(1) Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took his fire pan, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered before GOD alien fire—which had not been enjoined upon them. (2) And fire came forth from GOD and consumed them; thus they died by GOD’s will.

Another matter, “after the death [of the two sons of Aaron]” (Leviticus 16:1). Rabbi Levi began: “I said to the revelers [laholelim]: Do not revel” (Psalms 75:5); laholelim, to the confused, those whose hearts are filled with wicked thoughts. Rabbi Levi would call them woe-generators, because they bring woe to the world.
“And to the wicked, do not raise your horn” (Psalms 75:5). The Holy One blessed be He said to the wicked: ‘The righteous did not rejoice in My world, and you seek to rejoice?’ Reish Lakish said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya: The ball of the heel of Adam the first man would outshine the sun, all the more so the radiance of his face. Do not wonder, as the way of the world is that if a person crafts bowls, one for himself and one for a member of his household, whose does he craft more beautifully? Is it not his? So too, Adam the first man was created for the service of the Holy One blessed be He, and the sun was created for the service of the creations.
Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina: The Holy One blessed be He tied thirteen canopies for him in the Garden of Eden, as it is stated: “You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your canopy: ruby, topaz and clear quartz, beryl, onyx and chalcedony, sapphire, carbuncle, emerald and gold; the craftsmanship of your settings and your sockets was in you, on the day of your creation they were prepared” (Ezekiel 28:13). Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said there were eleven [canopies] and the Rabbis said there were ten. But they do not disagree. The one who considers them thirteen considers “every precious stone was your canopy” as three. The one who considers them eleven considers it as one. The one who considers them ten does not consider it as one. After all this praise, “for you are dust and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19).
[God said to the wicked:] ‘Abraham did not rejoice in My world and you seek to rejoice?’ A son was born to him at the age of one hundred, and ultimately, the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Take now your son…[and offer him up there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains that I will tell you]” (Genesis 22:2). Abraham went on a three-day journey. After three days, he saw a cloud fixed on the mountaintop. He said to [Isaac]: ‘My son, do you see what I see?’ [Isaac] said to him: ‘Yes.’ ‘What do you see?’ He said to him: ‘I see a cloud fixed on the mountaintop.’ He said to Ishmael and to Eliezer: ‘Do you see anything?’ They said to him: ‘No.’ He said to them: ‘Since you do not see anything, and this donkey does not see, “stay here with the donkey [im haḥamor]”’ (Genesis 22:5), [indicating they were] peoples comparable to the donkey [am hadomim laḥamor]. He took Isaac his son, took him up mountains and took him down hills. He took him up on one of the mountains, built an altar, arranged the wood, set the arrangement, and took the knife to slaughter him. Had it not been that an angel called him from the heavens, he would have already been slaughtered.
Know that it is so, as Isaac returned to his mother and she said to him: ‘Where have you been, my son?’ He said to her: ‘My father took me, took me up mountains, took me down hills…’ She said: ‘Woe unto the son of that woman full of grief, had it not been for the angel you would have already been slaughtered.’ He said to her: ‘Yes.’ At that moment she cried out six cries, corresponding to six shofar blasts. They say that she did not complete them before she died. That is what is written: “Abraham came to lament Sarah and to weep over her” (Genesis 23:2). From where did he come? He came from Mount Moriah. Abraham had been ruminating in his heart, saying that perhaps, God forbid, some disqualification was found in [Isaac] and [therefore] his offering was not accepted. A Divine voice emerged and said to him: “Go, eat your bread with joy” (Ecclesiastes 9:7).
‘Israel did not rejoice in My world.’ It does not say “Israel rejoiced in its Maker,” but rather: “Israel will rejoice in its Maker” (Psalms 149:2). They are destined to rejoice in the deeds of the Holy One blessed be He in the future. As it were, the Holy One blessed be He did not rejoice in His world. It does not say: “The Lord rejoiced in His works,” but rather: “will rejoice” (Psalms 104:31). The Holy One blessed be He is destined to rejoice in the actions of the righteous in the future.
Elisheva bat Aminadav did not rejoice in the world when she saw five crowns [attained by her relatives] on one day. Her brother-in-law was king, her brother, a prince, her husband, High Priest, her two sons, the two deputy priests, her grandson Pinḥas anointed for war. When her sons entered to sacrifice and were burned, her joy was transformed into mourning. That is what is written: “After the death of the two sons of Aaron.”

Rabbi Aḥa and Rabbi Ze’eira began: “Even at this my heart trembles veyitar from its place” (Job 37:1). What is veyitar? It is “and leaps,” just as it says: “To leap [lenater] with them from upon the earth” (Leviticus 11:21). The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Will Aaron’s sons not be like his staff, that entered dry and emerged moist?’ The wicked Titus entered the chamber of the Holy of Holies with his sword drawn in his hand, stabbed the curtain, and his sword emerged full of blood. He entered in peace and emerged in peace. Aaron’s sons entered to sacrifice and emerged burned. That is what is written: “After the death of the two sons of Aaron, [when they approached before the Lord and they died].”

Rabbi Manei of She’av, Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin, and Rabbi Yoḥanan in the name of Rabbi Levi said: Due to four matters Aaron’s sons died, and death is written regarding all of them. Because they were intoxicated with wine, and death is written in its regard, as it is stated: “You shall not drink wine or intoxicating drink, [you, nor your sons with you, upon your entry into the Tent of Meeting, that you not die]” (Leviticus 10:9). Because they were lacking vestments, and death is written in its regard, as it is stated: “They shall be on Aaron and his sons [whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting…so they will not bear iniquity and die]” (Exodus 28:43). What were they lacking? It was the robe, in whose regard death is written, as it is stated: “It shall be on Aaron to serve…[and he will not die]” (Exodus 28:35). Because they entered without washing hands and feet, as it is stated: “They shall wash their hands and their feet, and they will not die” (Exodus 30:21), and it is written: “When they come to the Tent of Meeting they shall wash in water” (Exodus 30:20). And because they did not have children, and death is written in its regard; that is what is written: “Nadav and Avihu died before the Lord…and they had no children” (Numbers 3:4). Abba Ḥanin says: It is because they did not have wives, as it is written: “And atone for himself and for his household” (Leviticus 16:6); “his household,” this is his wife.

Rabbi Abba bar Avina said: Why is the death of Miriam juxtaposed to the ashes of the heifer? It teaches that just as the ashes of the heifer atone, so the death of the righteous atones. Rabbi Yudan said: Why is the death of Aaron juxtaposed to the breaking of the tablets? It teaches that Aaron’s death was as difficult before the Holy One blessed be He as the breaking of the tablets. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: On the first of Nisan, Aaron’s sons died. Why, then, does it mention their death on Yom Kippur? It teaches that just as Yom Kippur atones, so, too, the death of the righteous atones. From where is it derived that Yom Kippur atones? As it is stated: “For on this day he shall atone for you, to purify you” (Leviticus 16:30). From where is it derived that the death of the righteous atones? As it is written: “They buried the bones of Saul” (II Samuel 21:14), and it is written: “and God acceded to the entreaty of the land thereafter” (II Samuel 21:14).

(3) Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what GOD meant by saying:
Through those near to Me I show Myself holy,And gain glory before all the people.”
And Aaron was silent.

(18) Since its blood was not brought inside the sanctuary, you should certainly have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded.” (19) And Aaron spoke to Moses, “See, this day they brought their purgation offering and their burnt offering before GOD, and such things have befallen me! Had I eaten purgation offering today, would GOD have approved?”