Shemini - Lev. 9:1-11:47

FIRE!

There is a verse at the end of chapter 9, and two others at the beginning of chapter 10 that are normally read as though they are unconnected, but let's connect them to see something interesting.

Most of chapter 9 is about Moses and Aaron, who were together, and it was Aaron's initiation ceremony as to becoming the high priest, and he performed the three required sacrifices. We were told, in the previous Torah portion, that this was to be an induction for not only Aaron and his sons, and this portion has the sons summoned, awaiting their turn.

When the sacrifices are done, Moses and Aaron descend and the two of them entered the Tent of Meeting to meet with YHVH. And when they exited, the two of them not only blessed the people, but the Gory of YHVH (כבוד יהוה) was seen by the entire nation.

Perhaps the flap of the tent was open, because what happens next:

9:24 - And a fire went out from before YHVH and consumed the burnt-offering (olah) and the fats that were on the altar (mizbeach). When the people saw this, they vayarnu and threw themselves on their faces.

10:1 - And Aaron's sons, Nadav and Avihu, each of them took his censer (fire pan) and put in it a fire, and set upon that, incense, and offered before YHVH a foreign fire, [a fire] that He had not commended them [to bring].

10:2 - And a fire when out from before YHVH and consumed them, and they died before YHVH. 

Here are a few things to note:

1. The expression that the fire went out from before YHVH is an interesting one. The sifra is uncomfortable with the idea of YHVH thrusting out a fire while residing in a tent, so changes "from before YHVH" to "from heaven", The Rashbam gives the fire a supernatural flavor, saying that it was the existing fire that was burning, not a new one, and YHVH made the fire grow and go outward and drew it back in. There are many argument for this being a separate fire or the same, supernatural, or natural. 
2. This expression is repeated when it comes to YHVH having the fire consume (literally, "eat") the offering. As we learned at the beginning of the last portion ("Tzav"), the olah was an offering that nobody but YHVH would be consuming, and that the priesthood would have their usual share denied to them.
3. Nobody really knows what vavarnu means. There is a tradition that it must mean some sort of praising. In Hebrew grammar, the ending "u" sound means "they" as a past tense verb, but it could just was well mean that they freaked out seeing the Glory of YHVH through the tent flaps, then He case a great supernatural fire that ate up all of that meat and fat in an instant. We just don't know.
4. I added "[a fire]" to near the end of 10:1 to indicate that a "foreign fire" meant one that YHVH had not yet commanded them to bring.

So did the sons of Aaron sin?

The text never says so, and it is quite common for Jews to name their sons Nadav and Avihu. You have Moses and Aaron who are standing on either side of the tent, who saw nothing wrong with what was going on, and the sons felt that it was their turn, but YHVH either killed them as a punishment, or for some other reason.

After they are killed, Moses says something odd to his brother, "This is what YHVH said, saying, "I will be sanctified through those who are near Me, and I will be glorified before all the people." And Aaron was silent.

First of all, there is no text where YHVH says that, so many render it as Moses providing an interpretation, or Moses revealing a private prophecy.

And it is from this that we have a Midrash, where Moses is saying, "I had a prophecy that the two most righteous members of this people would be sacrificed to dedicate this altar, but I had thought that it was to be you and me.Now I see that your sons were the most righteous." And Aaron was silent.

Many are quite uncomfortable with the idea of YHVH initiating a human sacrifice, an olah, which is reminiscent of the story of Jephthah offering up his daughter as an olah.

So some say that Aaron was silent because he felt that he was being punished for making the Golden Calf.

Others say that the sons of Aaron were inebriated, which would be forbidden in a later verse, and since the Torah is not in order, those verses still apply.

The thing is this: YHVH was in His tent and sent out a fire to eat His offering. He did this twice. And the people reacted with a word for which we have no meaning. And Aaron said nothing.

These three verses are difficult for many. With some study, it's not difficult to grasp, only difficult to accept.