(א) וַיִּקְח֣וּ בְנֵֽי־אַ֠הֲרֹן נָדָ֨ב וַאֲבִיה֜וּא אִ֣ישׁ מַחְתָּת֗וֹ וַיִּתְּנ֤וּ בָהֵן֙ אֵ֔שׁ וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ עָלֶ֖יהָ קְטֹ֑רֶת וַיַּקְרִ֜בוּ לִפְנֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֵ֣שׁ זָרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹ֦א צִוָּ֖ה אֹתָֽם׃ (ב) וַתֵּ֥צֵא אֵ֛שׁ מִלִּפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה וַתֹּ֣אכַל אוֹתָ֑ם וַיָּמֻ֖תוּ לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ (ג) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן הוּא֩ אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֨ר יְהוָ֤ה ׀ לֵאמֹר֙ בִּקְרֹבַ֣י אֶקָּדֵ֔שׁ וְעַל־פְּנֵ֥י כָל־הָעָ֖ם אֶכָּבֵ֑ד וַיִּדֹּ֖ם אַהֲרֹֽן׃
(1) Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu 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. (2) And fire came forth from the LORD and consumed them; thus they died at the instance of the LORD. (3) Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when He said: Through those near to Me I show Myself holy, And gain glory before all the people.” And Aaron was silent.
(ב) וידם אהרן. קִבֵּל שָׂכָר עַל שְׁתִיקָתוֹ, וּמַה שָּׂכָר קִבֵּל? שֶׁנִּתְיַחֵד עִמּוֹ הַדִּבּוּר — שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרָה לוֹ לְבַדּוֹ פָּרָשַׁת שְׁתוּיֵי יָיִן (ויקרא רבה י"ב):
וידם אהרן AND AARON WAS SILENT — He received a reward for his silence. And what was the reward he received? That the subsequent Divine address was made to him alone and not to Moses also — for to him alone was spoken the section (vv. 9—11) dealing with those who are intoxicated by wine (see v. 8) (Zevachim 115b; Leviticus Rabbah 12 2).
Aaron was silent?!
וידם = he was silent
וידם = he was silent
- accepts God's judgment
- dumbfounded, devastated after the deaths of his sons
- Lamentations 2:10, 3:28; Exodus 15:16; Jeremiah 25:37
- mortified by what his sons did
- upset with Moses' words and lack of empathy
- he was so upset he couldn't share with others what had happened -- couldn't notify his wife and other sons
- destroyed by their deaths
- Hosea 4:5-6
- cut off from others because of the loss of his sons
- Hosea 10:7, 10:15
"Aaron may have been silent...but in his silence there was devastation: news of his sons' death nearly destroyed him. He felt cut off--from his dead sons, from his God. For (at least) those first moments, the forward momentum of his life ceased. He was dumbfounded into silence." -- Rabbi Kenneth J. Weiss, 2004
וידם = דם??
If we look at וידם and דם we see a connection in the letters. What about the meaning?
דם (dam) is blood. In Aaron's silence we see that he "bled out". "He hemorrhaged! His sons' death wounded him--mortally. Aaron's response was anguish, mute despair." -- Rabbi Kenneth J. Weiss, 2004
If we look at וידם and דם we see a connection in the letters. What about the meaning?
דם (dam) is blood. In Aaron's silence we see that he "bled out". "He hemorrhaged! His sons' death wounded him--mortally. Aaron's response was anguish, mute despair." -- Rabbi Kenneth J. Weiss, 2004