Shemini 5783 - When Words Fail

(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 Adonai alien fire, which had not been enjoined upon them. (2) And fire came forth from Adonai and consumed them; thus they died at the instance of Adonai. (3) Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what Adonai meant by saying: Through those near to Me I show Myself holy, And gain glory before all the people.” And Aaron was silent. (4) Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come forward and carry your kinsmen away from the front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.” (5) They came forward and carried them out of the camp by their tunics, as Moses had ordered. (6) And Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not bare your heads and do not rend your clothes, lest you die and anger strike the whole community. But your kin, all the house of Israel, shall bewail the burning that Adonai has wrought. (7) And so do not go outside the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, lest you die, for Adonai's anointing oil is upon you.” And they did as Moses had bidden. (8) And Adonai spoke to Aaron, saying: (9) Drink no wine or other intoxicant, you or your sons, when you enter the Tent of Meeting, that you may not die. This is a law for all time throughout the ages, (10) for you must distinguish between the sacred and the profane, and between the impure and the pure; (11) and you must teach the Israelites all the laws which Adonai has imparted to them through Moses.

(2) ותצא אש AND FIRE CAME FORTH — Rabbi Eliezer said: the sons of Aaron died only because they gave decisions on religious matters in the presence of their teacher, Moses (see Sifra, Shemini, Mechilta d'Miluim 2 32; also Eruvin 63a). Rabbi Ishmael said: they died because they entered the Sanctuary intoxicated by wine. You may know that this is so, because after their death he admonished those who survived that they should not enter when intoxicated by wine (vv. 8-9).

(3) ‎‎ '‏וגו‎‎‎ 'הוא אשר דבר ה‎ THIS IS WHAT ADONAI MEANT, etc. — Where had [God] spoken this? In the statement (Exodus 29:43), “And there I will be met by the children of Israel and it (the Tabernacle) shall be sanctified by My glory (בכבודי).” Read not here בִּכְבוֹדִי, “by My Glory” but בִּמְכֻבָּדַי, “through My honoured ones” (see Zevachim 115b). 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!” (see Leviticus Rabbah 12 2).

(3) ‎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) (see Zevachim 115b; also Leviticus Rabbah 12).

... "Vayidom Aharon" Rabbi Moshe bar Nachman [Nachmanides] wrote that Aaron was crying and weeping with all the bitterness of his heart, and when Moses said 'be quiet', he stopped weeping. And this is not right, would Aaron lift his voice and weep in front of God in the day of his inauguration and complete happiness of heart? Rather, 'vayidom Aharon' means that his heart was turned upside down, and became like a lifeless stone (domem - mineral), and he did not weep and mourn like a bereaved father, nor did he accept Moses' consolation for his soul had left him and he was speechless, and therefore it says 'vayidom', from the expression domem ve'shotek, lifeless and silent.