Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Exodus 28:1/רמב"ן על שמות כ״ח:א׳
אוְטַעַם נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא אֶלְעָזָר וְאִיתָמָר בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן שֶׁלֹּא יַחְשֹׁב כִּי בְּהִמָּשַׁח הָאָב לְכַהֲנוֹ יִהְיוּ הַבָּנִים הָאֵלֶּה כֹּהֲנִים, אֲבָל לָהֶם בְּעַצְמָם יְכַהֵן. וְהִנֵּה יָצָא פִּנְחָס וּשְׁאָר הַנּוֹלָדִים, שֶׁלֹּא נִתְכַּהֲנוּ רַק אֵלֶּה הָאַרְבָּעָה הַנִּמְשָׁחִים עִמּוֹ וּמוֹלַדְתָּם אֲשֶׁר יוֹלִידוּ אַחֲרֵי כֵן:
1AND THOU BRING THOU NEAR AARON THY BROTHER, AND HIS SONS WITH HIM … THAT THEY MINISTER UNTO ME IN THE PRIEST’S OFFICE, EVEN AARON, NADAB AND ABIHU, ELEAZAR AND ITHAMAR, AARON’S SONS. The reason for mentioning Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar [when it mentioned already “and his sons”] is that Moses should not think that by anointing the father to minister as priest, his sons would automatically become priests; instead he had to initiate them personally into the priesthood. Thus Phinehas [the son of Eleazar] and others already born were excluded [from the priesthood], for only these four sons who were anointed with Aaron, and their children born to them henceforth, were appointed as priests.