Daf Limud Parshat Shemini: Why Do Nadav and Abihu Die?

Why Were Nadav and Abihu Killed?
Parshat Shemini - Rabbi Yoni Jaffe, Congregation Emanu-El

Leviticus 10:1-2 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took each of them his censer, and put fire therein, and laid incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. And there came forth fire from before the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

Perhaps they violated the law that incense from outside the tabernacle not be used…

Exodus 30:9 You shall not offer alien incense on it, or a burnt offering or a meal offering; neither shall you pour a libation on it.

Or that God was supposed to bring the fire, and so bringing their own signaled doubt…

Leviticus 9:24 Fire came forth from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat parts on the altar. And all the people saw, and shouted, and fell on their faces.

Ibn Ezra: Their sin consisted in putting fire in their censers and not depending upon the fire which came down from heaven.

Sforno: Nadav and Abihu were under the impression that as the shechinah manifested itself after the sacrifice of the continual burnt offering (Ex 29:42), it would be proper to burn incense now that the Divine Glory had been revealed and the fire had descended. They accordingly brought it before the LORD, i.e. on the inner altar.

Rashbam: So eager were they to serve as priests, that they took their censers in which to burn incense on the altar of gold before the heavenly fire had descended. On this day of consecration the priests were told to wait for the descent of the heavenly fire.

1. Ego/Rebelliousness

Rashi (quoting midrash): Nadav and Abihu decided religious questions in the presence of their master, Moses.

Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 52a: Moses and Aaron were going their way, and Nadab and Abihu were walking behind them. Said Nadab to Abihu: "When will these two old men die, and you and I lead the generation?" The Holy One said to them: "Let us see who will bury whom".

David Luzzatto (19th cent): And if each took his censer, then there were two censers, and obviously only one would be required for the morning offering of incense. Nadav and Abihu sinned because of haughtiness. They did not want to merely serve under their father, as assistants. The ketoret (incense) was not foreign, but the fire was; since Moshe did not command it, they did not trust that fire would come from heaven to consume it, so they provided their own.

2. Inebriation

Rashi (quoting Lev Rabbah 20:9): Nadav and Abihu entered the sanctuary while in a state of intoxication. Hence the exhortation addressed to the priests in verse 9.

Leviticus Rabbah Summarizes

Leviticus Rabba 20:8-9: Bar Kappara in the name of Rabbi Jeremiah ben Eleazar said: Aaron’s sons died on account of four things:
1) For drawing near to the holy place in the innermost sanctuary
2) For offering the incense without being commanded to offer it
3) For the strange fire from the kitchen
4) For not having taken counsel from each other, implying that each
acted on his own initiative

Rabbi Mani of She’ab, Rabbi Joshua of Siknin, and Rabbi Johanan said: the sons of Aaron died for these four reasons:
1) They had drunk wine before entering the Tent of Meeting (Lev 10:9)
2) They lacked the prescribed number of garments (Ex 28:43), especially the robe that jingled when the priest walked, as described in Ex 28:35
3) They entered the sanctuary without washing hands and feet (Ex 30:20)
4) Because they had no children and were not even married (Num 3:4), supposedly because of arrogance that no woman was good enough

3. They Were Worthy Sacrifices to God

Vayikra Rabbah 12:2: 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!”

Sforno adds: Aaron comforted himself in the thought that God was sanctified through their death.

Rashi: For his silence, Aaron received the reward that verses 8-11 were addressed by God to Aaron personally.

4. Overzealousness

Ohr Hachayim (18th cent): Nadav and Abihu were exemplary priests with a particularly close and passionate relationship to the Divine. The fire they offered was the fire of longing to be close to God and this was the fire that consumed them. They got lost in their passion and devotion to God.