Shemini | שמיני | “Eighth”
Part 3
Torah: Leviticus 9:1 - 11:4
Haftarah: II Samuel 6:1 - 7:17(A); II Samuel 6:1 - 6:19 (S)
Other Reading: John 13:21-32; Acts 5:1-11
Please also read: Day 307: The Children of the Eighth Day,
from The Book of Mysteries by Jonathan Cahn
In each day of this study we will focus on a theme or themes from the corresponding reading or aliyah. Here is the full list of aliyot for this portion:
Please also read: Day 307: The Children of the Eighth Day,
from The Book of Mysteries by Jonathan Cahn
In each day of this study we will focus on a theme or themes from the corresponding reading or aliyah. Here is the full list of aliyot for this portion:
Daily Readings
Introduction
This is Part Three in our continuing study of the third portion of Leviticus: Shemini which in Hebrew means “Eighth.” In Part One we learned that the eighth day is the day for new beginnings and it foreshadows the greatest of 'new beginnings, 'resurrection - life after death. Part Two revealed that Aaron's blessing over the people foreshadowed Messiah's dual role as both High Priest and atoning sacrifice. In today's study we will examine the third aliyah or reading from our portion. In it we will ask the questions "what really was the tragic mistake of Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu and why was their punishment so severe? We will also explore what brings God glory and the connection to Yeshua as well as discuss the prohibition on drinking - when and where does it apply today?
Summary of the third aliyah
Day 3: Lev. 9:24-10:11 Strange Fire
In the third reading, fire came forth and consumed the sacrifices on the altar, and the people shouted and fell on their faces. Acting on their own, Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu each took his fire pan, laid incense on it, and offered strange fire (אֵ֣שׁ זָרָ֔ה, esh zarah) which God had not commanded. And fire came forth from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died. Moses told Aaron, "This is that which the Lord hath spoken, saying, by those drawing near to Me I am sanctified, and in the face of all the people I am honored"; and Aaron remained silent. Moses then called Aaron's cousins Mishael and Elzaphan to carry away Nadab's and Abihu's bodies to a place outside the camp. Moses instructed Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar not to mourn Nadab and Abihu by tearing their garments or allowing their hair to become unkempt and not to go outside the Tent of Meeting. And God told Aaron that he and his sons must not drink wine or other intoxicating drink when they entered the Tent of Meeting, so as to lose the ability to distinguish between the sacred and the profane, or the ritually clean and unclean.
1. Strange Fire: What was Nadab's and Abihu's sin? Leviticus 10:1, 9
Go to Shmini Part Four
Download Parashat Shmini Study Guide
In the third reading, fire came forth and consumed the sacrifices on the altar, and the people shouted and fell on their faces. Acting on their own, Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu each took his fire pan, laid incense on it, and offered strange fire (אֵ֣שׁ זָרָ֔ה, esh zarah) which God had not commanded. And fire came forth from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died. Moses told Aaron, "This is that which the Lord hath spoken, saying, by those drawing near to Me I am sanctified, and in the face of all the people I am honored"; and Aaron remained silent. Moses then called Aaron's cousins Mishael and Elzaphan to carry away Nadab's and Abihu's bodies to a place outside the camp. Moses instructed Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar not to mourn Nadab and Abihu by tearing their garments or allowing their hair to become unkempt and not to go outside the Tent of Meeting. And God told Aaron that he and his sons must not drink wine or other intoxicating drink when they entered the Tent of Meeting, so as to lose the ability to distinguish between the sacred and the profane, or the ritually clean and unclean.
Themes for study in part 3
1. Strange Fire: What was Nadab's and Abihu's sin? (10:1-11)
2. What brings Glory to God? (10:3)
3. Preaching, Teaching and Drinking: Loss of discernment between the sacred and profane 
1. Strange Fire: What was Nadab's and Abihu's sin? Leviticus 10:1, 9
Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle and then they came out. From this we learn that God has accepted their offerings and they were able to draw near to God. But no sooner are we feeling that things are going well and the Tabernacle is functioning as intended and spirit-filled worship is commencing, when we are jolted back to reality by the sudden death of Aaron's two elder sons. This warning immediately draws notice to the seriousness and life-or-death consequences of performing every rite exactly as instructed.
