| 1And Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his pan, put fire in them, and placed incense upon it, and they brought before the Lord foreign fire, which He had not commanded them. |
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אוַיִּקְח֣וּ בְנֵי־אַֽ֠הֲרֹ֠ן נָדָ֨ב וַֽאֲבִיה֜וּא אִ֣ישׁ מַחְתָּת֗וֹ וַיִּתְּנ֤וּ בָהֵן֙ אֵ֔שׁ וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ עָלֶ֖יהָ קְטֹ֑רֶת וַיַּקְרִ֜יבוּ לִפְנֵ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ אֵ֣שׁ זָרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹ֦א צִוָּ֖ה אֹתָֽם: |
| 2And fire went forth from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. |
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בוַתֵּ֥צֵא אֵ֛שׁ מִלִּפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה וַתֹּ֣אכַל אוֹתָ֑ם וַיָּמֻ֖תוּ לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה: |
| And fire went forth Rabbi Eliezer says: Aaron’s sons died only because they rendered halachic decisions in the presence of Moses, their teacher. Rabbi Ishmael says: [They died because] they had entered the sanctuary after having drunk wine. The proof is that after their death, [Scripture] admonished the survivors that they may not enter the sanctuary after having drunk wine. This is analogous to a king who had a faithful attendant. [When he found him standing at tavern entrances, he severed his head in silence and appointed another attendant in his place. We would not know why he put the first to death, but for his enjoining the second thus, “You must not enter the doorway of taverns,” from which we know that for such a reason he had put the first one to death. Thus [it is said], “And fire went forth from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.” But we would not know why they [Nadab and Abihu] died, but for His commanding Aaron, “Do not drink wine that will lead to intoxication.” We know from this that they died precisely on account of the wine. For this reason Scripture showed love to Aaron by directing the divine utterance to him alone, thus, “Do not drink wine that will lead to intoxication,”] as recounted in Vayikra Rabbah (12:1). |
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וַתֵּצֵא אֵשׁ
רַ' אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר לֹא מֵתוּ בְנֵי אַהֲרֹן אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהוֹרוּ הֲלָכָה בִּפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה רַבָּן, רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר שְׁתוּיֵי יַיִן נִכְנְסוּ לַמִּקְדָּשׁ, תֵּדַע, שֶׁאַחַר מִיתָתָן הִזְהִיר הַנּוֹתָרִים שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּנְסוּ שְׁתוּיֵי יַיִן לַמִּקְדָּשׁ, מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ בֶן בַּיִת וְכוּ', כִּדְאִיתָא בְּוַיִּקְרָא רַבָּה:
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| 3Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the Lord spoke, [when He said], 'I will be sanctified through those near to Me, and before all the people I will be glorified.' " And Aaron was silent. |
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גוַיֹּ֨אמֶר משֶׁ֜ה אֶל־אַֽהֲרֹ֗ן ה֩וּא אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֨ר יְהֹוָ֤ה | לֵאמֹר֙ בִּקְרֹבַ֣י אֶקָּדֵ֔שׁ וְעַל־פְּנֵ֥י כָל־הָעָ֖ם אֶכָּבֵ֑ד וַיִּדֹּ֖ם אַֽהֲרֹֽן: |
| This is what the Lord spoke But when did He speak? [It was when He said], “And I will meet with the children of Israel, and it will be sanctified through My glory (בִּכְבוֹדִי) ” (Exod. 29:43). Do not read בִּכְבוֹדִי, “through My glory,” but בִּמְכֻבָּדַי, “through My honorable ones.” Moses said to Aaron, “Aaron, my brother! I knew that this House was to be sanctified through the beloved ones of the Omnipresent, but I thought it would be either through me or through you. Now I see that they [Nadab and Abihu] were greater than I or you!”- [Vayikra Rabbah 12:2] |
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הוּא אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר וגו'
