And Hashem spoke to Moshe after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near to Hashem and they died.
The Ohr Hachaim asks multiple questions on this possuk.
First, this possuk tells us that Hashem spoke to Moshe, yet does not tell us what He said. The next possuk says אֶל משֶה דַּבֵּר אֶל אַּהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ וְאַּל ה'וַּיֹאמֶר יָבֹא בְכָל עֵּת אֶל הַּקֹדֶש – and Hashem said to Moshe, ‘speak to Aaron your brother and he should not come at all times to the holy place.’ Obviously, the first possuk is not to inform us that Hashem commanded Aaron with this commandment. What was told to Moshe here?
Second, why do we have to be told that Moshe was told this message after the passing of the two sons of Aaron? What would change if he had been given this message prior to their passing? How does it affect the Torah’s narrative and Halachos?
Third, what does the Torah mean with the word רְ בָתָםבְקָָ – when they drew near? Why do we need to know that they were killed because they drew near to Hashem? We were already taught this lesson (Vayikra 10:1) when the Torah retells the story of the erection of the Mishkan and the tragic passing of the two holy children of Aaron when they offered up a strange fire in which they were not commanded. The Torah is more explicit and detailed over there, adding details as to the sin they committed, their punishment, and its fallout from the punishment. What has it added by telling us that the sin was that they drew near to Hashem?
Fourth, why does the Torah repeat that they died? The Parshah begins with the fact that the pessukim were said after they died.
Fifth, what is the significance and purpose of the ויו at the beginning of the word וַיָמֻתוּ? What is it in addition to?
The Ohr Hachaim answers that this message was specific to Moshe Rabbeinu. Moshe Rabbeinu may think that the prohibition that Hashem gave to Aaron against entering the Kodesh Kadashim at all times was inapplicable to Moshe. Moshe was closer to Hashem than Aaron; perhaps only Aaron was bound by this commandment. Moshe was a more trustworthy servant of Hashem, who was allowed to enter everywhere, even in the innermost chambers of holiness. The Torah itself writes (Bamidbar 12:7): If your prophet of Hashem views Hashem through a vision, I will talk to him in a dream. My servant Moshe is not so; rather, he is trustworthy throughout My house. Moshe may think that he has permission to go where Aaron may not.
The Torah, therefore, sends this message to Moshe separately. Hashem spoke to Moshe, and commanded him with this prohibition. This happened shortly after the children of Aaron died. They died due to their drawing close to Hashem, and although they were on a high spiritual level, they still died.
Chazal tell us that when the sons of Aaron passed away, Moshe Rabbeinu consoled Aaron by telling him that Hashem had warned him that He would sanctify His new Mishkan with those that are close to Him. Moshe was scared that it was either himself or Aaron. Now he realized that the children of Aaron were even closer than both of them.
If even those two children of Aaron, the closest people to Hashem, were forbidden to pass the boundaries of the Kodesh Kadashim, Moshe Rabbeinu could no longer think that he was different to Aaron, and he too was forbidden to enter the Kodesh Kadashim.
The possuk is to be read now אֶלָמשֶהָה'וַיְדַבֵרָ - and Hashem spoke to Moshe and told him the commandment that He had told Aaron. אַחֲרֵיָמוֹתָ אַהֲרֹןָשְנֵיָבְנֵי – after the death of the two sons of Aaron, who had been killed for entering the Kodesh Kadashim. ה'בְקָרְ בָתָםָלִפְנֵיָ – even as they were so close to Hashem, still וַיָמֻתוָּ- and they died. As great as they were, the consequence of their blurring of the boundaries was also their death. Moshe Rabbeinu was now also warned against entering the Kodesh Kadashim.
Nadav and Avihu willingly gave up their lives to draw close to Hashem
The Ohr Hachaim offers another approach to the meaning behind the word וַיָמֻתוּ. The Torah does not mean to tell us that they died, rather how they died. The Torah writes, ה'בְקָרְ בָתָםָלִפְנֵיָ – when they drew near to Hashem. Due to their love for Hashem, these people came too near the celestial source of light, which has a deadly effect on man. When a person undergoes this, he undergoes what Chazal call a ‘Divine kiss.’ Moshe, Aaron, and Miriam died this way too, as Rashi tells us in their place.
The deaths of Nadav and Avihu were similar to the deaths of all other completely righteous men. The only difference was that in the case of the deaths of people such as Moshe and Aaron, Hashem’s ‘kiss of death’ approached them, whereas in this case, Nadav and Avihu approached ‘the kiss of death’ by drawing closer to Hashem than they were supposed to.
This is the meaning of the extra letter ווי in בְקָרְ בָתָםָּיָמֻתווַָָה'לִפְנֵיָ. Although these righteous people felt and knew they were approaching an area that would result in this ‘kiss of death’ they did not flinch and kept getting closer. They had attained a state of religious intoxication and were in an overwhelming trance. Their souls' desire to fuse with the divine was so overpowering that their decisions were no longer made in a conscious fashion.
This is similar to what we sometimes see when a person experiences extreme hatred toward another person. Sometimes, a person can feel such an overpowering hatred for someone that he will abandon all restraint in his desire to exact revenge and treat the object of their hatred as they wish. Even if they are subconsciously aware that they may forfeit their lives by the act of revenge, they do not stop themselves. This can happen when a person feels the all-encompassing emotion of love and closeness to Hashem.
The possuk describes the escape of Dovid from Shaul who pursued him under the impression that Dovid was fomenting a rebellion against his rule. Shaul sent soldiers to retrieve Dovid, but they saw a group of young prophets’ students who were acting in a crazed fashion. The possuk says ָשָאוּלָחַלְש יַו נִבְאִיםָהַנְבִיאִיםָלַהֲקַתָאֶתָוַיַרְ אָדָוִדָאֶתָלָקַחַתָמַלְאָכִים - And Shaul sent messengers to take Dovid; and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying. When it says that they were prophesying, it does not mean that they were passing on Divine messages. They were overcome with religious ecstasy, and were in a trance, acting as crazy people. All the messengers are reported as being overcome by an aura of religious experiences of these prophets. Eventually, the same happened to Shaul himself. ָלִפְנֵיָהוּאָגַםָאֵבַנְת יַוָבְגָדָיוָהוּאָגַםָטַשְפ יַו שְמוּאֵל - And he also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied before Shmuel.
This overwhelming feeling is indescribable, whether in writing or in words. The human brain cannot fathom it. It is a wholly spiritual experience, and there is no way of expressing it. The physical aspect of a human being cannot appreciate this emotion, and it begins to cause conflict in the human psyche. When a person begins to experience this, the rest of his psyche rebels against the strangeness of this experience. The person undergoes this inner conflict and consequently ends up acting in a crazy manner.
Eventually, the person’s soul is disgusted with its body and wishes to separate from it.
Nadav and Avihu wanted to draw close to Hashem, and they ignored the dangers, not being willing to live without getting as close as humanly possible to Hashem. They drew close to Hashem, a closeness that could only end up with וַיָמֻתוּ.
