2022/5782
In this week’s Parashah, Parashat Shemini, Nadav and Avihu are killed by a fire from Hashem for bringing a Ketoret in the ּBeit HaMikdash without being commanded: ׳׳ויקחו בני־אהרן נדב ואביהוא איש מחתתו ויתנו בהן אש וישימו עליה קטרת ויקרבו לפני ה’ אש זרה אשר לא צוה אתם: ותצא אש מלפני יהוה ותאכל אותם וימתו לפני ה׳,” “Now Aharon’s sons Nadav and Avihu each took his fire pan, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered before Hashem alien fire, which He had not enjoined upon them. And fire came forth from Hashem and consumed them; thus they died at the instance of Hashem” (VaYikra 10:1-2).
In his Sefer, Shalom Rav, Rav Shalom Rosner says that there must be more to the death of Aharon’s sons than the bringing of Ketoret that they were not commanded to bring; there must have been a bigger Aveirah. Rav Rosner brings three sources to answer his question. The first of these sources comes from Rav Yosef Nechemia Kornitzer. Rav Kornitzer says that in VaYikra Rabbah there are examples of other Averiot that Nadav and Avihu may have committed. These examples include either them not getting married, getting married but not having children, or being too eager to take over for their father and uncle. Rav Kornitzer says that of course Nadav and Avihu were Tzadikim, but how could they not get married or have children?! You can’t decide to not do Mitzvot, especially when you are on the level that they were on!
Rav Kornitzer explains that it must be that Aharon’s sons believed themselves to be on the level that they couldn’t be distracted by marrying or having children because their lives were so enveloped by Torah. The problem with this is that the Ribbono Shel Olam does not want the leaders of Klal Yisrael to adopt such an approach. He wants the leaders of Klal Yisrael to be able to understand and connect to people. Nadav and Avihu thought that as the leaders, they should have been entirely connected to Torah, which caused them to not marry, and think that Moshe and Aharon should not lead Klal Yisrael because while they were connected to the Torah, they also had connections with the people which is a necessity for good leadership.
The second source Rav Rosner presents is the Ketav Sofer. The Ketav Sofer asks how the Aveirot mentioned in VaYikra Rabbah are considered an “Eish Zarah”. He explains that the children of Moshe were not as righteous as Moshe, which Nadav and Avihu interpreted to mean that getting married and having children would lead to their children not being as great as they, because they would be engrossed in their leadership positions and not pay attention to their children. Because of this, they would not marry and have children but rather be one hundred percent committed to their jobs as leaders.
The Ketav Sofer says that this was their biggest mistake; you cannot judge a parent because of their children’s outcome. Moshe Rabbeinu was the greatest leader in Klal Yisrael’s history and for all we know he was the best father as well. As long as the parents Daven, set the right examples, and give each child the attention they need, the parent has done exactly what they need to do and the rest is up to Hashem. This is the “Eish Zarah”, the idea that Nadav and Avihu took matters into their own hands because of what they saw with Moshe, when in reality the turnout of children is ultimately dependent on them.
The final source brought down by Rav Rosner is from the Netziv. The Netziv explains that the “Eish Zarah” was exactly what the words literally translate to: “a strange fire”. Nadav and Avihu had a burning desire to come closer to Hashem. The Ribbono Shel Olam gave us the Torah and Mitzvot, which are not suggestions but rather a guide for how to serve Him. The Ketoret that Nadav and Avihu brought were them trying to do what felt right to them, but wasn’t what they were commanded to do. The only ways can you get closer to Hashem are Torah and Mitzvot, not what you think you should do.
What we can take from this, is that we should focus on what Hashem commanded us, not what we think we should do. We should understand that the Torah is our guidebook and we need to use it to do the Mitzvot and do them the right way.