Maureena’s Torah Reflections
Parashat Shemini. Leviticus 9:1-11:47
Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD… and Aaron held his peace (Lev. 10:1-23).
Multiple interpretations are given as to what Aaron’s sons might have done that caused them to be struck down. No one interpretation has been accepted by the rabbis as the final and correct one. The interpretation I have come to accept is that we will never know. We do not know why bad things happen to good people. In the face of such a dilemma, we have Aaron as a model of how to respond. Aaron held his peace and did not lose faith in God.
Prepared by Prof. Sr Maureena Fritz
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“Since the spiritual patrimony common to Christians and Jews is thus so great, this sacred synod wants to foster and recommend that mutual understanding and respect which is the fruit, above all, of biblical and theological studies.”
Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions: Nostra Aetate, No. 4