Topics Page: Priesthood

(1) You shall bring forward your brother Aaron, with his sons, from among the Israelites, to serve Me as priests: Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron.

(1) והיתה להם AND SHALL BE UNTO THEM This “filling of hands” shall be for an everlasting priesthood. (2) ומלאת AND THOU SHALT “FILL” by means of these following matters (3) יד אהרן ויד בניו AARON’S HAND AND HIS SONS’ HANDS in the appointment and assigment to the priesthood.

(36) You shall make a frontlet of pure gold and engrave on it the seal inscription: “Holy to יהוה.” (37) Suspend it on a cord of blue, so that it may remain on the headdress; it shall remain on the front of the headdress. (38) It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may take away any sin arising from the holy things that the Israelites consecrate, from any of their sacred donations; it shall be on his forehead at all times, to win acceptance for them before יהוה.

(5) From amidst the Children of Israel, to be priests for me: This is, at first glance, all extra. And it should have said, "Aharon your brother and his sons, Nadav, etc." However from the angle that we wrote adjacently, it is because Moshe had to bring him close, since Aharon was embarrassed and afraid to approach, to take greatness and majesty with this. But lest one say the opposite, that he had to bring Aharon close because of the great amount of work with the service that was given to him, and Aharon did not want to approach until Moshe brought him close with his hands - for at first glance, what is the greatness that is given to him with this, is he not giving him slavery - that is why Scripture says it is not like this. For this coming close is 'from amidst (mitokh) the Children of Israel.' And at first glance, it would have been enough to say, "from the Children of Israel." However it is an indication about the interior (tokh) of the Children of Israel, which is their internality, their goodly lifeforce and the light that streams within them. For is not God among them? And the Sages, may their memory be blessed, said (see Alshikh) about the verse (Exodus 25:8), "And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them" - "it does not say, 'in it,' but rather, 'among them." This is saying that the Divine Presence dwells among each and every one. So it comes out that the interior of the Children of Israel is filled with amazing lights which come to them from the King of the worlds, blessed be He and blessed be His name, due to their great holiness. And with all of their importance, I did not choose one of them to stand before Me to serve Me besides he that I chose from the interior of the Children of Israel. For is there not 'a high one who watches over him that is high; and there are yet higher ones over them?' So the dwelling of His Divine Presence, may He be blessed, flows much more in him than in them, for there is no measure (limit) to the dwelling of His Divine Presence, may He be blessed. So you will find that the Sages, may their memory be blessed, said (Sanhedrin 39a) "The Divine Presence dwells with every group of ten." But they [also] said (Berakhot 6a), "The Divine Presence is even with one person who sits and involves himself with Torah." And in the Temple, there was [also] the dwelling of the Divine Presence. But certainly the one is not like the other. For the dwelling of His Divine Presence, may He be blessed, in the House of of our God is certainly not similar to His dwelling among ten Jews and to one! And it is similar (see the words of the Sages, may their memory be blessed, there in Sanhedrin) to that which a heretic asked Rabban Gamliel, "You said that the Divine Presence is with every group of ten, etc. How many Divine Presences do you have, etc." And he compared it for him to the light of the sun which gives light through a hole, a window, a doorway and a patio; and similarly the shine that comes through the hole is dissimilar to the shine that comes through the window and the doorway and that which is similar (see there). Hence behold from the interior of the Children of Israel, I have elevated a small selection; with My holy oil - which indicates kingship - have I anointed him. And it is all "to serve me as a priest." And kohen (priest) is an expression of elevation, as in, "the kohen of Midian" (Exodus 18:1). And this is [the meaning of] a kohen for Me - for Me Myself, to enter before Me and inside, to perform the special service for which no one else is allowed to enter there. And from all of these things, any understanding ear will understand this authority and greatness that has no comparison. All the more so Aharon, the holy one of the Lord - he certainly understood this and more! So he certainly would have run to this thing with all the efforts of his strength, with the literal giving up of his life, were it not for his great humility that he had and his great understanding of this greatness. Such that he was embarrassed to approach until Moshe actively brought him close. And Scripture says, "Open your eyes and see his importance that I have commanded more and more!"

(1) In Leviticus 9:22, we find that after he completed the Divine offering, Aaron lifted up his hands and blessed the people. In a like manner, his descendants, the Kohanim, uttered the priestly blessing after performing the Temple Service. In our days, on the occasions when the kohanim recite the priestly blessings, they do so immediately after the “We are thankful” prayer which terminates the Avodah (Service) section of the Shemoneh Esrei. When Kohanim do not recite the blessings, the blessings are mentioned by the Chazzan in his repetition of the Shemoneh Esrei.—Avudraham

(2) To be said by the Chazzan

(3) Our God, and God of our fathers, bless us with the threefold blessing of the Torah, written by the hand of Moses, Your servant, pronounced from the mouth of Aaron and his sons, the kohanim, Your holy people; as it is said:

(4) Adonoy bless you and guard you.

(5) Adonoy shine His countenance upon you and be gracious unto you.

(6) Adonoy turn His countenance toward you and grant you peace.

(16) יהוה spoke further to Moses: (17) Speak to Aaron and say: No man of your offspring throughout the ages who has a defect shall be qualified to offer the food of his God. (18) No one at all who has a defect shall be qualified: no man who is blind, or lame, or has a limb too short or too long; (19) no man who has a broken leg or a broken arm; (20) or who is a hunchback, or a dwarf, or who has a growth in his eye, or who has a boil-scar, or scurvy, or crushed testes. (21) No man among the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall be qualified to offer יהוה’s offering by fire; having a defect, he shall not be qualified to offer the food of his God. (22) He may eat of the food of his God, of the most holy as well as of the holy; (23) but he shall not enter behind the curtain or come near the altar, for he has a defect. He shall not profane these places sacred to Me, for I יהוה have sanctified them. (24) Thus Moses spoke to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.

