Shabbat Parashat Shemini - 5783

Shabbat Parashat Shemini - 5783

Rabbi Hal Miller

God spoke to Aharon saying, "Do not drink intoxicating wine, you and your sons with

you, when you come to the Tent of Meeting that you not die, this is an eternal decree

for your generations." [Vayikra 10:8-9]

This parsha features many speakers to many listeners. The Torah gives names in

many cases, but it remains confusing unless we stop and pay attention. We could, of

course, begin at the beginning of Bereishit to track who is saying what to whom, but

will limit this discussion to Vayikra chapter 10. Immediately after the deaths of Nadav

and Avihu in verse 2, we have 3, "Moshe said to Aharon, of this did God speak saying"

so here it is Moshe speaking to Aharon, repeating what he had heard from God.

Leaving aside that the Torah does not recite such a conversation where God said this

to Moshe, we move to the next verse, where Moshe speaks to Mishael and Eltzafan.

In verse 6, Moshe turns back to his brother, "Moshe said to Aharon and to his sons

Elazar and Itamar", this time including Aharon's sons who were standing there even

in verse 3 although not addressed.

Then we have a switch. In our verses, it is God speaking directly to Aharon, or so it

seems. Ibn Ezra says that the Torah is merely simplifying things, and that God

actually spoke to Moshe, who then relayed it on to Aharon. It seems odd that Elazar

and Itamar are again ignored here, even though clearly the commandment is also

directed to them. This could be a proof for Ibn Ezra since up to this time God had

only been speaking with Moshe or with Moshe and Aharon together. If in fact God

spoke directly to Aharon, it would make sense that He did not include the remaining

sons directly, which would be a proof against Ibn Ezra. Most commentators understand

that God did speak to Aharon here, not just through Moshe.

Then in verse 12, Moshe is speaking to Aharon and the sons together. Finally, since

the chapter divisions were not done by Moshe nor by Jews, verse 11:1 can be included

here as if part of chapter 10, and we have "God spoke to Moshe and to Aharon to say to

them". Interestingly, Rashi here gives the Ibn Ezra argument from above, that God spoke

to Moshe to have him relay to Aharon.

How should we understand the back and forth? Are there patterns involved? Perhaps.

Verses 6 and 12, Moshe to Aharon, Elazar and Itamar, are all commandments for the

Kohanim for all generations to come. 3 is not a commandment, rather merely a consolation

of Aharon. 4 is a commandment for the moment only, not for the future.

The more difficult one is our verse, 8-9. Clearly, this is a commandment for now and for

future generations, as are 6 and 12, yet the speaker and listener are different from those

two verses. What distinguishes this verse that the Torah needed to make the changes?

Many alternative reasons are given for the deaths of Nadav and Avihu. One of the more

widespread is that they drank wine prior to performing their service. Although our verse

clearly is meant for Kohanim for all generations, perhaps God here comes to emphasize

that a mistake was made in the past, where the other verses are only forward-looking.

Our verse is meant as a correction as well as future command, the others were only the

future. This explanation gets around the Rashi/Ibn Ezra point of whether God spoke to

Aharon directly or through Moshe as it makes no difference to the point of the verses.