R. Judan of Gallia opened (with Job 39:27), “Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes its nest on high?” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Aaron. “At your command I had my Divine Presence rest upon the ark. [Was it not] at your command that I removed my Divine Presence that was upon the ark?”
In the case of the first Temple (according to Job 39:28), “It dwells and lodges on the rock,” [i.e., the Divine Presence was there for] a lodging of one night. In the case of the second Temple (referred to in ibid., cont.), “on a rocky crag and a stronghold,” [ i.e., the Divine Presence was there for a lodging of many nights. Moreover,] we learn there (in Yoma 5:2), “When the ark had been taken away, there was a certain stone there from the days of the former prophets, and it was named Foundation.
And why was it named Foundation? Because out of it the world was founded.” And how would a high priest pray on the Day of Atonement? May it be Your will, O Lord our God, that this year be one of rain, warmth, and dew, a year of low prices, a year of abundance, a year of grace, a year of blessing, a year of trade, a year when Your people Israel are not dependent on each other, a year when they will not be arrogant with each other.
Now the rabbis of Caesarea said, “[It was] with reference to our brothers in Caesarea [that the high priest prayed] for them not to be arrogant with each other.” But [the rabbis of the south] say, “[It was] with reference to our brothers in the Sharon, lest their houses become their tombs.” (Job 39:29:) “From there it spies out food; and its eyes behold it from afar.”
From there it prepares food for all the days of the year. He (i.e., the high priest) knew from the beginning of the year what would [happen] at the end [of the year]. How so? When he looked and saw smoke from the pile (of wood on the Temple altar) rising southward, he knew that one would have enough in the south.
And it was the same for the north, the same for the west, and the same for the east. But when the smoke rose straight up towards the sky, he knew that the whole world would have enough. Then after all this advantage, (according to Job 39:30) “Its nestlings suck (from 'l') up blood…. [Aaron] saw his nestlings wallowing (from g'g') in blood and (according to Lev. 10:3) kept silent. However (ibid., cont.), “where the slain (i.e. Nadab and Abihu) are, there (i.e. there is the Divine Presence) is.”
R. Judan said in the name of R. Joshua ben Levi, [who spoke] in the name of R. Berekhyah, [who spoke] in the name of R. Hiyya bar Abba, “It is not written here (Lev. 10:4), ‘Draw near and carry your brothers away ‘from the sanctuary,’ but ‘from before the sanctuary.’ [The situation is] similar to someone who says to his colleague, ‘Remove the dead person from before his father. How long shall he look at his dead child?’” It is therefore written (in Lev. 16:1), “after the death of Aaron's two sons.”