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Aaron, brother of Moses, had four sons, Nadav, Avihu, Elazar, and Itamar. After the tragic deaths of the two older sons, the younger sons take a leading role in the early Israelite priesthood.
Notable Sources
All Sources
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Lineage of the Priesthood
TANAKH
When Aaron and his descendants are granted the role of biblical priests, Aaron has four living sons. The book of Numbers lists them in its account of the census of the Israelites and notes the fate of Aaron's two elder sons, Nadav and Avihu.
The Death of Nadav and Avihu
TALMUD
God takes the lives of Aaron's two oldest sons, Nadav and Avihu when they attempt to offer a sacrifice without divine instructions. The Jerusalem Talmud in tractate Yoma wonders whether they disobeyed an explicit divine command and connects their punishment with the biblical instructions for the Yom Kippur ritual.
The Mystical Significance of the Priestly Line
COMMENTARY
The priesthood — made up of Aaron's descendants — was critical to the functioning of the Israelite society of the Torah as the only Israelites who could preside over sacrificial rites. Rabbi Menachem ben Binyamin Recanati, in his 13th-century kabbalistic commentary on the Torah, argues that the importance of the priesthood is also metaphysical and offers a mystical interpretation of their role in Israelite society.
The Fatal Fire of Nadav and Avihu
TANAKH
Aaron's two eldest sons, Nadav and Avihu, are among the first Israelite priests, but they die suddenly as punishment for a transgression. The book of Leviticus describes their sin and their divine punishment.
But Not the Daughters of Aaron
COMMENTARY
Even texts as early as the Mishnah, the first codification of Jewish law from third-century land of Israel, take up questions of whether and why women may or may not perform various rituals. Contemporary Rabbi Dr. Judith Hauptman discusses whether women-priests, daughters of Aaron, could perform rituals in the Temple on behalf of Israel.
The Tragedy of Aaron's Sons
MIDRASH
The Torah mentions the deaths of Aaron's two eldest sons, Nadav and Avihu, several times, each time noting the sin for which they died. The early medieval Midrash Tanchuma explains why this sin in particular is so greatly emphasized in the biblical text.
Dividing the Priestly Duties
TANAKH
The descendants of Aaron served as priests throughout biblical times, holding various public offices during the reign of King David. The biblical book of Chronicles describes how King David allocated responsibilities to the many priestly families.
Keeping Aaron's Sons Humble
CHASIDUT
The sons of Aaron, the high priest, are placed in a position of sanctity and distinguished from among the rest of Israel, breeding the potential for haughtiness. In his 18th-century Torah commentary, Bat Ayin, Rabbi Avraham Dov Baer of Ovruch emphasizes the importance of humility and submission in the priestly role.
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