הֵיכָן דִּבֵּר? וְנֹעַדְתִּי שָׁמָּה לִבְנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל וְנִקְדַּשׁ בִּכְבֹדִי (שמות כ"ט), אַל תִּקְרֵי בִּכְבֹדִי אֶלָּא בִּמְכֻבָּדַי; אָמַר לוֹ מֹשֶׁה לְאַהֲרֹן, אַהֲרֹן אָחִי, יוֹדֵעַ הָיִיתִי שֶׁיִּתְקַדֵּשׁ הַבַּיִת בִּמְיֻדָּעָיו שֶׁל מָקוֹם, וְהָיִיתִי סָבוּר אוֹ בִי אוֹ בְךָ, עַכְשָׁיו רוֹאֶה אֲנִי שֶׁהֵם גְּדוֹלִים מִמֶּנִּי וּמִמְּךָ (ספרא):
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| And Aaron was silent [and did not complain. Consequently,] he was rewarded for his silence. And what reward did he receive? That God addressed him exclusively in the [ensuing] passage regarding those who drink wine [as verse 8 says, “And the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying…”]. — [Vayikra Rabbah 12:2] |
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וַיִּדֹּם אַֽהֲרֹן
קִבֵּל שָׂכָר עַל שְׁתִיקָתוֹ, וּמַה שָּׂכָר קִבֵּל? שֶׁנִּתְיַחֵד עִמּוֹ הַדִּבּוּר — שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרָה לוֹ לְבַדּוֹ פָּרָשַׁת שְׁתוּיֵי יַיִן (ויקרא רבה י"ב):
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| with those near to Me [I.e.,] My chosen ones. |
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בִּקְרֹבַי
בִּבְחִירַי:
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| and before all the people I will be glorified When the Holy One, blessed is He, exacts judgment upon the righteous, He becomes feared, exalted, and praised. Now, if this is so concerning the righteous, how much more is it so concerning the wicked! Similarly, the verse says “You are awesome, O God, from Your sanctuaries (מִמִּקְדָּשֶׁיךָ)” (Ps. 68:36). Do not read מִמִּקְדָּשֶׁיךָ “from Your sanctuaries,” but מִמְּקֻדָּשֶׁיךָ, “because of Your sanctified ones.” - [Zev. 115b] |
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וְעַל־פְּנֵי כָל־הָעָם אֶכָּבֵד
כְּשֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עוֹשֶׂה דִין בַּצַּדִּיקִים מִתְיָרֵא וּמִתְעַלֶּה וּמִתְקַלֵּס, אִם כֵּן בְּאֵלּוּ, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן בָּרְשָׁעִים; וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר נוֹרָא אֱלֹהִים מִמִּקְדָּשֶׁיךָ (תהלים ס"ח), אַל תִּקְרֵי מִמִּקְדָּשֶׁיךָ אֶלָּא מִמְּקֻדָּשֶׁיךָ:
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| 4And Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel, and said to them, "Draw near; carry your kinsmen from within the Sanctuary, to the outside of the camp. |
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דוַיִּקְרָ֣א משֶׁ֗ה אֶל־מִֽישָׁאֵל֙ וְאֶ֣ל אֶלְצָפָ֔ן בְּנֵ֥י עֻזִּיאֵ֖ל דֹּ֣ד אַֽהֲרֹ֑ן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם קִ֠רְב֞וּ שְׂא֤וּ אֶת־אֲחֵיכֶם֙ מֵאֵ֣ת פְּנֵֽי־הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ אֶל־מִח֖וּץ לַמַּֽחֲנֶֽה: |
| Aaron’s uncle Uzziel was Amram’s brother, as it says, “And the sons of Kohath were [Amram…and Uzziel], etc.” (Exod. 6:18). |
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דֹּד אַֽהֲרֹן
עֻזִּיאֵל אֲחִי עַמְרָם הָיָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וּבְנֵי קְהָת וְגוֹ' (שמות ו'):
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| carry your kinsmen [from within the Sanctuary], etc. As a person would say to his fellow [when someone had died at a wedding feast], “Remove the deceased from before the bride so as not to disturb the joyous occasion.” [Here, too, Mishael and Elzaphan were to remove the dead “from inside the sanctuary,” so as not to disturb the serenity of the investitures of the Sanctuary.] |
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שְׂאוּ אֶת־אֲחֵיכֶם וגו'
כְּאָדָם הָאוֹמֵר לַחֲבֵרוֹ, הַעֲבֵר אֶת הַמֵּת מִלִּפְנֵי הַכַּלָּה שֶׁלֹּא לְעַרְבֵּב אֶת הַשִּׂמְחָה:
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| 5So they approached and carried them with their tunics to the outside of the camp, as Moses had spoken. |
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הוַיִּקְרְב֗וּ וַיִּשָּׂאֻם֙ בְּכֻתֳּנֹתָ֔ם אֶל־מִח֖וּץ לַמַּֽחֲנֶ֑ה כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּ֥ר משֶֽׁה: |
