This week’s Sedra starts out as a seemingly ordinary Sedra, but rapidly becomes almost incomprehensible. Hashem commands Aharon as to the inaugural Korbanos he and his sons were to bring.  Aharon and his sons do as Hashem instructed them. The Avoda was performed magnificently and it caused visible Hashraas Hashechina. Klal-Yisroel was filled with awe by the grand Divine Revelation brought about through the great Avoda of the Kohanim. However, in the midst of this spectacular awesome moment the Torah tells us that Nadav and Avihu, two of Ahoron’s sons brought an אש זרה – “a foreign fire”. The entire incident – not just the fact that the exact meaning of an אש זרה remains a mystery – is puzzling.  The Commentators’ grappling with this episode leaves us with many questions.

Particularly troublesome here is the apparent departure from what we know as the traditional practice with regard to mourning: the petirah (death) of a person usually necessitates mourning by the immediate family and the immediate family alone. Here however, Aharon and his remaining sons were forbidden to mourn the sudden loss of their close ones, while the rest of Am-Yisroel was instructed to mourn their loss. What was it about the petira of these two Holy Kohanim that fostered this unusual division of mourning?

The Medrash Tanchuma offers the following interpretation: the Torah tells us that Hashem had instructed Aharon and his sons to stay in the Mishkan for Seven days. During these days neither Aharon HaCohen nor his sons did the Avoda. It was Moshe Rabeinu who performed it.  Aharon and his sons were nonetheless instructed by Hashem not to even cross the threshold of the Mishkan. The Medrash Tanchuma then informs us that this was so to speak the Shiva for Aharon’s sons – Nadav and Avihu. The Medrash further explains that this is the meaning of the Passuk שומר מצוה לא ידע דבר רע – the keeper of a Mitzva knows no bad. The Medrash explains that since Aharon Hacohen had followed Hashem’s directive and sat Shiva (or at least followed Hashem’s directive to not move for seven days similar to sitting Shiva) for no apparent reason he didn’t suffer any pain after their Petira and therefore he did not need to sit Shiva afterward. That sitting Shiva beforehand enabled him to understand Moshe Rabeinu’s comforting words that they died because Hashem wished to sanctify Himself through taking His holy ones.

While this Medrash does in a way tell us why Aharon and his sons didn’t have to sit Shiva, it leaves us clueless as to the reason for it.

How does sitting Shiva beforehand make someone feel better afterward? How does listening to Hashem facilitate being comforted by hearing that their Petira was al Kiddush Hashem?

Aharon and his sons subjugated themselves to Retzon Hashem. Hashem told them to confine themselves to the Mishkan for seven days not in order to perform sacrificial ceremonies, not for any stated reason.  Hashem simply instructed them to stay there – period.  Aharon and his sons did so without wavering. Aharon and his sons understood that Darchei Hashem aren’t necessarily easily understood, but that one must conform to Hashem’s every word just because Hashem wishes it. The Medrash seems to be implying that this approach allows for a greater understanding in Darchei Hashem. When we realize that we may not always understand Hashem’s ways, but that Hashem’s Way and Will is the right and only way, we are thus creating the correct frame of mind to actually understand Retzon Hashem.

Usually one who suffers the loss of a loved one requires time to reflect upon the loss in order to obtain sufficient comfort to be able to continue with life – hence the usual Shiva period of mourning. However, if prior to any such suffering one is already able to reflect upon his lack of understanding of Hashem’s workings that person allows himself the ability to somehow understand things sufficiently to be comfortable with — or at the very least accepting of – Divine Will even if the manifestation of that Will is seemingly painful.

If we subjugate ourselves to Hashem’s Torah and Mitzvos we elevate ourselves to a new level of understanding that there is no bad and thus we will know no bad.

A very warm Good Shabbos, Rabbi Y. Dov Krakowski