Click Here to Sponsor Daily Halacha
"Delivered to Over 6000 Registered Recipients Each Day"

Download print

Parashat Shemini: The Death of Nadab and Abihu

We read in Parashat Shemini of the death of Nadab and Abihu, Aharon’s older two sons, who brought an incense offering upon the altar. The Torah (10:1) emphasizes, "Asher Lo Siva Otam" – that Nadav and Abihu were not commanded to bring this offering. It seems clear from the Torah’s account here that Nadab and Abihu were punished for bringing this offering which they were not instructed to bring.

Earlier in the Humash, however, we find a different reason for why Nadab and Abihu were punished. Towards the end of Parashat Mishpatim (Shemot 24:11), we read that Nadab and Abihu "ate and drank" as they beheld the revelation of G-d at the time of Matan Torah, and G-d "did not send His hand" against them. Rashi explains that they deserved to die for irreverently indulging in food and drink as they beheld G-d’s revelation, but G-d decided to delay their punishment rather than kill them at the festive occasion of Matan Torah. This clearly indicates that the sin for which they were punished was not offering incense, but rather brazenly eating and drinking at the time of the Revelation. How can we reconcile these two accounts?

One explanation is that the incense offering brought by Nadab and Abihu was not actually forbidden. The Torah, as mentioned, emphasizes the point that they were not commanded to offer this incense; this does not necessarily imply that it was forbidden. The reason for this emphasis is that it explains how G-d was able to kill Nadab and Abihu at this time, when they brought an offering. There is a famous rule that "Sheluheh Misva Einam Nizokin" – a person is not harmed while involving himself in a Misva (unless he puts himself in an especially dangerous situation in the process). We might wonder, then, how Nadab and Abihu could be harmed while serving G-d in the Mishkan. If a person is guaranteed protection while performing a Misva, then how could Nadab and Abihu be killed while bringing an offering to G-d? The Torah’s answer to this question is "Asher Lo Siva Otam" – they were not commanded to bring this offering. Involvement in a Misva guarantees protection only in situations of "Mesuveh Ve’oseh" – when a person fulfills a Misva which he is obligated to perform. If a person voluntarily accepts a certain Misva upon himself, the Misva will not necessarily ensure his protection from harm. Therefore, Nadab and Abihu were punished for their disrespect at the time for Matan Torah, but what allowed this to happen at the time of their incense offering was the fact that "Lo Siva Otam" – that they were involved in a Misva which they were not commanded to perform.

Interestingly, there is an unusual cantillation note underneath the word "Lo" in the phrase "Asher Lo Siva Otam," a note called "Mercha Kefula." This note appears very rarely in the Humash, and we customarily refer to it by the name "Tereh Ta’ameh." The expression "Tereh Ta’ameh" means "two reasons." It is used here to allude to the fact that Nadab and Abihu’s death at this time resulted from a combination of two different reasons – their irreverence at Matan Torah, and their bringing a voluntary incense offering. The note is placed underneath this phrase – "Asher Lo Siva Otam" – to allude to the fact that there was also a second factor contributing to their punishment, namely, the disrespect they showed at the time of the Revelation.


Related Parasha
Parashat Shemini- Respect and Reverence in the Synagogue - 2023 Year
Pesah: Redemption Then and Now - 2023 Year
Parashat Shemini: The Lesson of the Para Aduma - 2022 Year
Parashat Shemini: Caring for Our Sacred Soul - 2021 Year
Pesah- Unity as a Prerequisite to Redemption - 2021 Year
Parashat Shemini in Year of Pandemic 5780|2020- Inaugurating the Heavenly Altar - 2020 Year
The Exodus and the Process of Spiritual Healing - 2020 Year
Parashat Shemini- Sacrificing for Misvot - 2019 Year
Parashat Shemini: The Inherent Value of Preparation - 2018 Year
Parashat Shemini: Crying for the Sons of Aharon - 2017 Year
Shabbat HaGadol- The Great Message of Springtime - 2016 Year
Parashat Shemini: Shame - 2015 Year
Pesah- The Love Affair Between G-d and His People - 2015 Year
Parashat Shemini: Humility and Acceptance - 2014 Year
Parashat Shemini: Understanding Humility - 2013 Year
Pesah: Achieving True Freedom - 2013 Year
Parashat Shemini: Nadab and Abihu - 2012 Year
Pesah- Earning Redemption, Then and Now - 2012 Year
Parashat Shemini- Having Trust in the System - 2011 Year
Shabbat Morning Class - Parasha Shemini - 2010 Year
Shabbat Morning Class - Parasha Shemini - 2010 Year
Sefer/Parasha:
Parashat Mishpatim: Our Religious Resume
Parashat Yitro- Partnering With Hashem
Parashat BeShalah- A New Understanding of the Splitting of the Sea
Parashat Bo- Pharaoh and His Advisors
Parashat Vaera- Moshe Was Human
Parashat Shemot- The Egyptian “Furnace”
Parashat Vayehi- Yaakob’s Blessing to His Grandchildren
Parashat Vayigash- The Antidote to Adversity
Hanukah- When Building a Foundation
Parashat Vayeshev- The Precious Value of Silence
Parashat Vayishlah- The Dangers of the Gentle Touch
Parashat Vayeseh- Beware the “Laban Syndrome”
Parashat Toldot: Hard Work and Effort
Parashat Hayeh-Sara: Shidduchim and G-d’s Angel
Parashat Vayera- Lot’s Delayed Escape From Sedom
1002 Parashot found