This week we return to our normal weekly Torah readings (called parshas).  The parsha for this week is called Shmini which means 8th and refers to the 8th day after Aharon and his sons started their initiation into the priesthood (which we read about 3 weeks ago, before Pesach/Passover).  The intiation was a 7 day process, and now we are in the 8th day.

Our parsha describes the days events, how Aharon does the sacrifices and blessings that lead to the cloud of Glory (which is Elokim or the feminine aspect of god) coming down and being revealed to the people.

Right after this, two of Aharon’s sons decide to bring their own incense offering, and the Divine’s fire consumes not only their offering, but also themselves.  Moshe tells Aharon and his sons that they are not in a position to mourn, they have to continue to officiate as priests.  He adds that the people will mourn in their place.

The parsha then transitions with a command to Aharon and his sons:  they should never be intoxicated when they are in the roll of priest because they have to discern between holy and mundane.

We then end the parsha with a discussion of what animals are ok to eat, what aren’t, and how to deal with impurities that come from the carcasses of animals (including insects).

There is so much we can learn from each of these three sections, and in the past, I have shared some insights from each section.  Today, I want to focus on the transition between two of the sections:  I want to look at why it is so important for the priesthood to not be intxicated.

A lot of commentaries state that Aharon’s sons, Nadav and Avihu, were drunk when they brought their offerings.  Their reasoning for this is that the command not to be drunk comes on the heals of their actions and the results of those actions.

I don’t think they were drinking.

Yes, they were intoxicated, but intoxication can come in many forms.  Have you ever seen, or been, intoxicated with love?  I would also say that a mob worked into a frenzy is intoxicated with hate and/or anger.  This is what leads them to go murder, rape, and plunder – things they would never do in their normal, everyday way of being.

This demonstrated the problem with intoxication; it leads a person to not be in control of themselves and to not be able to act rationally.

Nadav and Avihu, were not drunk, but they were intoxicated.  They were intoxicated in the moment.

Just think, the mishcan has finally been built.  They have just completed a 7 day initiation into the priesthood.  There is excitement in the air that builds as their father, Aharon, performs all the sacrifices and blesses the people.  And suddenly the cloud of haShem (god) reveals itself and a fire emanates from it and consumes the offerings.  This must have been a very heady moment for everybody there, not just for these two sons of Aharon.  The two of them got carried away, intoxicated by the moment, and could not help themselves as they brought the incense that led to their death by holy fire.

Hence the command not to perform as a priest while intoxicated.

However, I don’t consider this to be just a command to the priesthood.

It is also a warning to all of us.

It is a warning to not get so caught up and lost in the moment that one loses their judgement.  I think this applies to all of us today and at all times.

For example, if we applied this concept to the law of drunk driving, would it not include being caught up in a wild moment with friends, or an angry cell phone conversation that leads you not to pay attention to what you are doing or what is happening on the road around you?

I remember when I was a teenager, I was pulled over by a cop.  Why?  Because in my exuberance of the moment (I had some friends in the car and we were all goofing around), I wasn’t paying attention and I ran a stop sign.  I was intoxicated, but I had not been drinking or imbibing anything.  I was high on the moment of tomfoolery.

And I was lucky.  No accident occured by my actions.  Nobody died.  Nadav and Avihu were not so lucky.

I am not saying to never get drunk.  There are times it is ok, and times it is not ok.   The real question being answered by this command in our parsha is:  When is it not ok to be intoxicated?  And then answer our parsha gives, as it transitions into its 3rd section (which is all about distinguishing what is allowed and what is not allowed), is whenever we need to make a decision or judgement.

In other words, we need to be clear headed when we have to decide what is appropriate and what is not appropriate.  Our ability to make such decisions is inversely proportional to how intoxicated we are at the moment of decision.

Before I end this, I just want to point out how elegantly our parsha gives us this warning.  It starts by showing the results of intoxication (the death of two of Aharon’s sons), then gives us the warning, and then emphasizes, by examples, when we need to be careful about how drunk we are.

Just another example of how deep and rich this sacred text of ours is.

If you care to read what I wrote about this parsha last year, click here.

About the Author

Shmuel Shalom Cohen spent 10 years studying Torah in Jerusalem. Six years ago, he started Conscious Torah to help Jews connect to their tradition in ways they didn’t think possible. Shmuel also started, and is the executive directory of Jewish Events Willamette-valley, a non-profit whose mission is to build Jewish community, pride, and learning. In his free time, Shmuel likes walks in nature, playing music, writing poetry, and time with good friends.