Chapter Ten

1–4. Divine punishment of Aaron’s older sons, Nadab and Abihu, by death. 6–7. Prohibition for Aaron and the priests to mourn the dead. 8–11. Prohibition for the priests to use strong drink before entering the tabernacle. 12–20. Law concerning the eating of offerings

Leviticus 10:1. Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and added incense, and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them Leviticus 10:2. and fire came forth from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord Leviticus 10:3. And Moses said to Aaron: This is what the Lord spoke, saying, “I will show myself holy among those who approach me, and before all the people I will show my glory.” Aaron remained silent Leviticus 10:4. And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, the uncle of Aaron, and said to them: Come, carry your brothers from the sanctuary outside the camp The first steps of the Old Testament priests were accompanied by a fatal error or sin of two of them, Nadab and Abihu. The nature of their sin is not indicated. According to tradition, it was their self-exaltation before Aaron and a willful, untimely burning of incense, perhaps also in an intoxicated state (cf. Lev 10:9), or the incense itself was prepared contrary to the ordinance concerning it (Exod 30:7), and the fire for it was brought from outside the tabernacle enclosure. According to Theodoret the blessed (question 9 on Leviticus), “because Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, brought in man-made fire, divine fire consumed them” (Lev 9:24). In any case, their transgression expressed disrespect toward the sanctuary, and could instill the same in the people, and therefore it was punished severely – for the protection of the holiness of the sanctuary and to elevate the dignity of the priesthood itself (Lev 10:3, cf. Lev 19:22). Struck by grief, the father of the unfortunate priests Aaron does not give himself over to the usual eastern bursts of sorrow and mourning, but in the consciousness of the gravity of sin and the justness of punishment he remains silent, thus proving his understanding of the loftiness and responsibility of his sacred service

Leviticus 10:4. And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, the uncle of Aaron, and said to them: Come, carry your brothers from the sanctuary outside the camp Leviticus 10:5. And they went and carried them in their tunics outside the camp, as Moses said The dead are carried out not by the father and brothers, clothed in sacred garments and unable to touch the dead, but by close relatives, the cousins of Moses and Aaron (see Exod 6:22)

Leviticus 10:6. And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and to Ithamar his sons: Do not leave the hair of your heads loose, and do not tear your garments, or you will die and wrath will come upon all the congregation; but your brothers, the whole house of Israel, may mourn for those whom the Lord has burned Leviticus 10:7. and you shall not go outside the entrance of the tabernacle of meeting, or you will die; for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses An express warning to Aaron and his sons – the priests – not to wear any mourning for the death of Nadab and Abihu: not to bare the head, not to tear garments, etc., while leaving all of this to other relatives and all the people, who naturally had to see in the death of the two priests during sacred service a public misfortune

Leviticus 10:8. And the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying Leviticus 10:9. You and your sons with you must not drink wine or strong drink whenever you enter the tabernacle of meeting, [or approach the altar,] or you will die. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations Leviticus 10:10. so that you may distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean Leviticus 10:11. and teach the sons of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them through Moses The direct address of God to Aaron tradition regards as an expression of God’s favor toward him for his self-control (Lev 10:3). The prohibition to the priests of drinking wine before service in the tabernacle and of strong drink in general (for example, beer, which was known in Egypt and of course to the Hebrews), now given to Aaron, may suggest that the sin of Nadab and Abihu may have consisted precisely in intoxication during their first service. The purpose or motive for the prohibition: so that those who serve do not lose clarity of mind and the ability to distinguish strictly between the sacred and the worldly, the ritually clean and unclean, the lawful and the unlawful, teaching the people by their example what is lawful. Wine is forbidden (cf. Herodotus regarding Egyptians: they use wine made from grain) and other strong drinks not absolutely, but only during the time of each priest’s tour of service (cf. Ezek 44:21) according to the blessed Theodoret (question 10 on Leviticus). Concerning the distinction between clean and unclean a whole section treats Lev 11-15

Leviticus 10:12. And Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his remaining sons: Take the grain offering that is left from the offerings made by fire to the Lord, and eat it without leaven beside the altar, for it is most holy Leviticus 10:13. and eat it in a holy place, for it is your due and your sons’ due, from the offerings made by fire to the Lord; for thus I have been commanded Leviticus 10:14. and the breast of the wave offering and the shoulder of the elevation offering you shall eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you, for these have been given as your due and as the due of your sons from the sacrifices of peace offerings of the sons of Israel Leviticus 10:15. the shoulder of the elevation offering and the breast of the wave offering they shall bring together with the offerings of fat, waving them before the Lord, and they shall be a perpetual due to you and to your sons [and to your daughters] with you, as the Lord has commanded [Moses] A reminder to the priests of the use of the portions designated for them from the sacrifices (cf. Lev 6:16-19), and in particular a strict rebuke from Moses for their violation (probably due to the confusion caused by the death of Nadab and Abihu) of this law: contrary to the ordinance Lev 6:26-30 concerning the sin offering, the remains of the meat of the male goat for sin of the elders were burned (Lev 10:16), although the blood of this offering was not brought into the sanctuary (cf. Lev 6:29-30)

Leviticus 10:19. Aaron said to Moses: Behold, today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, and such things as these have happened to me; if I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been pleasing to the Lord? Leviticus 10:20. And Moses heard it and approved Aaron’s defense, penetrated by deep humility and secret sorrow for his sons, satisfies Moses