There is a time and place for everything

Every week I get a Dvar Torah from my Alma mater, OJ. While reading this weeks newsletter I happened upon a beautiful Dvar Torah based off of the words "Vayidom Aron".

By R' Dovid Schechter (Yeshivas Ohr Yerushalayim)

"Vayidom Aharon" and Aharon was silent. The midrash asks "What could he have said? and responds he could have said 'ubayom hashmini yimol b'sar orlaso' (and on the eighth day circumcise his foreskin)".
The 'Yalkut Sofer' explains this seemingly unexplainable midrash; just like we are born uncircumcised because Hashem wants our action in fullfiling the mitzvah of milah, maybe it should be better to bring a fire that a person lit to the mizbei'ach and not wait for the G-d given fire. Aharon could have said a sevara based on the mitzvah of milah to show the innocence of Nadav and Avihu who wanted to fullfil the mizvah of bringing the fire on their own. Aharon chose instead silence.

*I also saw this in the Sefer Shallal Rav, it was quoted in the name of Yisuos Malko.

The Yishuos Malko says on this same midrash that Aron's response would have been viable after the Mishkan was inaugurated. On the day of its inauguration however, which carries with it the same happiness that came with the creation of the heavens and the earth, there is no reason for one to bring of the hediot (like what we do at a bris), therefore making their offering a "foreign fire, in which G-d did not command". There is a time and place for everything.

Parshas Shemini - "It Can't Hurt To Take A Closer Look"

Vayikra 11:4 “But this is what you shall not eat form among those that bring their cud or that have split hooves: the camel , for it brings up its cud, but its hoof is not split – it is clean to you;”

The famous Rav Yeruchem of the Mir Yeshiva says that one should not think that the signs of a kosher and non-kosher animal are arbitrary or that they are merely external. The fact that the animal is not kosher, that itself CAUSES the external signs to be present. The fact that an animal is not kosher, that itself is the cause of the signs. And, we see that if even one non-kosher sign is present, even though in its other signs the animal seems to be kosher, the animal is NOT kosher. Says Rav Yeruchem: wherever there is lack of purity, you will see the signs! Whenever something not kosher is present, even in only one small aspect, you will see the signs!

*From Rav Asher Balanson Shlit”a (Also can be found on RavBalanson.com)

Vayikra 10:6 “… your brethren the entire House of Israel shall bewail the fire that Hashem ignited”

In his hesped for the Vilna Gaon, Rav Binyamin Wolf Lau explained the above pasuk by first explaining another pasuk from Parsha Ekev (Devarim 8:5) “…Just as a father will chastise his son, so Hashem, your G-d, chastises you.” The meforshim on this pasuk explain that it is the nature of a father not to have his child punished by someone else (lest he overpunish him and hurt his dear child). Therefore the father insists that he be the one who punishes his child.

We see this same thing by the death of wicked people, which is carried out by the malach hamaves (angel of death) who is a messenger. By the death of tzaddikim however, their deaths are carried out by Hakadosh Baruch Hu himself. We see this very clearly from the death of Moshe Rabbeinu who died with a kiss.

Hopefully we can now somewhat get a picture of what types of people Nadav and Avihu were. They were so great that the entire nation of Israel broke out into tears over the “burning that Hashem burnt”. This means to say that Nadav and Avihu were of such a high stature that their father, hakadosh Baruch hu wanted to deliver their deaths himself. This was a direct sign for all of Klal Yisrael that although they had brought a ‘foreign fire’, they were still nevertheless still held in the highest regard by Hashem. Which is why Moshe told Aron, “They are greater than both you and I.”

Sometimes we are too quick to judge, we look at people like Nadav and Avihu and we assume that because they went against the rules and were punished for them, they must be bad people (like the miraglim). After flipping around the situation and looking at it from a different perspective it turns out that these people were holier than the average man, and thus deserve recognition for their avoda.

It can’t hurt to take another look…

HAVE A FANTASTIC SHABBOS!!!

Aaron's Clean Hands

Vayikra 9:22 "Aaron raised his hands toward the people and blessed them..."

It seems that there is special meaning behind this pasuk. Did Aaron arbitrarily decide that he wanted to bless Klal Yisrael? Was there any specific reason for it?

We see in Tractate Brachos (32b) "any Kohen who kills a person can not [duchan] raise his hands". Furthermore we know that Aaron took part in the golden calf, which caused many people from Klal Yisrael to die. How could he duchan afterwards?

One can answer that becuase it was an Ones, Aaron could not be held accountable for his actions for he feared that the idolators would have killed him like they did to Chur. Therefore Aaron was allowed to Duchan.

Rebbi Yosef Schwartz says that this is the reason for this pasuk. "Aaron raised his hands" to show Klal Yisrael that his hands were clean from murder, and that he was fully able to bless them through Bircas Kohanim.