This week’s Parsha, Parshat Shemini, opens up with the inauguration of the Mishkan. This is a monumental day full of unparalleled excitement and emotion for the Jewish People. The Jewish People, following Hashem’s direction, have built a physical dwelling space for Hashem in this world! The meeting point between spiritual and physical in this world. A place where a human being can come close to the spiritual, to truly feel Hashem’s presence and closeness within this world.

Amongst the celebrations, we read the story of Aaron HaCohen’s children, Nadav and Avihu. 

The Torah states: 

“Now Aaron’s sons Nadav and Avihu each took his fire pan, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered before the LORD alien fire, which He had not enjoined upon them. And fire came forth from the LORD and consumed them; thus they died at the instance of the LORD.” 

Our basic understanding of this pasuk is that Nadav and Avihu made a mistake. Their actions were not appropriate, and they were punished for them. Rashi comments they entered the sanctuary intoxicated, the Midrash says they died because they gave decisions on religious matters in the presence of their teacher, Moshe. 

But the following pasuk states: 

“Moshe said to Aharon It is as Hashem spoke, saying: through those that are near me I shall be sanctified, and in the presence of the entire people I will be glorified, and Aharon was silent.”

In this pasuk Moshe is telling Aaron – your sons are holy people! Through their actions Hashem is glorified in this world! 

Chazal comment on this pasuk: “Moses here said to Aaron: “My brother, Aaron! I knew that this House was to be sanctified by those who are beloved of the Omnipresent God and I thought it would be either through me or through you; now I see that these (your sons who have died) are greater than me and than you!” 

From here we are taught that Nadav and Avihu were truly holy people, they were so close to Hashem! So why does the first pasuk paint them as sinners, why does the commentary tell us they were punished for their sins, if according to the following pasuk, they are the epitome of holiness and closeness to Hashem?

Chassidic teachings tell us that, yes, Nadav and Avihu truly were special individuals who merited to reach ultimate closeness with Hashem. However, their spirituality, their desire for closeness to Hashem in this world, was unbalanced. In this moment, during the inauguration of the Mishkan, their desire for spirituality overtook and consumed them, to a point where they no longer wanted a physical experience! Their yearning for closeness to Hashem wanted no barriers (no body) between them! Nadav and Avihu were so close to Hashem in this moment, their love for Hashem knew no bounds – their souls completely left their bodies. 

Chassidus views Nadav and Avihu as the two holiest individuals to live! However, their intense desire and yearning for closeness to Hashem, while admirable and commendable, needed to be grounded. They came so close to Hashem and did not know how to “come back down”.

We learn a fundamental lesson and message from this Parsha for our individual lives. As Jews, we need to be constantly striving and desiring spirituality and Godliness in our individual and communal lives. Our most natural yearning should be for Hashem! But the most important key, the foundation of this yearning, needs to be grounded within this world, within the physical. Our everyday work, avodah, is to not get lost within the pure physical of this world, and to constantly be striving for spirituality. But if that path towards Hashem is not rooted within the physical, if we cannot create a balance, a merge of physical and spiritual in our lives, we are bound to get lost and not know how to “come back”.  

We are in this world for a reason! The Divine Wisdom has created this physical world, has created a complicated and messy world for you and I to be a part of! We are meant to be here, right now, and not up there. Hashem’s desire for us is to take the “up”, the spirituality, the Godliness, and bring it back “down” into this world. If all we desire is to be “up”, without the desire to be here – we are missing the point. 

I give us all a bracha that we learn how to create this balanced desire for Hashem and spirituality within this world. To learn how to go up, but, more importantly, come back down.

Shabbat Shalom!