Sh'mini Drash

Best of Intentions

This weeks Parashat includes Vayikra 9:1 - 11:47, 2 Samuel 6:1-7:17 and Matthew 3:11-17. All 3 selections include a common theme that I have not reflected on in a while.

In Vayikra 10 we have the story of Nadav and Avihu who offered incense to HaShem in an inappropriate manner and where consumed by Holy Fire. In 2 Samuel 6 we read about Uzzah that reached out to catch the Arc of the Covenant and he was split or burst by HaShem for doing so. Then we have Matthew 3 Yeshua approaches Yohannen the Imerser and Yohanan questions who should immerse who in the river.

In all of these examples we have devout men, that serve and love HaShem, acting with the best of intentions and in 2 cases they received violent deaths. In the other case they receive a gentle explanation. I was drawn to understand these situations and to discover what was really going on in this.

At the very end of Vayikra 9 we read about fire coming from the presence of HaShem and consuming the sacrifice on the Altar and igniting a fire that would not be extinguished for hundreds of years. Nadav and Avihu just witnessed the glory of their Heavenly father. Next Nadav and Avihu take their censers and light fires to offer incense offerings to HaShem. The only clue to their motivations is the wonders they witnessed and being priests in the temple, leading to the possibility their intention was to honor HaShem with the highest form of offering, the Incense offering. They may have been showing love for their heavenly father, in awe of his majesty. So what went wrong?

A similar result is found in the Haftarah portions this week. The people under the directions of King David are moving the ARC to Jerusalem to be placed in the Tabernacle. The ARC is loaded on a cart to be pulled by some oxen. All of Israel is offering praise and song to HaShem as the ARC is traveling to Jerusalem. Then one of the oxen stumbles, the cart shifts and Uzzah reached out to catch the ARC and in that instant, according to the Hebrew, he essentially explodes or bursts open. Uzzah clearly wanted to preserve the dignity and prestige of the ARC, so why did this happen?

The Torah teaches us to love and fear HaShem. If the sons of Aharon had love and fear, then they may have thought ‘Let us truly show love by fearing HaShem and obey his commands in making the offerings.’ It was love that made David want to bring the ARC to Jerusalem and Uzzah grasp the ARC so it would not fall, but it was a lack of fear that made all of this happen in the first place. The ARC is not to be carried on a cart pulled by oxen. The ARC is to be carried on the shoulders of the Kohanim. It should have been surrounded by the Kohanim. If David and the people had feared HaShem appropriately then Uzzah would have no need to touch the ARC.

Then in Matthew we read Yohanan reply to Yeshua “I need to be immersed by you, and you come to me?”. We see that Yeshua gently explains to him the purpose of his immersion. What is the difference in this situation? What is not happening? Yeshua is not more merciful than HaShem. He is the same as HaShem. What is happening is Yohanan in love is willing to do what ever Yeshua asks and yet in fear he humbles himself to do exactly what is commanded. For his fear he receives assurance that it is meant to be this way.

Where in my life do I use the justification of love, to take short cuts, over rule commandments, or get my own way? Who do I love most in those instances? Is it HaShem, is it other people, or is it myself? When I am diligent to obey or I humble myself who is it I really fear in those instances? Is it HaShem, is it the judgment of others, or is it my own shame? One might say when HaShem is truly loved he is also feared. Therefor, I must not forget to fear HaShem or else love may become a convienent excuse to get my own way when obedience becomes hard. Love is much to precious of a thing to be sullied like that, but should instead be tempered with a fear of disobeying the father and failing to serve him according his will rather than our own.