Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Leviticus 10:4/רמב"ן על ויקרא י׳:ד׳

א"קִרְבוּ שְׂאוּ אֶת אֲחֵיכֶם" - מָצָאתִי בְּתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים בְּפָרָשַׁת מִלּוּאִים (ריש שמיני לה): רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, לֹא מֵתוּ בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן אֶלָּא בַּחוּץ, מָקוֹם שֶׁהַלְוִיִּם מֻתָּרִין שָׁם לִכָּנֵס, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "וַיִּקְרְבוּ וַיִּשָּׂאֻם בְּכֻתֳּנֹתָם". אִם כֵּן, לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר "וַיָּמֻתוּ לִפְנֵי ה'"? נְגָפָם הַמַּלְאָךְ וְהוֹצִיאָם לַחוּץ. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר: לֹא מֵתוּ אֶלָּא בִּפְנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וַיָּמֻתוּ לִפְנֵי ה'". אִם כֵּן, לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר "וַיִּקְרְבוּ וַיִּשָּׂאֻם בְּכֻתֳּנֹתָם"? שֶׁהֵטִילוּ בָּהֶם חַכּוֹת שֶׁל בַּרְזֶל וּגְרָרוּם וְהוֹצִיאוּם לַחוּץ. עַד כָּאן בַּבָּרַיְתָא. וְהַטַּעַם, שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁגַּם הַכֹּהֲנִים אֲסוּרִין לָבֹא בַּהֵיכָל אֶלָּא בִּשְׁעַת עֲבוֹדָה, אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא בְּבִיאָה רֵיקָנִית, אֲבָל לְהוֹצִיא מִשָּׁם טֻמְאָה אוֹ לְבֶדֶק הַבַּיִת יִכָּנֵס. שֶׁכָּךְ שָׁנִינוּ בְּתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים (אמור פרק ג יא): יָכוֹל לֹא יִכָּנֵס לַעֲשׂוֹת רִקּוּעוֹת? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר "אַךְ" (ויקרא כ"א:כ"ג). כָּךְ הִיא מִצְוָתָן: הַכֹּהֲנִים נִכְנָסִין שָׁם, אִם אֵין שָׁם כֹּהֲנִים - נִכְנָסִין שָׁם לְוִיִּם, אִם אֵין טְהוֹרִים - נִכְנָסִים שָׁם טְמֵאִים, אִם אֵין תְּמִימִים - נִכְנָסִין שָׁם בַּעֲלֵי מוּמִין. וְעַכְשָׁו, הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה אֵין שָׁם כֹּהֲנִים, שֶׁהֲרֵי נִצְטַוּוּ שֶׁלֹּא יִטַּמְּאוּ לָהֶם. אֲבָל כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָיָה אֶפְשָׁר בְּחַכּוֹת וּבִגְרִירָה, לֹא הָיוּ רַשָּׁאִין לִכָּנֵס שָׁם. וְעַל דַּעַת רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב "וַיִּקְרְבוּ", סָבַר שֶׁהָיוּ בַּחוּץ, וְלָכֵן לֹא אָמַר "וַיִּגְרְרוּם בְּכֻתֳּנֹתָם". וְטַעַם "בְּכֻתֳּנֹתָם", כִּי הָיוּ לוֹבְשִׁים בִּגְדֵי כְּהֻנָּה. וְהִנֵּה צִוָּה מֹשֶׁה לְהוֹצִיא אוֹתָם אֶל מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה, וְשָׁם יַפְשִׁיטוּם בִּגְדֵי הַכְּהֻנָּה וְיַלְבִּישׁוּם תַּכְרִיכֵי הַמֵּתִים וְיִקְבְּרוּ אוֹתָם כְּמִנְהָגָם כִּשְׁאָר הַמֵּתִים בַּמִּדְבָּר. וְהִנֵּה אַחַר כֵּן טִהֲרוּ הַבְּגָדִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים וְהָיוּ לִשְׁאָר הַכֹּהֲנִים.

1AND MOSES CALLED MISHAEL AND ELZAPHAN, THE SONS OF UZZIEL THE UNCLE OF AARON, AND SAID UNTO THEM: DRAW NEAR, CARRY YOUR BRETHREN FROM BEFORE THE SANCTUARY OUT OF THE CAMP. I have found written in the Torath Kohanim in the section of the consecration:⁷³ 38. “Rabbi Eliezer says: the sons of Aaron died outside [the Sanctuary], in a place where the Levites [Mishael and Elzaphan] were permitted to enter, as it is said, So they drew near, and carried them in their tunics.⁷⁴ If so, why then does it say, and they died before the Eternal?⁷⁵ It was an angel who smote them [Nadab and Abihu] and thrust them out of the Sanctuary [and they did not die until they were outside it]. Rabbi Akiba says: they died inside the Sanctuary, as it is said, and they died before the Eternal.⁷⁵ If so, why does it say, So they drew near, and carried them in their tunics⁷⁴ [since Levites are not permitted to enter the Sanctuary]? They put iron hooks on them, and dragged them and brought them out of the Sanctuary.” Thus far is the text of the Beraitha,⁵¹ Note 65. and the meaning thereof is as follows: Even though priests are also forbidden to enter the Sanctuary except at the time of Service,⁷⁶ this prohibition applies only if they enter it needlessly. But one may enter the Sanctuary in order to remove an uncleanness, or to make Temple repairs. For thus we were taught in the Torath Kohanim:⁷⁷ 3:11. “I might think one is not permitted to enter the Sanctuary to make the beaten plates [for a covering of the golden altar, or for the Holy of Holies]; Scripture therefore says, ‘Only’ he shall not go in unto the Veil⁷⁸ [the word ‘only’ denoting an exception to the general law]; such is their command: priests may go in there [at any time to make the above repairs]. If there are no priests present, Levites may enter. If there are no [ritually] pure ones [priests or Levites], impure ones may go in. If there are no unblemished ones, blemished ones may enter there.” Now on that day [when Nadab and Abihu died] there were no priests present [who could remove them from the Sanctuary where they had died], since [Aaron and his two remaining sons] were expressly commanded that they should not defile themselves for them.⁷⁹ But since it was possible to do it through dragging them out with iron hooks, [Mishael and Elzaphan] were not permitted to enter there. [Such is the opinion of Rabbi Akiba.] But Rabbi Eliezer, who is of the opinion [that an angel thrust Nadab and Abihu out of the Sanctuary, and they died outside, thinks] that since Scripture states of Mishael and Elzaphan, so they drew near,⁷⁴ it was outside the Sanctuary [that they died], and therefore he does not say [as does Rabbi Akiba] that they dragged them outside in their tunics. The meaning of the expression in their tunics⁷⁴ is that Nadab and Abihu were then dressed in the priestly garments. Moses thus commanded that they carry them out of the camp,⁷⁴ and there they should strip them of their priestly garments, and clothe them in burial shrouds, and bury them, as was their custom with other people who died in the desert. After that they purified the sacred garments and they were used by the other priests.