Shemini – Page 14 – Peninim on the Torah

“And it was on the eighth day, Moshe summoned Aharon and his sons.” (9:1)

Horav E. Munk, z.l., poignantly explains the significance of that glorious day, the eighth day of the inauguration services. It was Rosh Chodesh Nissan, the day the Mishkan was erected, a day crowned with ten crowns of distinction. On this particular day, Klal Yisrael was to attain an unprecedented level of communion with the Divine Presence. Moshe, however, knew that this exalted state of intimacy would require strict discipline from every member of the nation, especially its leadership. The slightest act of desecration would be punished, even if it were committed by those who were closest to Hashem. The Mishkan…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5753

“And there came forth a fire from before Hashem and devoured them (Nadav and Avihu).” (10:2)

The Midrash explains that the death penalty had previously been decreed against Nadav and Avihu at the time of Matan Torah. At that time, Nadav and Avihu, together with the elders, ascended Har Sinai to receive the revelation of the Shechinah. Upon experiencing this unique revelation, however, they derived personal pleasure from it and did not respond with proper reverence. They were all judged to be guilty by Hashem. Hashem refrained from meting out their punishment immediately. One reason suggested is that Hashem bestows prophecy only on one who is happy and at peace. Had a national tragedy such as…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5753

“And the sons of Aharon, Nadav and Avihu, took… and they brought before Hashem an alien fire that He had not commanded them.” (10:2,3)

The catastrophe which befell Nadav and Avihu is one of the great tragedies of the Torah. It begs for explanation. Each in his own way, the various commentators offer an orientation for understanding their sin and its ensuing punishment. Horav S.R. Hirsch, z.l., suggests that they had acted on impulse, in an outburst of enthusiasm. This impassioned act of pride in approaching the altar proved fatal to them. Joyful emotions, regardless of their sincerity, may not be used to serve as a pretext to break the discipline established by law. Alteration of Hashem’s law cannot be tolerated, especially on the…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5753

“Any earthenware utensil into whose interior one of them will fall everything within it shall become contaminated and you shall break it.” (11:33)

An earthenware vessel can contract impurity only through internal ritually unclean contact. Horav E. Munk, z.l,. cites Rav Mendel Mi’kotzk who distinguishes between a metallic vessel, whose intrinsic value is based upon the metal from which it is made, and an earthenware vessel, whose value is based upon what it contains. This is the reason that an earthenware vessel is contaminated only from the inside and cannot be purified by immersion in a mikveh, as a metallic vessel can. Consequently, an earthenware vessel which has become tamei, ritually contaminated, must be broken. The vessel is like a man formed from…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5752

“And Moshe and Aharon went into the Ohel Moed and came out and blessed the people. And the glory of Hashem appeared unto all the people.” (9:23)

Rashi cites the Safra who gives the following reason for Moshe’s accompanying Aharon into the Ohel Moed. Aharon noted that all the sacrifices had been offered and all the services had been performed. He was grieved that the Divine Presence had not yet come down to Klal Yisrael. He blamed himself for Hashem’s apparent rejection of the Jewish people’s offerings and supplications. He even felt that Moshe had put him to shame by asking him to enter the Ohel Moed alone. Therefore, Moshe immediately entered with Aharon, and together they entreated Hashem for mercy. This act of cooperation caused the…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5752

“And the sons of Aharon, Nadav and Avihhu, each took his own incense-pan… and they offered before Hashem strange fire… and then a fire came out from Hashem’s Presence and consumed them.” (10:1-2)

Rashi cites one reason for the death of Aharon’s sons to be their decision to voice halachic rulings in the presence of their teacher, Moshe. The Talmud (Eiruvin 63a) explains that they asserted the halacha about placing wood shavings on the Altar, despite the fire’s miraculous descent from heaven. The Talmud confirms that the act of rendering halachic decisions in front of one’s Rebbe is punishable by death. To illustrate this point, the Talmud quotes a story concerning a student of Rabbi Eliezer who rendered a decision in his Rebbe’s presence. Rabbi Eliezer mentioned to his wife that the student…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5752

“And Aharon was silent.” (10:3)

Rashi explains that Aharon received a reward for his silence while accepting Hashem’s judgment. He merited that the divine word regarding the prohibition of drinking intoxicants prior to performing the priestly service was addressed especially to him. The selection of this particular edict seems peculiar. Obviously, it conveys a definite message to be applied to our daily life. The Ateres Mordechai suggests that the prohibition regarding abstinence from wine and spirits may be analogously applied to another form of intoxication – namely, life’s occurrences. Various life contents such as wealth and poverty, health and sickness, success and failure, can…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5752

“Do not make your souls into an abomination through any creeping thing that creeps, and do not make yourselves unclean through them, so that you become completely ruined by them.” (11:43)

Horav Shimshon Rephael Hirsch Z”l notes that in this posuk the Torah implies two different forms of moral degradation in conjunction with eating prohibited food. “ofh,apb ,t umea, kt” – the term sheketz is used exclusively in reference to spiritual and mental abominations, particularly referring to idol-worship (ubmea, .ea) to describe the extent to which we should go to reject idolatry and all related concepts. These areas are antithetical to our spiritual and moral well-being. Similarly, when the eating of a food is described as sheketz, we infer that consuming the food is diametrically opposed to the development of our…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5751

“And Moshe said to Aharon this is that which Hashem spoke saying “Through them who are close to Me I will become sanctified.” (10:3)

Rashi explains: Moshe said to Aharon – my brother, I have known that the House would be sanctified by those beloved by Hashem and I thought it would either be by myself or you – now I see that they are greater than you or I. Moshe’s statement regarding Hashem’s choice for sanctifying His Name does not seem consistent with the characterization of Moshe as “and the man Moshe was very meek above all the men that were upon the face of the earth.” (Bamidbar 12:3) How could one who has mastered his personality to the extent that he serves…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5751

“But this is what you may not eat from among those that chew their cud or that have split hoofs.” (11:4)

The Torah enjoins us not to eat those animals which, though they possess one of the required characteristics of purity, lack the second. The Torah enumerates four such animals, namely the camel, rabbit, hare, and the pig. It is noteworthy that when the Torah mentions these non-kosher animals, it chooses to mention the animal’s kosher characteristic prior to stating its non-kosher characteristic. There is an important lesson to be derived from this. When a non-kosher animal maintains a kosher characteristic, this is to be considered a sign of uncleanliness and contamination. In order to explain this statement, let us reflect…

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“And it was on the eighth day, Moshe summoned Aharon and his sons.” (9:1)

“And there came forth a fire from before Hashem and devoured them (Nadav and Avihu).” (10:2)

“And the sons of Aharon, Nadav and Avihu, took… and they brought before Hashem an alien fire that He had not commanded them.” (10:2,3)

“Any earthenware utensil into whose interior one of them will fall everything within it shall become contaminated and you shall break it.” (11:33)

“And Moshe and Aharon went into the Ohel Moed and came out and blessed the people. And the glory of Hashem appeared unto all the people.” (9:23)

“And the sons of Aharon, Nadav and Avihhu, each took his own incense-pan… and they offered before Hashem strange fire… and then a fire came out from Hashem’s Presence and consumed them.” (10:1-2)

“And Aharon was silent.” (10:3)

“Do not make your souls into an abomination through any creeping thing that creeps, and do not make yourselves unclean through them, so that you become completely ruined by them.” (11:43)

“And Moshe said to Aharon this is that which Hashem spoke saying “Through them who are close to Me I will become sanctified.” (10:3)

“But this is what you may not eat from among those that chew their cud or that have split hoofs.” (11:4)

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