📜 Daily Chumash & Rashi Parshas Emor Rishon: Mitzvos of Kohanim

Post Views: 1,320

*The article below is an excerpt from the above Sefer

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from  qualifying purchases.

Donate
Buy in Paperback or Kindle
Buy on Apple Books
Purchase on our website
Sign up for Daily Distribution

Rishon

  1. Mitzvos of Kohanim:
  • Hashem told Moshe to tell the Kohanim, the sons of Aaron the following laws relating to the Kehuna:
  • Impurity to corpse: The Kohanim may not become impure to a corpse, with exception to a relative. A Kohen may become impure to his mother, father, son, daughter, brother, and his virgin sister who was never yet married. A husband may not become impure to his [forbidden] wife.
  • Cutting skin/beard: They may not cut their skin, or heads, or shave their beards.
  • The Kohanim must adhere to extra standards of Holiness, being that they serve Hashem in the Temple.
  • Marriage: Kohanim may not marry a Gerusha, Chalalah, or Zona because they are holy.
  • If the daughter of a Kohen commits adultery, she is to be burnt.
  • Kohen Gadol: The Kohen Gadol may not grow out his hair or tear his clothing [in mourning]. He may not become impure even to relatives. He may not leave the Mikdash. The Kohen Gadol must marry a Besula.

📘 Rashi Q&A — Vayikra 21:1–15

 

21:1 — “Say to the Priests”

Q1. Why does Scripture use the double expression “אֱמֹר… וְאָמַרְתָּ”?

A: To obligate adult priests to ensure that minors do not become ritually defiled.

 

Q2. What is learned from the phrase “הַכֹּהֲנִים”?

A: It excludes priests demoted from the priesthood.

 

Q3. What is included by “בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן”?

A:

  • Even priests with a physical defect are included.
  • Sons, but not daughters, of Aaron.
  •  

Q4. What corpse is excluded by “בְּעַמָּיו”?

A: A מֵת מִצְוָה (an unattended corpse), for which the priest must defile himself.

 

21:2 — Close Relatives

Q5. What does “לִשְׁאֵרוֹ” refer to?

A: His wife.

 

21:3 — His Virgin Sister

Q6. What does “הַקְּרֹבָה” include?

A: Even a sister betrothed but not yet married.

 

Q7. What does “לָהּ יִטַּמָּא” teach?

A: Defiling himself for her is a positive commandment.

 

21:4 — A Forbidden Wife

Q8. For which wife may a priest not defile himself?

A: For a wife forbidden to him, who causes him to be temporarily demoted from priestly service.

 

Q9. How is “לְהֵחַלּוֹ” understood?

A: A woman who causes him to be demoted from his sanctity as a priest.

 

21:5 — Mourning Practices

Q10. Why does Scripture prohibit priests from making bald spots?

A: To teach, by comparison with lay Israelites, that the prohibition applies to the entire head, and only in mourning for the dead.

 

Q11. With what instrument is shaving the beard prohibited?

A: Only with a razor, which destroys the hair at the root.

Q12. Why does Scripture say “שָׂרָטֶת”?

A: To teach that one is liable for each cut individually.

 

21:6 — Holiness of the Priests

Q13. What does “קְדשִׁים יִהְיוּ” mean here?

A: Even against their will, the court must enforce their priestly sanctity.

 

21:7 — Forbidden Marriages

Q14. Who is a “זֹנָה”?

A: A woman who had relations with a man forbidden to her under penalty of excision, or with a natin or someone born of a forbidden union.

 

Q15. Who is a “חֲלָלָה”?

A:

  • One born from a union forbidden to priests, or
  • One demoted by forbidden relations with a priest.

 

21:8 — Sanctifying the Priest

Q16. What does “וְקִדַּשְׁתּוֹ” require?

A: The court must compel him, even with lashes, to divorce a forbidden wife.

 

Q17. How is a priest to be treated as “holy for you”?

A: He receives priority: first to speak, first to bless, first to be called.

 

21:9 — A Priest’s Daughter

Q18. To whom does “כִּי תֵחֵל לִזְנוֹת” apply?

A: A priest’s daughter who commits adultery while legally attached to a husband.

 

Q19. How does she desecrate her father?

A: By bringing public disgrace upon him.

 

21:10 — The High Priest

Q20. What does “לֹא יִפְרָע” mean?

A: He may not let his hair grow more than thirty days in mourning.

 

21:11 — Defilement of the High Priest

Q21. What does “נַפְשֹׁת מֵת” include?

A: Even a quarter‑log of blood from a corpse that defiles under a roof.

 

Q22. Why does Scripture restate “לְאָבִיו וּלְאִמּוֹ”?

A: To permit defilement for a מֵת מִצְוָה only.

 

 

21:12 — Service While Mourning

Q23. What does “וּמִן־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ לֹא יֵצֵא” teach?

A: A High Priest continues the service even while an onen.

 

Q24. What is inferred about a regular priest?

A: A regular priest disqualifies the service if he officiates as an onen.

 

21:13–14 — Marriage of the High Priest

Q25. Whom must the High Priest marry?

A: A virgin only.

 

Q26. What does “חֲלָלָה” mean here?

A: A woman born from a priestly forbidden union.

 

21:15 — Demoting Offspring

Q27. What does “לֹא יְחַלֵּל זַרְעוֹ” teach?

A: Offspring born from such a forbidden marriage become demoted from priestly sanctity.

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

Leave A Comment?

You must be logged in to post a comment.