Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Shmini שמיני – Choke

Parshas Shmini continues the account, that was began in parshas Tsav (Leviticus 8:1), of the formal inauguration of the office of the priests. A calamity occurs when two sons of Aharon, Nadav and Avihu, are burnt to death after offering a “strange fire” (VaYikra 10:1) to Hashem. Rashi brings two reasons for their death. The first is that they made binding decisions about the law in the presence of Moshe and Aharon, thereby subtlety usurping their authority. The second was that they made the fire offering when they were drunk. Never the less this fatal incident creates difficulties because intuitively religion ceremony does not seem to be a hazardous pursuit.

Adding to the difficulty is Moshe rabenu’s order to Aharon and his son’s not to leave the Temple grounds until the conclusion of the ordination lest they die (see VaYikra 8:35). Included in this warning is that they are to keep the charges of Hashem. Even after the deaths of Nadav and Avihu, Moshe again cautions Aharon and his remaining sons repeating the possibility of a fatality. Complicating the issue is the comment of Moshe that the two sons of Aharon who perished were very close to G-d (see VaYikra 10:3 and the comment of Rashi).

It seems that the heights of sanctity are in fact fraught with danger with a definite tendency to choke at a critical moment. In addition the difference between what is holy and what is profane may not be clear at all. This idea is explored in Psalm 78 in which many meanderings are recalled among them that the tribe of Ephraim, who were specifically armed and skilled with a bow, turned away on the day of battle (see Psalm 78:9). Samson Raphael Hirsch notes their military prowess and comments that they did not succumb due to a lack of bravery or ability.  The psalm continues with this theme and gives reasons such as it was generation that was wayward and rebellious. Another is that they would not move from physical lust. There is also a recurring theme of repentance and backsliding. Another concept is the change of leadership from the tribe of Ephraim to the tribe of Judah. The tone is generally optimistic that the house of David will in the end successfully shepherd the nation of Israel in the ways of the faith.

A similar theme occurs in the book of Shmuel. In it the people ask that a king be appointed over them. When Shmuel sees it as a personal rejection, G-d tells him, “it is not you that they have rejected rather it is Me that they have rejected to rule over them”, (1 Samuel 8:7). In any event the nation acknowledges that Shmuel has been a fair judge (ibid 12:5).

Even more extreme is the story of the boiling blood of Zechariah on the floor of the Temple.  When the conqueror presses for an explanation he is told, “We had a prophet who would rebuke us about matters of heaven and we rose up against him and killed him”, (Gittin 57b).

In a similar vein the Haftarah tells the story of how King David transported the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. This endeavor is also marred by a fatality. However, when David Hamelech realizes that the Ark must be carried by hand and not thrown in a wagon, he dances enthusiastically with the procession, jumping and whirling. His wife Michal reproaches him for acting like a fool but David strongly defends himself. The story notes that Michal despised David in her heart and concludes by saying she never had a child until the day of her death, implying that her criticisms were unjustified and that David indeed acted properly (see 1 Samuel 6).


It seems that with holiness there is a tendency for a person to choke. This is particularly true if it is a high kidusha or an advance in kidusha. In situations like this a person may do something distasteful or strange based on a stubborn flaw which should have been uprooted long ago. In addition one may not be able to put their finger on what is wrong even though they know that something is indeed very wrong. The aggrieved party may not be able to explain what the problem was and others may not even be able to see it. However a great offence has been committed.





לע"נ, האמה ,מלכה בת חיים ז"ל נלב"ע ט"ז ניסן תשנ"ח

Acknowledgements to websites: תורת אמת, וויקיטקסט, http://dictionary.reference.com/, http://hebrewbooks.org/,

וגם בדואר אלקטרוני  ניתן באתר http://dyschreiber.blogspot.co.il



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