Following this first command comes the precautionary warning relevant to most Jewish people who are involved in the “ways of the world.” They “may not always come into the Sanctuary.”
In the straightforward sense, this command was directed only to Aharon; nevertheless, the substance of this command applies to every Jew. The overall service of Yom Kippur, although performed exclusively by the Kohen Gadol, affected the entire Jewish nation. [And as discussed on multiple occasions, upon entering “into the Sanctuary,” the Kohen Gadol brought the entire Jewish nation with him.] In fact, the core element of Yom Kippur, simply speaking — atonement “from all your sins, is most relevant to Jews at the lowest spiritual levels.
The same is true of the precautionary warning that “he may not always come into the Sanctuary” — its underlying meaning is relevant to every single Jew:
With the approach of Yom Kippur, a Jew reminds himself of all of the harmful elements to which he was exposed throughout the past year. To atone for these actions, he needs the day of Yom Kippur to help purify him and elevate him “into the Sanctuary.” This process could arouse within him the desire to “come at all times into the Sanctuary” — to completely remove himself from worldly matters, and to just remain in the “Sanctuary.”
This possible reaction must be addressed even after receiving the command, “do not drink intoxicating wine.” Demanding from a Torah scholar to “not drink intoxicating wine” — that he must remain in a state of “shov” — is understandable, for even the Torah scholar’s state of “shov” leaves no room for a descent {into anything forbidden}. Even when he is in a state of “shov,” he still only engages in Torah, and he must therefore be cautioned not to remain in a state of “ratzo,” “when they approached before Hashem, and they died.”
By contrast, ordinary working Jews, who face the daily challenges of the material world, are at greater risk of stumbling, G-d forbid. It might seem that it would be better for them to draw near “before Hashem” and “come at all times into the Sanctuary,” separating themselves entirely from worldly matters!
This is the scenario in which the unique lesson from the death of Aharon’s two sons related in this parshah is intended to be applied: Even working Jews are advised not to repeat the mistake of Aharon’s sons — they “approached — and they died.” Working Jews, too, are told that they “may not come at all times into the Sanctuary.” They express incredulity about being expected to engage with the world and overcome its tests. However, the response is that this directive (that there must be a “shov”) is first raised in parshas Acharei, after “the law of the animals...” and “his law” of man:
“The law {תרות} of the animal...” is the instruction and empowerment that the Torah confers to a Jew to enable him to refine the world (as discussed above in Section 2) — to be able to “distinguish” between good and evil, externally and internally. Since this ability is rooted in Torah, it allows him to refine the world around him. He has the power to withstand the challenges that engaging in the world entails. There is no reason to fear the world. On the contrary, the Jew has the power to transform the world into a place of repose for the Divine.
[And if he, G-d forbid, falls and sins, this slip-up is temporary. Immediately, he is presented with a personal “Yom Kippur” which brings with it the incredible power of teshuvah, and “in the place where penitents stand, even the completely righteous are unable.”]
Thus, the Jew can embark confidently on the mission of actualizing the purpose of Creation — making this lowly world a dwelling place for Hashem.
From a talk delivered on Shabbos, parshas Acharei uKedoshim, 5728 (1968)