(6) I now return to my theme. As the sacrificial service is not the primary object [of the commandments about sacrifice], whilst supplications, prayers, and similar kinds of worship are nearer to the primary object, and indispensable for obtaining it, a great difference was made in the Law between these two kinds of service. The one kind, which consists in offering sacrifices, although the sacrifices are offered to the name of God, has not been made obligatory for us to the same extent as it had been before. We were not commanded to sacrifice in every place, and in every time, or to build a temple in every place, or to permit any one who desires to become priest and to sacrifice. On the contrary, all this is prohibited unto us. Only one temple has been appointed, “in the place which the Lord shall choose” (Deut. 12:26); in no other place is it allowed to sacrifice: comp. “Take heed to thyself, that thou offer not thy burnt-offerings in every place that thou seest” (ibid. 5:13); and only the members of a particular family were allowed to officiate as priests. All these restrictions served to limit this kind of worship, and keep it within those bounds within which God did not think it necessary to abolish sacrificial service altogether. But prayer and supplication can be offered everywhere and by every person. The same is the case with the commandment of ẓiẓit (Num. 15:38); mezuzah (Deut. 6:9; 11:20); tefillin (Exod. 13:9, 16); and similar kinds of divine service.

(1) The priests would keep watch in three places in the Temple courtyard, in honor of the Temple, like guards in royal courtyards: In the Chamber of Avtinas, which is the Chamber where the incense was prepared, and on the two sides of the northern section of the courtyard: In the Chamber of the Spark, where there was a small, perpetual fire, from which the fire of the altar would be lit if it went out; and in the Chamber of the Hearth, where there was also a fire, by which the priests would warm themselves when it was cold. In the Chamber of Avtinas and in the Chamber of the Spark there were upper stories, and the young priests, who were not yet eligible to serve in the Temple, would keep watch there. In the Chamber of the Hearth, there was no upper story, as its ceiling was round like a cupola. And it was a large hall, surrounded by rows of stone that protruded from the walls and that served as benches. The elders of the patrilineal priestly family that would serve in the Temple the following day would sleep there, and the keys to the Temple courtyard were in their possession. The young men of the priesthood, who were old enough to serve in the Temple, would also sleep in the Chamber of the Hearth. They would not sleep on benches, but instead each of the priests would sleep with his garment on the ground. Furthermore, they would not sleep dressed in the sacred vestments; rather, they would remove them and fold them up. And then they would place their vestments on the floor beneath their heads, and cover themselves with their own non-sacred garments. If a seminal emission befell one of the priests, rendering him ritually impure and unfit for service, he would leave the Chamber of the Hearth, and he would walk through the circuitous passage that extended beneath the Temple, as he could not pass through the Temple courtyard, due to his impurity. And there were lamps burning on this side and on that side of the passage. He would walk through the passage until he reached the Chamber of Immersion. And there was a fire burning there to warm the priests after they had immersed, and also a bathroom of honor, so that the priests could urinate before immersion. This was the manifestation of its honor: If one found the door closed, he would know that there was a person there, and he would wait for him to exit before entering. If one found the door open, it was known that there was no person there, and he could enter. In this manner, the one using it was afforded privacy. After the priest descended and immersed in the ritual bath, he ascended and dried himself with a towel, and warmed himself opposite the fire. He then came back to the Chamber of the Hearth and sat with his brethren the priests until dawn, when the gates of the Temple courtyard would be opened. He would then leave the Temple and go on his way. Since the purification process of one who immerses is not complete until sunset, by rabbinic law he could not remain in the Temple during the daytime.

(5) יהוה spoke to Moses, saying: (6) Advance the tribe of Levi and place its [men] in attendance upon Aaron the priest to serve him. (7) They shall perform duties for him and for the whole community before the Tent of Meeting, doing the work of the Tabernacle. (8) They shall take charge of all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting—a duty on behalf of the Israelites—doing the work of the Tabernacle. (9) You shall assign the Levites to Aaron and to his sons: they are formally assigned to him from among the Israelites.

§ Rabbi Yitzḥak says: The awe of the public should always be upon you, i.e., one must always treat the public courteously. As when the priests bless the people they face the people and their backs are toward the Divine Presence, out of respect for the congregation.

(2) ועשית עליו זר זהב סביב, “you are to construct on it a golden crown all around it.” When the Torah issues similar instructions concerning the table and the altar, the wording is not עליו, ”on it,” but לו “for it.” The reason is that the table itself was a symbol of the “crown” of Royalty, whereas the altar was a symbol of the “crown” of priesthood (compare Avot 4,13). The “crown” of priest-hood as well as the “crown” of Royalty is acquired by its wearer at birth, through inheritance. The “crown” of Torah is not acquired by birth. The word לו implies that this crown is an integral part of the table or altar respectively, i.e. “it belongs.” Seeing that the crown of Torah has first to be earned by the eventual wearer, the word עליו, “upon him” indicates that it will be placed on the Torah scholar at the appropriate time, at his ordination. Hereditary Royalty in Israel was the exclusive right of Kings descended from David, whereas hereditary priesthood was reserved for the descendants of Aaron. The word לו in a similar sense is used by the Torah in connection with the duty of the King to write two Torah scrolls for himself. We read in Deut. 17,18 וכתב לו את משנה התורה וגו', “he is to write for himself two copies of the Torah, etc.” The Torah immediately (verse 20) continues to supply the reason for this by writing למען יאריך ימים על ממלכתו, “in order that the days of his dynasty be long ones, etc.” We find something similar in connection with the priesthood where the Torah writes in Numbers 25,13 after Pinchas had been elevated to the priesthood: והיתה לו ולזרעו אחריו, “and it shall be his and for his offspring after him a covenant of an eternal priesthood, etc.” Seeing that the crown on the Ark represents a different kind of concept, one based on יחוס עצמו, “personal achievement,” the preposition the Torah chose to use in connection with it is עליו instead of לו.

