Leviticus / Vayikra 21

Parashah 31: Emor ·Speak· 21:1-24:23

1 * Adonai said to Moses [Drawn out], “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron [Light-bringer], and say to them, ‘A priest shall not defile himself for the dead among his people; 2 except for his relatives that are near to him: for his mother, for his father, for his son, for his daughter, for his brother, 3 and for his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband; for her he may defile himself. 4 He shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.

5 “ ‘They shall not shave their heads or shave off the corners of their beards or make any cuttings in their flesh. 6 They shall be holy to their God, and not profane the name of their God; for they offer the offerings of Adonai made by fire, the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy.

7 † “ ‘They shall not marry a woman who is a prostitute, ‡ who has been profaned. § They shall not marry a woman divorced from her husband; for he is holy to his God. 8 * You shall sanctify him therefore; for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you; for I Adonai , who sanctify you, am holy.

9 “ ‘The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the prostitute, she profanes her father. She shall be burned with fire.

10 “ ‘He who is the high priest among his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose, or tear his clothes. 11 † He must not go in to any dead body, ‡ or defile himself for his father, or for his mother. 12 He shall not go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him. I am Adonai .

13 § “ ‘He shall take a wife in her virginity. 14 * A widow, or one divorced, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute, these he shall not marry: but a virgin of his own people shall he take as a wife. 15 † He shall not profane his offspring among his people, for I am Adonai who sanctifies him.’ ”

(2) 16 Adonai spoke to Moses [Drawn out], saying, 17 ‡
“Say to Aaron [Light-bringer], ‘None of your offspring throughout their generations who has § a defect may approach to offer the bread of his God. 18 For whatever man he is that has a defect, he shall not draw near: a blind man, or a lame, or he who has a flat nose, or any deformity, 19 or a man who has an injured foot, or an injured hand, 20 or hunchbacked, or a dwarf, or one who has a defect in his eye, or an itching disease, or scabs, or who has damaged testicles. 21 No man of the offspring of Aaron [Light-bringer] the priest who has a defect shall come near to offer the offerings of Adonai made by fire. Since he has a defect, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God. 22 He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy. 23 *
He shall not come near to the veil, nor come near to the altar, because he has a defect; that he may not profane my sanctuaries, for I am Yahweh M'Kaddesham [Yahweh our Santifier / He sustains breathing who makes them holy].’ ”

24 So Moses [Drawn out] spoke to Aaron [Light-bringer], and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel [God prevails].

* 21:1 Lev 21:1 (Lev 21:1-6) (#2b.144): T. The Cohenim ·Priests· shall not become unclean by contact with the dead / R. A Cohen ·Priest· must not defile himself for anyone except relatives † 21:7 Lev 21:7 (Lev 21:7-8) (#7.461): T. A Cohen ·Priest· shall not marry a harlot or a prostitute / R. A Cohen ·Priest· must not marry a zonah ·a woman who had forbidden relations· ‡ 21:7 Lev 21:7 (Lev 21:7-8) (#7.462): T. A Cohen ·Priest· shall not marry a prostitute / T. A Cohen ·Priest· shall not marry a chalalah ·pierced, fatally wounded, profaned· woman / R. A Cohen ·Priest· must not marry a chalalah ·an illegitimate child·; a party to or product of OU463 - OU466 found in (Lev 21:14, 21:15, 21:13, 21:7) § 21:7 Lev 21:7 (Lev 21:7-8) (#7.463): A Cohen ·Priest· shall not marry a divorced woman * 21:8 Lev 21:8 (#2b.145): T. To set apart and honor the descendants of Aaron [Light-bringer] with priority in all things holy / R. To dedicate the Cohen ·Priest· for service † 21:11 Lev 21:11 (Lev 21:10-12) (#2b.146): T. When the Cohen Gadol ·High Priest· has the holy anointing oil poured on his head (in the time of his service) and is consecrated to wear the holy garments on shall not go into the place of a corpse / R. The Cohen Gadol ·High Priest· shall not go into the place of a corpse ‡ 21:11 Lev 21:11 (Lev 21:10-12) (#5.369): T. A Cohen Gadol ·High Priest· shall not become unclean even for relatives such as father or mother / R. The Cohen Gadol ·High Priest· must not defile himself for any relative § 21:13 Lev 21:13 (#7.464): The Cohen Gadol ·High Priest· shall marry a virgin * 21:14 Lev 21:14 (#7.465): T. A Cohen Gadol ·High Priest· shall not marry a widow, or one divorced, or a chalalah ·pierced / fatally wounded / profaned·, or a harlot / R. The Cohen Gadol ·High Priest· must not marry a widow † 21:15 Lev 21:15 (#7.466): T. The Cohen Gadol ·High Priest· shall not disqualify his descendants (from serving as Cohenim ·Priests·) / R. That a Cohen Gadol ·High Priest· shall not have sexual relations with a widow, not within marriage not even as a concubine, because he profanes her ‡ 21:17 Lev 21:17 (Lev 21:16-23) (#3.230): T. A Cohen ·Priest· with a disqualifying defect shall not offer the daily bread in the Sanctuary / R. A Cohen ·Priest· with a physical blemish must not serve T. Example: List of disqualifying defects: blind, lame, a mutilated face, a limb too long, a broken foot, a broken arm, a hunched back, stunted growth, a cataract in his eye, festering or running sores, or damaged testicles (v18-20) § 21:17 Lev 21:17 (Lev 21:16-23) (#3.231): T. A Cohen ·Priest· with a temporary disqualifying blemish shall not serve in the Sanctuary / R. A Cohen ·Priest· with a temporary blemish must not serve * 21:23 Lev 21:23 (Lev 21:22-23, 21:18-20) (#3.232): A Cohen ·Priest· with a disqualifying defect shall not enter the Temple up to the altar or beyond T. Example: List of disqualifying defects: blind, lame, a mutilated face, a limb too long, a broken foot, a broken arm, a hunched back, stunted growth, a cataract in his eye, festering or running sores, or damaged testicles (v18-20)