Acharei Moth

Acharei Moth-Kedoshim: tradition

 

After the death of the presumptuous sons, the father is instructed on how to approach the sacred.  After the Yom Kippur ritual is described it is alled a Chukath Olam, an eternal ritual, that will outlive Aaron and be passed down to his descendants. וְכִפֶּר הַכֹּהֵן אֲשֶׁר-יִמְשַׁח אֹתוֹ וַאֲשֶׁר יְמַלֵּא אֶת-יָדוֹ לְכַהֵן תַּחַת אָבִיו The Kohen that will replace his father.  The ritual is to be done the same way for generations.  The novel approach of Nadav and Avihu  was fatal

There are then some warnings about bad old rituals. וְלֹא-יִזְבְּחוּ עוֹד אֶת-זִבְחֵיהֶם לַשְּׂעִירִם אֲשֶׁר הֵם זֹנִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם   You shall no longer slaughter to the demons.  Implying that they fromerly did sacrifice to demons. 

כְּמַעֲשֵׂה אֶרֶץ-מִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר יְשַׁבְתֶּם-בָּהּ לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ וּכְמַעֲשֵׂה אֶרֶץ-כְּנַעַן אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מֵבִיא אֶתְכֶם שָׁמָּה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ וּבְחֻקֹּתֵיהֶם לֹא תֵלֵכוּ
Don't do what you saw in Egypt and don't do what you will see in Canaan.  Do not adopt the practices of the place you came from, nor those of the place you are going ( even if your parents didi them)  

 

Kedoshim opens with the essence of tradtion, the reverence of parents and immediately balances it against the Divine law of Shabbath. אִישׁ אִמּוֹ וְאָבִיו תִּירָאוּ וְאֶת-שַׁבְּתֹתַי תִּשְׁמֹרוּ  

 

19:31 says:  אַל-תִּפְנוּ אֶל-הָאֹבֹת וְאֶל-הַיִּדְּעֹנִים אַל-תְּבַקְשׁוּ לְטָמְאָה . Do not turn to the OVoth (Av, father)  or the Yidonim ( the familiar spirit, common knowledge, "everyone knows")  and it is followed by  מִפְּנֵי שֵׂיבָה תָּקוּם וְהָדַרְתָּ פְּנֵי זָקֵן  another appeal to respect tradition.

 

The final portion  of Kedoshim is introduced by: (20:9) כִּי-אִישׁ אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יְקַלֵּל אֶת-אָבִיו וְאֶת-אִמּוֹ מוֹת יוּמָת  אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ קִלֵּל דָּמָיו בּוֹ Returning to the revernce of parents  and it ends with (27)  וְאִישׁ אוֹ-אִשָּׁה כִּי-יִהְיֶה בָהֶם אוֹב אוֹ יִדְּעֹנִי מוֹת יוּמָתוּ בָּאֶבֶן יִרְגְּמוּ אֹתָם דְּמֵיהֶם בָּם. The Ov and Yedoni, the distortions of the "tradition"  that creep in as it is practiced  over the generations.

 

The tension between the tradition that is transmitted by ancestors and the distortion that creeps in through the practical application of the tradition is a theme of the parsha. Distortions occur in both directions.  Perhaps Nadav  and Avihu  were attempting to  improve upon the what was to become the tradition of thier father ... with fatal results.