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3 [1] Someone who comes in our time and says, "I am a Cohen," we don't believe him and we don't raise him to Priesthood by his own word and he does not read (the) first (Aliyah) from the Torah and he does not raise his hands (for the Priestly blessing of the congregation). [Rama: But there are those who say that he is believed in order to read first from the Torah and to raise his hands (for the blessing) in our time since we don't have tithing from the Torah, about which we should be concerned that perhaps they would raise him (inappropriately) to (one who accepts holy) tithings. Thus, it is established as our universal custom not to accept tithings in our time and thus, we have no concern for this practice (of allowing him to read first from the Torah and raising his hands)] And we do not feed him from the kodshim of Israel unless there is at least one witness (that his is in fact a Priest). Nonetheless, he would make himself Assur to marry a divorcee a harlot or a Hallal and he would not be allowed to Metamei himself by the dead, but if he did marry or become tamei, he would suffer whiplashes and the woman whom he married (improperly) [who is for him pasula for Cohanim] a safek H'llala. If he was questioned in a way as to not reveal the purpose of the discussion (L'fi Tumo and reveals that he knows for sure that he is a Cohen) he would be believed. How is it possible to question him in a way that does not reveal the intent of the question? Ask him to recall the time when he was a child that "I would ride on my father's shoulders and he would remove me from school take off my clothes and Tovel me in the mikveh so I would eat Trumot after sunset and my friends separated from me and they would call me "Yochanan Who Eats Challah [Terumah]," Here, our holy sages would raise him to priesthood status by himself. [2] If there was one witness that testified (that he is a Cohen), he is believed in order to feed him (the Cohen) tithes in these times, and he can read the first Aliyah from the Torah and to raise his hands (for the congregation). Even his father is believed for him and legal/court-documents can support his claim to Priesthood in these times, how so? if it was written in a court/legal-document he may show the document that was written with his name, Ploni Cohen borrowed from Ploni so much money and witnesses signed this document, thus, he will have the Hazaka of priesthood (on account of the document) like the Cohanim of this time. Hence, he may raise his hands and read First from the Torah and to be a priest like the priests of this time. [Rama: And there are those who say that even if he signed the document himself "I am Ploni the Cohen" this counts as a witness in these times.] [3] If one of the "Anusim" (Jews who were forced to convert) bears witness that one of them is Muchzak (known by Hazaka) in priesthood, he may be raised to read (First Aliyah) from the Torah and we are not concerned that he is a Kuti (goy). [4] Even if two came and they each give witness to the other as being a priest, they are believed and we are not concerned that they are acting together to reward each other. [5] We believe an adult who says "I remember when I was a child that I saw this Ploni (guy) immerse (in a mikveh) and eat tithings," we raise him to read first from the Torah by his words and he will be a Cohen (priest) like other Cohanim of our time. [6] Someone who comes and says "I am a Cohen" and a single witness testifies that he knows his father that he is a Cohen, we do not raise him to priesthood by his word lest he is really a Hallal (ineligible for Cahuna by his mother) until there is testimony (from at least one witness) that he (himself) is a Cohen. But, if his father is known by hazakah to be a priest or if two witnesses testify that his father is a priest, thus, that would suffice to make his father known as a priest. [Rama: In all instances, we follow the Hazakah, we even burn and stone based on (the principle of) Hazakah]. [7] Someone who's father is established as a Cohen but some voice were raised that he is the son of a divorcee or the son of a Halitzah (so he would be passul for priesthood, even if his father was a priest), we are concerned for him and we take him down (to disallow him as a Cohen). If one witness came afterwards and testified that he is Kosher, we raise him up again to Priesthood by this testimony. If then 2 more witnesses came to testify together that he is a Hallal (disqualified) we take him down again. Then, if one more witness came to testify that he is Kosher, we raise him up once again since this last witness combines with the first witness and we have two witnesses that testify that he is Kosher versus two who testify that he is passul. These two witnesses (for Kashrut) push off two (who would passul him) and the voice against him since these two are like 100 and he remains a Cohen based on these two witnesses and the establishment of his father. [8] A woman who did not wait 3 full months after she was (last) with her husband and she gave birth and she does not know if the baby is a 9 month baby from the first husband or a 7 month baby from the second husband and the first one was a Cohen and the second was from Israel, this makes a Saffek (doubtful) Cohen. The same would be true for a baby Cohen who was confused with an Israel baby and they grew up, each of these are a Saffek Cohen and we impose on them the strictures of Cohanim and strictures of Israel; They can only marry a woman who is fit to marry a priest and they may not be Metamei from the dead and they can't eat Trumot (priestly tithes) and if he married a divorcee, he must divorce her but he does not get whiplashes for marrying her. [9] Two Cohanim whos babies got mixed up or the wife of a Cohen who did not wait after her husband (died) 3 months before marrying another Cohen and we don't know if the baby is a 9 month baby from the first husband or a 7 month baby from the second husband, in any case, he is a Cohen and we impose on him the strictures of both fathers; he would be required to be an Onen for all the possible relatives (from both fathers' relatives when they die) and they would be in Onenus for him and he would not be allowed to be Metamei from either of the family members and they would not be allowed to be metamei for him. In which cases do these apply? where the marriage was proper, but if this was through harlotry (or another forbidden relation, but certainly with a Cohen) we silence him from the category of priesthood as we would do if we don't know for certain who is the father (but we are certain that he is a Cohen and not a Halal). What is this case? for example, there are 10 Cohanim out of which one of them and had relations with her (the widow or pnuya); even though he is certainly a priest, such that if he intentionally metameis himself with the dead or marries a divorcee, he would get whiplashes but he would not perform the holy services at the Temple or eat priestly tithings (since he does not know exactly who is his father). [Rama: If she was a penuya (a kosher single girl who is not a harlot by the Torah) who had relations with a Cohen and within 3 months married a different Cohen, the offspring is passul from the priesthood. Although, a Cohen who has carnal relations with a penuya and admits that the child is his son, the child is a Cohen for all things (including Trumot and Avoda) and we are not concerned that perhaps she is giving over her nefesh as a harlot.
Version: Wikisource English Shulchan Aruch
Source: http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Translation:Shulchan_Aruch/Even_ha-Ezer
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