R. Isaac opened his discourse with the text: “Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.” We also read: “Serve the Lord with gladness, come before him with singing.” These verses seem to contradict one another. But the truth is that “Serve the Lord with fear” means that all service which a man renders to his Master should begin with fear and awe of Him, and through this fear he will come to perform the precepts of the Torah with joy.
“And rejoice with trembling”: a man should not rejoice overmuch in this world, that is to say, in worldly matters. But in matters of religion and the study of the Torah he should rejoice. So after beginning with fear a man will come to perform the precepts of the Torah with joy, as it is written, “Serve the Lord with gladness.”
R. Abba said: ‘The expression “Serve the Lord with fear” contains a mystical allusion. What kind of fear is meant? It is that which here esoterically alludes to the Holy One, blessed be He, as in the verse, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Prov. 1, 7).’ R. Eleazar said: ‘If a man desires to serve his Master, from what place should he commence and in what place should he first aim at unifying the name of his Master? In “fear”, with which the ascent heavenwards commences.’
Another interpretation is as follows. R. Jose said: ‘Why does the text say, “after the death of the two sons of Aaron”, and not “after the death of Nadab and Abihu”, since we know they were his sons? The reason is to show that they had not yet emerged from the guardianship of their father, but they thrust themselves forward in his lifetime.’
R. Hiya said: ‘One day I was on my way to visit R. Simeon to learn from him the portion of the Passover. In a certain mountain which I passed I saw some clefts in a rock and two men sitting in one. As I went along I caught the sound of their voices saying: “A song, a psalm of the sons of Korah.” Why both song and psalm? We have learnt in the name of R. Simeon that this is a double song, and therefore superior to other songs. So, too, with the expressions, “A psalm, a song for the Sabbath day” (Ps. 92, 1), or “Song of songs” (S.S. 1, 1): the doubling is a sign of pre-eminence.
This is the song of the Holy One, blessed be He, which was sung by the sons of Korah, those who sat at the doorway of Gehinnom.1According to another reading, “regarding those who sat”, etc. Cf. T. B. Baba Bathra, 74a. Therefore this Psalm is recited (in the morning prayers) on the second day of the week. I went up to them and asked them what they were doing in that place. They said: “We are pedlars, and two days in the week we go into a solitary place and study the Torah, because on other days people will not let us.” I said to them: “Happy is your portion.”
They continued: “Whenever the righteous are removed from the world, punishment is removed from the world and the death of the righteous atones for the sins of the generation. Therefore we read the section dealing with the death of the sons of Aaron on the Day of Atonement that it may atone for the sins of Israel. God says: Recount the death of these righteous ones, and it will be accounted to you as if you brought an offering on that day to make atonement for you. For we have learnt that so long as Israel are in captivity, and cannot bring offerings on that day, the mention of the two sons of Aaron shall be their atonement.
For so we have learnt, that Abihu was equal to his two brothers Eleazar and Ithamar, and Nadab to all together, and Nadab and Abihu were reckoned as equal to the seventy elders who were associated with Moses; and therefore their death was an atonement for Israel.
(ויקרא ט״ז:א׳) וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ' אֶל מֹשֶׁה אַחֲרֵי מוֹת שְׁנֵי בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן וְגוֹ'. וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ' אֶל מֹשֶׁה. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, כֵּיוָן דִּכְתִּיב וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ' אֶל מֹשֶׁה, אֲמַאי זִמְנָא אָחֳרָא וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ' אֶל מֹשֶׁה דַּבֶּר אֶל אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךְ, דְּהָא בְּמִלּוּלָא קַדְמָאָה סַגֵּי. אֶלָּא הָכִי תָּנֵינָן, כְּתִיב, וַיִּקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ' אֵלָיו. וּכְתִיב, (שמות כ״ד:א׳) וְאֶל מֹשֶׁה אָמַר עֲלֵה אֶל יְיָ'. וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ מִלָּה, דְּהָכָא דַּרְגָּא חַד. וּלְבָתַר, דַּרְגָּא אָחֳרָא. אוּף הָכָא, וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ' אֶל מֹשֶׁה דַּרְגָּא חַד. וּלְבָתַר וַיֹאמֶר יְיָ' אֶל מֹשֶׁה דַּבֵּר אֶל אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךְ, דַּרְגָּא אָחֳרָא. וְכֹלָּא, בְּחַד מַתְקְלָא סַלְּקָא, וּמִן שָׁרְשָׁא חָד כֻּלָּא אִתְחַבָּר.