| with their tunics [i.e., with the tunics] of the dead ones [the tunics of Nadab and Abihu, not Mishael and Elzaphan, for the latter were Levites and did not wear the tunics of the kohanim]. This teaches us that their garments had not been burnt, but [only] their souls. Two thread-like [sparks] of fire entered their nostrils [thereby destroying their souls along with all their internal organs, but leaving their external body structures intact. See Be’er Basadeh]. — [Torath Kohanim 10:25] |
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בְּכֻתֳּנֹתָם
שֶׁל מֵתִים; מְלַמֵּד שֶׁלֹּא נִשְׂרְפוּ בִגְדֵיהֶם אֶלָּא נִשְׁמָתָם, כְּמִין שְׁנֵי חוּטִין שֶׁל אֵשׁ נִכְנְסוּ לְתוֹךְ חָטְמֵיהֶם (ספרא):
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| 6And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons, "Do not leave your heads unshorn, and do not rend your garments, so that you shall not die, and lest He be angry with the entire community, but your brothers, the entire house of Israel, shall bewail the conflagration that the Lord has burned. |
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ווַיֹּ֣אמֶר משֶׁ֣ה אֶל־אַֽהֲרֹ֡ן וּלְאֶלְעָזָר֩ וּלְאִֽיתָמָ֨ר | בָּנָ֜יו רָֽאשֵׁיכֶ֥ם אַל־תִּפְרָ֣עוּ | וּבִגְדֵיכֶ֤ם לֹֽא־תִפְרֹ֨מוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א תָמֻ֔תוּ וְעַ֥ל כָּל־הָֽעֵדָ֖ה יִקְצֹ֑ף וַֽאֲחֵיכֶם֙ כָּל־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל יִבְכּוּ֙ אֶת־הַשְּׂרֵפָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר שָׂרַ֥ף יְהֹוָֽה: |
| Do not leave [your heads] unshorn [I.e.,] do not let your hair grow long. — [Torath Kohanim 10:25] [Had Moses not commanded them, they would have let their hair grow long as a sign of mourning. We learn] from here that a mourner is forbidden to cut his hair (Moed Katan 14b). “But you shall not disturb the happiness of the Omnipresent [at the investitures of the Mishkan].” |
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אַל־תִּפְרָעוּ
אַל תְּגַדְּלוּ שֵׂעָר, מִכָּאן שֶׁאָבֵל אָסוּר בְּתִסְפֹּרֶת, אֲבָל אַתֶּם אַל תְּעַרְבְּבוּ שִׂמְחָתוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם (מועד קטן י"ד):
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| so that you shall not die But if you do so [and leave your heads unshorn and rend your garments], you will die. — [Torath Kohanim 10:31] |
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וְלֹא תָמֻתוּ
הָא אִם תַּעֲשׂוּ תָּמוּתוּ (ספרא):
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| But your brothers, the entire house of Israel, [shall bewail] From here [we learn] that when [Torah] scholars are afflicted, all of Israel is obligated to mourn for them. |
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וַֽאֲחֵיכֶם כָּל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל
מִכָּאן שֶׁצָּרָתָן שֶׁל תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים מֻטֶּלֶת עַל הַכֹּל לְהִתְאַבֵּל בָּהּ (מועד קטן כ"ח):
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| 7And do not go out of the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, lest you die, because the Lord's anointing oil is upon you." And they did according to Moses' order. |
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זוּמִפֶּ֩תַח֩ אֹ֨הֶל מוֹעֵ֜ד לֹ֤א תֵֽצְאוּ֙ פֶּן־תָּמֻ֔תוּ כִּי־שֶׁ֛מֶן מִשְׁחַ֥ת יְהֹוָ֖ה עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֖וּ כִּדְבַ֥ר משֶֽׁה: |
| 8And the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying, |
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חוַיְדַבֵּ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה אֶל־אַֽהֲרֹ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר: |
| 9Do not drink wine that will lead to intoxication, neither you nor your sons with you, when you go into the Tent of Meeting, so that you shall not die. [This is] an eternal statute for your generations, |
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טיַ֣יִן וְשֵׁכָ֞ר אַל־תֵּ֣שְׁתְּ | אַתָּ֣ה | וּבָנֶ֣יךָ אִתָּ֗ךְ בְּבֹֽאֲכֶ֛ם אֶל־אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד וְלֹ֣א תָמֻ֑תוּ חֻקַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֖ם לְדֹרֹֽתֵיכֶֽם: |
