Shemini: incomprehensible

Three stories that involve the temple rite introduce the parsha.  The first is the elaborate culmination of the initiation, a spree of animal sacrifices that culminates in the appearance of the Divine spirit.

And Moshe said, This is the thing which the Lrd commanded you to do: and the glory of the Lrd shall appear to you.

Following the instructions leads to the desired result. The people are glorified and uplifted; and the glory of the Lrd is manifest as it desires.

The service is completed, and the text provides a level of detail which assures that all instructions were followed. Finally

And there came a fire out from before the Lrd and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which, when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.

Success!

The very next sentence briefly relates the central event of Leviticus:

וַיִּקְח֣וּ בְנֵֽי־אַ֠הֲרֹ֠ן נָדָ֨ב וַאֲבִיה֜וּא אִ֣ישׁ מַחְתָּת֗וֹ וַיִּתְּנ֤וּ בָהֵן֙ אֵ֔שׁ וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ עָלֶ֖יהָ קְטֹ֑רֶת וַיַּקְרִ֜יבוּ לִפְנֵ֤י י

  ְאֵ֣שׁ זָרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹ֦א צִוָּ֖ה אֹתָֽם

And Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aharon, took each of them his censer, and put fire in it, and put incense on it, and offered strange fire before the Lrd, which He commanded them not.

This is the great fatal error that demonstrated the unforgiving nature of the the wellspring of forgiveness.

וַתֵּ֥צֵא אֵ֛שׁ מִלִּפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה וַתֹּ֣אכַל אוֹתָ֑ם וַיָּמֻ֖תוּ לִפְנֵ֥י יְ

 

And a fire went out from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.

They lit the cigarette on the battlefield and the artillery now had a target. Opening Velcro produced enough sound and light for the North Koreans to take aim and bomb a trench. A small action can have fatal consequences.

This drama establishes important religious principles. (1) People are dealing with an entity that they do not understand. (2) The Divine service is mortally dangerous. (3) The most select are at the highest risk. (4) Deviation from the instructions may be fatal.

Nadav and Avihu, Aaron’s eldest sons, who had previously been selected to ascend, closer to the Divine ( Exodus 24:1):

And he said to Moshe, Come up to the Lrd, thou, and Aharon, Nadav, and Avihu, and seventy of the elders of Yisra᾽el; and bow down afar off.

They seem to have believed that  a spontaneous offering, the creative product of their awe and love, would have gained favor for them ( and possibly the people). This idea was treated as a capital violation of the rules. Their incense was rendered toxic to them. This was a warning.

This is a preface to the key sentence of the parsha. Aaraon and the remaining (previously rejected) sons are told to carry on with the initiation, including the feasts of sacrificial meat. The goat of the sin offering was not eaten as directed! One of the incomprehensible instructions had been violated and Moshe was angry.  But this transgression, which wasted a sanctified goat, and occurred on the day that the violation of strict adherence to the instructions resulted in  death,   was not punished. It was explained:

וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר אַהֲרֹ֜ן אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה הֵ֣ן הַ֠יּ֠וֹם הִקְרִ֨יבוּ אֶת־חַטָּאתָ֤ם וְאֶת־עֹֽלָתָם֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְ

וַתִּקְרֶ֥אנָה אֹתִ֖י כָּאֵ֑לֶּה וְאָכַ֤לְתִּי חַטָּאת֙ הַיּ֔וֹם הַיִּיטַ֖ב בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְ

וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַיִּיטַ֖ב בְּעֵינָֽיו׃ {פ}

And Aharon said to Moshe, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lrd; and such things have befallen me that if I had eaten the sin offering today, should it have been accepted in the sight of the Lrd?

And when Moses heard this, he approved.

This is a critical point. This deviation could be explained and excused.  The Divine entity understands human emotions. The loss of sons and brothers can lead to an insurmountable loss of appetite. Another person would have been astonished to see the bereaved family feasting. This is something Moshe understands; and that deflects the (expected) retribution.

 

So, which way is it?  Does deviation from the rules bring immediate and severe punishment? Was the Holocaust caused by failure to properly observe the anniversary of Ezra’s death on the 10^th of Teveth?

Or does Gd recognize human limitations and can people understand that, under some circumstances, some of the instructions should  be modified.  Eating the chevon (goat meat) while mourning the death of brothers  would not be pleasing to Gd. Rejecting others because of deviations in custom is not the way to preserve the faith.

Honestly, I can see the possibility of differences in Nadav and Avihu’s actions ( the strange fire, the invented service) and those of their  brothers, Elazar and Ithamar ( aborting the New Moon service), but they are speculative. The ambiguity stands. 

Deviation is dangerous. Gd can take the circumstances into account.

Try your best.