"And upon the nobles of the children of Yisrael"

Synopsis

When they went to the mountain with Moses, "And upon the nobles of the children of Yisrael he laid not His hand." The verse says "and did eat and drink," and Rabbi Yosi explains that this means they fed their eyes with the light. Rabbi Yehuda adds that they ate actual food and fed from the light and thus connected themselves above. Rabbi Elazar says that Yisrael was proper at that time and the Shechinah was bound to them. And in the future days the Holy One, blessed be He, will reveal Himself to His children and all will see visually His glory.

Eyes Food Hands Light Nadab and Abihu Punishment Sin

580. "And upon the nobles of the children of Yisrael" (Shemot 24:11), referring to Nadab and Abihu, "he laid not His hand." He led them TO JUSTICE later, but they were not punished now. Rabbi Yosi said, this matter can be interpreted to their credit as the verse says, "And did eat and drink" MEANING they fed their eyes with this light. Rabbi Yehuda said, they ate actual food and fed OF THE LIGHT, and thus connected themselves above, MEANING THEY EXTENDED THE LIGHT FROM BELOW UPWARD; THERE WAS NO SIN IN THIS unless they turned astray later as explained.

580. וְאֶל אֲצִילֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, דָּא נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא. לֹא שָׁלַח יָדוֹ, דְּסָלִיק לוֹן לְבָתַר זִמְנָא, וְלָא אִתְעֲנָשׁוּ הָכָא. רַבִּי יוֹסִי אָמַר, מִלָּה דָּא, לִשְׁבָחָא דִּלְהוֹן, דִּכְתִּיב וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ דְּזָנוּ עֵינֵיהוֹן, מִנְּהִירוּ דָּא. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, אֲכִילָה וַדָּאִית אָכְלוּ, וְזָנוּ גַּרְמַיְיהוּ, וְהָכָא אִתְקְשָׁרוּ לְעֵילָּא, אִי לָא דְּסָטוּ אוֹרְחַיְיהוּ לְבָתַר, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא.

Brit (Covenant) Covenant (Brit) Eyes Flesh Light Shechinah Torah Zion

581. Rabbi Elazar said, Even the children of Yisrael at that time were all proper and the Shechinah was bound to them. This Covenant and the entire Torah took place at one time, MEANING THEY THEN HAD THE LIGHT FROM THE ENTIRE TORAH. Yisrael never did experience a time like that. In the future days, the Holy One, blessed be He, will reveal Himself to His children and all will see visually His glory, as the verse writes, "for they shall see eye to eye, Hashem returning to Zion" (Yeshayah 52:8), and, "and the glory of Hashem shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together..." (Yeshayah 40:5).

581. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, וַאֲפִילּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא אִתְכְּשָׁרוּ, וְאִתְקַשָּׁרַת בְּהוּ שְׁכִינְתָּא. וְדָא קַיָּימָא, וְאוֹרַיְיתָא כֹּלָּא, בְּחַד זִמְנָא הֲוָה. וְיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא לָא חָמוּ לְעָלְמִין. וּלְזִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי, זַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאִתְגַּלָּאָה עַל בְּנוֹי, וּלְמֵחֱמֵי כֹּלָּא יְקָרָא דִּילֵיהּ עֵינָא בְּעֵינָא, דִּכְתִּיב כִּי עַיִן בְּעַיִן יִרְאוּ בְּשׁוּב יְיָ' צִיּוֹן. וּכְתִיב, וְנִגְלָה כְּבוֹד יְיָ' וְרָאוּ כָל בָּשָׂר יַחְדָּו וְגוֹ.'