The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Acharei Mos

The Rebbe says:

1. The first Verse of Parshas Acharei Mos says “Vah’yi’da’bear Hashem El Moshe Acharei Mos Shnei B’nay Aharon B’kar’va’sam Leefnay Hashem Va’ya’moo’soo – And Hashem spoke to Moshe after the death of two sons of Aharon who brought an (unauthorized) offering before Hashem and they died”.

2. The Rebbe now questions the need for the last word in this verse:

Question: If the Verse already told us that Hashem is speaking to Moshe Rabbeinu (Moshe our teacher) after the death of two of Aharons children, why does the Verse conclude by repeating that the 2 children of Aharon died?

3. The Rebbe now asks another question:

The Midrash tells us that the children of Aharon (Nadav and Aviwho) were punished because of 4 things:
1) “They came right in front of me”. Meaning they went into the Kodesh Hakadashim (the Holy of Holies).
2) “They were missing garments”. Meaning they were not wearing the garments that a Kohen (Priest) must wear when he performs the Service.
3) “They didn’t have children”. The law is that a Kohen must have children to be able to perform the Service in the Holy of Holies, and they didn’t have children.
4) “They didn’t have a wife”. The law is that a Kohen must have a wife to perform the Service, and they didn’t have a wife.

Question #2: In the Verse which tells us about the death of Nadav and Aviwho (Aharons two sons) there must be some sort of hint as to why they were killed, so how does the Verse hint to us these 4 reasons why they were killed?

4. The Rebbe now asks a general question:

Question #3: How is it possible that the 2 children of Aharon Hakohen -Nadav and Aviwho- could come to sin? Nadav and Aviwho were on such a special level that Moshe Rabbeinu (their uncle) said of them (to his brother Aharon) “Aharon my brother, I had known that the Temple would be sanctified with those who are loved by Hashem and are intimate with Him, and I thought that this would be me or you, but now I see that they (Nadav and Aviwho) are greater then you and I”(see Rashi to Verse 3, Chapter 10, Leviticus)! So if they were so special that they were greater then Moshe Rabeinu and Aharon Hakohen, how could they come to sin (and die for it)??

4. The Rebbe now explains how Chassidus looks at the sin of Nadav and Aviwho:

Chassidus explains that the sin of Nadav and Aviwho was not just a simple case of someone sinning against Hashem (Heaven Forbid).

Their sin was this: They hoped that their very strong connection to Hashem would eventually lead to their Souls leaving their bodies and becoming one with Hashem.
And this is the meaning of the words (in our Verse here) “B’kar’va’sam Leefnay Hashem Va’ya’moo’soo” which we explained to simply mean “they brought an offering before Hashem and they died”: The word “B’kar’va’sam” also means “they came close”, so the Verse is saying “Because they came so close to Hashem it brought to their death”.

Q: Why is this a sin? What is wrong with them wanting to leave this world and be one with Hashem?
A: Our Sages tell us that “we live against our will” (see Pirkei Avos at the end of Chapter 4). This means that even though we would love to leave this world with all its tests and battles and cleave to Hashem, we must stay down here in this world because Hashem wants it this way. Hashem desired a dwelling place in this physical world and we must fulfill his desire (see Midrash Tanchuma, Parshas Nasso, 16).

5. The Rebbe now explains how we have the answer to our first and third questions:

Answer to our third question: Nadav and Aviwho were definitely very close to Hashem and very dear to Hashem, but they thought that the ultimate service to Hashem is to become one with Him and leave this corse physical reality. But this is not what Hashem wanted, Hashem wanted them to stay here and make a dwelling place for Him in this world specifically.

Answer to our first question: The Verse repeats the word “Va’ya’moo’soo – and they died” to explain why the two sons of Aharon died: Since the sons of Aharon came close to Hashem without realizing that they must stay here in this physical world (“B’kar’va’sam Leefnay Hashem Va’ya’moo’soo – they came close to Hashem hoping to become one with him”) they were killed.

6. The Rebbe now explains how we have an answer to our second question (how we see in our Verse the 4 reasons that the Midrash gave for their death):

The common denominator of all the 4 reasons is that they served Hashem by trying to leave this physical world. How do we see this?:

The first reason that the Midrash said was “They came right in front of me”. Meaning: They went higher and higher until they were right in front of me without thinking of going back.

The second reason was “They were missing garments”. Meaning: We know that fulfilling Mitzvos (commandments of Hashem) gives the person “garments” of Holiness, every time a Jew does a Mitzvah Hashem’s light covers over him (see Tanya, Chapter 5). So when the Midrash says that Nadav and Aviwho were “missing garments” it is saying that they did not care to fulfill the commandments of Hashem which are done with physical things.

The third reason was “They didn’t have children” and the fourth reason was “They didn’t have a wife”. Meaning: They did not bother with the commandment of “be fruitful and multiply” to bring down souls into bodies. Their whole service to Hashem was in a way of leaving the body, definitely not to bring more Souls into bodies.

Now since all these 4 reasons are (in a deeper sense) referring to the Service of trying to leave this physical world, it is hinted at in the Verse when the Verse says “B’kar’va’sam Leefnay Hashem Va’ya’moo’soo – they came close to Hashem in the hopes of becoming one with Him and they died”.

7. The lesson for each of us in our lives:

“We live against our will”. Some times we may feel that we would much rather be enjoying Hashem and basking in His infinite light instead of dealing with the hustle bustle of the physical world. But the Torah tells us that what Hashem wants even more then our desire to become one with Him is to make a dwelling place for him in this physical world.

Translated and adapted by Rabbi Shalom Goldberg. Taken from Likutei Sichos Chelek Gimmel.