Parshas Shemini 5776

During the inauguration of the Mishkan, Aharon’s sons Nadav and Avihu were struck dead after they offered a “foreign fire” on the mizbe’ach (10:1). However, the Sages say that they were punished for something else. In Yoma (53a), it states that Nadav and Avihu rendered a halachic ruling in the presence of their teacher, which is forbidden. In Sanhedrin (52a), the Sages relate another cause for Nadav and Avihu’s punishment. Once, as they were walking behind Moshe and Aharon, they said to one another: “When will these two elders die so we can lead the nation?”What was the real cause for their punishment? The verse says one reason and Chazal add several others.

Another question must be asked. After Nadav and Avihu died, Moshe turned to Aharon and said: “Hashem said that He would be sanctified by His holy ones. I had thought that it would be either you or me. Now I see that they were greater than both of us” (Vayikra Rabba 12:2).

How can it be that Nadav and Avihu committed such a great sin, and yet Moshe declared them to be even holier than he and Aharon?

The Slonimer Rebbe answers that Nadav and Avihu were indeed great tzaddikim, but they had a flaw: They sensed that they were wiser than Moshe and Aharon, and therefore felt that they could lead Klal Yisrael better (i.e., they said “when will these two elders die and we can lead the nation?”). This higher level of understanding led them to realize that Hashem wanted an offering to be brought at this time, and therefore they brought it (i.e., this was their halachic ruling in the presence of their teacher, Moshe Rabbeinu).

Heightened awareness of Hashem’s will notwithstanding, Nadav and Avihu’s offering was something Hashem had not commanded. Their sin was their ignoring that the Torah reaches Klal Yisrael only via Moshe Rabbeinu, the leader of the generation. Since Hashem had not commanded Moshe to bring an offering, Nadav and Avihu did not have the power or authority to do so themselves.

Therefore, when the Torah states that they offered a “foreign fire,” this alludes to the sins that brought them to this as well.

Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz adds that what was true in Moshe Rabbeinu’s time is true today as well: Every generation receives the Torah via the gedolei hador. They are the only ones who are capable of determining what Hashem’s will is amid the specific circumstances of their era. Through their exceptional toil in Torah, yiras Shamayim and sense of responsibility for the generation, they merit the siyatta deShemaya to understand what Hashem’s will really is.

In Vayikra Rabba (11:8), the Sages state: Why is Klal Yisrael likened to a bird? Just as a bird cannot fly without wings, Klal Yisrael cannot function without its elders. From the time of Matan Torah until this day, every generation has faced new sets of trials and tribulations, and only the gedolei Yisrael were able to navigate the proper path. We must appreciate the gedolei hador, and make sure to follow their instructions, as our life as Jews depends on this.

Notes Rav Dessler, the sin of Nadav and Avihu finds expression today as well. Unfortunately, there are those who think to themselves that “of course, when it comes to Torah study the gedolim are the greatest scholars, but are they the biggest experts outside of the beis medrash, also?”

Rav Dessler would recall that he had been privileged to be in the presence of the Chofetz Chaim. There, he witnessed how Hashem was with the gadol hador. Any and every important detail of what transpired in the world came to the Chofetz Chaim’s attention. “How profound and all-inclusive was his judgment. It was palpably clear that Hashem was guiding him. To think that we could know more than him is absurd. If you would have been with him, you would have seen the exceptional siyatta deShemaya he had, which made his judgment 100 percent on the mark,” said Rav Dessler.

If a person would be with the gedolim, he would see their greatness. The Sages advise (Brachos 28b) that we send our children to be among talmidei chachamim, and we should surely make the effort to do so ourselves. Harav Yitzchak Zilberstein recalls that when he was a young boy, his mother would tell him to go to the beis medrash after leaving his cheder.

“What should I do there?” he asked.

“You’ll see the chachamim there, how they talk, how they behave. You’ll see their greatness,” was the answer.

Once, an organization that operated numerous day schools tried to recruit a talmid chacham to assume the position of principal in an out-of-town school. Three such towns needed a principal, and he informed them that he would first need to speak to Rav Moshe Feinstein.

The organization directors were confused. “Is this a halachic question? What can Rav Moshe Feinstein add?”

“For any big decision, I always speak to Rav Moshe first,” he replied.

After he explained his situation, Rav Feinstein asked which were the three towns that needed a principal. He named them.

“The first town is very small. You must find out if the principal is the one in charge, or if the parents are the ones making the decisions. The second town is big enough for a principal to work, but you must make sure that they have the ability to pay you. You are not allowed to move your family out-of-town without first securing an income there.”

With that, Rav Moshe turned back to his learning, indicating that the meeting had come to an end. The man did not bother pressing him about the third possibility.

When the man relayed Rav Feinstein’s questions to the directors, they were taken aback.

“It’s true that in the first town, the reason their principal quit is because he felt he had no power against the parents. As for the second town, it’s true that in the initial period, they have no funds to pay you, as they are still paying their debts to the previous principal. As for the third town, we were just informed that they hired a principal and are no longer looking.”

May we recognize the greatness of the gedolei Yisrael!

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