1
'לפני ה, “before the Lord;” Rabbi Yochanan queried this wording, asking if Nadav and Avihu had indeed died “before the Lord, i.e. while performing service in honour of the Lord?” He therefore concludes that when righteous peple have to die, their death is as difficult for the Lord to come to terms with as if they had died while performing service to the Lord. (Compare Bamidbar Rabbah 2,24).