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Leviticus 9: Don't Be Afraid!
“וַתֵּצֵא אֵשׁ מִלִּפְנֵי ה׳ וַתֹּאכַל עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֶת־הָעֹלָה וְאֶת־הַחֲלָבִים” (ויקרא ט׳:כ״ד).
After Aaron and his sons perform the various korbanot as part of the inauguration ceremony, ה׳ sends a fire down to consume the various offerings: “Fire came forth before ה׳ and consumed the burnt offering and the fat parts on the altar” (verse 24). The important piece here is not the miraculous event but the people’s reaction after:
“וַיַּרְא כָּל־הָעָם וַיָּרֹנּוּ וַיִּפְּלוּ עַל־פְּנֵיהֶם” (ויקרא ט׳:כ״ד).
“And all the people saw, and shouted, and fell on their faces” (verse 24 cont). The reaction in the verse seems ambiguous. Was this a happy reaction or a fearful reaction? The commentators generally agree that this reaction was a happy one. The people were shouting for joy and bowing down to ה׳.
But the last time the people witnessed a miraculous heavenly show they did not have the same reaction. At the giving of the Ten Commandments, ה׳ put on a show filled with shock and awe:
“וְכָל־הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת־הַקּוֹלֹת וְאֶת־הַלַּפִּידִם וְאֵת קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר וְאֶת־הָהָר עָשֵׁן וַיַּרְא הָעָם וַיָּנֻעוּ וַיַּעַמְדוּ מֵרָחֹק. וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה דַּבֵּר־אַתָּה עִמָּנוּ וְנִשְׁמָעָה וְאַל־יְדַבֵּר עִמָּנוּ אֱלֹהִים פֶּן־נָמוּת” (שמות כ׳:ט״ו–ט״ז).
“All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the blare of the horn and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they fell back and stood at a distance. ‘You speak to us,’ they said to Moses, ‘and we will obey; but let not God speak to us, lest we die’” (Exodus 20:15–16).
Notice the text uses the same phrasing “וַיַּרְא” (and the people saw) and “וַיִּפְּלוּ” (they fell) as in this chapter. The use of the identical verbs must be intentional to link these two stories. At the time of the giving of the Ten Commandments, the people were not ready to witness ה׳’s glory. Instead, they recoiled in fear. Now, after the sin of the Golden Calf and the building of the Mishkan, the people are ready. Seeing ה׳ consume the offering of the calf as an atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf gave the people closure. This was ה׳’s way of accepting their remorse. The people no longer feared the miraculous fire from ה׳; they now embraced and praised ה׳.
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By Josh Blechner“וַתֵּצֵא אֵשׁ מִלִּפְנֵי ה׳ וַתֹּאכַל עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֶת־הָעֹלָה וְאֶת־הַחֲלָבִים” (ויקרא ט׳:כ״ד).
After Aaron and his sons perform the various korbanot as part of the inauguration ceremony, ה׳ sends a fire down to consume the various offerings: “Fire came forth before ה׳ and consumed the burnt offering and the fat parts on the altar” (verse 24). The important piece here is not the miraculous event but the people’s reaction after:
“וַיַּרְא כָּל־הָעָם וַיָּרֹנּוּ וַיִּפְּלוּ עַל־פְּנֵיהֶם” (ויקרא ט׳:כ״ד).
“And all the people saw, and shouted, and fell on their faces” (verse 24 cont). The reaction in the verse seems ambiguous. Was this a happy reaction or a fearful reaction? The commentators generally agree that this reaction was a happy one. The people were shouting for joy and bowing down to ה׳.
But the last time the people witnessed a miraculous heavenly show they did not have the same reaction. At the giving of the Ten Commandments, ה׳ put on a show filled with shock and awe:
“וְכָל־הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת־הַקּוֹלֹת וְאֶת־הַלַּפִּידִם וְאֵת קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר וְאֶת־הָהָר עָשֵׁן וַיַּרְא הָעָם וַיָּנֻעוּ וַיַּעַמְדוּ מֵרָחֹק. וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה דַּבֵּר־אַתָּה עִמָּנוּ וְנִשְׁמָעָה וְאַל־יְדַבֵּר עִמָּנוּ אֱלֹהִים פֶּן־נָמוּת” (שמות כ׳:ט״ו–ט״ז).
“All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the blare of the horn and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they fell back and stood at a distance. ‘You speak to us,’ they said to Moses, ‘and we will obey; but let not God speak to us, lest we die’” (Exodus 20:15–16).
Notice the text uses the same phrasing “וַיַּרְא” (and the people saw) and “וַיִּפְּלוּ” (they fell) as in this chapter. The use of the identical verbs must be intentional to link these two stories. At the time of the giving of the Ten Commandments, the people were not ready to witness ה׳’s glory. Instead, they recoiled in fear. Now, after the sin of the Golden Calf and the building of the Mishkan, the people are ready. Seeing ה׳ consume the offering of the calf as an atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf gave the people closure. This was ה׳’s way of accepting their remorse. The people no longer feared the miraculous fire from ה׳; they now embraced and praised ה׳.