Rabbis have long made various attempts to explain and palliate the death of Uzzah. By an
argumentum a majore ad minus, proof is offered that if the Ark could bear those who bore it, so much more could it bear itself. By not perceiving this, and thinking that the Ark might be prevented from falling by stopping the oxen, Uzzah had brought death on himself. R. Johanan thought that "'
al ha-shal" implied that he died as a result of his act, while R. Eleazar drew from "
shal" the inference stated that he died "by" the Ark; and as the latter belonged to eternity, Uzzah in like manner must be immortal (Sotah 35a; Yalk., I Sam. 142, ed. Wilna, 1898.) == Other ==