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MELECH YISRAEL OF TORONTO
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CONGREGATION
MELECH YISRAEL OF TORONTO |
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I have commented on this portion of Scripture from Parasha Shemini before. However, when reading it again this year I saw it in a whole new way. This time Parasha Shemini showed me the extent of the mercy of G-d and the inflexibility of man. It also showed me how easily one can go from relationship to religion in their service towards G-d. Nadab and Abihu disobeyed G-d! But worse than that they dishonoured G-d, thereby they deserved the punishment they received. The implication in Scripture, concerning what they did wrong, points to them having entered into the presence of HaShem while intoxicated. That is why, I believe, HaShem spoke these words directly to Aharon and not through Moshe as He normally did. Vayikra {10:8} HaShem spoke to Aharon, saying, {10:9} Drink no wine nor strong drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the Ohel Moed (Tent of Meeting), that you do not die: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations: As rebellious as Nadab and Abihu were (and they were rebellious), they were still Aharon’s sons, his children, his flesh and blood. He watched them being born, he named them on the eighth day while they were being brit milah (circumcised). He raised them to be the young men they had become. Raising children is not an easy task; yet, nowhere in Scripture do we read of Aharon denying that G-d’s judgement was just. Nowhere in Scripture do we read that Aharon accused G-d of being hardhearted or cruel; nowhere! Aharon accepted G-d’s judgement, as I pray I would if I ever found myself in a similar situation. Vayikra {10:6} Moshe said to Aharon, and to El'azar and to Ithamar, his sons, Do not let the hair of your heads go loose, neither tear your clothes; that you do not die, and that he not be angry with all the congregation: but let your brothers, the whole house of Yisrael, bewail the burning which HaShem has kindled. I can understand why Moshe gave his brother Aharon these instructions; after all they are specific commandments of G-d. HaShem had a plan, and that plan was the inauguration of the service of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) at that particular time. Aharon and his son’s had been made tahor (ritually clean) and any deviation in anyway at that point would have exposed them to uncleanness and would have made them tamei (ritually unclean). That would have meant the inauguration of the Mishkan service could not go on as predetermined by G-d. Aharon and his remaining sons had to remain tahor, for the following reason: Vayikra {10:10} and that you may make a distinction between the kadosh (set apart/holy) and the common, and between the tamei and the tahor (ritually unclean); {10:11} and that you may teach bnei Yisrael all the statutes which HaShem has spoken to them by Moshe.… I think what this is telling us is that we can not teach that which we do not practice ourselves. We must practice what we preach otherwise we have no credibility. Aharon and his sons were to teach bnei Yisrael what it meant to be holy and set apart, and they needed to practice it. What we teach must always line up with the Word of G-d and it must properly represent the nature of the Father, which is love. Like I said before, I can understand why Moshe gave his brother Aharon and his sons’ the instructions to remain tahor, but was Moshe properly representing the loving nature of our heavenly Father when he said: Vayikra {10:12} Moshe spoke to Aharon, and to El'azar and to Ithamar, his sons who were left, Take the meal-offering that remains of the offerings of HaShem made by fire, and eat it without yeast beside the altar; for it is most kadosh; {10:13} and you shall eat it in a kadosh place, because it is your portion, and your sons' portion, of the offerings of HaShem made by fire: for so I am commanded. {10:14} The wave-breast and the heave-thigh shall you eat in a tahor place, you, and your sons, and your daughters with you: for they are given as your portion, and your sons' portion, out of the sacrifices of the Shalom-offerings of bnei Yisrael. {10:15} The heave-thigh and the wave-breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave-offering before HaShem: and it shall be your, and your sons' with you, as a portion forever; as HaShem has commanded. {10:16} Moshe diligently sought the goat of the sin-offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with El'azar and with Ithamar, the sons of Aharon who were left, saying, {10:17} Why have you not eaten the sin-offering in the place of the sanctuary, seeing it is most kadosh, and He has given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make Kapparah(Atonement/Covering) for them before HaShem? {10:18} Behold, the blood of it was not brought into the sanctuary within: you should certainly have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded. The key words from this passage of Scripture are: “AS I COMMANDED.” What Moshe did here was to misrepresent the Father’s love and compassion. Eating or not eating the sacrifices, although they were a command of G-d, would not have affected Aharon and his son’s ritual cleanliness. I believe that at this point in Moshe’s life, for a brief moment, he was serving the letter of the law and not the spirit of the law. This was something the Pharisees did during Yeshua’s time, and this is what is still going on today in Jewish and other “religious” communities. Yes, here we have a clear, all be it a momentary, laps on Moshe’s part, from a relationship with G-d to strict religious observance. G-d is not religion! G-d is relationship! Moshe realized the error of his ways and repented. Vayikra {10:19} Aharon spoke to Moshe, Behold, this day have they offered their sin-korban and their burnt offering before HaShem; and there have befallen me such things as these: and if I had eaten the sin-offering today, would it have been well-pleasing in the sight of HaShem? {10:20} When Moshe heard [that], it was well-pleasing in his sight. It is my hearts desire that all Yisrael repent from serving the letter of Torah and start serving the Spirit of the Torah. The letter kills; the Spirit makes alive. Moshe recognized the error of his ways, and I pray that my brothers in the flesh do as well. Baruch HaShem Rabbi Ya'acov Farber |
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