Achrei Moath: What did they do wrong?

Achrei Moath: What did they do wrong?

What an introduction to the parsha: "after the death"...As an oncologist, a physician whose patients occasionally die, the phrase, "after the death"  induces a  disturbing range of  questions: what could have been done differently?  Did we miss some way to rescue the patient? What action or what gene caused this?

The detailed description of the Yom Kippur service of atonement is placed in the context of the untimely death of the sons of Aaron. The implication is that something went terribly wrong, some deviation  caused this tragedy. The context emphasizes the danger of this most holy service of expiation, the service that saves all the people from tragedy and death.  The service defuses the bomb of Divine Retribution.  One false move ... and  it blow up  and the hero  dies. 

Whenever someone dies, all the more so when the death is unexpected, there are many questions. Why did this happen to him and not me?  Why won't it happen to me? What action caused the death? What gene? What can I do to avoid the same fate?  There is no real expectation of a satisfactory answer.  The questioning affirms that we are still alive and lets us not dwell on the underlying inevitable. 

This is  Holocaust Remembrance week, the week of the big WHY. Now we deal with the nuclear retribution, the 6 million whys? The parsha , after stating the fact and context of the untimely deaths,   proceeds to technical details of the mystery.  The answer is to go on ... and be more careful.  The question of why  is not openly validated.  The parsha is the Rabbinic answer: we do not understand. I do not think that means that you do not ask, just don't ask anyone else. Don't expect an answer. Just pay attention to the details

 Three chapters ago aron's sons died in an unauthorized service.  Now, after two weeks of leprosy, we are told the details of the service of expiation.  Who knew that