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And why am I in fear? Do not consider me too fearful; on the contrary, even praise my foresight. I hear about Moses himself that when God talked with him, although many were called to the mountain, including Aaron with two sons as priests and seventy elders - rulers of the people, however, it was ordered that the others bowed down from afar, and only Moses came to God. The people are not allowed to ascend the mountain (see Ex. 24: 1-2), because not everyone can approach God, but only those who, like Moses, are able to embrace the glory of God. Even before, at the very beginning of legislation, trumpets, lightning, thunderstorms, darkness, the whole mountain smoking, terrible threats that if an animal touched the mountain, it would be stoned (see Ex. 19: 12-13), also other similar terrible phenomena kept others at the bottom of the mountain, and for them it was enough, after proper cleansing, to hear one voice of God. Meanwhile, Moses ascends the mountain, and enters into the cloud, and receives the law, and receives the tablets, for the people written tablets, and for those who are higher than the people, tablets of the spirit. I also hear about Nadab and Abihu that they, having burned incense with an alien fire, were punished by themselves, by what they showed wickedness - they found destruction for themselves during the time and place of ungodliness, and although their father Aaron was second before God after Moses, he could not save them (see Lev. 10, 1-2). I know what happened to the priest Eli and, somewhat after him, to Uzzah. One was punished for the iniquity of his sons when, during sacrifices, they dared to remove meat from the cauldrons ahead of time, although the father did not approve of such wickedness, but, on the contrary, repeatedly gave them severe reprimands (see 1 Samuel 2:13-14). Another was punished only because he touched the ark, which was being carried away by an ox, and although he supported the ark, he himself died (see 2 Samuel 6:6-7) - this is how God protected the venerability of the ark. I also know that even bodily vices, both in priests and in sacrificial animals, were subjected to strict examination, and it was legalized that the perfect should offer the perfect; and this, I think, served as a symbol of spiritual purity. It was also not allowed for anyone to touch the priestly garment or any sacred vessel, nor for those who were not supposed to eat the sacrifices themselves, either in an indecent place or at an indecent time, nor for anyone to counterfeit the anointing oil and incense of service, nor for anyone who was at least somewhat unclean in soul and body to enter the sanctuary. Moreover, they did not dare to often enter the Holy of Holies, where access was allowed only to one and only once a year (1). Born of God, I know and honor God. And even pious, in order to know perfect reverence for God (2). You might be interested in: