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4 โ[1] ** ืืืจืข ืืืจืื, "from the seed of Aaron, etc."** Why did this prohibition have to be mentioned a second time seeing that it was included in the overall directive in verse 3 that approaching holy things or holy places is forbidden on pain of the penalty of *karet?* Actually, the purification process for **a priest** afflicted with ืฆืจืขืช or ืืืื or other impurity emanating from his body is not completed until sunset in order for him to be allowed to eat ืงืืฉื ืงืืฉืื, sacrificial offerings of a kind forbidden to be eaten by an ordinary Israelite. If an ordinary Israelite had contracted the same kind of impurity he would be allowed to eat from the peace-offerings (a lower form of sanctity) as soon as he had immersed himself in a ritual bath without awaiting sunset. This is stated in *Torat Kohanim.* [I have not found it. Ed.]
โ[2] **ืืืื ืฆืจืืข, "and he suffers from ืฆืจืขืช, the skin affliction, etc."** On this word *Torat Kohanim* write. "From this wording I would only have known that the descendants of Aaron (or another High Priest) would be subject to this legislation. How do I know that the same legislation applies to the High Priest himself? Answer: This is why the Torah added the word ืืืื, 'and he himself.'" Thus far *Torat Kohanim.* In this instance we cannot apply what we explained on 21,7, that the words ืืืฉ ืืืจืขื imply that G'd would protect both Aaron and his sons from becoming afflicted with a ืืื, a physical blemish of the kind that disqualifies them from performing sacrificial service, seeing the Torah includes impurity caused by emission of semen, something which is not only natural but absolutely necessary in the fulfilment of the commandment to be fruitful and to multiply. We know for a fact that Aaron, -as opposed to Moses- did not separate from his wife and thereby avoid emission of semen. If the Torah had not added the word ืืืื I could have erred thinking that Aaron himself was permitted to eat sacrificial meat while in a state of such ritual impurities as are described in this verse. Once the Torah included Aaron in this prohibition his sons are automatically included in it also. As a result of these considerations, the earlier verse in which the Torah speaks about priests who suffer from a physical blemish and which did not include Aaron could have been interpreted as Aaron being exempted from this legislation in principle. *Torat Kohanim* therefore told us that the reason he is exempted is only that G'd promised that neither he nor his sons would suffer such a blemish.
Version: Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk
Source: http://www.urimpublications.com/or-hachayim-commentary-on-the-torah-5-vols.html
License: CC-BY