Not Like Father Like Sons

And the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu each took his incense pan, put fire in it and placed incense on the fire, and brought a strange fire before God which He did not command.                                              Leviticus 10:1

While the verse mentions the “strange fire” brought by Nadab and Abihu, the exact nature of their sin is not clear, since Midrashim, in various locations offer at least eight different suggestions of the nature of their sin. Although I certainly do not intend to determine which of the possibilities is to be preferred, our Sages have taught us to judge all people favorably. Therefore, it seems best to assume, as at least one of the Midrashim and some commentators do, that whatever the exact nature of their sin, Nadab and Abihu acted with good intentions, albeit in a mistaken manner.

In the aftermath of the deaths of two of his four sons, we see Aaron perhaps at his greatest: “and Aaron fell silent.” In the midst of tragedy, Aaron accepted the divine decree. By contrast, in Parashat Ki Tissa, Aaron faced a different crisis, the request of the Israelites “make us a god who will go before us, for this man Moses who lead us out of Egypt, we know not what has become of him.” In Aaron’s response, acquiescing to the request by making the golden calf, we do not see him at his best, even though, as Rashi comments, Aaron’s intention was to delay the people until Moses’ return.

As the Torah mentions no consequences to Aaron, he was, apparently, not punished for his role in the sin of the golden calf. Abravanel (15^th century) raises this issue in his commentary, saying that it is astounding that Aaron remained unpunished.

I believe the contrast between Nadab and Abihu and their father adds to the astonishment. Whatever the sin of Nadab and Abihu was, it was committed in private, within the Tabernacle, where only they and He who sees all knew of their sin. Although Aaron acted in public, and his actions contributed to the deaths of three thousand Israelites, God killed Nadab and Abihu, while Aaron went unpunished.

Abravanel’s explanation that Aaron was not punished because he acted with good intentions, seems insufficient since we assume that Nadab and Abihu, too, acted with pure and good intentions, and since ultimately one bears responsibility for the results of his actions, even when those actions are taken in good faith.

Therefore, I believe it is necessary to add another dimension to Abravanel’s answer: not only were Aaron’s intentions pure, but he acted in order to save the People of Israel by trying to “buy time” in order to prevent the People from sinning. Perhaps because he acted on behalf of the entire community out of his desire to save the People, Aaron averted punishment. This approach is clearly consistent with Aaron’s qualities “lover of peace, pursuer of peace, lover of mankind, who brought them near to Torah.” [Ethics of the Fathers 1:12]