This sheet on Leviticus 21 was written by Tamar Kamionkowski for 929 and can also be found here
Leviticus 21 begins by stating that no priest should desecrate himself. The Hebrew word for “desecrate,” chillel, never appears in the earlier chapters of Leviticus. This may be surprising because chapters 1-16 address all sorts of impurities that can have a negative impact on God’s holy places and things. Chapters 1-16 do not address desecration because the theology of those chapters is that holiness is stable and static. God is holy, the priests are holy, sacred vessels are holy. A priest may incur ritual impurity, but he is still holy by virtue of his status.
By contrast, Leviticus 20 and 21 use the word “desecration” ten times! The insertion of this new word into the book of Leviticus suggests that a new theology emerges in the second half of the Book of Leviticus. The fact that God’s name and the priests can be desecrated means that holiness is no longer perceived as stable and static. While many biblical scholars believe that we ought to understand the word “desecrate” metaphorically, I believe that the meaning is literal. Just as Leviticus 19 taught that people ought to strive toward holiness, Leviticus 21 teaches that wrongdoing can actually diminish holiness in the world.
This new principle is an overlay upon the theology of Leviticus 1-16. This perspective teaches that in addition to the ritual impurities that threaten to drive God’s presence from the community, our actions in the world and our interactions with other people have a real impact on God’s relationship with us.
I find a modern analogy useful in understanding this idea. When members of a community are at their best - treating others with respect and fulfilling their obligations – everyone feels the positive energy and that energy fuels more positive and healthy relationships. When there is dysfunction in a community, when members of the community are not at their best, the energy in the community is depressing.
Leviticus understands this dynamic within a religious context so that generative energy is akin to holiness and dejection in a community is like desecration.
By contrast, Leviticus 20 and 21 use the word “desecration” ten times! The insertion of this new word into the book of Leviticus suggests that a new theology emerges in the second half of the Book of Leviticus. The fact that God’s name and the priests can be desecrated means that holiness is no longer perceived as stable and static. While many biblical scholars believe that we ought to understand the word “desecrate” metaphorically, I believe that the meaning is literal. Just as Leviticus 19 taught that people ought to strive toward holiness, Leviticus 21 teaches that wrongdoing can actually diminish holiness in the world.
This new principle is an overlay upon the theology of Leviticus 1-16. This perspective teaches that in addition to the ritual impurities that threaten to drive God’s presence from the community, our actions in the world and our interactions with other people have a real impact on God’s relationship with us.
I find a modern analogy useful in understanding this idea. When members of a community are at their best - treating others with respect and fulfilling their obligations – everyone feels the positive energy and that energy fuels more positive and healthy relationships. When there is dysfunction in a community, when members of the community are not at their best, the energy in the community is depressing.
Leviticus understands this dynamic within a religious context so that generative energy is akin to holiness and dejection in a community is like desecration.
Dr. Tamar Kamionkowski is professor of biblical studies at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College where she has trained rabbis for over 20 years.
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