Shemini Drash

Shemini

Imagine you have a family business and it is opening day. You have secured an investor, who has paid for all of the needs of the business and your part is to run the shop and take care of the daily business. It is a dream come true. You have worked tirelessly to get the shop ready. Everything is in its place. Your children and spouse are present assisting with everything to make sure all of it is just right.

Then tragedy strikes while using one of the machines 2 of your children die. You go to the investor to let them know what has happened and their response is, they warned you to exactly follow the directions about the machines and this is what happens when things are not taken seriously. They then tell you to let others come bury your children and for you to get back to work for it is opening day.

The very thought of this causes some of us great anger and frustration. Other of us would want to weep. I dare say few of us would understand that the customers are depending on us and we must open the shop.

This is what we read about in Leviticus 10 this week. Aaron was preparing to serve as Cohen Hagadol and his sons died when they offered the incense offering using unauthorized fire, which they where not supposed to do anyways. There are many writings about how and why this happened. What caught my attention most this time was how Aaron must have felt. He lost his 2 oldest sons and we have the response from Hashem delivered through Aaron’s brother Moses recorded in verse 3

Holy Scriptures: Tree of Life Version Chapter 10

3Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what ADONAI spoke of, saying:

To those who are near Me

I will show myself holy.

Upon the faces of all the people

I will be glorified.”

Then Aaron kept silent.

The silence is more than an acceptance of what had happened though. AAron was not to mourn for his sons while he performed his appointed services.

This tragedy of children passing before their parents is very great, but it was not greater than the service Aaron was to perform. That can be hard to understand. As any parent would agree the loss of a child is enough to bring anyone to a stop. Easily it can feel as if the our whole world is ending, but it does not end. What can make it harder is the rest of the world keeps going and sometimes it is as if no one notices.

Reading this reminded me of the famous verses of Ecclesiastes 3, particularly Verses 1-4

Holy Scriptures: Tree of Life Version Chapter 3

1For everything there is a season

and a time for every activity under heaven:

2a time to give birth and a time to die,

a time to plant

and a time to uproot what is planted;

3a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down

and a time to build up;

4a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance;

When any of us experience a tragedy it can be easy to give in and allow it to cripple us and make us want to give up. Yet the expectation is that we keep going. Aaron eventually got his chance to mourn his sons, yet he served as the Cohen Hagadol all of his days. We too have opportunities to mourn, but our worlds do not end. Eventually we must continue in the good work Hashem has prepared for us.