page 640-641 in my sefger on parnossa and bitachon
Berachos (62b) 'And He said to the angel who was destroying the many people….' Said Rabbi Eleazar: 'G-d, Blessed is He, said to the angel, "Take for me the greatest man among them, who is able to pay back their many debts.’ At that moment there died Abishai son of Zeruiah, who alone was equal to the majority of the Sanhedrin.
Kli Yakar (Bamidbar 20:02) ...and the importance of the atonement brought about by the death of righteous men is brought up in the midrashim in 4 places, 1, the juxtaposition of the death of the sons of Aaron to the Day of Atonement, 2, the juxtaposition of the death of Miriam to the red heifer. 3, the juxtaposition of Aaron's death to the sacrificial priestly garments, 4, the juxtaposition of Aaron's death to the breaking of the tablets.
Moed Koton (28a) Wherefore is the account of Aaron's death closely followed by the account of the disposal of the priestly vestments? To inform you that just as the priest's vestments were means to effect atonement, so is the death of the righteous conducive to procuring atonement.
Moed Koton (28a) Wherefore is the account of Miriam's death placed next to the laws of the red heifer? To inform you that even as the red heifer afforded atonement by the ritual use of its ashes, so does the death of the tzadikim afford atonement [for the living they have left behind.
Shabbos (33b) When there are tzadikim in the generation, the tzadikim are seized by death for the sins of the generation; when there are no tzadikim in a generation, school-children are seized for the generation.
Torah Temima (Vayikra 16:1.1): The Yerushalmi (Yoma 1:1) states that just as Yom Kippur atones for the Jewish people so does the death of tzadikim. This gemora does not explain the significance or the reason why the death of tzadikim atones for the Jewish people. It appears that an answer can be found in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (Chapter 17) concerning the death of Shaul. In Shmuel (2 Chapter 21) it mentioned that the bones of Shaul were buried. This indicates that when G d saw how they cried and mourned for Shaul that this aroused the attribute of Mercy. We see then that it is not the death per se of the tzadik that brings about atonement but rather the honor and mourning for the tzadik, because the honor of the tzadik is in fact the honor of G d.
Vayikra Rabbah (20:12) For what reason was the section recording the death of Miriam placed in close proximity to that dealing with the ashes of the Red Heifer? Simply this, to teach that as the ashes of the Heifer effect atonement, so the death of the tzadikim effects atonement. R. Judan asked: For what reason was the death of Aaron recorded in close proximity to the breaking of the Tables? Simply this, to teach that Aaron's death was as grievous to G-d, as the breaking of the Tables.
Vayikra Rabbah (20:12) The sons of Aaron died on the first of Nisan. Why then is their death mentioned in connection with the Day of Atonement? It must be to teach that as the Day of Atonement effects atonement, so the death of the tzadikim effects atonement. Whence do we know that the Day of Atonement effects atonement? From the fact that it says, For on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you. And whence that the death of the tzadikim effects atonement? From the fact that it is written, And they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son, and it is also written, After that God was entreated for the land.
It's a bit difficult to maintain the claim of Vayikra Rabbah when the chapter it cites begins with:
ReplyDelete21 Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the Lord. The Lord said, “There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.