The Many Faces of Mourning

(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 Adonai alien fire, which He had not enjoined upon them. (2) And fire came forth from Adonai and consumed them; thus they died at the instance of Adonai.

(3) Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what Adonai meant when [God] said: Through those near to Me I show Myself holy, And gain glory before all the people.” And Aaron was silent. (4) Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come forward and carry your kinsmen away from the front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.” (5) They came forward and carried them out of the camp by their tunics, as Moses had ordered. (6) And Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not bare your heads and do not rend your clothes, lest you die and anger strike the whole community. But your kinsmen, all the house of Israel, shall bewail the burning that Adonai has wrought. (7) And so do not go outside the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, lest you die, for Adonai’s anointing oil is upon you.” And they did as Moses had bidden. (8) And Adonai spoke to Aaron, saying: (9) Drink no wine or other intoxicant, you or your sons, when you enter the Tent of Meeting, that you may not die. This is a law for all time throughout the ages, (10) for you must distinguish between the sacred and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean; (11) and you must teach the Israelites all the laws which Adonai has imparted to them through Moses. (12) Moses spoke to Aaron and to his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar: Take the meal offering that is left over from Adonai’s offerings by fire and eat it unleavened beside the altar, for it is most holy. (13) You shall eat it in the sacred precinct, inasmuch as it is your due, and that of your children, from Adonai’s offerings by fire; for so I have been commanded. (14) But the breast of elevation offering and the thigh of gift offering you, and your sons and daughters with you, may eat in any clean place, for they have been assigned as a due to you and your children from the Israelites’ sacrifices of well-being. (15) Together with the fat of fire offering, they must present the thigh of gift offering and the breast of elevation offering, which are to be elevated as an elevation offering before Adonai, and which are to be your due and that of your children with you for all time—as Adonai has commanded.

(16) Then Moses inquired about the goat of sin offering, and it had already been burned! He was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons, and said, (17) “Why did you not eat the sin offering in the sacred area? For it is most holy, and He has given it to you to remove the guilt of the community and to make expiation for them before Adonai. (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 sin offering and their burnt offering before Adonai, and such things have befallen me! Had I eaten sin offering today, would Adonai have approved?” (20) And when Moses heard this, he approved.

...His heart turned to lifeless stone (domem-mineral), and he did not raise his voice in crying or mourn like a bereaved father; nor did he accept condolences from Moses. For his soul had left him and he was speechless...

(9) R. Elazar says: In three places he succumbed to anger and he succumbed to error: (Vayikra 10:16-17) "and he was angry with Elazar and Itamar, the remaining sons of Aaron, saying: Why did you not eat the sin-offering in the holy place?" (Bamidbar 20:10) "And he said to them: Listen, now, you rebels! Shall we bring forth water for you from this rock!" — followed by (11) "And Moses lifted his hand and smote the rock with his staff twice." Here, too, (Ibid. 31:14) "And Moses was angry with the commanders of the host, the officers of the thousands and the officers of the hundreds, who came from the host of battle" — followed by "And Elazar the Cohein said to the men of the host who came to the war, etc." Moses, our teacher, because he had succumbed to anger, succumbed to error.