THE KILLING OF NADAV AND ABIHU
In Parsha
Shemini, Aaron’s two oldest sons, Nadav and Abihu, die at the hand of heaven
when they bring “strange fire” before HaShem (Leviticus 10:1-2). The Sages and commentators offer many reasons
for their death. For example: their
behavior was inappropriate because they were drunk or they did not seek
permission from Moses or that they were in the Holy of Holies, and only the
Kohen Gadol was authorized to enter the Holy of Holies.
I think however
that the responsibility for their death lies in part with their father or
perhaps with their uncle Moses, himself. It all begins in the previous year, eight
months before, in the month of Tammuz with the Sin of the Golden Calf: Moses is away on Mt. Sinai ,
learning Torah from HaShem, and Aaron is in charge. The Israelites become restive; Aaron calms
them down; he makes a golden calf and proclaims the next day as a festival day
(Exodus 32:1-6).
Then early the
next day, a festival day, the people bring Olah and Shlamim offerings to an
altar that Aaron has erected. The Olah is the standard voluntary offering where
the entire animal, except for its skin goes up to HaShem. It is a form of a
gift, a thank you and by doing so, the offeror comes closer to HaShem. The Shlamim is also voluntary, and also has a
thank you connotation, but in this instance it is shared between HaShem, the
priesthood and the offeror. In both of
these offerings there is a prescribed ritual which Aaron’s sons are required to carry out
which means that although Aaron may have made the golden calf, his sons
assisted the populace in giving thanks to it.
HaShem becomes
incensed; he vows to annihilate the entire population except for Moses, but
Moses pleads on behalf of the people and calms HaShem down. However, in the aftermath, the Sons of Levi
by name, and not Aaron and his sons by name, slay three thousand of the
evil-doers. Additionally as a
punishment, HaShem brings a plague against the Israelites. But in no instance
does it appear that Aaron and his sons are held accountable, at least not at
this juncture.
Fast forward
one year later to the 1st of Nissan, the Mishkan has been completed
and ready to be activated as a resting place for HaShem. Aaron and his sons, including Nadav and Abihu
the eldest of them, have been personally trained by Moses as to how to carry
out their duties. Nadav and Abihu are
consumed by a heavenly fire. And the question is…Who is responsible for their
deaths?
The Sages and commentators
place the responsibility on the two brothers themselves. Support for this position can be found in the
narrative of the death of Uzzah (2Samuel 6:3-7). At King David’s direction, Uzzah was helping
to transport the Ark by wagon from his father
AviNadav’s (interesting name) house to Jerusalem ,
and inadvertently grasped the Ark
when it became dislodged. Although Uzzah
intended no disrespect, HaShem struck him and he died. If this could happen to Uzzah because of an
accident, then how much more so Nadav and Abihu because of their deliberate
actions. Although King David, very much
like Moses, was ultimately responsible for the care of the Ark , he like Moses was not punished. However, King David was frightened enough not
to move the Ark
again for another three months.
Notwithstanding
that the Torah does not explicitly hold Aaron, Nadav and Abihu or any of
Aaron’s children responsible for the sin of the golden calf; a case may be made
for doing so. Again, returning by
example to King David in 2 Samuel 12:13-18: David sinned with Batsheva. HaShem through the prophet Nathan called him
to account. David admitted his guilt;
HaShem did not kill him, but the son born to David died seven days after having
been born. It could be that Aaron paid a
similar price.
I think one of
the lessons here is that leadership is an awful responsibility, one not to be
taken lightly, not only for purposes of potential culpability, but because of
possible dire consequences from inadvertent or deliberate errors in judgment.
I’ll leave it
you as to who should take responsibility for the death of Nadav and Abihu. I
myself like happy endings. It could be
as some say: their physical bodies were not up to being in such close proximity
to the Divine Presence, and their spiritual souls just exited their physical
bodies, only to be united with HaShem.
I realize that calling
this essay “THE KILLING OF NADAV AND ABIHU” and not “THE DEATH OF NADAV
AND ABIHU” I am making a statement that their death was a deliberate act and
not an accidental occurrence.
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