Nadav and Avihu conceivably went a little too far in their pursuit of a righteous cause. But the cost of passionately going too far, of working with an inner fire that gets out of control, can burn the very source of that passion. This leaves a tragic result that simultaneously has an element of kedusha – בקרבי אקדש (Vayikra 10:3) – as a lasting mark. I returned from a trip to Israel just before Purim. While there, I spent some evenings talking with former students, now soldiers who served in Gaza and the north. To hear about their experiences was compelling, but not easy. Bravery and solidarity exist in a framework of tension and devotion. Mixed in is doubt, and for some the mixture leads to behavior that is the result of confused passion. For example, I learned that one reservist, while on a sweep through houses in Gaza, in a situation where there were no enemies or civilians in sight, decided to burn a building down. His fellow soldiers argued with him. He did it anyway. It seems he did it because his passion became tangled with his exhaustion, anxiety, and anger. He was a chayal, on a mission to save Israel. But for whatever reason, perhaps even for lofty reasons, he destroyed a residence for no purpose. That constitutes a halachic predicament. We are forbidden to needlessly destroy; even when besieging a city, we do not destroy its fruit trees unless there is a danger in leaving them be (Sefer HaChinuch Mitzvah 529). The idea of בל תשחית – do not wantonly destroy G-d’s creations – grows from this. But in the intensity of the moment, a person who intends to do a good thing can get swept away and wrongfully destroy. Nadav and Avihu, in a situation which had a unique potential to bring them closer to G-d, went too far. The Torah doesn’t clarify what their deepest intent was (though Chazal attempted to do so), but clearly their mishandled desire to draw close turned fatal. Our soldiers today, and through them all of us in עם ישראל, have a challenge with unique potential. We are in a time that challenges us to rise to a new level of greatness. Part of the challenge lies in applying the relationship between G-d, history, and us in a manner that creates a world of greater kedusha. It can be our offering. But exactly that potential for greatness demands careful consideration of what our passionate pursuit can lead to if misdirected. A sense of aspiration tempered with self-control is the impact of a Torah education such as Maimonides labors to provide. If we can foster a student’s growth in this sense, greatness can grow in our world, which is so bewildered by its challenges. We can learn from Nadav and Avihu בקרבי אקדש. We can become holy through understanding what led to their tragic end, and incorporating the lesson by directing our passions well. | 
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