“The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them” (Leviticus 11:1). “The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them.” Rabbi Pinḥas and Rabbi Yirmeya began: “An ear that heeds life’s rebuke…” (Proverbs 15:31). “An ear that heeds life’s rebuke,” these are the sons of Aaron.1Elazar and Itamar; see Leviticus 10:1–7.
“Will abide among the wise” (Proverbs 15:31), as they were close to death, yet the divine speech was directed to them, to their father, and to their father’s brother during their lifetimes. That is what is written: “Moses inquired [darosh darash] about the goat of the sin offering [and, behold, it was burned, and he was angry with Elazar and with Itamar, the remaining sons of Aaron, saying]” (Leviticus 10:16).
What is darosh darash? Two inquiries; he said to them: ‘If you slaughtered, why did you not eat? If you were not going to eat, why did you slaughter?’ Immediately, “he was angry with Elazar and with Itamar” (Leviticus 10:16).
When he became angry, a halakha escaped him. Rabbi Huna said: In three instances, Moses became angry and a halakha escaped him, and these are: Regarding Shabbat, regarding metal vessels, and the acute mourner. Regarding Shabbat, from where is it derived? As it is stated: “People left from it until the morning…[and Moses became angry with them]” (Exodus 16:20).
Because he became angry, he forgot to tell them the halakhot of Shabbat. He said to them: “It is what the Lord said…eat it today as it is Shabbat for the Lord” (Exodus 16:23, 25).2Moses became angry that people had left over manna until morning. Therefore, he forgot to tell the people about the the Shabbat protocol for the manna, which he told them only after the tribal princes came to inquire as to why the manna collected on Friday was double that collected on other days.
Regarding metal vessels, from where is it derived? As it is stated: “Moses became angry at the commanders of the army” (Numbers 31:14). Because he became angry, the halakha escaped him; he forgot to tell them the halakhot of metal vessels. Since Moses did not say it, Elazar the priest said it in his stead, as it is stated: “Elazar the priest said to the people of the army: [This is the statute of the law that the Lord commanded Moses]” (Numbers 31:21).
He said to them: ‘He commanded to Moses, my master, He did not command me.’ Regarding the acute mourner, from where is it derived? As it is stated: “He was angry with Elazar and with Itamar.” Because he became angry, the halakha escaped him that it is prohibited for an acute mourner to partake of consecrated foods.
“The remaining...saying” (Leviticus 10:16). Rabbi Pinḥas and Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon: He said to them: ‘You, too, did not remain.’3It is only through my prayers that you were spared. “Aaron [vaydaber] spoke to Moses” (Leviticus 10:19). He answered him with harsh speech [dibbur], as it is written: “The man, lord of the land, spoke [dibber] [harshly with us]” (Genesis 42:30).
“Indeed, today they presented their sin offering and their burnt offering” (Leviticus 10:19). He said to him: ‘My sons died today, and today I will sacrifice an offering? Today they died, and I will eat consecrated foods today?’ Immediately, Aaron expounded an a fortiori inference to Moses: ‘If the lenient second tithe is prohibited for an acute mourner, is it not logical that the stringent sin offering will be prohibited for the acute mourner?’
Immediately, “Moses heard and he approved” (Leviticus 10:20). He dispatched a herald to the entire camp and said: ‘I was mistaken regarding the halakha, and Aaron my brother came and taught me.’ Elazar knew the halakha and was silent. Itamar knew the halakha and was silent.
They merited and the divine speech was directed to them, to their father, and to their father’s brother in their lifetimes. That is what is written: “The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them” – Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: To the sons, Elazar and Itamar.