R. Eleazar thereupon arose and began with the text: “And the Lord spoke unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron” (Lev. 16, 1). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘seems superfluous, seeing that the text proceeds, “And the Lord said to Moses, speak unto Aaron thy brother”, which should properly be the beginning of the section.
The explanation is this. When God gave the incense to Aaron, he desired that no other man should use it in his lifetime. He said to him: “Thou desirest to increase peace in the world. By thy hand shall peace be increased above. Therefore the incense of spices shall be delivered to thy hand from now onwards, and in thy lifetime no other shall use it.” Nadab and Abihu, however, thrust themselves forward to offer it.
We have learnt that Moses worried himself to find out what was the cause of their misfortune. Hence God spoke to him after their death and said to him: “The cause is that they ‘drew near to the Lord’, and thrust themselves forward in the lifetime of their father.” Now if the sons of Aaron brought this upon themselves through thrusting themselves forward in the lifetime of their father, what should I deserve if I thrust myself forward before my father and R. Pinchas and the rest of the Companions?’ Hearing this, R. Pinchas came up to him and kissed him and blessed him.
קָם רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַח וְאָמַר, וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ' אֶל מֹשֶׁה אַחֲרֵי מוֹת שְׁנֵי בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן וְגוֹ'. הַאי קְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ, דְּאִתְחֲזֵי דְּיַתִּירָא אִיהוּ. דְּהָא כְּתִיב בַּתְרֵיהּ, וַיֹאמֶר יְיָ' אֶל מֹשֶׁה דַּבֵּר אֶל אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ. מִכָּאן שֵׁירוּתָא דְּפַרְשְׁתָּא, הַאי קְרָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, מַאי הוּא, דִּכְתִּיב, וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ' אֶל מֹשֶׁה. מַאי הוּא דְּאָמַר לֵיהּ, וּלְבָתַר וַיֹאמֶר יְיָ' אֶל מֹשֶׁה.
R. Eleazar thereupon arose and began with the text: “And the Lord spoke unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron” (Lev. 16, 1). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘seems superfluous, seeing that the text proceeds, “And the Lord said to Moses, speak unto Aaron thy brother”, which should properly be the beginning of the section.
אֶלָּא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהַב קְטֹרֶת בּוּסְמִין לְאַהֲרֹן, בָּעָא, דְּלָא יִשְׁתַּמֵשׁ בֵּיהּ בְּחַיּיוֹי בַּר נָשׁ אָחֳרָא. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּאַהֲרֹן אַסְגֵּי שְׁלָמָא בְּעָלְמָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אַתְּ בָּעֵי לְאַסְגָּאָה שְׁלָמָא בְּעָלְמָא, עַל יְדָךְ יִסְגֵּי שְׁלָמָא לְעֵילָּא, הָא קְטֹרֶת בּוּסְמִין, יְהֵא מָסוּר בְּיָדְךָ מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה, וּבְחַיֶּיךָ לָא יִשְׁתַּמֵשׁ בֵּיהּ בַּר נָשׁ אָחֳרָא. נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא אַקְדִימוּ בְּחַיֵּי דְּאָבוּהוֹן, לְאַקְרְבָא מַה דְּלָא אִתְמְסַר לְהוּ. וּמִלָּה דָּא, גָּרִים לְהוֹן דְּטָעוּ בֵּיהּ.
The explanation is this. When God gave the incense to Aaron, he desired that no other man should use it in his lifetime. He said to him: “Thou desirest to increase peace in the world. By thy hand shall peace be increased above. Therefore the incense of spices shall be delivered to thy hand from now onwards, and in thy lifetime no other shall use it.” Nadab and Abihu, however, thrust themselves forward to offer it.
וְתָאנָא, מֹשֶׁה הֲוָה מְהַרְהֵר, מַאן גָּרַם לוֹן טָעוּתָא דָּא, וַהֲוָה עָצִיב. מַה כְּתִיב, וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ' אֶל מֹשֶׁה אַחֲרֵי מוֹת שְׁנֵי בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן. וּמַה אָמַר לֵיהּ, בְּקָרְבָתָם לִפְנֵי יְיָ' וַיָמוּתוּ. בְּהַקְרִיבָם לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא בְּקָרְבָתָם. אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה, דָּא גַּרְמָא לְהוּ, דְּדַּחֲקוּ שַׁעֲתָא בְּחַיֵּי אֲבוּהוֹן, וְטָעוּ בָּה, וְהַיְינוּ דִּכְתִּיב, (ויקרא י׳:א׳) אֲשֶׁר לֹא צִוָּה אוֹתָם, אוֹתָם לֹא צִוָּה, אֲבָל לְאַהֲרֹן צִוָּה. וּמַה תְּרֵין בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן, עַל דְּדָחִיקוּ שַׁעֲתָא בְּחַיֵּי אֲבוּהוֹן גָּרְמוּ לְגַרְמַיְיהוּ כָּל כַּךְ, אֲנָא לְגַבֵּי אַבָּא וְרִבִּי פִּנְחָס וּשְׁאָר חַבְרַיָּיא, עַל אַחַת כַּמָה וְכַמָּה. אָתָא רִבִּי פִּנְחָס נְשָׁקֵּיהּ וּבַרְכֵיהּ.
We have learnt that Moses worried himself to find out what was the cause of their misfortune. Hence God spoke to him after their death and said to him: “The cause is that they ‘drew near to the Lord’, and thrust themselves forward in the lifetime of their father.” Now if the sons of Aaron brought this upon themselves through thrusting themselves forward in the lifetime of their father, what should I deserve if I thrust myself forward before my father and R. Pinchas and the rest of the Companions?’ Hearing this, R. Pinchas came up to him and kissed him and blessed him.