שמיני // בני אהרון

Moses and Aaron then went inside the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the Presence of יהוה appeared to all the people. Fire came forth from before יהוה and consumed the burnt offering and the fat parts on the altar. And all the people saw, and shouted, and fell on their faces. 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 יהוה alien fire, which had not been enjoined upon them. And fire came forth from יהוה and consumed them; thus they died at the instance of יהוה. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what יהוה meant by saying:
Through those near to Me I show Myself holy,
And gain glory before all the people.”And Aaron was silent.

32) (Vayikra 10:1): ("And the sons of Aaron, Nadav and Avihu, took, each of them his coal pan, and they put fire therein, and they laid incense thereon; and they offered before the L–rd a strange fire, which He had not commanded them."): "And the sons of Aaron took": They, too, in their joy, when they saw the new fire, added "love to love." "and they took": "taking" is nothing other than joy. "the sons of Aaron": What is the intent of this? (i.e., Do we not know that they were the sons of Aaron?) (The intent is that) they did not accord honor to Aaron, (as they should have, by consulting him). (Nadav and Avihu did not consult Moses.) "each of them his coal pan": each (took) of his own accord, without consulting each other. "and they offered before the L–rd a strange fire, which He had not commanded them": R. Yishmael says: I might think "a strange fire," literally; it is, therefore, written "which He had not commanded them." They introduced it without consultation. R. Akiva says: They brought it in from the (common) stove, this being the intent of "and they brought before the L–rd a strange (common) fire." Why, then, is it written "which he had not commanded them"? The intent is that they had not consulted Moses, their master, ("he," referring to Moses.) R. Eliezer says: They were liable only for "having taught a halachah in the presence of their master"; and all who teach a halachah in the presence of their master are liable to death (at the hands of Heaven).

ותצא אש AND THERE WENT OUT FIRE — Rabbi Eleizer said: the sons of Aaron died only because they gave decisions on religious matters in the presence of their teacher, Moses (Sifra, Shemini, Mechilta d'Miluim 2 32; Eruvin 63a). Rabbi Ishmael said: they died because they entered the Sanctuary intoxicated by wine. You may know that this is so, because after their death he admonished those who survived that they should not enter when intoxicated by wine (vv. 8—9). A parable! It may be compared to a king who had a bosom friend, etc., as is to be found in Leviticus Rabbah 12:1, 4 (cf. Biur).

But when someone dances with the excitement of the evil inclination, this is called the transgression of Nadav and Avihu. Concerning them it is written (Leviticus 10:1), “They offered… a foreign fire, <which He had not instructed them [to offer]>.”