Parashat Shemini- Silence in the Face of Adversity
Tragedy struck on the day that was to have been the most glorious moment for Beneh Yisrael, generally, and for Aharon, in particular. After months of work and anticipation, the final day of the Mishkan’s inauguration arrived, the eighth day of the "Milu’im" process. As we read in Parashat Shemini, Aharon and his sons officiated as Kohanim for the first time, and the long-awaited moment came: a Heavenly fire descended, indicating the descent of the Shechina (Divine Presence) among Beneh Yisrael.
But at this moment of euphoria, Aharon suffered the most painful calamity imaginable: his two older sons, Nadab and Abihu, were consumed by fire when they brought a forbidden offering in the Mishkan.
There is much to discuss regarding the nature of this sin committed by Nadab and Abihu, who were great Sadikim. Here, however, we focus on Aharon’s reaction to this horrible calamity, which the Torah describes in just two words – one of the most powerful pairs of words in the entire Torah: "Vayidom Aharon" ("Aharon remained silent" – 10:3). Aharon mastered the art of handling adversity. Even upon experiencing the greatest personal tragedy of all, he remained silent. He did not complain, he did not bemoan his fate, and he did not voice any protest against God. He remained silent.
Sometimes we think that great people became great because things went well for them. We see ourselves as incapable of greatness because of the many challenges and hardships that life throws our way. The great ones, we tell ourselves, are those who do not have to deal with adversity the way we do.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Numerous stories in the Tanach and the Talmud tell of the hardships confronted by some of the greatest people in our history – hardships that far exceed anything we have to deal with. Abraham was pursued by King Nimrod and eventually exiled. He waited decades for a child, saw his wife abducted twice, and spent much of his life wandering. Yaakob was chased by his brother, and spent twenty aggravating years working for his corrupt, wily father-in-law. Upon returning to his homeland, his daughter was raped and his most beloved son was sold into slavery. Moshe Rabbenu was similarly chased from Egypt, and after assuming the mantle of leadership he devoted himself tirelessly on behalf of Beneh Yisrael – only to have them make accusations against him and rebel against his authority. King David was pursued relentlessly, and was even forced to wage battle against his own son. The great Sage Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi, redactor of the Mishna, suffered for many years from a serious, painful illness. And Rabban Yohanan, one of the greatest of the Talmudic Sages, lost ten sons.
But when one of us has a flat tire on the way to work, he is already shouting and asking how God could do this!
Great people become great not because they do not face adversity, but because they know how to face adversity. They don’t let it break them. They remain steadfast in their faith that all that God does is for the best, and in their determination to succeed and excel despite the hurdles that come their way.
When a person confronts a difficult situation, he should remember that God only tests the ones He loves. Instead of leaving us alone, He sends us "wake up calls" to stir us to repent and improve. Furthermore, hardships atone for our sins, which would otherwise condemn us to Gehinam, where a single moment is far worse than any suffering we could experience here on earth. If we look at things from this perspective, we won’t be broken by adversity. We will embrace it as an opportunity for growth, as an expression of God’s love, and as offering us a chance for atonement.
Please God, none of us will ever be tested as Aharon was. But his response to his test should inspire us to similarly "remain silent" when we face the many challenges that we confront during our lives, and not let them break our spirits, our faith, or our sense of joy and fulfillment.
