Why Nadab and Abihu Died Before the Lord with Strange Fire

"And the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, took each of them his censer" (Leviticus 10:1) — the two of them in a single counsel. "And put fire therein" — for they acted without permission. They said: Even though fire came down from heaven, it is a commandment to bring fire from a common source, as it is said, "And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar" (Leviticus 1:7); yet they ought not to have done so without first taking permission. Another interpretation of "And the sons of Aaron took": From the fact that it says "Nadab and Abihu," do I not already know that they are the sons of Aaron? Rather, it teaches that they did not give honor to Moses and to Aaron. "And they offered before the Lord strange fire" — they brought it in at the wrong time. Rabbi Eliezer says: The sons of Aaron were not made liable to death except for the fact that they ruled on a point of law in the presence of Moses their teacher, for anyone who rules on a point of law in the presence of his teacher is liable to death. "And there came forth fire from before the Lord" — this teaches that the fire came forth from the Holy of Holies and was divided into four parts, and two entered the nostril of this one and two the nostril of that one, and they died. "And devoured them" — it burned them, but not their garments, [as it is said, "and they carried them in their tunics"]. "And they died before the Lord" — by a kind of death in which the soul is burned and the body remains intact. Rabbi Eliezer says: "And they died before the Lord" — they did not die inside, but outside, in the place where the Levites are permitted to enter, as it is said, "and they drew near and carried them in their tunics." If so, what does "before the Lord" mean? The angel struck them down and had mercy and brought them outside. Rabbi Assi bar Akiva says: Nadab and Abihu died only so as not to give an opening to those who come into the world to say that the Shekhinah did not rest upon the Tent of Meeting; and since Nadab and Abihu had entered before the Lord into the Tent of Meeting, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: If I am long-suffering, if these do this, every single one of Israel will do likewise. It is better that Nadab and Abihu die and that My honor not be diminished even for one hour. Immediately He said to the angel, "And strike them down." If toward those who are near He acts thus, toward those who are far how much more so. And already Moses and Aaron were walking on the road, and Nadab and Abihu were walking behind them, and Nadab and Abihu said: When will these two old men die, and you and I will lead the generation? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: We shall see who buries whom. Rabbi Jeremiah says: In four places He mentions the death of the sons of Aaron, and in every place He mentions their offense, to teach you that they died only on account of the offering, and because they entered without counsel, and because of the strange fire. Rabbi Eliezer of Modi'in says: How beloved are the righteous before Him who spoke and the world came into being, for in every place where He mentions their death He mentions their offense, to make known to you that there was in them nothing but this sin alone. And are these things not a matter of inference from the lesser to the greater? If at the moment of anger the Holy One, blessed be He, had pity on them, at the moment of favor how much more so.