Thoughts on Parshat Shmini and Yom HaShoah

Leviticus 9, the opening chapter of this week’s Torah reading, deals with ritual laws that since the destruction of the Second Temple in 70C.E. no longer are a part of Jewish ritual practice. Chapter 11 is an arbitrary list of acceptable and forbidden foods that became the basis for the Laws of Kashrut.. In between there is a mysterious tale about Aaron’s response to the deaths of his sons Nadav and Abihu. In chapter 10 verses 1 and 2, we read:

“Now Aaron’s sons Nadav and Abihu each took his fire pan, put fire in it, and laid incense on it. They offered it before Adonai “Aish Zara”, Alien Fire, which he had not enjoined upon them. And fire came forth from Adonai and consumed them; thus they died instantaneously at the instance of Adonai.”

In verse 3 Moses attempts to explain or console his brother by saying: “This must be what God meant when he said “through those holy to Me I show myself holy and gain glory before the people.” The torah tells us at the end of this verse that Aaron’s response was SILENCE.

Moses’ failed attempt to comfort his brother reminds me that whether we are speaking of the natural death of an aged loved one; the tragic death of the young to disease; the loss of innocent life to violence; or the deaths caused by terror attacks and war, often........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)