A Thought on Parashat Acharei Mot: Where Did Nadav and Avihu Go Wrong?

In this week’s parasha, two of Aharon’s sons have just died. There are different understandings behind what sin led to the death of the Nadav and Avihu: 1. They brought an unwarranted korban, 2. They came into the Mishkan drunk, or 3. They determined and judged halacha in front of Moshe and Aharon.

Let’s try to understand on a deeper level exactly where they went wrong.

Our Rabbis teach us that the building of the mishkan atoned for two major sins:
1. It was built as an atonement for the chet ha’egel, “Hashem said, bring a golden mishkan to atone for the golden calf. Hashem said to the Jews, at the time you created the calf, I got angry, but now that you made the mishkan, I am appeased."
2. It was build as an atonement for Mechirat Yosef, the brothers sale of Yosef.

What is the message here? What is the connection between the chet ha’egel and the sale of Yosef?

The sefer Drash Dovid explains that both sins were a result of not seeking guidance from those bigger than themselves. The sons of Yaakov should have consulted with Yaakov and had they, it could have avoided mechirat Yosef. The Jewish people should have consulted Aharon or the zekainim, and had they, it could have prevented chet ha'egel.

The mishkan was built by the zekainim calling Aharon and his sons to put it together. Hashem’s intent was to show the value of the zekainim and to show the Jewish people that they should be mevatel themselves, and not act on their own logic alone, but rather to always seek guidance from their elders.

Let's review the words of the Brisker Rav that I discussed a few weeks ago, during Parashat Parah and see how it connects to Nadav and Avidu and the building of the mishkan. Rashi discusses the fact  hat the Para Adumah was an atonement for the chet ha’egel. Aside from them both being in the cow family, what is the connection? He explains that the Jewish people’s sin with the egel was that they acted based on their own understanding of things, rather than on the foundation of Hashem’s commands. This was not idol worship, rather they had just received the Torah and heard אנכי ה׳ אלקך. They could not be looking for a new G-d. Rather, they had good intentions to find another medium to reach Hashem. But despite these good intentions, they made their own determination rather than seeking an answer from Hashem.

So we davka take a para aduma, a calf, which the Torah describes as a chok, something we do not understand or are not given reasons for. We are commanded to do it just because. Just because Hashem wants us to. Doing this can atone for us trying to use our own initiative in a place it wasn’t warranted.

Perhaps this is also why the Torah, in Parashas Pekudei, says by each detail in building the mishkan,

כאשר צוה ה׳ את משה

To show that the mishkan was also an atonement for the egel, and that we do each thing simply because Hashem commands us to do it.

The moral for us is that the Mishkan is about nullifying our own daat, our own logic before Hashem. This does not mean that He doesn’t want us to think for ourselves or to have creative minds, but rather, He wants us to understand that our thinking is second to His and should never conflict with His commandments.

Perhaps we now understand that this was also the sin of Nadav and Avihu, in the sense that they did something other than what they were commanded to do. Despite their good intentions, similar to the Jewish people and the chet ha’egel, the brothers defiled the kedusha of the mishkan by not fully grasping the true meaning behind its creation. As Jews, we look to the 10 commandments and to the Torah for guidance. While we are born with free will, we must comprehend that Hashem guides us clearly and before making a rash decision of our own, we should look to him, to our Rabbis and Chaachamim, rather than determining what is best on our own.