“And it was, after the death of the two sons of Aharon … Speak to Aharon, do not come at all times into the Holy Place ….” (Vayikra, 16:1–2) The explanation of “at all times,” “b’col eit,” is like “with all the desires of your soul,” “b’col avat nafsheicha.” (Be careful how you proceed) now that you have seen how all the Kedusha (holiness) of Nadav and Avihu did not save them from something that had the outward appearance of a sin in their coming close before God, for in their hearts there was an overpowering of love more than fear. Concerning this, He warned Aharon not to imagine in his soul that he had the power to save himself from their fate. Rather, he needed to guard himself more than them, to be extremely vigilant of this, and know that he must always look towards divine assistance. “Yet thus shall Aharon go” (next verse) teaches that Aharon should go before God in the same way that Nadav and Avihu did, with Kedusha, purity, and great trepidation.25Shmira or self-guarding. However, in addition to how they went, God advised him to go with, “a bull for atonement.”
אַחֲרֵי מוֹת שְׁנֵי בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן וְכוּ', דַּבֵּר אֶל אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ וְאַל יָבֹא בְכָל עֵת וְכוּ'. פֵּירוּשׁ "בְּכָל עֵת" כְּמוֹ "בְּכֹל אַוַּת נַפְשֶׁךָ". הַיְינוּ אַחַר שֶׁרָאִיתָ כִּי כָל קְדֻשַּׁת נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא לֹא הִצִּילָם מִגָּוֶן חֵטְא בְּקָרְבָתָם לִפְנֵי ה', כִּי הָיָה בְּעוֹמְקָם תִּגְבּוֹרֶת אַהֲבָה יוֹתֵר מִיִּרְאָה, לָזֹאת הִזְהִיר אוֹתוֹ שֶׁאַל יְדַמֶּה בְּנַפְשׁוֹ שֶׁבְּכֹחוֹ יוּכַל לְהִשָּׁמֵר מִזֶּה וְיִשְׁמֹר אֶת עַצְמוֹ יוֹתֵר מֵהֶם, רַק שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ תָּמִיד מֵיחוּשׁ בָּזֶה וְיֵדַע שֶׁצָּרִיךְ תָּמִיד סִיַּעַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ. כִּי "בְּזֹאת יָבֹא אַהֲרֹן" מוֹרֶה שֶׁיָּבֹא בְּאוֹתָן עִנְיָן עַצְמוֹ שֶׁבָּאוּ נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא, כִּי בָּאוּ בִּקְדֻשָּׁה וּבְטָהֳרָה וּשְׁמִירָה גְּדוֹלָה, וְרַק הָעֵצָה "בְּפַר בֶּן בָּקָר לְחַטָּאת" כוּ'.
“And it was, after the death of the two sons of Aharon … Speak to Aharon, do not come at all times into the Holy Place ….” (Vayikra, 16:1–2)
The explanation of “at all times,” “b’col eit,” is like “with all the desires of your soul,” “b’col avat nafsheicha.” (Be careful how you proceed) now that you have seen how all the Kedusha (holiness) of Nadav and Avihu did not save them from something that had the outward appearance of a sin in their coming close before God, for in their hearts there was an overpowering of love more than fear. Concerning this, He warned Aharon not to imagine in his soul that he had the power to save himself from their fate. Rather, he needed to guard himself more than them, to be extremely vigilant of this, and know that he must always look towards divine assistance. “Yet thus shall Aharon go” (next verse) teaches that Aharon should go before God in the same way that Nadav and Avihu did, with Kedusha, purity, and great trepidation.25Shmira or self-guarding. However, in addition to how they went, God advised him to go with, “a bull for atonement.”