אַחֲרֵי מוֹת שְׁנֵי בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן. רִבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח, (תהילים ב׳:י״א) עִבְדוּ אֶת יְיָ' בְּיִרְאָה וְגִילוּ בִּרְעָדָה. וּכְתִיב, (תהילים ק׳:ב׳) עִבְדוּ אֶת יְיָ' בְּשִׂמְחָה בֹּאוּ לְפָנָיו בִּרְנָנָה. הָנֵי קְרָאֵי קַשְׁיָין אֲהַדְדֵי, אֶלָּא הָכִי תָּאנָא, עִבְדוּ אֶת יְיָ' בְּיִרְאָה. דְּכָל פּוּלְחָנָא דְּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְמִפְלַח קָמֵי מָארֵיהּ, בְּקַדְמִיתָא בָּעֵי יִרְאָה, לְדַחֲלָא מִנֵּיהּ, וּבְגִין דַּחֲלָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, יִשְׁתְּכַּח לְבָתַר דְּיַעֲבֵיד בְּחֶדְוָותָא פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (דברים י׳:י״ב) מָה יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ שׁוֹאֵל מֵעִמָּךְ כִּי אִם לְיִרְאָה.
R. Isaac opened his discourse with the text: “Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.” We also read: “Serve the Lord with gladness, come before him with singing.” These verses seem to contradict one another. But the truth is that “Serve the Lord with fear” means that all service which a man renders to his Master should begin with fear and awe of Him, and through this fear he will come to perform the precepts of the Torah with joy.
וְגִילוּ בִּרְעָדָה. דְּאָסִיר לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ לְמֶחְדֵּי יַתִּיר בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין. הַאי בְּמִלֵי דְּעָלְמָא, אֲבָל בְּמִלֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וּבְפִקוּדֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בָּעֵי לְמֶחְדֵּי. לְבָתַר, יִשְׁתְּכַּח בַּר נָשׁ דְּיעָבִיד בְּחֶדְוָותָא פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא. דִּכְתִּיב, עִבְדוּ אֶת יְיָ' בְּשִׂמְחָה.
“And rejoice with trembling”: a man should not rejoice overmuch in this world, that is to say, in worldly matters. But in matters of religion and the study of the Torah he should rejoice. So after beginning with fear a man will come to perform the precepts of the Torah with joy, as it is written, “Serve the Lord with gladness.”
רִבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר, עִבְדוּ אֶת יְיָ' בְּיִרְאָה. רָזָא דְּמִלָּה הוּא, עִבְדוּ אֶת יְיָ' בְּיִרְאָה, מַה יִרְאָה הָכָא. אֶלָּא כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא, דִּכְתִּיב, (משלי א׳:ז׳) יִרְאַת יְיָ' רֵאשִׁית דָּעַת, וּכְתִיב, (תהילים קי״א:י׳) רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה יִרְאַת יְיָ'. יִרְאַת יְיָ', קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הָכִי אִקְרֵי. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר, עִבְדוּ אֶת יְיָ' בְּיִרְאָה, מַאן דְּבָעֵי לְמֶעְבַּד פּוּלְחָנָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, מֵאָן אֲתַר שָׁארֵי, וּבְאָן אֲתַר יְכַוִּון פּוּלְחָנָא לְיַחֲדָא שְׁמָא דְּמָארֵיהּ. הָדָר וְאָמַר בְּיִרְאָה, בְּיִרְאָה הוּא שֵׁירוּתָא, מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָּא. (תא חזי בני אהרן האי אוקימנא והא אתמר מלה)
R. Abba said: ‘The expression “Serve the Lord with fear” contains a mystical allusion. What kind of fear is meant? It is that which here esoterically alludes to the Holy One, blessed be He, as in the verse, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Prov. 1, 7).’ R. Eleazar said: ‘If a man desires to serve his Master, from what place should he commence and in what place should he first aim at unifying the name of his Master? In “fear”, with which the ascent heavenwards commences.’
תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה כְּתִיב הָכָא אַחֲרֵי מוֹת, וּלְבָתַר דַּבֵּר אֶל אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךְ וְגוֹ' בְּזֹאת יָבֹא אַהֲרֹן, אֶלָּא מִכָּאן, שֵׁירוּתָא לְאַזְהָרָא לְכַהֲנֵי, כָּל מַאן, דְּבַעְיָין לְאִזְדַּהֲרָא בְּהַאי זֹאת, וְדָא הִיא יִרְאַת יְיָ'.
