02 Apr SHEMINI: GETTING ADVICE

In Parashat Shemini, we
read about the dramatic
events that happened on the
eighth and final day of the
inauguration of the
Mishkan. This was a special
day, when Aharon and his sons
worked as kohanim for the first time. Hashem
commanded that special sacrifices be offered,
and afterward, a fire came down from heaven
signifying the arrival of the Shechinah.
At the beginning of the parashah, Moshe
gives instructions for what needed to be done
that day. What’s surprising is that he gives
these instructions not only to Aharon and his
sons, but also to the zekeinim – the elders of
the nation. The pasuk says: “On the eighth
day, Moshe called to Aharon and his sons,
and to the elders of Israel…”
The reason why this is surprising is because
as we read through the story, we don’t see
these elders doing anything. They were not
involved at all. So why did Moshe need to
single them out? Why did he invite them
together with Aharon and his sons when he
gave his instructions, if they played no
special role?
The Midrash makes a comment on this

pasuk, about the importance of zekeinim, of
wise, experienced leaders. It says that
zekeinim are for the Jewish People what
wings are for birds. Just like a bird cannot fly
without wings, so too, we cannot do what we
need to do without our elders, our Rabbis.
Beneh Yisrael had just built a Mishkan, and
Hashem was coming to reside among
them. They were now about to “fly” – to rise
to great spiritual heights. But in order to do
this, they needed their zekeinim, their
elders. We cannot achieve religiously without
the guidance of our Rabbis.
The building of the Mishkan was intended,
at least in part, to atone for the sin of the
golden calf. A number of commentators
explain that Beneh Yisrael actually had good
intentions when they made the calf. They did
not worship an idol; they worshipped
Hashem using the golden calf as a
medium. Their sin was that they did this on
their own, without getting advice. They
forced Aharon to make a statue for them,
instead of asking him for advice what to do
after Moshe did not come back from the
mountaintop when they thought he would. To
atone for that mistake, they made the
Mishkan, in the manner taught to them by
Moshe. Rather than acting on their own, they

followed their leader’s
instructions. And so when
the Mishkan was
inaugurated, the zekeinim
had to be there – to show
them the importance of
consulting with wise,
experienced leaders before
embarking on something
new.
Later in the parashah, we
read of the tragic mistake
made by two of Aharon’s
sons – Nadav and Avihu – on
that day. Nadav and Avihu
decided on their own to bring
ketoret. They thought this is what the
moment called for. They were wrong, and
they were killed by a fire. Their intentions
were sincere, but they failed to consult with
the elders, with the knowledgeable leaders,
and so they ended up making a tragic mistake.
Just because we have sincere intentions,
this does not mean we’re doing the right
thing. We need to have the patience and the
humility to get advice, to ask people who
have more knowledge and experience than
us. It’s natural to feel excited about our own
ideas and rush to go through with them. But

if we don’t ask for advice, we can end up
making bad mistakes.
This is especially true when it comes to
religion. We need to ask questions. Before
deciding on our own what the Torah wants of
us, we should consult with those who have
dedicated many years of their lives to
learning, who know better than we do what
the Torah wants.
By humbly getting advice instead of
rushing to do whatever we think is right, we
will, like our ancestors in the desert, be
worthy of having the Shechinah reside
among us.