(275) “In the beginning (Bereishit), God created” (Genesis 1:1): Rabbi Abba began and said: “On that day. the Lord made a covenant with Avram, saying” (Genesis 15:18). The covenant was said about five things: The first is circumcision, as it is stated (Genesis 17:13), “this shall be My covenant in your flesh as an eternal covenant.” The second is the rainbow, as it is stated (Genesis 9:13), “and it shall be a sign of the covenant.” The third is the covenant of salt, as it is stated (Numbers 18:19), “an everlasting covenant of salt.” The fourth is the covenant of afflictions, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 28:69), “These are the words of the covenant.” The fifth is the covenant of the priesthood, as it is stated (Numbers 25:13), “And it shall be for him, and for his offspring after him, an everlasting covenant of priesthood.”

(276) But before the five covenants were given, there was only the covenant with fire, as it is stated (Genesis 15:17), “and behold, a smoking furnace and a flaming torch, etc.” And it is written (Genesis 15:18), “On that day the Lord made a covenant with Avram, saying.” But the fire was a covenant at first. And this is [the meaning of] Bereishit - take out fire (esh) from there, and brit (covenant) remains. Meaning to say, brit esh (a covenant of fire).

(1) The Kohen is cautioned not to defile himself for a corpse, nor for all uncleannesses that emanate from him [the corpse], nor for a Golel, nor for a Dofek, nor for a limb [severed] from a living body which does not have sufficient [flesh] to produce a new healing [skin] were it attached [to the body], nor for a tree which throws a shadow over the ground, the branches of which are separated from one another, and an uncleanness is under one of them and it is not known under which one, [nor for] stones that protrude from a wall and an uncleanness is under one of them and it is not known under which one, [nor] likewise [for] a field wherein a grave was ploughed over and its place is not known, and the entire land of the heathens is forbidden for a Kohen to defile himself for them. Gloss: Some say that Kohanim are forbidden to defile themselves for a sword that became unclean [through contact] with a corpse; and some are lenient [in this matter], and thus is the accepted custom [viz.,] to adopt the lenient view, and they are not careful with respect to this.

(9) It is to be for them a statute for the ages, for him and for his offspring, throughout their generations: The impact of the purity, when the priesthood was established with Aharon and his sons, has some permanence and universality within itself. There is a statute for the ages within its transient activation, in the power of the enterprise itself that they are doing, on account of the concealed power stored within them of the entire foundation of the holiness of the priesthood, for all generations. And the things are so rooted in the first foundation to the point that the essence of this spiritual action of sanctification of purity was first activated upon Aharon, to him as the first essence, such that all of the holiness of the priesthood spreads as an emanation from him – “who has commanded us with the holiness of Aharon,” and it spreads out from him to his seed. And it is not only through the characteristic of closeness of that part of his offspring that were enacting the actions of purity with him, such that they would be like intermediaries and the coming generations would receive it through them. For then every generation would be considered lower because of its distance from the first source of the priesthood’s holiness. Rather God, may He be blessed, placed the unique quality of purity into the holiness of Aharon, such that it be from his power, from the root of his individual holiness, that it bring the holy flow in a direct way to all of his offspring throughout their generations. So it comes out that the enterprise itself, in the first sanctification of the foundation of the priesthood, has the bounty of “a law for the ages” in it, and the continuation of the enterprise moves on to the generations from the essential source, from the father of the priesthood, the one holy to the Lord. “For him and for his offspring, throughout their generations.”

(8) יהוה spoke further to Aaron: I hereby give you charge of My gifts, all the sacred donations of the Israelites; I grant them to you and to your sons as a perquisite, a due for all time. (9) This shall be yours from the most holy sacrifices, the offerings by fire: every such offering that they render to Me as most holy sacrifices, namely, every meal offering, sin offering, and guilt offering of theirs, shall belong to you and your sons. (10) You shall partake of them as most sacred donations: only males may eat them; you shall treat them as consecrated. (11) This, too, shall be yours: the gift offerings of their contributions, all the elevation offerings of the Israelites, I give to you [and your wives], to your sons, and to the daughters that are with you, as a due for all time; everyone of your household who is pure may eat it. (12) All the best of the new oil, wine, and grain—the choice parts that they present to יהוה —I give to you. (13) The first fruits of everything in their land, that they bring to יהוה, shall be yours; everyone of your household who is pure may eat them. (14) Everything that has been proscribed in Israel shall be yours. (15) The first [male] issue of the womb of every being, human or beast, that is offered to יהוה, shall be yours; but you shall have the male first-born of human beings redeemed, and you shall also have the firstling of impure animals redeemed. (16) Take as their redemption price, from the age of one month up, the money equivalent of five shekels by the sanctuary weight, which is twenty gerahs. (17) But the firstlings of cattle, sheep, or goats may not be redeemed; they are consecrated. You shall dash their blood against the altar, and turn their fat into smoke as an offering by fire for a pleasing odor to יהוה. (18) But their meat shall be yours: it shall be yours like the breast of elevation offering and like the right thigh. (19) All the sacred gifts that the Israelites set aside for יהוה I give to you, to your sons, and to the daughters that are with you, as a due for all time. It shall be an everlasting covenant of salt before יהוה for you and for your offspring as well. (20) And יהוה said to Aaron: You shall, however, have no territorial share among them or own any portion in their midst; I am your portion and your share among the Israelites.

