Week 5 Exodus 33-Leviticus 13
In the sequel to the deaths of Nadab & Abihu two things stand out.
First, Aaron isn’t allowed to take the day off to grieve his sons. Reason? He’s right in the middle of a ceremonial procedure that’s serious enough that walking out would have been his very last act.
The idea seems to be that the Lord is in solemn earnest about what happens in the sanctuary. He’s prescribed what’s to be done. The priests are to do exactly that – accurately, precisely, completely. No kidding around.
The second thing is that Aaron’s two remaining boys – Eleazar & Ithamar – make a huge blunder in sacrificing the goat (sure, it was a mistake, but now what’s going to happen?) Moses is all over them for the gaff. In self-defense Aaron says: I just lost two of my sons. What if I had eaten the sacrifice instead of burning it? Would the Lord have approved?
Not the best defense, I guess. But the feeling is: don’t my circumstances count for anything? And I guess they do. Moses (and the Lord) cut him some slack.
So two men didn’t conform, and died.
And two men didn’t conform, and didn’t die.
It looks like Eleazar & Ithamar made a mistake; it looks like Nadab & Abihu didn’t. I’m left with this: religious conformity is super important; and also, there’s more to ritual exactitude than ritual exactitude.
Note: Aaron’s exact words to Moses are in Leviticus 10:19.