Tosefta for Leviticus 10:5
וַֽיִּקְרְב֗וּ וַיִּשָּׂאֻם֙ בְּכֻתֳּנֹתָ֔ם אֶל־מִח֖וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּ֥ר מֹשֶֽׁה׃
So they drew near, and carried them in their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had said.
Tosefta Berakhot
“Similar to this [it says], 'They (i.e. Mishael and Eltzafan) came forth and carried them (i.e. Nadav and Avihu) in their tunics outside of the camp…’ (Leviticus 10:5) Is not this a Kal Vechomer (a derivation from minor to major)? Just like at the time when [God] is angry [at] the righteous [people, He still] has mercy on them, then at the time [of God’s] mercy, how much more so. Similar to this [it says] ‘… the lion had not eaten the corpse and did not maul the donkey.’ (I Kings 13:28) Is not this a Kal Vechomer (a derivation from minor to major)? Just like at the time when [God] is angry [at] the righteous [people, He still] has mercy on them, then at the time [of God’s] mercy, how much more so.”
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy