It is so wonderful to be back with everyone and ecstatic that we are welcomed by a double parsha - the first of three over the next four weeks- of Tazria and Metzora. These two parshiot focus their attention on the spiritually impurity that presents through physical ailments such as Tzarat, sometimes referred to as leprosy. This is the only time in the Torah that we are informed of a spiritual affliction having such a physically apparent punishment. The Torah details the minutiae of how to assess these afflictions, how to cleanse one’s self, one’s clothing and one’s home. Yet, in all those details the rationale and understanding is hard to decipher. For that, we need to go back to last week’s parsha, Parshat Shemini, to gain a deeper understanding regarding the lessons we are meant to be learning.
Parshat Shemini’s pinnacle moment is the death of Aharon’s sons, Nadav and Avihu, in response to them entering the Kodesh HaKedashim, the Holy of Holies, to bring a foreign fire:
וַיִּקְח֣וּ בְנֵֽי־אַ֠הֲרֹ֠ן נָדָ֨ב וַאֲבִיה֜וּא אִ֣ישׁ מַחְתָּת֗וֹ וַיִּתְּנ֤וּ בָהֵן֙ אֵ֔שׁ וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ עָלֶ֖יהָ קְטֹ֑רֶת וַיַּקְרִ֜יבוּ לִפְנֵ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ אֵ֣שׁ זָרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹ֦א צִוָּ֖ה אֹתָֽם׃
Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aharon, each took his fire pan, placed a fire upon it along with incense and brought this foreign fire before Hashem that they were not commanded to bring.
- Vayikra 10:1
All of the commentaries have the same question. What was the sin that Nadav and Avihu committed that warranted death in such a public and pronounced manner? Some suggest that they were guilty of entering the Kodesh HaKedashim, others that they had given a halachic ruling in front of Moshe and Aharon without consulting them, while others tie their sin to considering themselves too important to conduct themselves as Kohanim in the manner designed by Hashem.
In the three mentions of this event the only rationale was bringing a foreign fire into the Mishkan. What was so bad about this foreign entity? These were enthusiastic young Jews ready to share their joy, excitement and fervor about the inauguration of the Mishkan. Is that not what we want from our children? Religious enthusiasm?
David Hume, a 17th century Scottish philosopher, wrote on this subject that enthusiasm as it was initially understood “enthusiasm” as “the corruption of the best things produces the worst.” This enthusiasm engulfs a person to believe that their spiritual expressions are beyond the rules and regulations dictated by the Torah and Hashem.
What did Nadav and Avihu do that required a swift and immediate response from Hashem? They not only separated themselves from others and exalted their loftiness (in complete opposition to how their father, Aharon, conducted himself in his role) and chose to forgo halacha and the word of Hashem as dictated through Moshe.
Over this week and next, we commemorate Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day), Yom HaZikaron (Day of Remembrance) and Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel’s National Independence Day). These three significant events take place each year immediately following Pesach and in the midst of Sefirat HaOmer, the 49 days of mourning that count from the leaving of Egypt and the receiving of the Torah. They are all connected.
The society that we live in today has groomed itself to shun limitations, rules and any regulations that limit the expressions of our desires. This society defines free choice as freedom to do all. That is not the Torah way. Freedom of choice is expressed in the freedom to choose not to do, to limit, to recognize and to respect the rules set out by halacha. During the Holocaust the Nazis, who epitomized the freedom to do all lifestyles, went to all ends to prevent the Jewish way of life to have air to breathe which was then translated to the modern day attacks on Israel, a homeland that is built off these ideas. It is only 75 years ago that we were able to and continue to celebrate a land that is built from the Torah, of the Torah and with the Torah.
The affliction of Tzarat appears predominantly when we choose to act waywardly and without caution in how we speak of and treat one another. Our internal powers of speech are expressed externally in the world and have the power to change the makeup of the society we live in. That requires a physical affliction to highlight the damage that we have done. The damage that Nadav and Avihu were killed for and that we did not heed. Sefirat HaOmer, the time where we look inwardly at ourselves, is a reminder that to deserve the Torah and all its wonders we have to be willing to make the right choices.