#25 — Parshat Shemini
Leviticus 9:1- 11:46
Overview
Parshat Shemini describes a glorious beginning of the sacrificial service in the tabernacle on the eighth (shemini) day, after the seven days of ordination of Aaron and his sons. (Leviticus 9). But then Nadav and Abihu die because they bring unauthorized fire (Leviticus 10).
Moses and Aaron are also instructed which animals are clean and unclean for the Israelites (Leviticus 11). These dietary restrictions are meant to set Israel apart as a people holy to G-d:
“For I am the L-RD your G-d: Consecrate yourself therefore and be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44).
Sacrifice and Blessing, Glory and sacrifice
A Glorious Highlight
Parshat Shemini describes a real highlight in the Torah. The sacrificial service in the tabernacle begins. After Aaron brings sacrifices for the people, they are blessed and the glory of the L-RD appears to Israel. With joyful shouts the people of Israel fall down in worship. Three things are closely linked together: atoning sacrifice, blessing, and the appearance of the glory of the L-RD. Let’s have a closer look at the relationship between those three things.
Sacrifice and Blessing
Parshat Shemini is not the first time that sacrifice and blessing are closely linked. After Noah brings burnt offerings, the L-RD says He will not continue to curse the ground. This curse was G-d’s righteous reaction to human sin. But following Noah’s sacrifice we read that the L-RD blesses mankind again (Genesis 8:20-9:1). This is the first time we read in the Torah about burnt offerings [1] and it is the first time after sin entered the world that we read about blessing again. Atoning sacrifice is clearly the curse-stopping basis for G-d’s blessing.
In Parshat Shemini it is also after sacrifice that Moses and Aaron can bless the people with the L-RD’s blessing.
“Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people…” (Leviticus 9:22-23).
It is not recorded in our parsha with what words they blessed the people, but later in the book of Numbers Aaron and his sons are instructed to bless the people with these words:
The L-RD bless you and keep you.
The L-RD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
the L-RD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
The Appearance of the Glory of the L-RD
The L-RD’s face shining upon Israel is what literally happens in our parsha. Because not only do Moses and Aaron bless Israel, but also:
“the glory of the L-RD appeared to all the people and fire came out from before the L-RD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces” (Leviticus 9:23-24).
The glory of the L-RD was clearly a special visible and glorious manifestation of G-d’s presence. This must certainly have been a display of most outstanding beauty. In the Bible the glory of the L-RD is often associated with light. But we shouldn’t limit our thoughts about the glory of the L-RD to only a visible display of His majesty.
Earlier in the Torah Parshat Ki Tisa the L-RD Himself defined His glory as “all His goodness.” G-d’s glory is deeply connected with His Name; that is, who G-d is in all His excellency. When the glory of the L-RD passes Moses on Mount Sinai the L-RD calls out His own name:
“The L-RD, The L-RD G-d, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in loving-kindness and truth; who keeps loving-kindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”
The glory of G-d is the light of the G-d who abounds in mercy, grace, and forgiveness, yet doesn’t compromise His holiness.
The Glory Appearing in the Sacrifice
In Shemini the glory of G-d and sacrifice are connected and that remains the case for all eternity. Why? Because, nowhere is this glory of G-d so much on display as in the sacrifice of the Messiah who died for our sins. The complete atonement which He provides gives complete forgiveness of sin and eternal blessing. It shows G-d’s ultimate love for undeserving people yet without compromising His holiness. The Messiah takes the punishment we deserve so we can receive blessing today and in the world to come.
Concerning the future glory of Jerusalem we read “The city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of G-d gives it light” (Revelation 21:23). The text continues and is more specific about the source of this light: “and its lamp is the Lamb.” The Lamb is Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah who gave Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for our redemption. The glory of G-d displayed in His sacrifice will be the eternal source of Jerusalem’s brightness.
But in the present, the L-RD’s face shines graciously upon all who come to G-d through Him, Fully realizing this truth will cause us to fall down in everlasting joy and worship before Him.
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[1] Abel also brought an offering which is accepted by the L-RD. But although it looks like a burnt offering it is not given that name. It is called a gift ( מנחה).
A Deadly Unauthorized Approach to G-d
Unauthorized Fire
Right after the highlight of the appearance of G-d’s glory to Israel, we find a serious incident which gives us a stark warning. Fire comes out from before the L-RD and consumes Aaron’s sons Nadav and Abihu (Leviticus 10:2). Why is this happening? What did Nadav and Abihu do wrong?
We read that they “each took his censer and put fire it and laid incense on it.” What is so wrong with that?
The answer to that question is given in how their action is described. “And they offered unauthorized fire before the L-RD, which He had not commanded them (Leviticus 10:1).
Nothing may have been wrong with the incense or the fire in themselves. But this was the offense: on their own accord Aaron’s sons approached G-d in a manner and time in which He had not commanded. [1] “They offered before the L-RD” is literally translated from Hebrew as “They brought near before the L-RD.” This seems to imply that Nadab and Abihu wanted to enter the Holy Place with this incense.
A Stark Warning
This is a strong illustration of the L-RD’s holiness, right at the start of the sacrificial service in the tabernacle. Moses immediately quotes G-d’s words to Aaron, “Among those who are near Me (or “approach Me”) I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified” (Leviticus 10:3).
G-d’s judgment on Nadav and Abihu provides a stark warning not to approach the L-RD through any other way than He prescribes.
Popular opinion holds that there are many ways to G-d, but our parsha gives us a quite different message. There is only G-d’s prescribed way; everything else leads to disaster.
The Safe Prescribed Way
The prescribed way in the tabernacle was through offering atoning sacrifices which G-d prescribed. Today we have no tabernacle or temple. But that gives us no license to invent our own way to approach G-d. We should follow the way which G-d Himself commands us to take. Approaching G-d with our own methods will end in disaster.
His prescribed way of approach is coming to Him on the basis of the atoning sacrifice of the Messiah. The L-RD wants us to come near him through him. Yeshua the Messiah “is able also to save forever those who draw near to G-d through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25) but everything else is “strange fire” which the L-RD has not commanded.
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[1] In Exodus 30:7 the commandment is given to burn incense twice a day (in the morning and in the evening) on the altar of incense before the veil of the most holy place. In addition a negative commandment is given, not to bring unauthorized incense on that altar (Exodus 30:8). This seems to be a prohibition against bringing incense at times other than when the daily burnt offerings were being made. The implication might very well be: One can only approach G-d so close to the inner place when the daily atoning sacrifice is brought.