Nadav and Avihu Reincarnated

איתא בזוה"ק כי נתעבר נשמת נדב ואביהוא בפינחס

It is brought down in the holy Zohar that the neshamos of Nadav and Avihu came to be reincarnated within Pinchas.

The Zohar teaches that the souls of Nadav and Avihu were reincarnated in Pinchas. The Sfas Emes opens with this as the foundation for the whole piece.

דהנה כתיב שם ואחיכם כל בית ישראל יבכו את השריפה כי'

For it is written there, regarding Nadav and Avihu, "And your brethren, the entire House of Yisrael, shall bewail the burning which Hashem has kindled" (Vayikra 10:6).

The Torah recorded that all of Bnei Yisrael were called upon to mourn the burning death of Nadav and Avihu.

ולא מצינו מפורש שבכו בית ישראל על מיתת נדב ואביהוא

Yet we do not find stated explicitly that Bnei Yisrael actually wept over the death of Nadav and Avihu.

Despite that command, the Torah never actually describes Bnei Yisrael fulfilling it by weeping over their death.

ויתכן לרמוז על מעשה זו דכ' לעיני משה כו' כל עדת בני ישראל והמה בוכים

And it may be alluded to in this very episode, where it is written, "in the sight of Moshe and in the sight of the entire congregation of Bnei Yisrael, and they were weeping" (Bamidbar 25:6) — that this was the weeping over Nadav and Avihu.

The Sfas Emes suggests the unfulfilled weeping is hinted at in our parsha, where the people were 'weeping' at the entrance of the Ohel Moed during the incident with Zimri.

דהנה איתא שאמרו נדב ואביהוא עוד ימותו שני זקנים הללו ואנו ננהיג את הציבור

For it is brought down that Nadav and Avihu had said, "When will these two elders, Moshe and Aharon, die already, so that we may lead the community?"

Nadav and Avihu had improperly longed for the leadership, impatient for Moshe and Aharon to pass on so they could take charge.

ובלי ספק ידעו כי המה מוכנים לטובת כלל בני ישראל אחר הנהגת מרע"ה ואהרן

And without a doubt they knew that they were prepared and designated for the good of Klal Yisrael, to take up the leadership after Moshe Rabbeinu and Aharon.

They genuinely sensed that they were destined to lead Klal Yisrael as the successors to Moshe and Aharon.

והנה עתה היו חסרים אל הקהל

Now, however, at this moment they were lacking to the assembly and missing from the congregation.

Because they died, the community was now missing the leaders it should have had through them.

ולכן לא נתעלו עדיין למעלה שהיו צריכין לתקן דבר זה

And therefore their neshamos had not yet been elevated above, for they still needed to rectify this matter.

Their souls could not yet ascend to their full place above because this deficiency still needed to be repaired.

ונתעברו בפינחס כי נקמה זו הי' מיוחד להם

So they were reincarnated within Pinchas, since this act of vengeance was uniquely suited to them.

Their rectification came through being reincarnated in Pinchas, because the zealous act of vengeance fit their spiritual essence.

ובכח זה הי' פינחס הממלא מקומם הנביא לבנ"י אחר מיתת משה רבינו ע"ה ועליו נאמר ויעל מלאך ה' מן הגלגל אל הבוכים כמ"ש חז"ל:

And through this power Pinchas became the one who filled their place, serving as the navi to Bnei Yisrael after the passing of Moshe Rabbeinu, alav hashalom; and concerning him it is said, "And an angel of Hashem came up from Gilgal to the weepers" (Shoftim 2:1), as Chazal have expounded.

Empowered by their souls, Pinchas filled the leadership role they were meant to occupy, becoming a navi after Moshe, and the verse about the angel coming 'to the weepers' is read as a reference to Pinchas and this mourning.

Summary: Building on the Zohar that the neshamos of Nadav and Avihu were reincarnated in Pinchas, the Sfas Emes resolves a difficulty: the Torah commanded all of Bnei Yisrael to bewail the burning of Nadav and Avihu, yet never records that this weeping took place. He suggests it is alluded to in the weeping of the congregation at the Ohel Moed in our parsha. Nadav and Avihu had longed to lead Klal Yisrael after Moshe and Aharon, and because they died, the community was left lacking the leadership it should have had through them; their souls could therefore not yet ascend until this was rectified. That rectification came through Pinchas, in whom they were reincarnated, since the act of vengeance suited their essence, enabling Pinchas to fill their place as navi to Bnei Yisrael after Moshe Rabbeinu, as hinted in the verse about the angel coming up 'to the weepers.'