דָּבָר אַחֵר. אַחֲרֵי מוֹת שְׁנֵי בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר, אַחֲרֵי מוֹת נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא, מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי טַעְמָא שְׁנֵי בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן, וְהָא יְדִיעַ דִּבְנוֹי הֲווֹ. אֶלָּא הָכִי תָּאנָא, דְּעַד כָּאן לָאו בִּרְשׁוּתַיְיהוּ קַיְימֵי, אֶלָּא בִּרְשׁוּתָא דְּאָבוּהוֹן, וּבְגִין כָּךְ, בְּקָרְבָתָם לִפְנֵי יְיָ' וַיָמוּתוּ, דְּאִינּוּן דָּחֲקוּ שַׁעֲתָא בְּחַיֵּי דְּאָבוּהוֹן, וְכֹלָּא הֲוָה, בְּגִין הַהוּא חוֹבָא דְּעָבְדוּ, דִּכְתִּיב (במדבר ג׳:ד׳) בְּהַקְרִיבָם אֵשׁ זָרָה. דְּתַנְיָא, בְּאָתַר חַד, כְּתִיב בְּהַקְרִיבָם אֵשׁ זָרָה, וּבְאֲתָר חַד כְּתִיב, בְּקָרְבָתָם לִפְנֵי יְיָ'. וְהַאי וְהַאי הֲוָה, וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב הָכָא בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן, וּכְתִיב בְּקָרְבָתָם.
Another interpretation is as follows. R. Jose said: ‘Why does the text say, “after the death of the two sons of Aaron”, and not “after the death of Nadab and Abihu”, since we know they were his sons? The reason is to show that they had not yet emerged from the guardianship of their father, but they thrust themselves forward in his lifetime.’
(תאנא) אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָיא, יוֹמָא חַד הֲוִינָא אָזִיל בְּאָרְחָא, לְמֵיהַךְ גַּבֵּיה דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, לְמֵילַף מִנֵּיהּ פַּרְשְׁתָּא דְּפִסְחָא. עַרְעִית בְּחַד טוּרָא, וַחֲמֵינָא בְּקִיעִין גּוּמִּין בְּחַד טִינְרָא, וּתְרֵין גּוּבְרִין בָה. עַד דַּהֲוִינָא אָזִיל, שְׁמַעְנָא קָלָא דְּאִינּוּן גּוּבְרִין, וַהֲווּ אַמְרִין, (תהילים מ״ח:א׳-ב׳) שִׁיר מִזְמוֹר לִבְנֵי קֹרַח גָּדוֹל יְיָ' וּמְהֻלָל מְאֹד וְגוֹ'. מַאי שִׁיר מִזְמוֹר. אֶלָּא הָכִי תָּאנָא מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, שִׁיר דְּאִיהוּ כָּפוּל, שִׁיר דְּאִיהוּ מְשׁוּבַּח מִשְּׁאַר שִׁירִין, וְעַל דְּאִיהוּ מְשׁוּבַּח מִשְּׁאַר שִׁירִין, תְּרֵין זִמְנִין אִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ שִׁירָתָא, וְכֵן (תהילים צ״ב:א׳) מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר לְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת. כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא, (שיר השירים א׳:א׳) שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים אֲשֶׁר לִשְׁלֹמֹה, שִׁירָתָא לְעֵילָּא מִן שִׁירָתָא.
R. Hiya said: ‘One day I was on my way to visit R. Simeon to learn from him the portion of the Passover. In a certain mountain which I passed I saw some clefts in a rock and two men sitting in one. As I went along I caught the sound of their voices saying: “A song, a psalm of the sons of Korah.” Why both song and psalm? We have learnt in the name of R. Simeon that this is a double song, and therefore superior to other songs. So, too, with the expressions, “A psalm, a song for the Sabbath day” (Ps. 92, 1), or “Song of songs” (S.S. 1, 1): the doubling is a sign of pre-eminence.
שִׁיר מִזְמוֹר, שִׁירָתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּקָא מְזַמְּרֵי בְּנֵי קֹרַח עַל אִינּוּן דְּיַתְבֵי, עַל פִּתְחָא דְּגֵיהִנָם. וּמַאן אִינּוּן, אֲחוּהוֹן דְּאִינּוּן דְּיַתְבֵי בְּתַרְעֵי דְּגֵיהִנָּם. וְעַל דָּא, שִׁירָתָא דָּא בְּיוֹם שֵׁנִי אִתְּמַר. קָרִיבְנָא גַּבַּיְיהוּ, אֲמֵינָא לְהוּ, מַאי עֲסָקַיְיכוּ בַּאֲתַר דָּא. אָמְרוּ מְזַבְּנֵי אֲנָן, וּתְרֵי יוֹמֵי בְּשַׁבְּתָא, בָּדִילְנָא מִיִשׁוּבָא וְנַעֲסֵק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. בְּגִין דְּלָא שַׁבְקִין לָן בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, כָּל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא. אֲמֵינָא זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיכוֹן.