(2) And this is the thing: Rabbi Anani bar Sasson said, "Why was the section about the sacrifices juxtaposed to the section about the garments of the priesthood? To tell you, just like the sacrifices atone, so too do the garments of the priesthood atone." The tunic atoned for the spilling of blood, as it is stated (Parsaht Vayeshev, Genesis 37:31), "and they slaughtered a goat, and immersed the coat in the blood." And the pants atone for sexual prohibitions, as it is stated (Exodus 28:42), "Make for them linen pants to cover the nakedness of their flesh." The turban atones for those who are haughty, let something high come and atone for haughtiness. The belt atones for the thoughts of the heart, where it is. The breastplate atones for [incorrect] judgments, as it is stated (Exodus 28:15), "And you shall make a breastplate of judgment." The apron atones for idol worship, as it is stated (Hosea 3:4), "and without breastplate or oracle idols."The robe atones for evil speech. Let something with noise (kol) come and atone for an evil noise. And the frontplate of the High Priest atones for brazenness. With the frontplate, it is written (Exodus 28:38), "And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead"; and with brazenness it is written (Jeremiah 3:3), "and you had a harlot’s forehead." (Zevachim 88b)

(9) Come and See! In the secret of holiness (another variant: of the name of holiness), there is a King, and a Priest that serves below Him, whether above or whether below. There is a King above, who is the secret of the Holy of Holies, and He is the King above. And below Him is the secret of the First Light, which serves below Him. And that is the Priest that is called, high (literally, great), the side of the right.

(10) There is a King below, who is in the fashion of the King above, and He is the King over everything below. And beneath Him is a Priest that serves Him, the secret of Michael the High Priest, who is of the right. (There is certainly a King and Priest on the side of holiness.) And this is the secret of perfect faith, the side of holiness.

(11) On the other side which is not the side of holiness, there is a secret that is king. And we have established that he is called, ‘the old and foolish king.’ And beneath is the priest of Ohn. This is the secret, as it is written (Hosea 12:9), “Ephraim said, ‘I have become rich; I have gotten power (ohn).’” It is because the power ruled over that deed that Yerovam did. And if he had not found this power, he would not have succeeded in that deed.

(12) The secret of the thing is that at the time when that king and that priest are subordinated and broken, likewise are all other sides subordinated; and they concede to the Holy One, blessed be He. In this way, the Holy One, blessed be He, rules alone above and below. It is as you say (Isaiah 2:11), “and the Lord alone shall be exalted on that day.”

(6) And the spirit of the woman is not filled: And this is the secret of, "And when the daughter of a priest will be for a foreign man" (Leviticus 22:12). That is the holy soul, the daughter of the priest, who falls in the portion of a foreign man, this world. And sometimes even when it is connected to the body, the body remains a foreign man for it. And it is like that empty one that goes around and yells for her lost object, goes wandering over the earth, but she does not find rest for the sole of her foot, as it is stated (Genesis 8:9), "The dove found no place to rest its foot, so it returned to him into the ark, for the water was upon the surface of the whole earth." And the dove (yonah) is the spirit, it is the holy soul. It is Yonah the prophet who went down, fell and wandered to the lowest depths, as it is stated (Jonah 1:3), "He went down to Yaffo and found a ship [...] and went aboard to sail with the others to Tarshish, away from being before the Lord." And it is stated (Jonah 1:5), "and Jonah had gone down into the hold of the vessel where he lay down and fell asleep." And the soul falls asleep before the Lord, for there and only there can it find itself rest.

(5) And you shall be a kingdom of priests - that you shall minister to Me, in that you shall crown Me upon you. And that is why the first letters of these words [spell], kingdom (malkhut). And that is the essence of the receiving of the Torah, that we accept His Kingship upon us, may His name be blessed. And with this, that we accepted it, we became a kingdom of priests. And that is the idea of the two crowns that we had when we said, "We will do and we will listen." For we had two ornaments when we accepted His Kingship, may His name be blessed. And that is why afterwards, it is stated (Exodus 33:6), "So the Children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments from Mount Sinai on." For they [no longer] had their two ornaments mentioned above. And that is why the essence of everything is the acceptance of His Kingship, may His name be blessed, with a full heart and soul.

(6) "I have loved the Lord." This is equivalent to the creation of Your world. In the beginning, it is written (Genesis 1:1) "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." And in the Tabernacle, it is written (Exodus 26:7) "And you shall make curtains of goats' hair." On the second day, let there be a firmament and let it divide. In the Tabernacle, it is the partition. On the third day, let the waters gather together. In the Tabernacle, it is written (Exodus 30:18) "And you shall make a bronze basin, and its base also of bronze, for washing." And water shall be put therein. On the fourth day, let there be luminaries. In the Tabernacle, it is written (Exodus 25:31) "And you shall make a lampstand of pure gold." On the fifth day, let the waters bring forth living creatures. In the Tabernacle, it is written (Exodus 25:18) "And you shall make two cherubim of gold." On the sixth day, let man be created. In the Tabernacle, it is written (Exodus 28:1) "And take unto yourself Aaron your brother." On the seventh day, they finished and consecrated it. And in the Tabernacle, it is written (Numbers 7:1) "And it came to pass on the day that Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle." This is the meaning of what is written (Deuteronomy 4:26) "I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day." To hear [this] in the voice of gratitude. Rabbi Avin said: This [Psalm] contains elements of the past and elements of the future. (Psalm 106:1) "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good."

