Can Moshe Have Misheard God?

Sometimes we hear something, but we don't really hear what has been said. Or, we understand a message differently from how it was intended.

That was what happened in this past week's parsha, Shemini, when Moshe's wrath flared against Aharon's sons, Elazar and Itamar for not eating the he-goat of their sin offering. He chastised them. "Hashem gave it to you to procure forgiveness for the community's sin and to atone on their behalf before Hashem. Its blood was not brought into the sanctuary within; it should have been eaten in the holy domain as I had commanded."

For a little bit of background, for Aharon HaCohen, it had been a fraught day to say the least; Elazar and Itamar's older brothers, Nadav and Avihu, had been eaten alive in a heavenly flame that took their lives but left their bodies intact. Moshe commanded Mishael and Elzaphan, their cousins, to then remove them by their tunics and place them outside of the camp.

The day, in essence, had gone from a day of the greatest exultation where Aharon was to singlehandedly bring God's presence down to the world in a heavenly fire that would consume the burnt offering from the altar, to one when it consumed, in addition to that offering, Aharon's two oldest sons.

Little in fact had gone as planned. Aharon, Nadav and Avihu had initially done everything per Moshe's command, all the minutiae of the day's service, from the sin offering to the burnt offering, the dipping of blood and placement on the right places of the altar. Everything was done correctly with the fats, kidneys, diaphragm, and liver. The flesh and hide were burnt in the right place – and as for the sin offering, the accompanying meal offering was brought – and then, the people's feast peace offering was brought, a bull and a ram, and again, the methodological and highly symbolic rites were done to the letter, exactly in the right order, the smoke rising to the heavens and Aharon lifting the breasts and the right thigh as a wave service before Hashem – but, nothing. The fire from heaven did not come down, the way it later would for Elijah the prophet on Mount Carmel. Though Aharon had raised his hands to bless the people (the precursor of Birkat Kohanim), he would descend from the altar empty-handed with no visual sign that the offering had been received.

Only then, after Moshe joins Aharon – "Moshe and Aharon came to the Tent of Meeting, and they went out and blessed the people" – did Hashem's glory appear to the nation.

"A fire went forth from before Hashem and consumed the burnt-offering upon the altar, along with the fats; the people rejoiced and sang joyfully, falling upon their faces."

In a matter of moments, though, the nation would not rejoice but rather, mourn for Nadav and Avihu would bring their "foreign fire," neither commanded nor sanctioned, and thus be taken from their brothers and loving father forever more.  

So, what went wrong? There are myriad opinions as to why Nadav and Avihu were killed. Some say they were drunk, others, they were single, i.e. yet unmarried (the high priest was commanded to atone on the Day of Atonement for both his wife and himself). Others posit that they had the gall to make a legal ruling in Moshe's presence.

What is evident though is Moshe's humility in the aftermath. And as such, it is worthwhile to note the very specific words chosen when Moshe speaks to Elazar and Itamar: initially, Moshe tells them to eat the meal offering, the breast and the thigh "as Hashem had commanded."

Then, when Moshe's wrath rages he says, "You should have eaten it … as I had commanded."

In other words – and Rashi hints at this beautifully when his brother Aharon speaks up for Elazar and Itamar, and vindicates them from all blame: "Moshe was not embarrassed to say I did not hear." Moshe thought that he had heard, but really did not.

In other words, sometimes we selectively perceive reality. We're beholden to a certain conception and so we're so sure that we've heard what we thought we heard. Between husband and wife – I can attest! – this happens all the time. We're sure we heard or understood something one way, and yet someone else meant something else. But, we're sure; yet, so is the other person.

Hashem did not command Moshe to tell Aharon's sons to eat of the aforementioned sacrificial portions, but that was exactly what Moshe had heard, and so, if even Moshe Rabbeinu – who spoke to God face to face – could mishear, so can we. It does take the greatest humility to make that admission, which is why Rashi praises Moshe so poignantly, "And Moshe was not embarrassed to say, I did not hear."