Skip to main content

Seeking Opportunities to Teach - Parashat Bemidbar - May 26, 2017

This week’s parasha, Bemidbar, recalls the death of two of Aharon’s sons, Nadav and Avihu. The Torah says, “and Nadav and Avihu died before Hashem because they brought foreign fire before Hashem in the Sinai desert; and they had no children.”

The context of the incident of Nadav and Avihu is more fully treated in Sefer VaYikra. Moshe communicates Hashem’s command to Aharon and b’nei yisrael to bring ingredients for four different offerings – a chatat, an olah, a shelamim and a mincha – all for the culmination of the inauguration of the mishkan. All of the respective parties brought the proper ingredients to the mishkan in conformity with Hashem’s command. Moshe then gave Hashem’s next command of what to do with these ingredients – the result of which will be G-d’s glory appearing to the nation. Aharon and b’nei yisrael brought their respective offerings in exact conformity with Hashem’s command.

Aharon lifted his hands to the nation and blessed them and then descended from performing these sacrifices. Moshe entered and exited the Tent of Meeting together with Aharon and then blessed the nation – subsequently, G-d’s glory appeared to the nation. Fire descended from before Hashem and consumed all of the sacrifices. The nation praised Hashem and fell on their faces. Immediately following this accounting is the incident of Nadav and Avihu – two of Aharon’s sons who were destroyed while offering a foreign fire that had not been commanded to them.

The Torah twice emphasizes in the first event of the necessity of acting with strict conformity only to that which Hashem commanded. The Torah uses the same language to explain that the cause of Nadav and Avihu’s death was their failure to conform only to what Hashem commanded.

Hashem never commanded Aharon to bless the nation. Instead, Aharon seems to take it upon himself to bless the nation. Why did Aharon not meet the same demise as his sons for his seeming failure to conform only to what he was commanded?

In his Mishneh Torah, the Rambam cites the halacha that the Kohen is not permitted to look at the nation during birkat kohanim lest he lose his focus. Furthermore, the nation should not look at the kohanim lest they lose their focus. The importance of the kohanim not losing their focus is readily understandable, but what does the nation have to focus on?

Sefer HaChinuch explains that birkat kohanim is an opportunity to focus on true ideas about Hashem and the importance of turning our actions towards Him. He explains further that the kohanim do not bless the nation in the sense that they have the power to bless. Only, vesamu et shemi al bnei yisrael, vaani avarechem – and place My name on the People of Israel and I will bless them. Because the kohanim represent the lifestyle of constant service of Hashem, they are conferred with the responsibility of enunciating true ideas about G-d’s Providence. When they hear these ideas coming out of the mouths of these individuals, the nation will be aroused to focus on these ideas and in so doing raise themselves to a level where they deserve Hashem’s blessing. In other words, everyone must concentrate on the ideas contained in these words in order to approach Hashem and benefit from His blessing.

Aharon was authorized to bless the people because Hashem charged the kohanim lesharet u’levarech – to serve and to bless. The blessing of the people by the kohanim concretizes the messages of the service that they do – to teach to the world the ideas of Hashem. An additional service – such as that of Nadav and Avihu – was not authorized. Aharon’s blessing was acceptable to Hashem; the service of Nadav and Avihu was not.

This message applies to each and every one of us. We are a nation of priests. Hashem defines what constitutes a mitzvah – a commanded act. We do not have the right to invent our own service. Hashem does give us the charge, however, to teach and to publicize the ideas of the commandments and the ideas about Hashem. Like the kohanim, we must be on guard constantly for opportunities to teach Torah to others.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Honor and Glory - Parashat Termuah 5780, February 28, 2020

This week’s  parasha , Termuah, and next week’s parasha , Tetzave, introduce Hashem’s command regarding the plans for the  mishkan  and its vessels – including the clothing worn by the  kohanim . One of the vessels that Hashem commands to be built is the  menorah  – the candelabra. The description of the plans for the menorah are described in Parashat Terumah and the description of its service is described in Parashat Tetzave. In Parashat Tetzave, the Torah says, “and they will take for you pure olive oil pressed to be lit to raise an everlasting candle.” Each evening the  kohanim  were obligated to light the candelabra with enough oil to last the night. In the morning, the  kohanim  were obligated to fix and relight the  menorah , as necessary, thus ensuring that the candelabra would constantly be lit. The Rambam – Maimonides – explains, based on a later verse, that the  mitzvah  to light the candelabra in the mishk...

Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow - Rabbi Owen's Operational Dinner Remarks - Monday, September 17, 2018

You may have noticed that we have two new huge street-side banners on White Station Road. One of them says, “Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow”. What do we mean by this? How does learning prepare for leading? The distinctiveness and difference of the Jewish People is a theme that appears regularly and intensely throughout the Yom Kippur prayers. On Yom Kippur afternoon, we read the section of the Torah dealing with immorality. The Torah says, “Do not act in the ways of the land of Egypt in which you lived; and do not act in the ways of the land of Cana’an to which I, Hashem, am taking you – and do not follow their customs. Follow My laws and guard My customs to walk in these ways – I am Hashem your G-d.” The Torah is teaching that Egypt and Cana’an represent spiritually harmful elements of each culture in which the Jewish People will find themselves over the centuries and instructs us to separate from the temptation to assimilate these ideas. The Jewish People dwell alone. Hashe...

Building Appropriate Fences - Parashat Ki Seitzei 5778, August 24, 2018

Among the many mitzvot described in this week’s parasha , Parashat Ki Tetze, is the law of the ma’ake – a fence. “When you build a new house, you shall make a guard rail for your roof, so that you shall not cause blood to be spilled in your house, that the one who falls should fall from it.” In this verse, the Torah commands us to build a fence around any exposed high area, such as a flat roof or deck, that is commonly used by human beings. Viewing this law as a positive commandment, the Rambam teaches that one must make a blessing when constructing a ma’ake . The law of the ma’ake is one of many Torah laws that teach us to protect human life. Positive commandments such as ve’nishmartem me’od et nafshotechem (and you shall greatly guard your physical life) and ve’rapo yerape (and you shall surely heal) reveal the Torah’s appreciation of man’s vulnerability and the lengths that we must go to foster human safety. Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik extends this concept of bui...