Lev. 10:1 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took his own firepan, put fire in it, placed incense on it, and presented unauthorized fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them to do. 2 Then fire came from the LORD and burned them to death before the LORD.
Nadab and Abihu have been responsible for matters concerning the fire on the altar up until now (Lev 1:7) and they have been in the inner circle of elders and priests attending to these kinds of matters. (Ex 24:1, 9-11) What could have gone so radically wrong, and why is the punishment so severe? Some suggestions have been offered as to what were some of the possible mistakes they may have made:
a) Only the High Priest was to burn incense in the Tabernacle. (Ex 30:7-8)
The ordinary priests only burnt it on the brazen altar as a part of the memorial portion (Leviticus 2:2-3; Leviticus 2:16)
The ordinary priests only burnt it on the brazen altar as a part of the memorial portion (Leviticus 2:2-3; Leviticus 2:16)
b) They used their own personal censor rather than the Golden Censor. (Num 3:30-31)
c) They offered the incense at an unauthorized time. (Normally morning and evening)
d) They used common fire instead of taking it from the holy fire of the altar.
e) Tradition says that Nadab and Abihu had partaken freely of the drink offering, and performed their service in a state of intoxication and were incapacitated to distinguish between what was legal and illegal, sacred and profane. (Lev 10:9)
Were Nadab and Abihu derelict in their duties or were they simply the victims of an accident that was inevitable without the proper care to detail and respect for the Holiness of God. Moses implies as much in His attempt to console Aaron and some of the sages interpret His words to mean that the young priests were, upon their death, immediately taken into the presence of the Lord to serve in His heavenly sanctuary. To fully answer our questions about the crimes and fate of Nadab and Abihu, however, there are several other themes of this Parashat that we must address. For example, In the next few verses the issues of God's holiness is mentioned as connected to the deaths of Aaron's sons as well as that of the problem that intoxicating beverages impair judgment and should not be mixed with worship. The other difficulty is, how can Aaron continue to serve in the role of High Priest when he is in grief? (Gen 9:21-27; Ex 24:1, 9-11; 30:7-8; Num 16:1,2,18,35-40; Ezek 44:21-24; Rev 8:5)
As we have seen over and over again in our study of Torah, God cares deeply about his reputation among the people – His holy name. This is addressed in the regular Haftarah for Shemini which is covered in the final section of our study and also in Ezekiel 36:19-23 which is the special Haftarah reading for Shabbat Parah which coincides with Shemini in some years (E.g. 2016 and 2019.)
Ezek. 36:22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. 23 And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.
The holiness of God's name is of utmost importance and we should not think that that has diminished over time in the least. After the death of Nadab and Abihu, Moses is trying to explain what has happened and console Aaron at the same time.
Lev 10:3 So Moses said to Aaron,
“This is what the LORD meant when He said:
“This is what the LORD meant when He said:
I will show My holiness to those who are near Me,
and I will reveal My glory, before all the people.”
It is only because of the tragic death of Aaron's sons that we can truly apprehend the seriousness of worship and the importance of being totally committed to Him for His name's sake. We see it in the story of Uzzah and the ark (2 Samuel 6:6-7:17) and in the story of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). Throughout the gospel accounts we are reminded that Yeshua was firmly committed to bringing glory to His Father in everything that He did.
John 17:4 I have glorified You on the earth
by completing the work You gave Me to do.
(See 2 Sam 6:1-19; Ezek 36:19-23, 33-36; 2 Thess 1:7-12; Acts 5:1-11; John 13:31-32; 14:13; 17:4)
3. Preaching, Teaching and Drinking Lev 10:8-11
Loss of discernment between the sacred and profane
Most bible scholars and the sages agree, the insertion immediately after the death of Nadab and Abihu of the prohibition on drinking when ministering in the Tabernacle indicates that consumption of alcohol had something to do with the tragedy.
Loss of discernment between the sacred and profane
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