Hashem's command outweighs all human intellect

בשם אמו"ז ז"ל ע"פ אשר לא צוה אותם.

In the name of my grandfather, of blessed memory, on the verse "which He had not commanded them."

The Sefas Emes cites a teaching from his grandfather (the Chiddushei HaRim) on the "strange fire" that Nadav and Avihu brought, "which Hashem had not commanded them."

ללמוד כי העיקר כח כל מעשה האדם מצד ציווי ה'.

To learn that the essential power of every human act comes from the side of Hashem's command.

The lesson is that what gives any human deed its true force and value is that it was commanded by Hashem.

כי כל שכל אדם בטל לכח זה.

For all of man's intellect is nullified before this power.

Human reasoning, however lofty, counts as nothing next to the power of a Divine command.

והנה נדב ואביהוא היו צדיקים גדולים ועשו לשם שמים רק שהי' חסר הציווי.

Now, Nadav and Avihu were great tzaddikim and acted for the sake of Heaven; it was only that the command was lacking.

Their offering was not a sin of bad intent — they were righteous men acting lishmah; the single flaw was that Hashem had not commanded it.

ויש ללמוד קו"ח מדה טובה מרובה א"כ מי שעושה רצון הבורא אף שאינו יודע טעם הדבר לעשותו בכוונה רצוי'.

And one can learn a kal vachomer (a fortiori): since the measure of good is greater, then one who does the will of the Creator — even though he does not know the reason of the matter so as to perform it with the ideal intention —

If the absence of a command could undo even righteous men, then conversely the presence of a command must elevate even a deed done without full understanding, since the measure of reward outweighs the measure of punishment.

הרי זה הכח מצד פקודת ה'.

behold, this carries the power that comes from the command of Hashem.

Such a deed still possesses the full force of a Divine command, regardless of the doer's depth of intention.

כמאמר אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו.

As we say, "Who sanctified us with His mitzvos and commanded us."

The blessing's emphasis on "and commanded us" expresses that the sanctity of a mitzvah flows precisely from its being a command.

כח ציווי זו חשוב מן הכל.

This power of being commanded is more precious than everything.

The very fact of acting on Hashem's command outweighs every other consideration.

וי"ל מ"ש שתויי יין נכנסו כי השגת הטעמים נק' יין יינה של תורה.

And one may explain what is said, that they entered "having drunk wine" — for the grasp of the inner reasons (of the mitzvos) is called "wine," the wine of Torah.

The "wine" of which Nadav and Avihu were said to have partaken hints at the intoxicating grasp of the deep ta'amim (reasons) of the Torah, "the wine of Torah."

אעפ"כ צריך להיות רק בפקודת המלך.

Even so, it must be only by the command of the King.

However elevated that grasp of Torah's reasons may be, one's avodah must still be governed entirely by the King's command.

ולאשר השגתם גבר להם לעשות גם אשר לא צוה ה' נק' שתויי יין נכנסו.

And because their grasp overpowered them, leading them to do even that which Hashem had not commanded, they are called "those who entered having drunk wine."

Their lofty perception "intoxicated" them into acting on their own understanding beyond the command — and that is the deeper meaning of their entering "drunk with wine."

ועפי"ז נפרש טובים דודיך מיין.

And on this basis we can explain, "Your love is better than wine."

The Sefas Emes now applies this to the verse in Shir HaShirim contrasting Hashem's "love" with "wine."

כלומר התדבקות והתקרבות ה' אשר קרבנו אליו טובים מכל השגת שכל האדם:

That is to say: the cleaving and drawing close to Hashem — that He has brought us near to Him — is better than all the grasp of man's intellect.

The closeness Hashem grants us through His mitzvos and commands ("Your love") surpasses even the sweetest intellectual grasp of Torah's reasons ("wine"); attachment to Him outweighs all human understanding.

Summary: The essential power of every human act comes from Hashem's command, before which all human intellect is nullified. Nadav and Avihu were great tzaddikim acting lishmah, yet their offering was flawed solely because it lacked a command; by kal vachomer, a deed done on Hashem's command retains full sanctity even without complete understanding. Their being "drunk with wine" hints that the intoxicating grasp of Torah's inner reasons led them to act beyond the command. Hence "Your love is better than wine" — closeness to Hashem through His command surpasses all human intellectual attainment.