(לג) וּמִפֶּתַח֩ אֹ֨הֶל מוֹעֵ֜ד לֹ֤א תֵֽצְאוּ֙ שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֔ים עַ֚ד י֣וֹם מְלֹ֔את יְמֵ֖י מִלֻּאֵיכֶ֑ם כִּ֚י שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֔ים יְמַלֵּ֖א אֶת־יֶדְכֶֽם׃ (לד) כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה בַּיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה צִוָּ֧ה ה' לַעֲשֹׂ֖ת לְכַפֵּ֥ר עֲלֵיכֶֽם׃ (לה) וּפֶתַח֩ אֹ֨הֶל מוֹעֵ֜ד תֵּשְׁב֨וּ יוֹמָ֤ם וָלַ֙יְלָה֙ שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֔ים וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֛ם אֶת־מִשְׁמֶ֥רֶת ה' וְלֹ֣א תָמ֑וּתוּ כִּי־כֵ֖ן צֻוֵּֽיתִי׃ (לו) וַיַּ֥עַשׂ אַהֲרֹ֖ן וּבָנָ֑יו אֵ֚ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה ה' בְּיַד־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ (ס)
According to Ibn Ezra, Aaron and his sons were not stuck inside all day. They could "leave when they needed to." In our time of isolation, what are the times that we can leave our homes? What constitutes a true need?
מהו שמתוכו התנבא משה ע"ה כענין שכתוב (ישעיהו ס״ג:י״ב) מוליך לימין משה זרוע תפארתו, ולכך נצטוה משה שיטפל באהרן ושימשחנו, כי כן הזכיר למעלה ויצק משמן המשחה על ראש אהרן וימשח אותו לקדשו, ולכך נקראו ימי מלואים, לשון שלמות, כי דוגמתם שלמות הכל, וכבר ידעת כי משה שמש כל שבעת ימי המלואים וחנוך כהונתו של אהרן על ידי משה היתה, והבן זה.
Moses ... trained Aaron and gave him some of his prophetic powers. According to the Zohar Tzav 34,2, this is why Moses had to anoint Aaron. During these seven days Moses performed the High Priest’s duties (dressed only in a white tunic) in order to confer all this sanctity upon Aaron. Rabbi Abba said that seeing that Moses was firmly rooted in the holy place whence all this power stemmed, he was able to transfer this sanctity to Aaron. This is why the Torah wrote earlier (30,12): “he poured from the oil of anointment on Aaron’s head, and he anointed him and sanctified him.” This is also the reason that these days of inauguration were described (in the Zohar) as “days of שלמות, “days of perfection, or perfecting.”
In spite of the difficulty of these days of isolation, is it possible to see them as "days of perfection" or "days of perfecting"? How so?
(ג) ובמדרש ופתח אהל מועד תשבו יומם ולילה אלו שבעה ימים אבלות של נדב ואביהוא, שהרי הקב"ה שמר על עולמו תחילה. באורו שהתאבל שבעה ימים על העולם שעתיד ליחרב בדור המבול, שנאמר (בראשית ז) ויהי לשבעת הימים ומי המבול היו על הארץ. ואמרו שם ומתאבלין על המת קודם שימות, אלא אדם שאינו יודע מה שעתיד להיות אינו מתאבל עד שימות המת אבל הקב"ה שיודע מה שעתיד להיות שמר על עולמו תחלה, אף כאן אמר הקב"ה ופתח אהל מועד תשבו יומם ולילה שבעת ימים, שמרו על אחיכם שבעה כדרך ששמרתי אני את עולמי שבעה, וזהו שכתוב ושמרתם את משמרת ה'.
(3) A Midrashic approach based on (Tanchuma Shemini 1): when the Torah speaks of “and you shall remain at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting day and night,” this is a reference to the seven days of mourning for the deaths of Nadav and Avihu. While it is true that at that point in time these two sons of Aaron had not died as yet, we know that G’d Himself observed seven days of mourning for an event which had not yet occurred. This was the reason that the Torah wrote in Genesis 7,10: “it was after the seven days, and the waters of the deluge came upon the earth.” G’d had observed seven days of mourning over the necessity that He had to destroy so much of His handiwork. In connection with that verse, the sages asked: “can one then mourn someone before he died?” If such a thing is not possible or not appropriate why did G’d mourn the event before it happened?” Man who does not know what is in store in the future cannot mourn an event which has not yet occurred. G’d who does know, is able to do so. In our instance, G’d told Aaron and his sons to observe seven days of a special nature although they were not aware of the reason. He wanted them to act as He had acted prior to the deluge. This is why the Torah wrote the words 'ושמרתם את משמרת ה, “you shall observe the observance observed by the Lord.”
Can we mourn before an event occurs? What is so difficult about the COVID-19 pandemic is the anxiety knowing what various models project about the spread of the virus. How do we cope with that sense of dread?