(1) AND THOU SHALT PUT IN THE BREASTPLATE OF JUDGMENT THE URIM AND THE THUMMIM. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra thought to display wisdom in the matter of the Urim and the Thummim, by saying that they were made by a craftsman from gold and silver, and he continued his discussion of them in this vein, for he thought that they were akin to the forms which the astrologers make in order to know the thoughts of the one who comes to ask of them [about the future]. But what [Ibn Ezra] said is of no import. Rather, the Urim and the Thummim are as Rashi has written: “This was an inscription of the Proper Name of G-d which was placed between the folds of the breastplate.” It was for this reason that the breastplate had to be double [i.e., made of a material that was folded in order to form a sort of bag, into which the Urim and the Thummim — the sacred Names of G-d, as explained further on, — were placed by Moses]. The proof for this is that in the work of the craftsmen the Urim and the Thummim are not mentioned at all, neither in the command nor in the [description of the] making thereof. Now concerning the garments He details: And he made the ephod, and he made the breastplate, but it does not say, “and he made the Urim and the Thummim.” And if it were the work of a skilled engraver He would have dealt with it in greater length than with all [the garments]. Even if perhaps He desired to shorten the discussion about them on account of their profundity, He would at least have said here, “and thou shalt make the Urim and the Thumim as it has been shown to you in the mount; of pure gold — or purified silver — you shall make them.” moreover, you will notice that He did not use the definite article in connection with any of the vessels [of the Tabernacle] which had not been previously mentioned. Instead, He said, and they shall make an ark; and thou shalt make a table; and thou shalt make a candelabrum, and thus too in connection with all of them. In the case of the Tabernacle, however, He said, And thou shalt make ‘the’ Tabernacle, because He had already mentioned it [in saying], And let them make Me a Sanctuary. Now with reference to the Urim and the Thummim He said, And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment ‘the’ Urim and ‘the’ Thummim. He did not command him as to the making of them, and yet Scripture mentions them with the definite article! Moreover, Scripture mentions them with reference to Moses only, saying by way of command, and thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment…; similarly, at the time of making them it says, and in the breastplate he put the Urim and the Thummim, since they were not the work of craftsmen. Neither craftsmen nor the congregation of Israel had any part whatsoever in their making or in their donation, for they were a secret transmitted by the Almighty to Moses, and he wrote them in holiness. They were thus of heavenly origin, and therefore they are referred to without any specification and with the definite article, in a similar usage to that which we have in the verse, and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden the cherubim. Now Moses took the inscription of the Urim and the Thummim, and placed them in the breastplate of judgment after he had clothed Aaron with the ephod and the breastplate, as it is said, And he put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the skilfully-woven band of the ephod… And he placed the breastplate upon him; and in the breastplate he put the Urim and the Thummim. For only after [Aaron was already clothed with the ephod and the breastplate] did Moses place the Urim and the Thummim between the folds of the breastplate.Thus the Urim and the Thummim were the holy Names of G-d, and it was by virtue of the power residing in these Names that the letters inscribed upon the stones of the breastplate would light up before the eyes of the priest who inquired of their judgment. For example, when they inquired, Who shall go up for us first against the Canaanites, to fight against them, the priest fixed his thoughts on those Divine Names which were the Urim [literally: “lights”], and the letters forming the name Yehudah lighted up before his eyes, and [for the word ya’aleh — “he shall go up”] the letter yod lighted up from the word Levi, the ayin from Shimon, the lamed from Levi, and the hei from Avraham which was also written there, according to the opinion of our Rabbis, or perhaps the hei from Yehudah lighted up a second time. Now when the letters lighted up before the eyes of the priest, he did not yet know their arrangement [that is, how these letters were to be grouped together into words], for from the letters forming the words Yehudah ya’aleh (Judah shall go up), it is possible to form the words: hoy heid alehah, or hie al Yehudah, and very many other words. But then there were other sacred Divine Names [in the fold of the breastplate] called Thummim [literally: “perfection”], through whose power the priest’s heart was made perfect to understand the meaning of the letters which lighted up before his eyes. Thus, when he fixed his thoughts on the Divine Names in the Urim, and the letters lighted up, he would then immediately turn and fix his thoughts on the Divine Names in the Thummim, whilst the letters [of the Urim] were still lit up before him, and then it came to his mind that they combine to form the words Yehudah ya’aleh (Judah shall go up). This knowledge [of how to combine the letters that lit up in the breastplate into words], is one level of the degrees of Ruach Hakodesh. It is lower than prophecy, and higher than the Bath Kol which served [Israel] in the Second Sanctuary after prophecy had ceased, and after the Urim and Thummim had ceased, just as our Rabbis have mentioned. It is possible that after Moses placed the sacred Names of the Urim and Thummim in the breastplate, they became known to the great Sages of Israel, having been transmitted to them from Moses together with the secrets of the Torah. Hence we find that David possessed an ephod, which was similar to the ephod of Moses, and together with it was a breastplate similar to the holy breastplate [in the Tabernacle]. It appears, however, that [instead of being made of gold, blue-purple etc.] it was made of linen, just as it says of Samuel that he was a child, girden with a linen ephod, and of Nob, the city of priests, it is said, fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod. They would clothe a priest who was of the sons of the prophets, and inquire of him [regarding certain events] and at times they were answered, just as Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra thought on this point. However, as far as that which he [Ibn Ezra] said, that if [Rashi] had seen the responsum of Rabbeinu Hai, he would not have explained as he did, [that the Urim and Thummim were inscriptions of the Proper Name of G-d] — now we have already seen that responsum and have considered it, and we know [for a certainty] that it was Rabbi Abraham whose opinion [shows that he] did not grasp it.

