R. Nahman of Joppa said in the name of R. Pinhas who spoke in the name of R. ≠ Simon: (Numb. 3:40 BUT NADAB AND ABIHU DIED BEFORE THE LORD, WHEN THEY OFFERED ALIEN FIRE BEFORE THE LORD IN THE SINAI DESERT …. SO ELEAZAR AND ITHAMAR SERVED AS PRIESTS IN THE PRESENCE OF THEIR FATHER AARON . BEFORE THE LORD occurs two times. IN THE PRESENCE OF THEIR FATHER AARON occurs one time. It is simply that it was twice as grievous for the Holy One as for their father.

(Ibid.:) IN THE SINAI DESERT. [R. Meir said:] Did they die IN THE SINAI DESERT? It is simply that from Mount Sinai they received their sentence of death.⁵¹ The situation is comparable to a king who was marrying off his daughter, when there was found something obscene in his bridal agent.⁵² (“comrade”). The king said: If I kill him now , I shall impede my daughter's joy. Some day soon my joy is coming. It is better to kill him during my own joyous celebration, and not during my daughter's joyous celebration. Similarly the Holy One said: If I kill Nadab and Abihu now, I shall impede the joyous celebration of the Torah. Some day soon my own joyous celebration is coming. It is better to kill them during my own joyous celebration, and not during the joyous celebration of the Torah. This is what is written (in Cant. 3:11): ON HIS WEDDING DAY, i.e., the day of the giving of Torah, IN THE DAY OF HIS JOYFUL HEART, i.e., in the Tent of Meeting.

footnotes: ⁵¹ Their death actually took place at the Tent of Meeting. ⁵² Gk.: syskenos