Julius Do as you’re told!

Julius Do as you’re told!

Julius

A great case for Torah Observant Judaism- Parshas Shemini
True spirituality: Do as you’re told!
By Rabbi Ozer Alport

Parshas Shemini begins by discussing the inauguration of the Mishkan. The tremendous joy of this monumental event was marred by the tragic deaths of Aharon’s sons Nadav and Avihu. Although the Medrash offers numerous opinions about the nature of their sin, the Torah tells us only that they erred by bringing an offering that they were not commanded to bring (Vayikra 10:1-2). What lesson is the Torah teaching us by emphasizing this as the cause of their deaths?

The Medrash relates that before giving the Torah to the Jewish people, Hashem first offered it to the other nations of the world. Each of them asked what is written in it. Hashem responded with the mitzvah that would be most difficult for that nation to observe; not surprisingly, they all declined.

The Chiddushei HaRim suggests that Hashem also challenged the Jews in their weakest spot: He told Moshe to set boundaries for the people around Mount Sinai, warning that anybody who attempted to touch the mountain would be killed. The Chiddushei HaRim explains that the core of every Jewish soul yearns for spirituality. As it was created next to Hashem’s Throne of Glory, it pines to come as close to its Source as possible.

The notion that a Jew should be limited in his spiritual ascent, being told that there are boundaries to how close to Hashem he may come, is anathema to his very essence. Nevertheless, the Jews passed this test, recognizing that approaching the mountain counter to His instructions may have felt holy, but would in reality have been spiritually vacuous.

When the Imrei Emes assumed the position of Gerrer Rebbe, he decreed that his disciples must be careful to recite the morning prayers at the proper time. This was a landmark enactment, as for decades they had been accustomed to spend hours spiritually preparing themselves for a sublime and awe-inspiring prayer experience.

One of the Gerrer chassidim came to the new Rebbe to complain. He argued that since he began obeying the new rule, he lacked the necessary time to properly ready himself to pray. The quality of his prayers had declined and lacked the uplifting feeling of closeness to Hashem that he had once enjoyed.

The sagacious Rebbe responded that the Yerushalmi (Yoma 23a) teaches that if honey was added to the incense mixture, its smell would have been unimaginably fragrant. If so, why does the Gemora rule that adding honey to the incense invalidates it? Although its smell may have seemed out-of-this-world, it would have been missing one critical ingredient: Hashem’s command to do so. Similarly, elaborate preparations for prayer may seem to result in an enhanced experience, but if it takes place outside of the time that Hashem allotted for the prayers, the perceived spiritual closeness doesn’t find favor in His eyes.

Nadav and Avihu were overwhelmed by the inauguration of the Mishkan, a place where Hashem’s presence was palpable. In their excitement to come closer to Him, they forgot the most critical prerequisite to doing so: a Divine commandment to perform the action.

This theme can also be found in Parshas Parah, the special Torah reading for this Shabbos that discusses the mitzvah of parah adumah. Rashi notes (Bamidbar 19:1) that the Torah refers to this mitzvah as a “chok” – a Divine decree with no readily-apparent rationale. Yet Rashi also writes that the parah adumah served as an atonement for the golden calf. In what way did this mitzvah rectify the sin of the golden calf?

The Beis HaLevi explains that when the Jewish people incorrectly concluded that Moshe had died, they were distraught by the lack of an intermediary to lead them and teach them Hashem’s will. They yearned to build a place for the Divine presence to rest among them to fill the void left by Moshe’s perceived death. What was their mistake, and why did their plans go so awry?

Each mitzvah contains within it deep, mystical secrets that have tremendous effects in the spiritual worlds when performed properly. The Jewish people erred in thinking that if they discovered the mystical concepts behind a mitzvah, they could perform it based on their understanding, even without being commanded. Just like Nadav and Avihu, although their intentions were good, they lacked the Divine assistance that only comes from performing an actual mitzvah, and they ended up creating a golden calf.

With this introduction, the Beis HaLevi explains that the root of the sin of the golden calf was the Jews’ attempt to be too smart and do something that Hashem did not command them to. As such, the ultimate rectification of this sin is to completely subordinate one’s intellect to Hashem’s dictates, as manifested by the willingness to perform a chok such as parah adumah, a mitzvah that appears to make no logical sense, but which one does solely because Hashem commanded it.

We live in a generation that actively promotes “spiritual” experiences. Temporary highs may seem tempting, but the lesson of Nadav, Avihu, the golden calf, and the parah adumah is that there are no shortcuts to true closeness to Hashem, which only comes from fulfilling His expressed will.

Originally from Kansas City, Rabbi Ozer Alport graduated from Harvard, learned in Mir Yerushalayim for five years, and now lives in Brooklyn, where he learns in Yeshivas Beis Yosef, writes Parsha Potpourri, and gives weekly shiurim. 

By Julius

Ariel your Representee, 
Representee of Ephraim and adviser (not a rabbi but friendly adviser) for Bet Yisrael international on the Har HaBayit and to all the Israeli people.
I am born in Holland and became on a later age a Ba’al Teshuva: Originally, the term referred to a Jew who transgressed the halacha (Jewish law) knowingly or unknowingly and completed a process of introspection to "return" to the full observance of Elohim's mitzvot. Read my story.