(1) The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they drew too close to the presence of the LORD. (2) The LORD said to Moses: Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come at will into the Shrine behind the curtain, in front of the cover that is upon the ark, lest he die; for I appear in the cloud over the cover. (3) Thus only shall Aaron enter the Shrine: with a bull of the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.
'וידבר ה' אל משה אחרי מות שני בני אהרן וגו AND THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES AFTER THE DEATH OF THE TWO SONS OF AARON etc. What is this statement intended to tell us? Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah illustrated this by a parable: It may be compared to the case of a sick person whom the physician visited. He (the physician) said to him: “Do not eat cold things nor sleep in a damp place!" Another physician came and said to him: “Do not eat cold things, nor sleep in a damp place so that you may not die as Ploni died!" Certainly the second reply put him on his guard more than the former; that is why Scripture states “after the death of the two sons of Aaron" (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Section 1 3).
(א) וידבר יקוק וגו'. צריך לדעת מה נאמר לו בדיבור זה. ב' לאיזה ענין ישמיענו הכתוב היות דיבור זה אחרי מות, מה לי אחר מה לי קודם. ג' למה הוצרך למור בקרבתם וגו', אם להודיע שמתו בשביל שנתקרבו לפני יקוק, הלא כבר הודיע הדבר במקומו (לעיל י יא) ויקריבו אש זרה וגו'
ושם הוא יותר מפורש הדבר ומה שכתוב כאן בקרבתם, שאין ידוע מה הוא העון שעשו בקריבה זו שעליה מתו. ד' אומרו וימותו מיותרת אחר שהתחיל לומר אחרי מות בקרבתם וגו'. יקוק אומרו וימותו בתוספת וא''ו:
(ב) ונראה שכוונת הכתוב הוא שבא הקב''ה להזהיר את משה שלא יחשוב בדעתו כי לצד שהוא יותר קרוב למלכות שמים ובכל ביתו של המקום נאמן הוא ויכול ליכנם אל הקודש פנימה, והגם שיצו יקוק על אהרן לא יתחייב הדבר שגם משה בכלל, כי גדול משה דכתיב (במדבר יב) אם יהיה נביאכם יקוק וגו' לא כן עבדי משה, אשר על כן דבר יקוק אל משה, והוא אומרו וידבר יקוק אל משה פירוש אליו בא המצוה, ואמר לו סמוך למיתת ב' בני אהרן דיבור זה בקרבתם לפני יקוק וימותו, פירוש הגם היותם בני אהרן ובתוספת מרובה היותם קרובים לפני יקוק כמו שדרשו ז''ל (ויק''ר הי''ב) בפסוק בקרובי אקדש אף על פי כן לא חמל עליהם וימותו, הא למדת שלא יועיל היות האדם כל כך קרוב ליקוק כדי שיפרוץ גדר ליכנס לקודש פנימה:
(ג) עוד נראה לומר שנתכוון באומרו בקרבתם על זה הדרך בהיותם יותר קרובים ליקוק מכל, הא למדת שאין קרובים מהם, שאם היה משה קרוב מהם היה הדבר נעשה בו כמו שאמר לו יקוק (לעיל ג') בקרובי אקדש. ואולי כי כאן ביאר הקב''ה דבריו אל משה, ועל פי הדברים האלה אמר משה לאהרן הוא אשר דבר יקוק וגו', כי דיבור זה נאמר לו סמוך לקריבתם ומיתתם. והגם שכבר כתוב בתורה מיתת ב' בני אהרן, אין מוקדם ומאוחר בתורה.
(1) וידבר ה׳ אל משה אחרי מות, G?d spoke to Moses after the death, etc. Why doesn't the Torah spell out what G?d told Moses on this occasion? Secondly, why did the Torah have to add that this communication occurred after the death of two of Aaron's sons? What bearing does this have on the content of G?d's message? Thirdly, why did the Torah have to add the words: בקרבתם לפני ה׳ וימותו, "when they came close to the presence of G!d and died?" If the Torah wanted to tell us the reason these sons died, we have been told this already in Leviticus 10:1, when the Torah wrote: ויקריבו לפני ה׳ אש זרה, "and they offered before G?d an alien fire"?
The Torah was far more specific about the death of these sons in that context than it is here. We could not determine what the sin of these sons of Aaron had been by relying merely on what the Torah has written here. What is so terrible about wanting to come close to the presence of G?d? Fourthly, the word וימותו, "and they died," is quite superfluous seeing the verse commenced with the mention of their deaths? Fifthly, why did the Torah use the additional letter ו in the word וימותו?