Rebbi Joḥanan said, 80’000 young priests fled into the hollows of the Temple, and all of them were burned. Of all of them only Joshua ben Yehoṣadaq the High Priest was left, as it is said, is he not a wooden poker saved from fire? Rebbi Joḥanan said, 80’000 young priests (broke through) [fled to] Nebuchadnezzar’s armies and went to the Ismaelites. They said to them, give us to drink for we are thirsty. They brought before them salted fish and inflated waterskins. They said to them, eat and then you can drink. When one of them opened the waterskin and put it into his mouth, the wind came out and suffocated him. That is what is written, load in Arabia, a large load on Arabia. In a forest in Arabia they will stay, those that should have been in the forest of Lebanon, in Arabia they will stay. But the ways of Dedanians, that is the way the Dedanians act. When Ismael was thirsty, did they not bring water towards the thirsty? God opened her eyes and she saw a water cistern. Not voluntarily they came to you, for they fled from swords. From the unfettered sword, because they did not want to keep their Sabbaticals, as you are saying, and the seventh unfetter and abandon. And because ofcocked bows, because they did not want to keep their Sabbaths, as you are saying, in these days I saw in Jehudah people pressing wine-presses on the Sabbath. And because of the difficulty of war, they did not want to engage in the Torah’s war, [as you are saying], therefore it was said in the book of the wars of the Eternal.

(6) They would make wicks from the leggings and the sashes of the ordinary priests that wore out. They were used to kindle lamps in the Temple for the rejoicing that accompanied the water libation. The tunics of the ordinary priests that wore out were used to make wicks for the Menorah which lit continually.

(64) The Hasmoneans during the period of the second Temple erred when they claimed the crown of Royalty in addition to the crown of Priesthood. They could not have been unaware that the crown of Royalty is reserved for descendants of David. Their error consisted in thinking that the crown of Royalty is merely a derivative of the crown of priesthood. They considered the maternal descent (genealogy) as halachically important. This is why they provided a throne for the mother of the king.

(7) “He said: Please take your son…” – He said to him: ‘I plead with you, “please take your son.”’ He said to Him: ‘I have two sons, which son?’ He said to him: “Your only one.” He said to him: ‘This one is the only one to his mother, and the other one is the only one to his mother.’ He said to him: “Whom you love” (Genesis 22:2). He said to him: ‘Are there partitions in one’s innards?’ He said to him: “Isaac” (Genesis 22:2). Why did He not reveal it [His intention] to him immediately? It was to endear it [God’s command] in his eyes, and [also] to give him reward for each and every statement. This is like the opinion of Rabbi Yoḥanan, as Rabbi Yoḥanan said: “Go you [from your land]” (Genesis 12:1) – meaning your district; “from your birthplace” (Genesis 12:1) – meaning your neighborhood; “from your father’s house” (Genesis 12:1) – meaning your father’s house; “to the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). Why did He not reveal it [His intention] to him immediately? It was to endear it [God’s command] in his eyes and to give him reward for each and every statement and for each and every step. Rabbi Levi bar Ḥaita said: “Go you” is written twice, but we do not know which was more beloved [to God], the first or the second. From what is written [here]: “Go you to the land of Moriah,” we see that the second was more beloved than the first. “Go you to the land of Moriah” – Rabbi Ḥiyya Rabba and Rabbi Yanai, one said: To the place from which instruction [horaa] emerges to the world, and the other said: To the place from which fear [yira] emerges to the world. Similarly, the Holy of Holies [devir] – Rabbi Ḥiyya and Rabbi Yanai, one said: The place from which commandments [diberot] emerge to the world, and one said: The place from which domination [dibur] emerges to the world. Similarly, the Ark [aron], Rabbi Ḥiyya and Rabbi Yanai, one said: [This refers] to the place from which light [ora] emerges to the world, and one said: [It refers] to the place from which fear [yira] emerges to the world. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: [It is called Moriah] because it is from there that the Holy One blessed be He shoots [moreh] at the nations of the world and dispatches them down to Gehenna. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: [God was telling Abraham to go] to the place that is aligned [ra’ui] corresponding to the heavenly Temple. Rabbi Pinḥas said: To the place of dominion [maruta] over the world. The Rabbis say: To the place where incense is offered, just as it says: “I will go to the mountain of myrrh [mor], and to the hill of frankincense” (Song of Songs 4:6). “Offer him up there as a burnt offering” – Rabbi Yudan bar Simon said: He [Abraham] said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, can there be an offering without a priest?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘I have already appointed you a priest.’ That is what is written [regarding Abraham]: “You are a priest forever” (Psalms 110:4). “Upon one of the mountains that I will tell you” – Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili: The Holy One blessed be He [at first] causes the righteous to be perplexed, and to direct their eyes toward Him [for clarification], and only then does he reveal to them the upshot of the matter. “To the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1) – “upon one of the mountains…” Similarly, “And proclaim to it the proclamation that [I speak to you]” (Jonah 3:2). Similarly, “Arise, go out to the valley, and there I will speak to you” (Ezekiel 3:22).

