Rava said: One is obligated to become inebriated [with wine] on Purim until he cannot tell the difference between cursed be Haman and blessed be Mordecai. Rabbah and R. Zera joined together in a Purim feast. They became inebriated, and Rabbah arose and shechted R. Zera. The next day he prayed on his behalf and revived him. Next year he said: Will the master come and we will have the Purim feast together. He replied: A miracle does not take place on every occasion.
Commentators
- Mahrshah, Rabbi Shmuel Eliezer Halevi Eidels (Poland, 1500's) - Passed out
- Ya'avetz, Rabbi Yosef Ben Chaim Jabez (Spanish, Jewish theologian, 1500's) - Trickery
- Chatam Sofer, Moshe Schreiber (Rav in Pressburg, 1700's) - Mazal
Rejections to each interpretation
- Why mention revival?
- How could we say this about Rabbah?
- No teshuva
- Repeat invitation the next year
- Rejecting it as metaphor due to the illustration of a halacha
Seemingly impossible conclusion - It happened, but it was not murder
Vayikra 10:1-3
| 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. | אוַיִּקְחוּ בְנֵי אַהֲרֹן נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא אִישׁ מַחְתָּתוֹ וַיִּתְּנוּ בָהֵן אֵשׁ וַיָּשִׂימוּ עָלֶיהָ קְטֹרֶת וַיַּקְרִיבוּ לִפְנֵי יי אֵשׁ זָרָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא צִוָּה אֹתָם: | |
| 2And fire went forth from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. | בוַתֵּצֵא אֵשׁ מִלִּפְנֵי יי וַתֹּאכַל אוֹתָם וַיָּמֻתוּ לִפְנֵי יי: | |
| 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. | גוַיֹּאמֶר משֶׁה אֶל אַהֲרֹן הוּא אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יי | לֵאמֹר בִּקְרֹבַי אֶקָּדֵשׁ וְעַל פְּנֵי כָל הָעָם אֶכָּבֵד וַיִּדֹּם אַהֲרֹן: |
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Rashi 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] |
הוא אשר דבר וגו': היכן דבר ונועדתי שמה לבני ישראל ונקדש בכבודי (שמות כט מג). אל תקרי בכבודי אלא במכובדי. אמר לו משה לאהרן אהרן אחי יודע הייתי שיתקדש הבית במיודעיו של מקום והייתי סבור או בי או בך, עכשיו רואה אני שהם גדולים ממני וממך: |
Vayikra 10:8-9
| 8And the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying, | חוַיְדַבֵּר יי אֶל אַהֲרֹן לֵאמֹר: | |
| 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. | טיַיִן וְשֵׁכָר אַל תֵּשְׁתְּ | אַתָּה | וּבָנֶיךָ אִתָּךְ בְּבֹאֲכֶם אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְלֹא תָמֻתוּ חֻקַּת עוֹלָם לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם: |
Rashi
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...
Or Ha'Chaim (Chaim ben Moshe Ibn Attar, Early 1700's) on the death of Nadav and Avihu
לא נמנעו מקרוב לדביקות נעימות עריבות ידידות חביבות נשיקות מתיקות עד כלות נפשותם מהם
Being precise on the words of the Talmud:
- They both got drunk
- The relevance of their names
- Why does it use the word "Shechitah"?
- Why say that Rabbah "got up"?
- The importance of revival - souls in bodies