[Avodah] Shemini

[Cantor Wolberg]

9:1 "Vay'hi bayom hashemini..."  The Sages teach that the word "vay'hi" often indicates that trouble or grief is associated with the narrative (Megillah 10b). 
What trouble or grief could there have been on that joyous first day of Nissan?   It presages the tragic deaths of Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu. 
Another explanation:
Even in the midst of our greatest rejoicing, a Jewish wedding, we pause for a moment to recall the destruction of the Temple and the fragility of life 
through the breaking of the glass. Here, too, we have such a happy occasion, but the "Vay'hi" is to remind us of our fallibility and the frailty of life. 

There are many commentaries on Aaron’s response when told of his sons' deaths: Vayidom Aharon, “and Aaron was silent.” It is somewhat coincidental that 
the third syllable of vayidom sounds a little like the English word “dumb.” One of the literal meanings of the word “dumb” is mute and unable to speak. It seems to me that
Aaron’s silence was his inability to speak due to shock. Many people would faint dead away if told of such news. So it really isn’t surprising that his reaction was
one of a deafening silence.
 
When two egotists meet 
"It's an I for an I"
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