The Torah tells us that on the very day that Nadav and Avihu, Aharon’s two sons, died for offering a “strange fire” before G-d, HaShem directed Moshe to warn Aharon against going in to the Mishkan, the dwelling place of G-d, unbidden. Further, he could only enter the Holy of Holies one day a year, on Yom Kippur, and then it had to be under very specific circumstances as part of the service rituals.
Aharon’s sons died on the 1st of Nisan. Yom Kippur was more than six months away. Why did HaShem give the commands so quickly? The simplest answer, of course, is that when there’s a danger lurking, you warn people. You post a “High Voltage” placard, or “Beware of Dog.” Here, it was, “Beware of profaning the holy.” However, Aharon was praised for following directives and always asking Moshe before he did anything. Why then did he need this warning? And if he did need it, why did HaShem include Yom Kippur? Couldn’t that have been later?
Perhaps there was a very important reason to speak up right now about what happened to Nadav and Avihu. They were HUUUUUGGGE tzaddikim. They were greater than Moshe and Aharon according to the commentaries. And yet they did something they were not supposed to and suffered the consequences. To the average onlooker, however, it seemed that they died simply because the Mishkan was “too holy” for mere mortals. People could have had the misimpression that G-d is dangerous or vindictive chas v’shalom. Therefore, HaShem immediately commanded that Aharon be warned not to repeat their sin so that others would know it was the sin, not the holiness, which was their downfall.
In fact, the exact nature of the sin is up for discussion. But it doesn’t matter. The point is that at each person’s level there are things that are beneath him and by doing the wrong thing one can get hurt. That’s a clear warning for all of us, and something like that simply couldn’t wait.
When the Torah describes the service of the Kohain Gadol on Yom Kippur, there were several different steps that had to be taken. Indeed, the mussaf of Yok Kippur outlines in detail all the different tasks on the Kohain, and how swiftly he ran to fulfill Hashem’s will.
In describing the various offerings, we find an interesting phenomenon. The Kohain Gadol first atoned for himself and his wife. Then he atoned for the other Kohanim. Only then did he atone for the entire nation. The Sages explain that he had to be atoned for first, so he could then atone for others.
However, there is another aspect here which is so applicable to all of us. We know that we are to be a unified people. It’s hard to think of others, though, and not worry about yourself first. The Torah here teaches us a technique for caring about others.
Initially, you draw a circle around yourself and your family. Then, once you are caring for “your people,” you merely expand your circle and include other people, like your friends. Then, as you develop the ability to care for others, you can expand your circle of interest and include more and more people.
That’s why the Kohain began with his family, then included the Kohanim, and finally, his efforts were able to encompass all of Klal Yisrael. This is something we can each do, and it’s a good idea to try.