MISHNA: Seven days prior to Yom Kippur the Sages would remove the High Priest, who performs the entire Yom Kippur service, from his house to the Chamber of Parhedrin, a room in the Temple designated specifically for the High Priest during that period. And they would designate another priest in his stead to replace him lest a disqualification due to impurity or another circumstance beyond his control prevent him from entering the Temple on Yom Kippur. Rabbi Yehuda says: The Sages would even designate another wife for him lest his wife die, as it is stated in the Torah portion of the Yom Kippur service: “And it will atone for him and for his house” (Leviticus 16:6); the Sages interpreted the term: His house, that is his wife. The priest must be married in order to fulfill this commandment. Due to the concern lest his wife die, another wife was designated to address that possibility. The Rabbis said to Rabbi Yehuda: If so, that this is a concern, there is no end to the matter, as what if the designated replacement wife dies? This possibility need not be a source of concern.

(8) 8) "then he shall be brought to Aaron": This tells me only of Aaron himself. Whence do I derive (the suitability of) another Cohein? From "the Cohein." Whence do I derive (the suitability [for inspection] of) blemished (Cohanim)? From "his sons" (even though they may not perform the sacrificial service). I might then think that even chalalim (those unfit for the priesthood) are included? It is, therefore, written "the Cohanim," excluding chalalim. And whence do I derive (the validity of) any Jew (in the absence of a Cohein? From "or to one (of his sons").

(9) 9) If in the end all Jews are included (for inspection), why is it written "of his sons, the Cohanim"? To teach that the pronouncement of "tumah" and "taharah" must be made by a Cohein. How is this effected? An Israelite sage inspects the plague-spots and says to the Cohein, even if he himself is unversed (in their inspection): Say "tamei," and he says "tamei"; say "tahor," and he says "tahor." Variantly: What is the intent of "or to one of his sons, the Cohanim"? Because it is written (Devarim 21:5): "And by their word (that of the Cohanim) shall every contention and every plague-spot be (ruled upon)" — Contentions are hereby compared to plague-spots. Just as plague-spots are adjudicated in the daytime, so, contentions are to be adjudicated in the daytime.

(4) A High Priest may not marry a widow, whether she is a widow from betrothal or a widow from marriage. And he may not marry a grown woman. He may marry only a minor or a young woman. Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shimon declare a grown woman fit to marry a High Priest. And he may not marry a woman whose hymen was torn accidentally. If a priest betrothed a widow and was subsequently appointed to be High Priest, he may marry her. And there was an incident with Yehoshua ben Gamla, who betrothed Marta bat Baitos, a widow, and the king subsequently appointed him to be High Priest, and he nevertheless married her. Conversely, in the case of a widow waiting for her yavam who happened before a common priest, i.e., the priest was her yavam, and he was subsequently appointed to be High Priest, then even if he had already performed levirate betrothal with her, he may not marry her, because she is a widow. A High Priest whose brother died without children performs ḥalitza and he does not perform levirate marriage, as he may not marry a widow.

(1) Paragraph 235: However that which you wrote, that if he would have given the [first born] son to the priest (kohen), he would have fulfilled [the commandment] with this, like with the first born donkey, it is a joke! As I do not know from where you deduced that one has fulfilled [the commandment] with the first born donkey itself, if he gave the first born to the priest. Perhaps he actually has to redeem or to behead [it]. And that which we learned [it] from sanctified property is that he doesn't specifically need a sheep, but can redeem it with other things as they may be. However it nevertheless requires redemption. But even if it would be effective there, that is because the body of the donkey before its redemption is holy as the first born, even regarding benefit. Whereas with a first born son, about which it is clearly learned from Scripture that he is completely mundane (not holy), what would the priest need him for? If as a slave, a free man cannot be made into a slave; if as a son, behold he is not his offspring!

GEMARA: The mishna teaches that at public readings of the Torah, a priest reads first, and after him a Levite. The Gemara asks: From where are these matters derived? What is the source of this halakha in the Torah? Rav Mattana said: As the verse states: “And Moses wrote this Torah, and delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi” (Deuteronomy 31:9). The Gemara explains the inference: Is that to say I do not know that the priests are the sons of Levi? Why is it necessary for the verse to say this? Rather, the Torah was first delivered to the priests and afterward to the other Levites, and this serves as the source for the enactment that first a priest reads from the Torah, and after him a Levite. Rabbi Yitzḥak Nappaḥa said that this halakha is derived from here, as it is written: “And the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near” (Deuteronomy 21:5). The Gemara asks: Is that to say I do not know that the priests are the sons of Levi? Rather, the Torah was first given to the priests and afterward to the other Levites, and from this we learn that first a priest reads from the Torah, and after him a Levite. Rav Ashi said that this halakha is derived from here: “The sons of Amram, Aaron and Moses; and Aaron was separated, that he should be sanctified as most holy” (I Chronicles 23:13). This indicates that Aaron and his descendants, the priests, are considered to be holier than the rest of the tribe of Levi. Consequently, they are given precedence in public Torah readings. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said that this halakha is derived from here, as it is stated with regard to a priest: “And you shall sanctify him” (Leviticus 21:8), giving a priest priority for every matter of sanctity. And with regard to this verse, a Sage from the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: “And you shall sanctify him,” giving a priest priority for every matter of sanctity: To open the discussion in the study hall first, to recite the blessing of Grace after Meals first, and to take a fine portion at a meal first, meaning that he can choose any portion at a meal for himself.

