MS Faculty Dvar Torah - Parashat Acharei Mot - by Ms. Laura Csillag

Rabbi Shalom Rosner presents a fascinating question, raised from Chassidic thought, about the name of this week's parsha, "Acharei Mot". The first pasuk of the parsha states: 

"וַיְ דֵּ֤בר יְהֹוָה אל־מ ֶׁ֔שה אחֵ֣רי מֹות ְׁשֵ֖ני בֵ֣ני אהֹ֑רֹ֑ן בקרבתם ל פֵנֽי־יְהָֹ֖וה וַּיָֻֽמתּו:" 

"And the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron's two sons, when they drew near before the Lord, and they died." 

The Lubavitcher Rebbe asks: Why is this parsha named "Acharei Mot"? The Parsha doesn't even deal specifically with the death of Aharon's sons. Rather, it focuses on what happens afterwards. After Nadav and Avihu die, Hashem teaches Aharon the laws of the Yom Kippur service. Other parshiot have a unique name that captures the essence, the main idea of the parsha, for example, "Noah" (the flood), "Lech-Lecha" (Avraham being asked by Hashem to leave his homeland), etc. What is the message that we can learn from after the death of Nadav and Avihu? 

There are many interpretations by Chazal (our Sages, of blessed memory) about what exactly was the sin of Nadav and Avihu. The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that Aharon's sons died, not because they sinned against Hashem or were wicked. Rather, they were righteous individuals who wanted to come close to Hashem. The problem comes after their period of heightened spirituality. Of course God wants us to be close to Him, and we have to have these moments of divine inspiration in our lives. Nadav and Avihu, however, wanted to be there permanently. Their yearning reached a point where they wanted to be totally spiritual, like a malach (angel), and no longer inhabit their physical bodies. Upon having experienced such utter closeness to Hashem, they didn't want to return to their earthly existence, and died. The fault of Aharon's sons was in their inability to redirect their spiritual energies back to normal everyday life. We can learn from Nadav and Avihu's death, after their death. We have to realize, says the Rebbe, that the purpose of life isn't to be a malach (angel). Hashem doesn't want us to die out of love for him. We have to have these spiritual highs, but we must bring it back down to earth. Each and every one of us is placed on this earth to fulfill a purpose. If we never want to feel the desire to come close to Hashem, then we are indeed lacking in some way. On the other hand, the purpose of life is to use our spiritual feelings to sanctify our physical lives. 

There is a mishna in Masechet Brachot that expresses a similar idea. The mishna discusses how chassidim rishonim used to prepare for a whole hour before praying, in order to get into the right frame of mind. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi adds, not only do we need an hour before, but we also need an hour after! Preparing oneself before davening is reasonable, and certainly not running out of shul before the conclusion of the service makes sense. But why do we need to stay a whole hour after davening? Rabbi Rosner explains that when we daven, we are talking directly to Hashem and are on a "spiritual high". We then need to think about the words and messages of our prayers and apply them to our daily lives. This is what Nadav and Avihu did not want to do. A similar message is found in the Kabbalah regarding "Isru Chag", the day after the conclusion of Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot. Since these Holy Days have us on such a spiritual high, we need a day to "come back down to earth". Rabbi Yehuda Shurpin, a noted scholar and researcher, writes: "...as the afterglow of the holiday, it bridges the holy and the mundane, drawing down the spiritual energy and blessings of the holiday into our everyday lives". A final example of this idea is found in sefer Bereishit (the book of Genesis), in the story of Akeydat Yitzchak (the binding of Isaac). After the extreme intensity of Avraham almost sacrificing the life of his son, the last few pesukim simply talk about Avraham returning to his men and going to Beer Sheva:

"וַָּ֤י ָׁשב ַא ְב ָר ָה ֙ם ֶאל־נְ ָע ָ֔ריו וַּיָֻ֛קמּו וֵַּיֽ ְל ֥כּו יַ ְחָּ֖דו ֶאל־ ְּבֵ֣אר ָׁ֑ש ַבע וֵַּ֥י ֶׁשב ַא ְב ָר ָ֖הם ִּב ְבֵ֥אר ָ ֽׁש ַבע:" 

"And Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beer sheba; and Abraham remained in Beer sheba." 

Avraham takes this monumentally life-changing experience and brings it with him back down the mountain. He takes his newfound spiritual connection to HaShem and applies it to the physical aspects of his everyday life. This is indeed the message of "Acharei Mot". 

Shabbat Shalom!