Our parsha this week, Aharei Mot, אחרי מות opens with a reference to the deaths of Nadav and Avihu. This was the horrifying epsode during which these two sons of Aharon were immolated by a fire from God for having brought a fire into the Mishkan on their own initiative.

 וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אַחֲרֵ֣י מ֔וֹת שְׁנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֑ן בְּקׇרְבָתָ֥ם לִפְנֵי־יְהֹוָ֖ה וַיָּמֻֽתוּ׃

God spoke to Moshe after the death of the two sons of Aharon having drawn too close to GOD’s presence and they died.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה דַּבֵּר֮ אֶל־אַהֲרֹ֣ן אָחִ֒יךָ֒ וְאַל־יָבֹ֤א בְכׇל־עֵת֙ אֶל־הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ מִבֵּ֖ית לַפָּרֹ֑כֶת אֶל־פְּנֵ֨י הַכַּפֹּ֜רֶת אֲשֶׁ֤ר עַל־הָאָרֹן֙ וְלֹ֣א יָמ֔וּת כִּ֚י בֶּֽעָנָ֔ן אֵרָאֶ֖ה עַל־הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת׃

God said to Moshe: Tell your brother Aharon that he is not to come at will into the Shrine behind the curtain, in front of the cover that is upon the ark, lest he die; for I appear in the cloud over the cover.

Vayikra/Leviticus 16:1-2

Apparently the motives of Nadav and Avihu were holy, yet they were punished despite having received no prior warning against such an initiative. To say that their punishment was harsh would be quite the understatement. Harsher still was the virtual order for their bereaved and shocked father to remain silent.

Perhaps recognizing that it was a bit unfair to condemn the two novice kohanim without having warned them first, Parhsat Aharei Mot provides the sort of advance warning that was absent in the earlier episode (16:2).

Later on in our parsha there is a further warning – this to all Israelites – against bringing any sort of animal sacrifice away from the........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)