Parshat Shemini - Parah

Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz was one of the most influential Roshei Yehsiva of our time. He was Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Mir, Yerushalayim.  At his Levaya, one of the great Maggidei Shiur of the Mirrer Yeshiva, Rav Nachum Partzovitz spoke.  He asked an interesting question: When Moshe and Aharon passed away the Jewish people mourned for thirty days.  That is the length of the mourning period observed by the family of any Jew who passes away and for Klal Yisrael upon the loss of a great Torah scholar. The only exception is in the case of the passing of one's mother or father for whom an extended twelve month period obtains. Aveilut is for thirty days. That is because, in nature, renewal requires a minimum of a Chodesh, a period of one month. However, in the case of Nadav and Avihu the period of mourning seems to be much, much longer; we are told to continue to mourn their deaths to this day.  "Va'acheichem Kol Beit Yisrael Yivku Et Haserefah Asher Saraf Hashem." "Beit Yisrael" is not the same as "Bnei Yisrael".  If the Passuk had said "Bnei Yisrael Yivku." it would mean that the Jews of that generation alone would cry for Nadav and Avihu.  In fact, however, the Passuk says "Kol Beit Yisrael Yivku." "All the House of Israel" - the Jewish people for all time - will weep because of the death of Nadav and Avihu. It means us as well.

What is it about the tragic death of Nadav and Avihu that warrants, even demands, our crying for their passing, to this day?

Examining the debacle of their failed attempt at offering burnt incense in the Mishkan, we note that the Torah describes their guilt as having approached with a foreign, undesirable fire. ".Vayakrivu Lifnei Hashem Esh Zarah." The Ramban notes that the Passuk begins by saying that they each took fire in their respective coal pans. Then the Torah says, "Vayasimu Ale`hah Ketoret." The Torah says they put incense "Ale`hah" which means "on it" - "it" being in the singular - implying that they used only one coal pan. Why does the Torah differ from the earlier description of each of them having his own coal pan in hand? Obviously, the word "Ale`hah" is not referring to a coal pan. It is referring to the fire. The focus of the Passuk is on exactly what it was that they were so mistaken with. Their offering was made on the golden Mizbeach Haketoret where incense was indeed supposed to be offered. Nadav and Avihu's error was that they took fire that had no origin in the Mishkan and attempted to burn incense with that fire - their own fire. The fire for the burning of Ketoret is intended to come from the Mizbeach Hachitzon. To bring Ketoret using their own source of fire was totally unacceptable. 

Why is such severe guilt attached to the use of one's own private flame for the offering of service to Hashem? 

Fire represents the energy and the zeal to approach and to serve the Divine. This ingredient of passion and desire to worship is most essential. The correct and desirable flame within the heart of a Jew is a flame that must derive from the one, correct, original source. It is a source connected with Hashem Himself and deriving from His desire that we serve Him. Therefore, the fire used to serve Him must be His, not humanly construed, not deemed fit by our judgment alone. It is to be a fire designed by God, not humanly composed or ordained. 

The fire of devotion, the energetic enthusiasm toward the service of Hashem must always have its source in the fire that burned on the Mizbeach Hachitzon. While we no longer have a Mishkan or Mikdash in which to perform Avodah, we still have many ways of serving Hashem. Our goal should be to live a life of service to Him. In such a life, the tasks of Mitzvah are our daily offerings and they derive from the energy and burning desire to approach Hakadosh Baruch Hu (as best we can) in the way that He wishes us to approach Him. The inspiration and human drive to serve Him need to emanate from the fire that yet burns within us with the flames of the Mizbeach of the ancient Mikdash at their core. If the energy and the excitement with which we wish to serve God are not true to the tradition of our people then the offering is not valid; it is undesirable to Heaven, even to the point of being destructive. 

Over the past few centuries we have seen numerous efforts to innovate and change the ways Jews might wish to serve Hakadosh Baruch Hu. The sources of much of the inspiration for these changes were not from within the tradition of our people - meaning, the energy for these offerings was not true to the flame that once burned on our Mizbeach in the Mishkan and Mikdash. Changes to the liturgy were just the beginning. Continuing with the introduction of organ music and prayer in the vernacular, the reforms to Jewish service of God eventually brought about the stripping away of the Mitzvot entirely. Rampant intermarriage followed. Redefinition of "who is a Jew" has left us a nation that can't accurately include many of their number in our midst. The loss of generations of children - what has been described as a spiritual Holocaust - has ensued. 

This is a true Serefah that has resulted from the very same kind of error that was made by Nadav and Avihu. Perhaps it is this ongoing tragedy that the Torah asks us to mourn. The sad death of Nadav and Avihu reminds us of the need to remain true to our original source of religious direction and religious inspiration. The fire of the Torah from Sinai and the energy of the Divine with which Avodat Hamishkan was initiated remain for us, today, the only valid sources from which to draw our plan and direction for Avodat Hashem. Surely there is a great need for freshness and excitement toward the opportunities to live a life of Mitzvah. We must never allow the path of Mitzvah to becoming stale and uninspiring. New ideas and Chidush - constant renewal is key to succeeding in true devotion to Hashem. However, the spark used to ignite new efforts and new initiatives must have its origins in the flame that yet burns on the Mizbeach; a flame within the true Nefesh Hayehudi that we take with us from generation to generation.

Shavua Tov.

Moshe Teitelbaum