Parshat Acharei Mot: the missing sons appear just in time

Aharon's sons died three parshas ago, in Parshat Sh'mini, and nary a word has been said about them. Acharei Mot opens mentioning their deaths, picking up exactly where the Torah took a break in its narrative to discuss other things. Is there any significance to a multi-chapter tangent from the regular narrative of the Torah? Not unless the Torah doesn't view the tangent as a disruption of the narrative.

Shortly after his sons died, Aharon received one of his rare personal revelations from G-d in Vayikra 10:8-11. In addition to laws specific to their situation as mourners, he and his sons were informed of "how to distinguish between holy and mundane, between tamei and tahor, so they may teach the Israelites the laws G-d had taught through Moshe."

The two and half parshas that followed those words were a blur of adherence to this code. Through Moshe and Aharon, the Israelites were then taught of the laws of what makes an animal tahor, fit to be used in the Temple for sacrifices, offerings and for consumption.

How is this five-chapters-long tangent significant to their story, causing the Torah to continue its narrative in our parsha beginning with the words "G-d spoke to Moshe after the deaths of the two sons of Aharon?" I think it is because Nadav and Avihu served as an incredible study in contrasts. They tried to achieve holiness and purity, and ended up dying and becoming the greatest form of tumah a person can become in death. People have a choice in conducting themselves. Tzara'at, most often caused by lashon hara, was an affliction only a kohen could diagnose. Perhaps many people were afflicted with the ailment on account of their speculation over what caused Nadav and Avihu to die.

With Nadav and Avihu missing, 40 percent of the original kohen work force disappeared in an instant, leaving only three kohanim to do the job on behalf of the people. Nowhere is this felt more significantly than on Yom Kippur, in Acharei Mot, when all kohanim stood to facilitate the efforts of the High Priest in achieving atonement for the people.

How do we get past the devastating downside of the past few weeks in order to celebrate the Festival of Freedom? We learn about the delicate balance of our lives, and make every effort to recognize the good in others and purge our homes of the kinds of food that do not belong. Now that we have achieved personal holiness, we read about Yom Kippur, the highlight of national holiness. And we understand what we strive to attain in our lives, whenever our minds are focused on our true priorities.