(1) The place where the priests (kohanim) stand to bless [the congregation] is on the platform adjacent to the western wall (in Baghdad, that is the direction of Jerusalem) toward which we pray. As the meaning of the word dukhan is to say, a platform. And one who is negligent about this, not to ascend the platform to stand there but rather to stand on the floor of the sanctuary, is surely deviating from the words of the Sages, may their memory be blessed. For the Sages, may their memory be blessed, did not say that the priests ascend the dukhan for nothing. And here in our city, may God protect it, their custom was for the priests to stand on the floor of the sanctuary and to recite the blessing of the priests (birkat kohanim), and not to stand on the platform at the edge of the sanctuary. But, praises to God, I made the custom that they ascend the platform at the edge of the sanctuary and bless there. And so is fit to be exacting about this in each and every place.

(9) After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose.—The priest Eli was sitting on the seat near the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.— (10) In her wretchedness, she prayed to the LORD, weeping all the while. (11) And she made this vow: “O LORD of Hosts, if You will look upon the suffering of Your maidservant and will remember me and not forget Your maidservant, and if You will grant Your maidservant a male child, I will dedicate him to the LORD for all the days of his life; and no razor shall ever touch his head.” (12) As she kept on praying before the LORD, Eli watched her mouth. (13) Now Hannah was praying in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. (14) Eli said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Sober up!” (15) And Hannah replied, “Oh no, my lord! I am a very unhappy woman. I have drunk no wine or other strong drink, but I have been pouring out my heart to the LORD.

(13) Rabbi Judah said: be careful in study, for an error in study counts as deliberate sin. Rabbi Shimon said: There are three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of royalty, but the crown of a good name supersedes them all.

(2) Twelve in the borders: Terumah, terumath ma'aser, challah, bikkurim, the first of the shearing, the gifts (shoulder, cheeks, and maw), the first-born of man and the first-born of a clean beast, the firstling of an ass, charamim (renunciation of one's property), an (unredeemed) field of holding, and the theft of (i.e., what is stolen from) a proselyte (viz. Bamidbar 5:8). All these twenty-four gifts were given to the Cohanim, aside from terumah-related debts. The day when a covenant was forged with Aaron with the twenty-four gifts was a day of great joy to him. R. Yishmael says: As per the folk-proverb "My cow's leg was broken for my good." For Aaron's good did Korach come and contest the priesthood. An analogy: A king had a retainer to whom he gave a field as a gift, without recording, sealing and registering (the transaction [see above]) — wherefore, this section is juxtaposed with that of Korach. R. Elazar Hakappar says: Whence is it derived that the Holy One Blessed be He showed our father Yaakov the Temple built and sacrifices being offered, and Cohanim officiating, and the Shechinah reposing (there)? From (Bereshit 28:12) "And he (Yaakov) dreamed, and, behold, a ladder standing on the earth, and its top reaching to heaven, and, behold, angels of G-d ascending and descending upon it." There is no dream without a portent: "And he dreamed, and, behold, a ladder standing on the earth" — the Temple. "and its top reaching to heaven" — the offered sacrifices, their scent reaching to heaven. "and, behold, angels of G-d," — the Cohanim ministering, ascending and descending on the ramp. (13) "And, behold, the L-rd standing on it" — (Amos 9:1) "I (Amos) saw the L-rd standing on the altar." Beloved are Israel, who, when epitomized, are epitomized as "Cohanim," viz. (Isaiah 61:6) "And you, Cohanim of the L-rd shall be called; 'ministers of G-d' shall they say of you. The wealth of nations shall you eat, and in their glory shall you vaunt yourselves." Beloved are Cohanim, who are epitomized as ministering angels, viz. (Malachi 2:7) "For the lips of the Cohein shall guard knowledge, and Torah shall they seek from his mouth, for an angel of the L-rd of hosts is he." If Torah goes forth from his mouth, he is like the ministering angels. If not, he is like an animal or a beast, which does not recognize its Creator. Beloved is Torah. When David king of Israel asked (a boon of the L-rd), he asked only for Torah, viz. (Psalms 118:68) "You are good and do good — teach me Your statutes." Your goodness engulfs all who enter the world. Let Your goodness engulf me and teach me Your statutes. And it is written (Psalms, Ibid. 117) "Support me and I will be saved (and I will dwell in Your statutes always"): That I not learn Torah and forget it, that I not learn and the evil inclination not allow me to review it, that I not rule unclean what is clean or clean what is unclean and come to share in the world to come, that the nations of the land and the families of the earth ask me and I not know how to respond and be shamed before them. And thus is it written (Ibid. 46) "And I will speak of Your testimonies before kings and I will not be ashamed." And (Ibid. 54) "Songs have Your statutes been to me." I might think, in repose. It, therefore, follows "in the house of my fears, in caves and in entrapments, as in (Ibid. 56:1) "… when he fled from Saul in the cave." And (Ibid. 109:119) "My soul was always in my hand, and I did not forget Your Torah."

(17) And the king commanded the guards standing by, “Turn about and kill the priests of the LORD, for they are in league with David; they knew he was running away and they did not inform me.” But the king’s servants would not raise a hand to strike down the priests of the LORD. (18) Thereupon the king said to Doeg, “You, Doeg, go and strike down the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite went and struck down the priests himself; that day, he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. (19) He put Nob, the town of the priests, to the sword: men and women, children and infants, oxen, asses, and sheep—[all] to the sword. (20) But one son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped—his name was Abiathar—and he fled to David. (21) When Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD, (22) David said to Abiathar, “I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would tell Saul. I am to blame for all the deaths in your father’s house. (23) Stay with me; do not be afraid; for whoever seeks your life must seek my life also. It will be my care to guard you.”