Illustration credit: Rebecca Kerzner
Haftarah הַפְטָרָה
After Benei Yisrael arrive in the Eretz Yisrael, the mishkan is set up in Shiloh. Eventually, the Pelishtim fight a war against them, and steal the אָרוֹן (aron, ark). King David is able to recapture it, but he wants to bring it to Yerushalayim in order to start building the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ (Beit Ha-Mikdash, Holy Temple) there.
So David places the aron on a wagon and he and his troops lead it towards Yerushalayim, rejoicing along the way. Then a disaster happens. The animals pulling the wagon stumble, and a man named Uzzah grabs the aron. But that is not allowed, and God kills Uzzah.
David is scared to keep moving the aron right away. He stores it in the home of Oved-Edom. But a couple months later, David tries again. This time he’s successful. The aron makes it all the way to Yerushalayim in a joyful parade.
How’s this story connected to Parashat Shemini? Think about it before you read on!
A midrash notices that there are disasters in both our parashah and our haftarah, and these disasters have some similarities. The midrash suggests that both disasters caused Benei Yisrael to complain.
הַקְּטֹרֶת, שֶׁל פֻּרְעָנֻיּוֹת הִיא, שֶׁהָרְגָה נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּ. לְפִיכָךְ הוֹדִיעָן שֶׁהִיא שֶׁל כַּפָּרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "וַיִּתֵּן אֶת הַקְּטֹרֶת וַיְכַפֵּר עַל הָעָם" (במדבר יז:יב).
הָאָרוֹן, אָמְרוּ שֶׁל סַמְפִּירִינוֹן הָיָה, הוּא הָרַג אֶת עֻזָּה… לְפִיכָךְ הוֹדִיעָם שֶׁהוּא שֶׁל בְּרָכָה, דִּכְתִיב: "וַיֵּשֶׁב אֲרוֹן ה' בֵּית עֹבֵד אֱדֹם הַגִּתִּי שְׁלֹשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים וַיְבָרֶךְ ה' אֶת עֹבֵד אֱדוֹם וְאֶת כָּל בֵּיתוֹ" (שמואל ב ו:יא).
Benei Yisrael complained that the ketoret (incense) caused punishment, because it killed Nadav and Avihu. That’s why God showed Benei Yisrael that ketoret actually brings forgiveness, as it says: “And he (Aharon) placed the ketoret, and gained forgiveness for the people” (Bemidbar 17:12). (This was during Korah’s rebellion.)
Benei Yisrael also said that the aron was made of magical sapphire and it killed Uzzah… That’s why God showed Benei Yisrael that the aron is actually a blessing, as it is written, “The aron of God stayed at the home of Oved-Edom the Gittite for three months, and God blessed Oved and all his house” (Shmuel Bet 6:11).
This midrash points out that these holy objects are really sources of forgiveness and blessing.
- If that’s true, why did people die in both stories? Were their deaths because of the holy objects, or for some other reason?
- What’s the message in the parashah, haftarah, and midrash about how we should use, or approach, holy objects?
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