Shabbat Parashat Shemini - 5782

Shabbat Parashat Shemini - 5782

Rabbi Hal Miller

Moshe summoned Mishael and Eltzaphan, sons of Aharon's uncle, Uziel, and

said to them, "Approach, carry your brothers out of the Mikdash to the outside

of the camp." [Vayikra 10:4]

There are a number of seemingly strange issues in this verse. Why does the

Torah refer to Uziel as Aharon's uncle, when, since Moshe was Aharon's brother,

Uziel would also be Moshe's uncle? If Mishael and Eltzaphan were sons of the

uncle, they would not be sons of Aharon, and therefore not Kohanim, so why

would they think they could go into that part of the holy structure to get their two

deceased cousins? For that matter, Kohanim other than the Kohen Gadol, at this

point just Aharon himself, were not allowed in to the inner sanctity, so even other

Kohanim wouldn't be able to do what Moshe asked. Other than at the proper time,

even Aharon would not be allowed in. And if Nadav and Avihu had died in a

portion of the Mikdash other than the Holy of Holies, Mishael and Eltzaphan were

still only Levites, limited as to where they could go.

Rashi does not help us too much this week, as all he does is prove that Uziel was

indeed the brother of Amram, father of Miriam, Aharon, and Moshe. [Shemot 6:18]

Ramban addresses some of these issues. "I found in Torat Kohanim, R'Eliezer says

they died outside in an area where Levites are permitted to enter." It goes on to ask

why the Torah says, "and they died before God" which would imply in the Holy of

Holies, and answers that the angel of death killed them there and brought them to

the outer area where Levites could go. R'Akiva says that the cousins used hooks to

catch on and drag them out of the Holy of Holies. Ramban goes on that although

Kohanim are prohibited from that space other than in designated service, there is an

exception granted them to remove something impure or to perform maintenance and

that if no Kohanim are available, Levites may enter for those purposes.

Perhaps then, the reference to Uziel being Aharon's uncle was to prove that these two

were in fact Levites rather than Kohanim. Since Kohanim are Levites as well, that

explains the "your brothers" comment. Further, Kohanim are prohibited from touching

a dead body with only a few exceptions which did not apply here, so others were used.

But all this would be true even if the verse said Moshe's uncle.

We might understand that the reason the verse mentioned only Aharon is that it was

his sons who had died, and it was for Aharon that something now needed to be done.

Yes, Uziel was also Moshe's uncle, but that relationship was not important at this

moment, only that of Aharon.