What is the definition of "Atzilei B'nei Yisrael"? To whom does it refer?
Rashi, Ramban, Targum Onkelos and Targum Yonasan: It means 'great men of B'nei Yisrael', 1 with reference to Nadav and Avihu and the seventy elders of Yisrael (mentioned in the previous Pasuk). 2
According to Targum Yonasan, it refers to Nadav and Avihu 'the beauiful boys' exclusively.
Ramban: And they are referred to as "Atzilei B'nei Yisrael" because the spirit of Hashem (Atzilus) rested upon them - as in Yeshayah, 41:9). See also Beha'aloscha Bamidbar, 11:25
What does the Torah mean when it writes that "Hashem did not stretch out His Hand"? Why ought He to have done so?
Rashi: It means that He did not stretch out His hand to punish them for gazing at the Shechinah even as they indulged in physical pursuits - whilst they were eating and drinking. 1
Ramban (Pasuk 13, citing Midrash Tanchuma) and Rashbam: He should have stretched out His hand to punish the Zekeinim (except for Yehoshua) for seeing visions of Elokim that they were not worthy of seeing, 2
Seforno: What the Torah means is that, Hashem did not stretch out His Hand to place them in a trance in order that they should prophesy. 3
Hadar Zekenim: Initially they were extremely afraid of being harmed. 4 But when they saw that they remained unharmed, they received the Shechinah and ate and drank amidst Simchah, which rendered them Chayav Misah.
Da'as Zekenim: It means that Hashem did not stretch out His hand to cover their faces, 5 like he did for Moshe in the cleft of the rock 6 which explains why 'they saw Elokim'.
Targum Yonasan: He did not punish Nadav and Avihu, who gazed at the Shechinah, and whose punishment was postponed until the eighth day of the Milu'im, when they died.
Riva: This is haughtiness, like one who prides himself that he may see the king every day. Or, it is familiarity with the Shechinah - the lack of awe-strickenness at what they sawad seen.
Rashbam: Like the Torah writes in Bamidbar 4:20 "ve'Lo Yavo'u Lir'os ke'Vala es ha'Kodesh, va'Meisu", and like we find by the men of Beis-SheMeish, who peeped inside the Aron and died. See Shmuel 1, 6:19. Indeed, Moshe was careful not to look at the Shechinah, when he saw the Burning Bush.
As He did with Yechezkel, 8:1, and with Shaul (Shmuel 1, 19:24), when they were on that level.
Like we find in Shoftim, 13:22, by the parents of Shimshon "Namus Ki Elohim Ra'inu" and they only saw only an angel!
Oznayim la'Torah: Because Hashem wanted them to see the sapphire brick in order to tell Yisrael what they had seen. Refer to 24:10:4.1:2. See also Oznayim la'Torah.
As the Torah writes in Ki Sisa, 33:22 "Vesakosi Kapi Alecha".
What are the connotations of "Vayechezu es ha'Elokim"?
Refer to 24:11:2:1,2 & 6.
Why did Hashem not punish them?
Rashi #1: He did not want to disturb the Simchah of Matan Torah. 1
Ramban: Because they obeyed the command not to break their ranks to ascend to Hashem 2 . They looked, but remained in their places.
Rashbam: Due to the covenant into which they had entered, Hashem graciously overlooked their sin and appeared to them. 3
Seforno: To allow them to fully absorb what they had seen.
He did punish them later however - Nadav and Avihu died on the day the Mishkan was inaugurated (which was Hashem's Simchah and not Yisrael's) See Shemini Vayikra, 10:2, and the elders, in Beha'aloschs Bamidbar, 11:1, at Tav'eirah, when Yisrael grumbled about the incessant travelling (Rashi).
In Shemos 19:24.
See Rashbam.
What did they eat and drink?
Rashi #1 and R. Bachye #1: The Simchah over the acceptance of their Korbanos was as if they ate and drank. 1
Rashi #2 (in B'rachos 17a) and R. Bachye #2 (citing Vayikra Rabah): They were satiated from the radiance of the Shechinah, as if they had eaten and drunk. 2 3
Ramban: The Shelamim that were brought - in Pasuk 5 - they ate beside the Mizbe'ach at the foot of the mountain, 4 and drank (wine) to celebrate the receiving of the Torah. 5
R Bachye #3: They celebrated the fact that they had merited to witness such a revelation and come out alive. 6
R. Bachye #4 (citing the Ibn Ezra citing R. Yehudah ha'Levi): It teaches us that, as opposed to Moshe Rabeinu, who did not eat or drink for forty days and nights on Har Sinai, they had to eat and drink, despite the fact that they had just benefited from the Splendor of the Shechinah.
R. Bachye #5 (citing R. Dan): "Vayishtu" 7 refers to the adornments that they received at Har Sinai, which, when they wore them, they experienced a spiritual pleasure akin to the body eating and drinking. 8
Seforno: They made a party to celebrate the level that they had attained.
Rashbam: They sacrificed the Olos and ate the (Basar of the) Shelamim.
B'rachos 17a: With reference to answer #1 ? Rav would often say 'The World to Come is not comparable to this world: In the World to Come there is no eating and no drinking, no intimacy, no business, no jealousy, no hatred and no competition ? only Tzadikim who sit with their crowns on their heads and benefir from the Splendor/splendor of the Shechinah. 9
See answer 6.
R. Bachye: Because seeing the Shechinah nourishes the Soul like food and drink nourishes the body. See R. Chavel's footnotes DH 'Achilah Vada'is'.
R. Bachye: As the Pasuk writes in Mishlaei 16:15 "be'Or P'nei Melech Chayim".
Ramban and Moshav Zekenim (citing the Rosh): Just as Shelamim in the era of the Beis-Hamikdash were eaten in Yerushalayim (Zevachim, 55b) and in the era of Shiloh, wherever one could see Shiloh (Ramban).
As the Torah writes in connection with the writing the entire Torah on the stones on Har Eival (See Devarim 27:7, and as Shlomoh did when he Hashem bestowed upon him Chochmah (See Melachim 1, 3:15). See Ramban.
R. Bachye: Like Ya'akov Avinu said in Bereishis 32:31 "ki Ra'isi Elokim Panim el Panim Vatinatzel Nafshi!", and like the Se'udah that the Kohen Gadol made on Motz'ei Yom Kipur after having emerged from the Kodesh Kodshim without mishap.
R. Bachye: Like the word "ve'Lo Shasu Ish Edyo alav" in 33:4.
See R. Bachye as to why the Torah did not record this at Har Sinai when they received the adornments.
See Torah Temimah note 22, citing the Rambam.
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes that their Simchah was as if they ate and drank. How can one compare such a spiritual beholding of the Shechinah to eating and drinking?!
P'nei Yehoshua (B'rachos 17a): The sustenance of one's 248 limbs and 365 sinews is mainly through eating and drinking. So too, their 248 limbs and 365 sinews were purified through Kabalas ha'Torah 1 and its 613 Mitzvos.
R. Chaim Tzvi Fogel: One who eats and drinks, it becomes part of his body. Also here, the Simchah became an intrinsic part of them.
The P'nei Yehoshua is explaining Rashi there. However, Rashi here comments that the Simchah was due to the acceptance of their Korbanos! (PF)
