Midrash
Midrash Tanchuma, Achrei Mot 5 מדרש תנחומא, אחרי מות ה׳
Part of: Siman 5
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אַחֲרֵי מוֹת שְׁנֵי בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן. רַבִּי בְּרֶכְיָה פָּתַח, גַּם עֲנוֹשׁ לַצַּדִּיק לֹא טוֹב לְהַכּוֹת נְדִיבִים עַל ישֶׁר. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁעָנַשְׁתִּי לְאַהֲרֹן וְנָטַלְתִּי שְׁנֵי בָּנָיו מִמֶּנּוּ, לֹא טוֹב, אֶלָּא לְהַכּוֹת נְדִיבִים עַל ישֶׁר.
(Lev. 16:1:) “After the death of Aaron's two sons.” R. Berekhyah opened (his discourse with Prov. 17:26), “To punish also the righteous is not good; to smite the noble ones for uprightness.”35Lev. R. 20:6; PRK 26(27):6/7. Said the Holy One, blessed be He, “Although I punished Aaron (for the golden calf) by taking his two children from him, it is not good. It was only (according to ibid., cont.) “to smite the noble ones for uprightness.”36Perhaps either because they themselves had sinned or in order to sanctify the Divine Name, since (according to Lev. 10:3) Aaron accepted their deaths in silence. See Enoch Zundel in his commentary on Tanh., Lev. 6:5.
(Lev. 16:1:) “After the death of Aaron's two sons.” R. Berekhyah opened (his discourse with Prov. 17:26), “To punish also the righteous is not good; to smite the noble ones for uprightness.”35Lev. R. 20:6; PRK 26(27):6/7. Said the Holy One, blessed be He, “Although I punished Aaron (for the golden calf) by taking his two children from him, it is not good. It was only (according to ibid., cont.) “to smite the noble ones for uprightness.”36Perhaps either because they themselves had sinned or in order to sanctify the Divine Name, since (according to Lev. 10:3) Aaron accepted their deaths in silence. See Enoch Zundel in his commentary on Tanh., Lev. 6:5.