Shemini - 3rd Portion

Join me as we learn the third Torah reading of Paris Shimini chapter 9 verse 24. Yesterday we learned that finally the Jewish people were able to experience the divine glory when Aaron went in to bring all the sacrifices and bless the Jewish people and then they saw the divine glory. Today we continue as the Jewish people experience this amazing day. However, with tragedy that Aaron's two sons pass away on the first day of Aaron's inauguration as the high priest. Verse 24. And a fire came down and from before God and consumed and consumed everything that was on the altar, the ascent offering and the fats and all the people saw it and they sang praises and they fell upon their faces. Rashi says I'm sorry uh ver I'm sorry verse 24 like the tarum translates which means and they gave praise chapter 10 verse one and the children of took each one of them took their pan the sons took each a pan And they put fire in it. And they put incense in it. And they brought it before God. Z. A strange fire, one that was not called for that God did not command them to do. I'm sorry, next verse. Verse two. And a fire came out went out from before God and consumed them and they died before God. Rashi over here we see that they brought the sacrif they brought the incense and they died. What says what's the reason why died the true reason why the children of Aaron died of was because they said and they ruled a law in front of Moshe their father meaning Moshe their teacher sorry over here they went ahead on their own and brought this incense. They thought that they were allowed to bring incense even on a voluntary basis. However, they should have asked Moshe and they did not. And they should have waited for the fire to come down from heaven. But instead, they went and put a fire on their own realizing that this was not the right thing. Gives another reason that they were drunk. They went into the holy temple. And his proof for this is as we're soon going to see that after they died, what does God tell them? that afterwards God tells Aaron and the remaining two sons that they should never serve while being intoxicated. This is an example for a king. He had a son, he had somebody that worked in his home. It says in he sees that the first uh that the one that was responsible and he uh appointed him and he saw the first one was killed and he didn't know why the first one was killed and therefore he tells him don't go into this place and you shouldn't have the same behavior like the other one verse three this is what God has spoken saying I will be sanctified through those who are most near to me and I will be honored before all people and was silent. Rashi where did God say this? This is previously in the book of Exodus that I will appear myself to the Jewish people and there I will be sanctified by my honor. Don't say with my honor those that honor me. Moshe said to my brother, I know that there would be a sanctification of this home with those that are known and close to God. I thought that the ones that would be killed would be would be me or you. I see now I see that your sons are greater than me and you because it was with them that God sanctified his home was silent. He kept he was rewarded by the very fact that he was quiet accepting the decree and Moses's consolation. What is the reward he received? that God told him a spoke to him alone as we're soon going to see that the Torah reading which tells us about the uh the prohibition of a cohen working while intoxicated was told to alone what is the word with my chosen ones and I will be honored before all the people when God does a judgment on the righteous people then his name becomes honored by everybody else because because they say if God is so strict with the righteous how much more so how much more so by those who are not by the evils as it says God is awesome from those who are in awe of him or those keep him sacred don't from the place that is holy buttosh from the righteous people who make God holy. Over here we see explains as well that this was not only when we talk about drunk or even bringing the incense or whatever reason that it may be. All of them have the same uh common denominator replaced that they wanted to reach a higher level that none of you believe that they wanted to reach a level of intoxication of spirituality to reach a level of high heightened spirituality but not bring it back down into this world and that was the problem that they were in a state of what we call roti cleaving to God but not in a way to bring it back down into the physical and that's why their souls left their body verse four Moshe called Michelle to Mishah Elafiel, the children of Aaron, the uncle of Aron. And he said to them, approach and carry out your relatives from the holy place to uh outside and bring them outside the camp. Rashi do Aaron. How was he the uncle of Aaron? was this brother of who was the father of as it says was carry your brothers like a person that sells his friend take away this dead body before the bride so not to confuse or diffuse or mix into the and disrupt the joy that was going on there. So two over here, this is the day of their inauguration. Take away these people, their dead bodies. This way it should not disrupt their celebration. And they came close and they carried them with by their tunics outside the camp like Moshe said. What does it mean by their tunics of the dead bodies? This teaches us that their when it says that they went up in fire and consumed by the fire, their bodies, their clothing has not been burnt. Their souls left like two uh pillars of fire, strokes of fire went into their nostrils and their soul went up on high. Continuing ver verse six. Now the laws of mourning pertaining to the remaining children of Aaron and summer of his sons your heads here you shall grow. Do not let your head here grow and do not rend your garments so that you not die and let be angry with the entire community. Rather, your brothers and the entire Jewish people will bewail the will bewail the terrible event that God has burnt over here. The death and the mourning of your brothers, the Jewish people will mourn for you. As we see in Rashi alifro aler that means don't allow your hair to grow like generally mourners who don't take haircuts. Generally participator we know that a mourner is prohibited in cutting his hair. However, in this case he was warning them telling them that you cannot disrupt this celebration which is for God and therefore you will continue to cut your hair as you should. From here we learn that if they should do though so they will die. From here we learn that the pain and the sorrow of the great scholars tell us is responsible for everybody to mourn for a scholar. Verse seven, and from the entrance of the tent of meeting you should not leaveu lest you die because you have the anointing of oil on you. And they did like Moshe said. Verse 8, this is a special uh and a privileged statement that God now appears to Aaron and tells them about the prohibition of officiating in the holy temple while intoxicated. And God comes to Aaron alone saying, "Do not drink wine in a way of intoxication. you and your children with you. When you enter into the tent of meeting, you shall not die. This is an eternal statue for generations to come. Why does it say wine and beer? The terminology is because drinking wine in a way that you would become drunk. I only know this when they walk into the entrance into the tent of meeting. How do I know that they're not also they're not allowed to do it even when they approach the altar? That's because we learn it from some place else here. It talks about the entrance into the tent of meeting. And it says about the mitzvah that they're only allowed to approach the altar when they sanctify and wash their hands and feet. And as also when it talks about entering into the tent of meeting just like by washing their hands and feet was the Torah made it the same laws that apply when they enter into the tent of meeting. So too when it comes to serving while intoxicated approaching the altar is just like when they would come to the tent of meeting ru verse 10. And as well when you have to be sober enough that is the reason to distinguish between the actions of sacrifices that are holy and profane and to also to know the difference between what is defiled and not ritually defiled. Verse 10 in order that you should be able to define the differences. the one that is holy and one that is not. So here you learn that if he did work while he was intoxicated what he did will then be prohibited and not valid. Verse 11 similarly a sober person has to be fit to instruct the Jewish people that God commanded to them in through Moses. This also teaches us that this doesn't only apply to a coh to even a scholar who may be intoxicated is not allowed to rule laws as well. I would think that if a person who's a scholar and starts ruling while he's intoxicated will also be liable to the death penalty. Therefore, the verse previously says in verse 9, only you and your children will not die. Who serves in the holy temple while intoxicated is liable for the capital punishment. However, a scholar if he rules while intoxicated, he is not liable of capital punishment. It only belongs strictly to the Cohen. This concludes the third Torah reading of Cara Shamini.