It appears that the Torah tries to tell us that G?d warned Moses not to think that seeing that he personally was closer to the Kingdom of Heaven and at home in G?d's palace, that he could enter the Sanctuary at will. Even though G?d addressed this command to Aaron, Moses was not to think that he was not included in this restriction because the Torah itself testified in Numbers 12, 7-8 that Moses' prophecy was superior to that of Aaron. G?d had to speak to Moses to warn him not to misunderstand the prohibition He was about to issue to Aaron concerning entry into the Sanctuary, i.e. the Holy of Holies. G'd said וידבר ה׳ אל משה, "And G?d said to Moses," i.e. the directive was addressed exclusively to Moses. He spoke to him shortly after the death of the sons of Aaron who had attempted to come too close as a result of which they died. The Torah meant that although they were the sons of Aaron, i.e. highly placed personages so much so that the Torah testified that their death was due to their closeness to G?d, (compare comment of Vayikra Rabbah 12,2 on Leviticus 10,3 "I will be sanctified through those close to Me.") G?d did not have pity on them in spite of their closeness to Him. The principal lesson to be derived from all this is that he who occupies a privileged position is not entitled to take liberties with G?d who has granted this privilege in the first place.
Textual Key: Leviticus 10:3: Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when He said: Through those near to Me I show Myself holy, And gain glory before all the people.” And Aaron was silent.
Another aspect of the word בקרבתם, "and they drew near" may be that these people were closer to G?d than anyone. Had Moses been closer to G?d than Nadav and Avihu, G?d should have demonstrated the lesson of בקרובי אקדש, "coming close to My holiness," by punishing Moses for some minor infraction he was guilty of. If G?d chose Nadav and Avihu instead to demonstrate this principle, they must have been the people closest to G?d at that time [i.e. those who die due to closeness to G?d must be those closest to G?d, for if anyone were to be closer, they would already have died].
Perhaps G?d explained all this to Moses on this occasion so that afterwards Moses said to Aaron in Leviticus 10,3: הוא אשר דבר ה׳ לאמור בקרובי אקדש, "this is what G?d has said to say: I will be sanctified by those who are close to Me." We would then have to assume that the content of G?d's communication in verse 1 of our chapter [ch. 16] was said to Moses immediately after the death of Nadav and Avihu. The fact that their deaths had been reported earlier does not matter as we have a principle that the Torah is not bound to report events in chronological order.
(16) Thus he shall purge the Shrine of the uncleanness and transgression of the Israelites, whatever their sins; and he shall do the same for the Tent of Meeting, which abides with them in the midst of their uncleanness.
(1) השכן אתם בתוך טומאתם, “that dwells with them amidst their contamination.” Even though the Jewish people are contaminated the Shechinah is amongst them (Sifra Acharey 4, 5). This is the opinion of Rabbi Yehudah in the Talmud Sukkah where he states his view that one may cover the Sukkah with material which is subject to becoming contaminated, although his view is not shared by the other scholars. He based his opinion on the text in our verse.
We also have an opinion in Sanhedrin 37 according to which the words וירח את ריח בגדיו, “he inhaled the fragrance of his clothing” (Genesis 27,23) are understood as וירח את ריח בוגדיו, “he inhaled the fragrance of those who betray Him,” i.e. even though the person concerned is contaminated, seeing that they are Jews G’d does not totally reject them. Another allegorical approach along these lines is found in Shemot Rabbah 33,2 where the word עלית למרום שבית שבי (Psalms 68,19) are understood to mean that even if there were unfit Jews amongst the people this did not stop the Shechinah from being amongst them. The Midrash understands the words as a rebuttal to the Gentiles who believe that because Jews have served idols at one time they are forever cut off from G’d’s grace.
Another comment by the Midrash (Bereshit Rabbah 18,8) on the words of Maleachi 2,16: “for I detest divorce- said the Lord G’d of Israel,” points to the fact that the prophet Malachi when mentioning G’d always uses the expression אלוקי צבאות, G'd of hosts, and only in this instance does he refer to G’d as אלוקי ישראל, “the G’d of Israel.” The author of the Midrash sees a clear message in this that the prophet wanted to reassure the people that G’d’s presence does not abandon the Jewish people even when they are sinful.