The following is a brief summary of some of the thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
In Vayikra 10:1-3, the Torah tells the story of the death of Nadav and Avihu who were killed after bringing an "Esh Zarah" (loosely translated as a strange fire) after which their father Aharon remained silent. In discussing Aharon's silence, the Torah uses the term "Vayidom".
R' Frand commented that this tragedy would have killed any simcha that was related to the underlying event. He surmised about what people's reaction would be if after a new shul was opened and people were celebrating, a beam fell and killed someone. People would never look at the shul the same way. And since they were two sons of Aharon the Kohain Gadol, it would be an even greater tragedy.
Moshe then tells Aharon that I will be come close to those who sanctify me. Rashi explains that Moshe told Aharon that Moshe knew that this had to happen - that the Mishkan had to become sanctified through the impact on someone close to Hashem and I knew it would be either me or you. Now I see that your sons Nadav and Avihu are even greater than you or I.
But what did Moshe mean that something had to happen? Did he mean that a tragedy had to happen? Why did there need to be tragedy?
R' Frand answered by quoting the Duvno Maggid who gave a mashal that a country decided to build a capital city for the country. They brought in an expert architect and the finest materials. They also wanted to build a world class hospital with the best and latest technology. Of course, the hospital needed the greatest doctor in the world. They built the city and the hospital and they inaugurated it. Someone developed a headache and he went into the hospital. The world renowned doctor treated the man personally, but a few days later he died --from a headache! The board of directors for the hospital did an investigation, during which the chief doctor got up and said -- this is the greatest thing that could have happened. He explained that without this event, people would think that they had no need to take care of themselves because they had a great hospital and doctor. Now that this person died, they would know that they still needed to take care of themselves.
The Duvno Maggid then explained the nimshal --the Jews in the desert knew that they were getting the Mishkan, a place where they bring sacrifices. People would think --we can do whatever we want and the sacrifices will be brought and forgiveness will be granted. Moshe's message was that people can't think that the Mishkan will attain forgiveness for them without any concern for their own actions. In fact, the Mishkan itself could kill them if they were not careful with how they acted in the Mishkan. R' Frand remarked that it was akin to radiation - it can cure, but it can kill if those who use it are not careful.
R' Frand also quoted the Ba'al HaTurim who states that the word Vayidom appears twice in Tanach. Here in Vayikra, as well as when Yehoshua made the sun stand still in the battle in Gidon.
But how are the two connected? In Gidon the sun kept shining, but here Aharon was silent.
R' Frand quoted R' Yehuda Klein in a sefer called Kol Yehuda [or Kol Aryeh, I'm not sure]. He cited to the story of the creation of the sun and moon and the Medrash that they were the same size and that Hashem told them to reduce and the moon eventually reduced itself and the sun remained HaMaor HaGadol.
The Kol Aryeh explained that when the moon complained that the sun and moon were the same size and that both should not wear that crown, the sun should have responded, or at the very least said - lets go to a din Torah. However, the sun kept its mouth shut and was silent. Thereafter the sun became known as the Maor HaGadol, because it did not argue with the moon.
This also links to the gemara which states that the aluv who hears insults and does not respond, is loved by Hashem like the sun in its might. Why? Because the sun should have stuck up for itself, but it stayed silent. This is the strength of the sun. And this was also the strength of Aharon --he kept silent --an attribute that he learned from the sun.
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