This is the song of the Holy One, blessed be He, which was sung by the sons of Korah, those who sat at the doorway of Gehinnom.1According to another reading, “regarding those who sat”, etc. Cf. T. B. Baba Bathra, 74a. Therefore this Psalm is recited (in the morning prayers) on the second day of the week. I went up to them and asked them what they were doing in that place. They said: “We are pedlars, and two days in the week we go into a solitary place and study the Torah, because on other days people will not let us.” I said to them: “Happy is your portion.”
תּוּ פָּתְחוּ וְאָמְרוּ. בְּכָל זִמְנָא דְּצַדִיקַיָא מִסְתַּלְּקֵי מֵעָלְמָא, דִּינָא אִסְתַּלָּק מֵעָלְמָא, וּמִיתַתְהוֹן דְּצַדִיקַיָא מְכַפֶּרֶת עָל חוֹבֵי דָּרָא. וְעַל דָּא פַּרְשְׁתָּא דִּבְנֵי אַהֲרֹן, בְּיוֹמָא דְּכִפּוּרֵי קָרֵינָן לָהּ, לְמֶהֱוִי כַּפָּרָה לְחוֹבֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אִתְעַסְּקוּ בְּמִיתָתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא אִלֵּין, וְיִתְחַשֵׁב לְכוּ כְּאִלּוּ אַתּוּן מְקָרְבִין קָרְבְּנִין בְּהַאי יוֹמָא לְכַפְּרָא עָלַיְיכוּ. דְּתָנֵינָן, כָּל זִמְנָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל יֵהוֹן בְּגָלוּתָא, וְלָא יִקְרְבוּן קָרְבְּנִין בְּהַאי יוֹמָא, וְאִינּוּן תְּרֵין שְׂעִירִין לָא יַכְלִין לְקָרְבָא, יְהֵא לְהוּ דֻּכְרָנָא, דִּתְרֵי בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן, וְיִתְכַּפֵּר עֲלַיְיהוּ.
They continued: “Whenever the righteous are removed from the world, punishment is removed from the world and the death of the righteous atones for the sins of the generation. Therefore we read the section dealing with the death of the sons of Aaron on the Day of Atonement that it may atone for the sins of Israel. God says: Recount the death of these righteous ones, and it will be accounted to you as if you brought an offering on that day to make atonement for you. For we have learnt that so long as Israel are in captivity, and cannot bring offerings on that day, the mention of the two sons of Aaron shall be their atonement.
דְּהָכִי אוֹלִיפְנָא, דִּכְתִּיב, (במדבר ג׳:ב׳) וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֲנִים וְגוֹ'. וּכְתִיב, הַבְּכֹר נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא אֶלְעָזָר וְאִיתָמָר. וְאֶלְעָזָר וְאִיתָמָר מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַהוּ אֶלְעָזָר וְאִיתָמָר. אֶלָּא שָׁקוּל הֲוָה אֲבִיהוּא כִּתְרֵי אֲחוּי. וְנָדָב כְּכֻלְּהוּ.
וְאִית דְּמַתְנֵי (לה אפכא) הַבְּכֹר נָדָב, דָּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, וַאֲבִיהוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, וְכָל חַד אִתְחֲשִׁיב בְּעֵינֵיהּ, כְּתַרְוַיְיהוּ, כְּאֶלְעָזָר וְאִיתָמָר. אֲבָל נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא בִּלְחוֹדַיְיהוּ, שְׁקוּלִין הֲווֹ לְקָבֵל שִׁבְעִין סַנְהֶדְרִין, דַּהֲווֹ מְשַׁמְּשִׁין קָמֵי מֹשֶׁה. וּבְגִין כַּךְ, מִיתָתְהוֹן מְכַפְּרָא עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (ויקרא י׳:ו׳) וַאֲחֵיכֶם כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל יִבְכּוּ אֶת הַשְּׂרֵפָה. וְאָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, הַבְּכֹר נָדָב, כְּלוֹמַר, הַהוּא, דְּכָל שְׁבָחָא וִיקָרָא דִּלֵּיהּ (מה שמיה). נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה, דְּהָנֵי תְּרֵי, לָא אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ כְּוָתַיְיהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.
For so we have learnt, that Abihu was equal to his two brothers Eleazar and Ithamar, and Nadab to all together, and Nadab and Abihu were reckoned as equal to the seventy elders who were associated with Moses; and therefore their death was an atonement for Israel.