| wine that will lead to intoxication Heb. יַיִן וְשֵׁכָר. [שֵׁכָר does not mean other strong drink,] but wine in a manner that leads to intoxication [namely, sufficient wine to cause intoxication, undiluted, and drunk without interruption]. — [Torath Kohanim 10:35] |
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יַיִן וְשֵׁכָר
יַיִן דֶּרֶךְ שִׁכְרוּתוֹ (ספרא):
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| when you go into the Tent of Meeting We know only [that a kohen is forbidden] to enter the Heichal [after drinking wine]. How do we know that [this prohibition applies also to] approaching the altar [which is outside the Heichal]? [The answer is:] Here [in our verse] it speaks of “entering the Tent of Meeting.” Regarding washing the hands and feet [at the washstand-see Exod. 30:17-21], “entering the Tent of Meeting” is [also] mentioned (verse 20). [Now, concerning washing, approaching the altar is regarded as similar to entering the Tent of Meeting insofar as both require washing the hands and feet, as it says, “When they enter the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water… or when they approach the altar to serve” (Exod. 30:20). Hence,] just as there [in the case of washing], Scripture made approaching the altar the same as entering the Tent of Meeting, here too, it made approaching the altar the same as entering the Tent of Meeting [insofar as both are equally prohibited when the kohen has drunk wine]. — [Torath Kohanim 10:37] |
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בְּבֹֽאֲכֶם אֶל־אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד
אֵין לִי אֶלָּא בְּבֹאֲכֶם לַהֵיכָל, בְּגִשְׁתָּם לַמִּזְבֵּחַ מִנַּיִן? נֶאֱמַר כָּאן בִּיאַת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְנֶאֱמַר בְּקִדּוּשׁ יָדַיִם וְרַגְלַיִם בִּיאַת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, מַה לְּהַלָּן עָשָׂה גִישַׁת מִזְבֵּחַ כְּבִיאַת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, אַף כָּאן עָשָׂה גִישַׁת מִזְבֵּחַ כְּבִיאַת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד (שם):
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| 10to distinguish between holy and profane and between unclean and clean, |
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יוּֽלֲהַבְדִּ֔יל בֵּ֥ין הַקֹּ֖דֶשׁ וּבֵ֣ין הַחֹ֑ל וּבֵ֥ין הַטָּמֵ֖א וּבֵ֥ין הַטָּהֽוֹר: |
| to distinguish [I.e.,] so that you can distinguish between a holy service and one that has been profaned. Thus you have learned that if one performed a particular service [after having drunk wine], it is invalid. — [Torath Kohanim 10:39] |
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וּֽלֲהַבְדִּיל
כְּדֵי שֶׁתַּבְדִּילוּ בֵּין עֲבוֹדָה קְדוֹשָׁה לִמְחֻלֶּלֶת, הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁאִם עָבַד עֲבוֹדָתוֹ פְסוּלָה (שם):
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| 11and to instruct the children of Israel regarding all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them through Moses. |
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יאוּלְהוֹרֹ֖ת אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֵ֚ת כָּל־הַ֣חֻקִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר יְהֹוָ֛ה אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם בְּיַד־משֶֽׁה: |
| and to instruct [This] teaches that an intoxicated person is prohibited to render halachic decisions. One might think that he incurs the death penalty [like the intoxicated kohen who performs the sacrificial service (see verse 9)]. Scripture [therefore] says, “[neither] you nor your sons with you…so that you shall not die” (verse 9). [This implies that only intoxicated] kohanim in their service incur the death penalty, whereas [intoxicated] sages who render halachic decisions do not incur the death penalty. — [Torath Kohanim 10:38] |
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וּלְהוֹרֹת
לִמֵּד שֶׁאָסוּר שִׁכּוֹר בְּהוֹרָאָה, יָכוֹל יְהֵא חַיָּב מִיתָה, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ אִתָּךְ, וְלֹא תָמֻתוּ, כֹּהֲנִים בַּעֲבוֹדָתָם בְּמִיתָה, וְאֵין חֲכָמִים בְּהוֹרָאָתָן בְּמִיתָה (שם):
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