Day#2 (Part 1): Leviticus 21:16-22:16 (Study Notes)
Parsha: Emor
Day#2 (Part 1): Leviticus 21:16-22:16
(Study Notes)
(Leviticus 21:16-17)
After discussing the various ways in which the Priests are not to defile themselves, Hashem communicates that any Priest with a defect cannot perform the animal sacrifices. Meaning, they are prohibited from offering the food of Hashem.
(Leviticus 21:18-20)
While there is no reason given by Hashem for the specific prohibition for each defect, we attempt to tie in other areas of Hashem’s wisdom to provide a possible explanation for each disqualification.
The various disqualifying defects are listed as:
Being blind—arguably, this would prevent a priest from seeing the place where he should cut in order to slaughter the animal in a ritually kosher manner. It would also prevent him from seeing the horns and sides of the altar where blood is to be splattered. He would likely have to feel for the correct spot with his hands. Touching the holy objects would lead to death, as we learned in our study of Leviticus 10.
Being lame—if a priest has a limp or other area of his body that is weakened, this may lead to stumbling. Stumbling could lead to an incident much like that of the ox cart we learned about several weeks ago—the priest may reach out to catch his fall and unintentionally touch a holy object, which could lead to his death.
A mutilated limb or limb that is too long or too short —this would cause unsteadiness and could lead to the same problems as listed in number 2 above. Also, if the limb is too short, it might necessitate drawing too close to Hashem.
A broken leg or arm—again, this could cause issues of stumbling which could lead to death as in 2 above.
A hunch back—this defect keeps a priest from being able to stand erect. While bowing before Hashem is admirable and recommended most times, for the priest, there are times during prayer when standing erect is required. Hashem will never require a person to do something he is physically incapable of doing. So to thwart the issue of inability, He excuses the person from the start.
A dwarf (or a person of small stature)—this could prevent the priest from reaching the jugular of the animal sacrifice, or from reaching other tools needed to perform the priestly duties of animal sacrifice. Also, the person would have to draw too close to Hashem because of his naturally smaller limbs. Thus, as with number 5 above, instead of punishing a person for doing a task incorrectly, Hashem excuses the person at the start.
Growth in the eye—could interfere with sight and lead to the same issues as a blind person.
Boil scar—as we learned in Leviticus 12, these types of scars not only come from leprous conditions, they are also prone to eruptions and so must be watched for leprous eruptions. In order to prevent possibly defiling the sacred with disease, the person is excused at the start.
Scurvy—same reasoning as number 8.
Crushed testes—such a condition could cause less testosterone in the male. Testosterone produces markedly male features. This prohibition could be linked to the fact that Aaron and his sons are priests. While no exclusion of women is specifically given, the inclusion of women is also not explicitly stated, except for in the one verse that says Aaron’s daughters may eat of the meat. There is also a verse in Exodus that says there were women performing their duties in the sanctuary (which is only to be eaten by the priest who slaughtered the animal from which the meat came).
The above list is not the complete list of disqualifying defects. These defects, again, do not disqualify a priest from all priestly duties, only from the duties of offering the burnt offerings, sin offerings, and the other of the LORD’s offerings by fire.
We must be careful not to assume that the disqualifying defect of a person is due to sin—Hashem created every one of His creations with love, care, and specific intention. “Defect” or “disability” does not mean “dejection” or “inability”. Rather, these individuals have different abilities and are used by Hashem in other services throughout His Temple.
(Leviticus 21:22)
We learn that even though the Priest may be disqualified from offering sacrifices, he may still eat of the priestly portions from the offerings. We learned about the holy portion given to the Priests from every meal offering offered by fire, which is a most holy portion.
One must wonder if this also includes the holy portions of meat. If so, the inclusion would be like the inclusion of Aaron’s daughters in the “allowed” party.
We learned earlier in our study of Leviticus that Aaron’s daughters were eventually included in the list of people who are allowed to eat of the gifts, even though it is likely they did not actually offer the offerings—studying Leviticus 7, we learned that for the thigh and breast portions, only the priest who offered the sacrifice from which the pieces came can eat the gift portion. The reason for the daughter’s inclusion is never specified. But whatever the reason, the Priests with a defects would be included in the partaking under similar clauses of inclusion. Though they do not offer the sacrifices, they (like the Priests’ daughters) can eat of them.
(Leviticus 21:23)
We read further that aside from being excluded from offering the animal sacrifices, the Priests with the defects are also prohibited from:
Going behind the curtain—meaning they cannot be the High Priest, who is responsible for performing the rituals of Yom Kippur, which we learned about in our studies of Leviticus chapter 16 last week.
Going near the altar—this likely means the burnt offering altar as well as the aromatic altar. This exclusion makes sense since the priest who slaughters the offerings must either sprinkle the blood on the aromatic altar (for a priesthood or community sin offering—Leviticus 4) or on the burnt altar (for burnt offerings, sin offerings, guilt, and trespass offerings—Leviticus 1-7). For many of the listed defects, the exclusion could be for personal safety around fire, especially the fire of Hashem that burns on the burnt offering altar. We learned that drawing too close to such a Holy Fire causes the immediate death of the Priest (Leviticus 10).
Hashem clarifies that the Priest with the defect cannot enter or come near these most holy places and areas because he “shall not profane the places sacred to Me (Hashem),” which are the areas He has sanctified.
Again, we must pause here before we rush to the conclusion that Hashem is calling a defect (which He created) a flaw that is capable of profaning a holy place. If we recall the two incidents we recently learned about of actual incidents of profaning Hashem’s holiness, then we can better grasp what is being communicated here.
Recall Aaron’s sons, who were killed for coming too close to the LORD’s presence when they offered strange fire in their fire pans. Recall also the two men who put Hashem’s Ark on an ox cart. When the ox stumbled, one reached out and touched the Ark. Both instances led to death.
As we tried to lay out above, the specific deformities might cause specific symptoms that could lead to instances of unintentionally profaning the holy areas: not seeing properly, tripping, falling, stumbling; getting too close if ones limb is too short; causing leprosy or a plague to spread in the holy places—all of these would necessitate death of the Priest.
So, in order to prevent the possibility of profaning the Holy places in these ways, Hashem provides the limit of service for the Priests with such defects—He says you can come this far and no further. It is for the Priests’ protection, not a judgment (of sin) based off of a deformity which Hashem gave (or allowed to develop in) the priest(s) to begin with.
Am Yisrael Chai!
Kimberly Davis