“They had no children” (Numbers 3:4). Rabbi Yaakov bar Avin said in the name of Rabbi Avin in the name of Rav Aḥa: If they had sons, they would have taken precedence over Elazar and Itamar, as we learned elsewhere: Anyone who takes precedence for inheritance takes precedence for honor, provided that he conducts himself in the manner of his ancestors. “Elazar and Itamar served as priests in the presence of Aaron, their father” (Numbers 3:4).
Rabbi Yitzḥak said: During his lifetime. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: Upon his death. According to the opinion of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, who said, upon his death, here it is written: “The presence of [penei],” and there it says: “Abraham arose from the presence of [penei] his dead” (Genesis 23:3); just as there it was upon her death, here, too it was upon his death. According to Rabbi Yitzḥak, who said, during his lifetime, here it is stated: “In the presence of [al penei],” and there it is stated: “Ḥaran died in the presence of [al penei] Teraḥ his father” (Genesis 11:28); just as there it was during his lifetime, so, too, here, it was during his lifetime.
If impurity befell Aaron, Elazar served. If it befell Elazar, Itamar served. There was an incident involving Shimon ben Kimḥit,38A High Priest who served during the Second Temple. who went to speak with the Arab king. Spittle sprayed from [the king’s] mouth onto [Shimon’s] garments and impurified him, and Yehuda, his brother, entered and served in the high priesthood in his stead.
That day, their mother saw her two sons as High Priests. They said: Kimḥit had seven sons and all of them served in the high priesthood. They sent to her and said to her: ‘What good deeds do you have to your credit?’ She said to them: ‘The beams of my house have never seen the hair of my head and the hem of my robe.’
They said: ‘All the flours are flour, but the flour of Kimḥit is fine flour.’ They read in her regard: “All the glory of the princess is within” (Psalms 45:14).39This is understood to express that modesty brings a woman great honor. According to Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, who said, upon his death, when Aaron died, Elazar served. When Elazar died, Itamar served.