Magic or G-d?

This week’s parsha continues discussing the korbanot- sacrifices- that Aaron brought as the newly appointed kohan gadol-high priest. After Aaron had brought the sacrifice and said birkat kohanim-the priestly blessing- Aaron was distressed because the fire of the shechina-Hashem’s Divine presence- did not consume the sacrifice.  Upon seeing that, Moshe and Aaron threw their hands up in teffilot-prayer- in order for Hashem’s presence to return to the temple. After their intense prayers, Hashem’s fire descended and the sacrifice was accepted.

What was the sense of Hashem delaying the acceptance of the sacrifice?

Hashem wanted Bnai Israel to see that His presence cannot be evoked merely by ‘magical rituals,’ but rather, through personal teffilot-prayers- which act as a supplement to their sacrificial rituals. This should be an example for us today, even though we don’t have a temple to make sacrifices, we can still evoke Hashem’s presence into our own lives through the power of our teffilot-prayers. By evoking the spiritual fire within, we will evoke Hashem’s presence with our own.