Leviticus 9:23

וַיָּבֹ֨א מֹשֶׁ֤ה וְאַהֲרֹן֙ אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד וַיֵּ֣צְא֔וּ וַֽיְבָרְכ֖וּ אֶת־הָעָ֑ם וַיֵּרָ֥א כְבוֹד־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־כׇּל־הָעָֽם׃

And Moshe and Aharon went into the Tent of Meeting, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people

A curious thing happened upon the conclusion of Aaron’s first ever sacrifices – or rather, it was curious that it did not happen. Directly upon completing his sacrifices, Aaron expected that God’s presence would be manifest in the Tabernacle. Yet even with the sacrifices complete, God’s presence was nowhere to be found. Perhaps realizing something was off, Moses joined his brother Aaron at the large bronze altar in the courtyard, and brought him inside the Tabernacle. After a while the exited the tent, blessed the people, and only then did God’s presence appear.

Even after the multiple sacrifices, even though all were done correctly and with a solemn heart, there was still something missing. And that thing was…we don’t know! A midrash teaches us that Moses may have taught Aaron the special incense offering after they entered the tent. Elsewhere we learn that they entered to offer a prayer that God accept their sacrifices. Whatever it was, the Torah keeps us in the dark. This is a private moment, and there is something profound about this sacred moment happening out of sight. 

Sometimes the most powerful parts of a service, the most transformational moments of our spiritual lives, happen in solitude. There are insights that can only emerge from a place of quiet inwardness. The purpose of these moments though is seen at the end of the verse. Following this private moment, Moses and Aaron emerge and bless the Israelites. Personal meditation and the spirituality found in solitude is not the end, but a means. The ultimate goal is not to remain alone in the Tent. it is to emerge from that stillness with something to give. The hidden sparks of out soul kindled not for their own sake, but so their light can be carried forward and shared with others.he meal that we ought to be curious about. Each person is then challenged to discover the why over the course of the ritual meal. In this way the seder does not merely transmit our history from one generation to the next. It enables each participant to become part of it, empowering them to continue the story.