Parameters of Change

And the Lord spoke to Moses, after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the Lord, and died.                                 Leviticus 16:1

The opening verse of our parasha implies a connection between the deaths of Nadab and Abihu and the content of God’s words to Moses.

Rabbi Levi [Babylonian Talmud, Gittin 60a) tells us that the connection is chronological, rather than topical. Though the words spoken here to Moses are the details of the Yom Kippur service, it was said to him by God on the day Aaron’s sons died.

Rabbi Ḥiyya son of Abba [Jerusalem Talmud, Yoma 1:1] notes that the sons of Aaron died on the first of Nissan and asks why the verse mentions their deaths in connection with Yom Kippur. The lesson, says Rabbi Ḥiyya is that just as Yom Kippur effects atonement, so too does the death of a zaddik (righteous person).  Thus the content is related.

Rashi, based upon Midrash Torat Kohanim, suggest another topical correlation. The purpose of mentioning the deaths of Nadab and Abihu is to stress that even the High Priest must be extremely careful in entering the Temple.

My father suggested an additional connection. In one midrashic opinion, the sin of Nadab and Abihu was their desire to replace the leadership of Moses and Aaron. They felt the older generation needed to be replaced with younger, more dynamic leaders. In essence, Aaron’s sons lost sight of the truth that Torah must be our guide in life. Rather than adapting themselves to the requirements of Torah, they tried to bend Torah to accommodate their desires.

The connection between the deaths of Nadab and Abihu and the Yom Kippur service lies here in the contrast between the actions of Aaron’s sons and the lesson of Yom Kippur. Change is desirable, for without change there can be no progress. However, it is necessary to differentiate between the physical and spiritual realms. Sanctity comes to man from God Himself. The closer one is to God as the Source, the holier he is. To change is to deviate from the Source and hence to regress rather than progress. Yom Kippur, ideally, is a day which influences our entire lives for the coming year.  Yom Kippur is a time of return to the Source. If changes are to be made, they are by us to comply with God’s wishes.