Consequences: Shemini

Utopian myths were shattered with Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden. A Genesis passage best explains the real world’s realities: “…[t]he ground is cursed on your account. You’ll eat from it with suffering all the days of your life. And it will grow thorn and thistle at you, and you’ll eat the field’s vegetation. By the sweat of your nostrils you’ll eat bread until you go back to the ground, because you were taken from it; because you are dust and you’ll go back to dust.” Genesis 3:17-19.

Adam & Eve’s story -as an etiological myth- explains why life is full of struggles, challenges, and suffering. Being human- knowing good from bad- comes with a price; the ability to discern leads to understanding consequences. Life can tough. Brutal!

The Torah Portion Shemini is perhaps an addition to the tale. It tells of how irreparable mistakes, inadvertence and errors can be.

Permanence

Knowledge -the mechanism causing the eternal struggle and suffering- is also integral to another human condition; the appreciation of permanence.

Poor decision-making, mistakes and inadvertent acts causing irreparable harm is a reality of life. This was especially the case in scripture on holiness matters.

There are numerous moments of permanence in which people are not afforded the opportunity for do-overs, re-boots, or make goods. With the Garden of Eden, the mere consumption of forbidden fruit triggered permanent change; a life of struggles and suffering.

The concept of permanence is also illustrated in the Torah Portion Shemini. Shemini is the Garden of Eden on steroids. A fatal tragedy occurs; it is connected to scriptural tales involving holiness, mistakes and permanence.

Shemini

In Shemini, as the priestly sacrificial practice begins for the Children of Israel, a tragedy takes place. “And Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his fire-holder, and they put fire in them and set incense on it. And they brought forward unfitting fire, which He had not commanded them, in front of the Lord. And fire came out in front of the Lord and consumed them! And they died in front of the Lord. Leviticus 10:1-2. [emphasis added]

In this instance, the two brothers employed something improper when performing the ritual. Commentators have expressed varying opinions as to what exactly was the impropriety. There is some accord of a misstep; either something being out of order or protocol not followed. Regardless, the ultimate price was to be paid; no leniency was extended. Youth, inexperience, and nepotism were no defense. These two sons’ potentiality was irrelevant in the divine decision.

Commentator Richard Elliott Friedman notes that “in the ritual category, however, there are cases in which innocent motives still do not make one innocent.” Commentary on Torah at P. 340. In matters of holiness, we learn of the bright line. The Torah, given the action’s gravity, makes sure to explain the offense- the unfitting fire.

Shemini’s Haftarah follows suit with another story of permanence. The incident is part of scripture referred to as the “Ark Narrative.” The particular incident, in isolation, makes no sense. Another Ark story provides essential background.

Shemini’s Haftarah

In Shemini’s Haftarah another life lost in dealing with a holy matter. King David in the portion directed the Ark to be moved to Jerusalem. The ceremonious moment was brought to a crashing halt when the Ark nearly tipped over. It is reported that: “… and Uzzah reached out to the Ark of God and grasped it, for the oxen had dislodged it. The Lord became angry at Uzzah and God struck him there for the blunder; and Uzzah died there by the Ark of God.” 2 Samuel 6:6.

At the time, the Ark was being transported upon a newly fashioned cart propelled by oxen. There is significance to the cart and the employment of animals. They take this matter back to another Ark incident.

Before King David and the Israelite Monarchy, the Ark of the Covenant had been captured by the Philistines. The Philistines, while holding onto the Ark, were succumbed by plague and disease. They attributed their problems to the Ark. To cure themselves of their problems, they returned the Ark to the Israelites. The Ark was transported by a newly fashioned cart and was propelled by two nursing cows. 1 Samuel 6:10-12.

The concept of transporting the Ark via an animal powered cart was a Philistine innovation. This was not prescribed by the Torah. The Ark’s construction which requires poles to be inserted on rings on the side to carry it. See Exodus 25:14-15. This clearly implies that the Ark was to be transported by humans and not animals. Thus, the Lord’s anger, per Commentators, may have in part been stirred up by this history and the protocol breakdown.

The cart with the Ark eventually stopped at Beth-Shemeshite. There the Israelites chopped up the boards of the wagon and offered the cows up as a sacrifice. It tells that the Levites unloaded the Ark. After that, seventy men were struck down for peering into the Ark. 1 Samuel 6:19. [Note: Per the Stone Artscroll Translation, the word disrespectfully was added for context.] Their action was apparently viewed as improper.

Again, with Uzzah, most people would approve of some leniency placed upon his actions. A scolding, a punishment less than capital, or a fine. Perhaps, a sacrifice to address the sin?

This, however, did not happen. Is this the lesson to be drawn from these episodes? Sometimes, actions -arguably not severe- trigger serious irreparable consequences. Does this concept extend beyond instances of holiness? In ordinary life, seemingly minor incidents sometimes result in fatal tragedies.

Societal Lessons

There are a number of takeaways from Shemini. Poor decision making, mistakes, & inadvertence can lead to permanent irreparable consequences. Permanence in tragedy is part of the human condition. Even those engaged in benevolent activities can experience fatalities, ie fire and safety officers.

Conclusion

Shemini presents as an addendum to the Lord’s explosive words expelling the world’s first couple from the Garden of Eden. While the Adam & Eve tale defines life as a struggle with an eventual death, Shemini injects a temporal caution. Every day life can involve finality as a result of mistakes, errors and inadvertence. Even in matters not involving holiness, one must approach life with both caution and appreciation of this reality.

Be well!

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