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Parashat Aharei Mot begins with Leviticus 16, a description of the sacred atonement ritual of the High Priest in preparation for the 10th of Tishrei, later identified as Yom Kippur. 
 
“The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they drew too close to the presence of the Lord…’Tell your brother Aaron…He shall be dressed in a sacral linen tunic…’” 
 
What follow are detailed protocols and responsibilities discharged to Aaron, our first High Priest, outlining how to cleanse and purify the sanctuary so that he can then engage in the dangerous annual ritual of entering the Holy of Holies to plead for forgiveness on behalf of all Israel.  
 
The Torah is not written as a time-linear document, so we do not know how much time actually passed since Nadav and Avihu were consumed by fire.  It could have been days, weeks, months or even a year “after the death of [his] two sons” that Aaron is assigned the dangerous and monumental job of atoning for the sins of Israel.   
 
Why would God choose this period of intense grief to inform Aaron of such a daunting task?  Perhaps it is because now he is ready. Like any parent who has lost a child, Aaron is forever changed from the man he was prior to this inexplicable tragedy.   
 
By and large, it is not the successes in our lives that prepare us to understand and realize our Divine purposes, but the losses and tragedies that break us open.  The slow, painful process of healing leads to self-discovery, heightened coping skills, insights into the deeper meaning of life, personal redemption and, ultimately, a kind of rebirth.    
 
We read Aharei Mot/Kedoshim twice a year – once in the spring during our annual Torah reading cycle (this weekend) and again in the fall on the day of Yom Kippur.  Aaron’s story and the responsibility he carries should not be associated with a specific season.  Every day of every year, people must reconcile pain and loss.  The hope is that, at some point in the process, we see ourselves in Aaron, who served the Israelites as their first spiritual leader at a time when everyone in this ragtag group of former slaves was fragile and scared. 
 
In 2020-2021 we are witnessing tragic death all around us, every day, due to circumstances that are, for the most part, within our control. People in the United States and world over are again fragile and scared. Let us not wait until we suffer personal loss to step into the prophetic shoes waiting for each of us to fill.  Take action against gun violence, environmental degradation, the unnecessary further spread of COVID-19 and more.   
 
Every morning in our daily prayers we say: “May we be disciples of Aaron the Kohen, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving our fellow creature and drawing them near to the Torah.” 
 
Each one of us can take actions that will foster greater safety and better health in our communities. 
 
What is your next step?  Below are resources to get you started. 
 
https://www.preventioninstitute.org/focus-areas/preventing-violence-and-reducing-injury/preventing-violence-advocacy  
https://dayenu.org/ 
 
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html 

Shabbat Shalom! 

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