The Trial of Nadav and Avihu

(1) And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took their censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense upon it, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which (God) had not commanded them.

(2) And there came forth fire from before the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

(1) Rabbi Eliezer said, the sons of Aaron died because they rendered a halachic decision in the presence of Moshe their teacher. Rabbi Yishmael said they entered the Temple while intoxicated, and the proof is that after their death the Torah warns against performing the service in the Temple while drunk.

(1) ויקחו בני אהרן נדב ואביהוא, before the fire had emanated from the Holy of Holies they each took his own pan planning to offer incense on the golden altar, seeing that this offering precedes (timewise) the disposal of not totally burned leftovers from the previous day’s sacrificial meat. They placed “alien” fire on these pans, something which had not been commanded by Moses to be done on this day. Even though on ordinary days the rule of “the sons of Aaron will place in these pans fire on the altar” (Leviticus 1,7) was in effect, this rule did not apply to the day of inauguration, and Moses had not wanted any man made fire to be introduced into the Tabernacle. This was because he expected heavenly fire to manifest itself so that the addition of man made fire would have completely ruined the impact of the miracle. On this day the name of God would be glorified by all the people becoming aware of Divine approval of their offerings, by God accepting same by means of heavenly fire.

(2) At the time the heavenly fire emanated in order to consume the sacrificial meat on the altar in the courtyard of the Tabernacle, it consumed the two sons of Aaron on its way. This fire had meant to consume only the incense, but seeing that the sons of Aaron had been in its way it consumed them also and they died as a result.