificial source for lifting spirits or
understanding G-d. Peace and strength come from within the soul and spirit of
those who service Him. When one is content with his perfect relation with
Hashem, when he realizes that though he may have fallen he has the innate
capacity to rebound, he needs no stimuli.
Acceptance of a decree with no complaints is a recognition that
the spirit, form, and embodiment, of a mortal being is completely subservient
to the force of Hashem, content with his total situation with no need for
outside dispensation, compensation, declarations, or mollifications. He is one
with his Creator and His will.
When one looks for outside stimulants, even in the service of
Hashem, he looks for more than is necessary to fulfill his mission. He is
bathing himself in what he thinks is cleanser, but it is not. It will
unnecessarily alter the perfect facilities that Hashem gave him, and that is no
benefit, it is rather even harmful. When entering the perfect service of
Hashem, one must be perfect with one’s self. Those who can accept Hashem’s
decrees in perfect harmony and live with whatever Hashem has bestowed upon them
need no stimulants. Outside intoxicants don’t clean the mind; they add
confusion. And those who live in holy partnership of their pure selves and the
joy of the Almighty, are worthy of carrying the banner of understanding,
silence, solitude, and perfect unadulterated serenity.
Good
Shabbos ©2000 Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky
Dedicated
in honor of the Parkoff Family by the Finkelstein Family
