Rabbi's Blog

Good guys and bad guys are always in the script. Rare is the story where the potential good guys come out smelling bad. Even thoughthe deaths of Nadav and Avihu have already been recorded in the Torah in Parshas Shmini,Nevertheless the beginning of this week's Parsha mentions their deaths in the very first verse. The Torah states in Vayikra 16:1: "Vayidaber Hashem El Moshe Acharei Mos Shnei Bnei Aharon, B'korvasam Lifnei Hashem Vayamusu": "Hashem spoke to Moshe after the death of Aharon's two sons, when they approached before Hashem, and they died".

There are many reasons given which warrant the deaths of Nadav and Avihu. The Midrash Chachamim says the primary and source of their sin was that despite the fact they were great and righteous leaders, they convinced themselves that they were getting closer to God. Only a true Tzadik and leader could possibly stumble by thinking that as he became greater he would automatically become closer to Hashem. A true Tzadik always works on himself, raising his level to grow ever closer to Hashem. This effort does not come with greatness. The greater a person becomes the haughtier he tends to grow which then leads him to act in ways that are outside the prescribed method.

Nadav and Avihu were trying to act for the sake of Heaven, but the rule in life is one must do things that the Tzibbur or majority of the people do. We cannot simply make up our own rules or even to decide to follow a halacha unless we hold or accept the majority opinion. Many halachos are mentioned and brought down but we don't necessarily follow and act in accordance with that authority. Any individual, no matter how great he or she may be, cannot decide to follow a particular law that is outside the accepted viewpoint.

The following Mishna discusses a powerful, strongly-worded opinion consistent with this thought:

The first Mishna of the fourth chapter of Gemara Pesachim states: In a place where the custom is to allow work on Erev Pesach until Chatzos (Halachik Midday), they can do work. In a place where the custom is not to do work, the individual must conform to the public-at-large and refrain from doing Melacha*. Rashi explains the reason the sages instituted this fence was to assure that the people not forget to do Biur Chometz, slaughter the Korban Pesach, and arrange to have matzos for the evening seder. From the statement of this Mishna we derive that it only depended upon the custom of the place until midday; that's where the difference took place. But after Chatzos, midday, it is actually forbidden as a law and not just as a custom. The Talmud Yerushalmi explains says that from midday on was the time for the offering of the Korban Pesach, the Paschal Lamb, for the entire Jewish people. This was considered a Yom Tov for every person: the day a person offered his sacrifice was his Yom Tov, his holiday. Since it was considered a Yom Tov it was therefore forbidden to do Melacha/work which is usually prohibited for Yom Tov. Rabbeinu Asher (The Rash) explains that "...therefore, even in today's time without the Temple being here and without offering of the actual Korban Pesach, the Yom Tov component did not dissolve. From mid-day of Erev Pesach onward we should not do any Melacha. Furthermore, the Rabbeinu Nissim (The RAN) in Pesachim states, "Something that became forbidden through a vote of the chachamim/sages does not become permissible even if the original reason they forbade it no longer applies! When they said it was forbidden to work after Chatzos on Erev Pesach, it was mandated for the entire Jewish people - even those who dwell in Chutz La'Aretz - outside of Israel". The reason is because it was once a holiday that had been established for the entire Jewish people. Reb Yechiel Michel Epstein, in his halachik work Aruch Hashulchan, paskens that someone who does melacha after Chatzos on Erev Pesach will not only fail to see a blessing from his efforts, he will actually will be cursed.

How often in life we meet people who feel they can do things differently than the rest of society. It is complete arrogance for anyone even to perform mitzvos that are being done outside the normative halacha. What gives an individual the right to decide that in HIS opinion, he thinks the law, the halacha, should be such and such, or he feels the law should be in accordance with so and so even though there is an accepted approach according to Shulchan Aruch. Even if there is an opinion that supports this outside practice, it is nevertheless a sign of haughtiness and will eventually collapse.

I would like to offer a concluding original thought that connects this Mishna with Pesach. The Seder follows the reading of the Haggadah. There is a strong tradition to begin the Seder with announcing of the table of contents which essentially are the fifteen steps of the evening. Very few people can appreciate the significance, relevance, and importance setoff setting the stage with this recitation of order. The message is "SEDER" - "ORDER" - keeping your life within the guidelines, the hash marks of the norm. There is no room for me to move outside, rearranging the steps and the order of the Seder or of life. A great measure of the Geula, redemption, was that the Jewish people became a Klal yisrael without anyone moving outside of that distinction. There were groups which attempted and failed, or worse, were totally lost.

In order to envision the coming of Moshiach and the end of this Galus/exile, the Jewish people as a whole must work to align ourselves within the norm and stay within the order of life that is consistent with the majority, following normative halacha and Jewish practice.

Ah Gut Shabbos and Ah Zeesin Pesach

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

*Melacha - the definition of this kind of work are on the level of Chol Hamoed. The kind of Melacha/work that is prohibited on Chol HaMoed is not to be performed Erev Pesach after Chatzos. There are certain types of Melacha necessary for the Yom Tov itself and we can be lenient. But the general approach is to appreciate the significance of the time to keep it holy.