11. The firstborn Nadab stands on his own merits and Abihu rests on his own, AND FOLLOWING THEM ELAZAR AND ITAMAR ARE READ AS JOINED TOGETHER TO TEACH that each one OF NADAB AND ABIHU are considered in the eyes OF SCRIPTURE as both Elazar and Itamar TOGETHER. But BOTH Nadab and Abihu by themselves are each considered equal to the seventy members of the Sanhedrin who served before Moses. For this reason, their deaths atoned for Yisrael. Therefore, it is written, "But let your brethren, the whole house of Yisrael bewail the burning" (Vayikra 10:6). Rabbi Shimon said: THEREFORE THE VERSE SPECIFIES "Nadab the firstborn," meaning he is the one that all acclaim and praise are his. How much more so with Nadab and Abihu TOGETHER, because these two have no equal among all Yisrael.
11. וְאִית דְּמַתְנֵי הַבְּכֺר נָדָב, דָּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, וַאֲבִיהוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, וְכָל חַד אִתְחֲשִׁיב בְּעֵינֵיהּ, כְּתַרְוַיְיהוּ, כְּאֶלְעָזָר וְאִתָּמָר. אֲבָל נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא בִּלְחוֹדַיְיהוּ, שְׁקוּלִין הֲווֹ לְקָבֵל שַׁבְעִין סַנְהֶדְרִין, דַּהֲווֹ מְשַׁמְּשִׁין קָמֵי מֺשֶׁה. וּבְגִין כַּךְ, מִיתָתְהוֹן מְכַפְּרָא עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, וַאֲחֵיכֶם כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל יִבְכּוּ אֶת הַשְּׂרֵפָה. וְאָמַר ר' שִׁמְעוֹן, הַבְּכֺר נָדָב, כְּלוֹמַר, הַהוּא, דְּכָל שְׁבָחָא וִיקָרָא דִּלֵּיהּ. נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה, דְּהָנֵי תְּרֵי, לָא אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ כְּוָתַיְיהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.