The
Kohen is Restricted in Caring for the Departed as an Expression of his
Status
And Hashem
said to Moshe: Declare to the Kohanim,
the children of Ahron, and say to them, “Let him not become defiled through
contact with the dead from among his nation.”
(VaYikra
21:1)
1. The Kohen is prohibited from becoming
defiled
The Kohen
may not become defiled through contact with a dead body. This prohibition restricts the Kohen’s role and responsibilities in caring for the departed. Only should he lose a close relative, may
the Kohen personally care for the
body of the departed.
Superficially, the reason for this prohibition is
that the ritually unclean Kohen is
unfit to serve in the Temple. The Kohen may not render himself unfit for
service. This restricts his contact
with a dead body. However, this
interpretation of the command presents difficulties. There are other conditions that disqualify the Kohen from service. A Kohen
who is intoxicated is unfit. If he is
unkempt, he may not serve. Nonetheless,
when not serving in the Mikdash – the Temple – it is not prohibited for
a Kohen to drink wine or become
intoxicated. He is not required to be
constantly diligent in his personal appearance. He must only restrict himself when serving in the Temple. Why is
ritual defilement treated more severely and prohibited at all times?
2. The Kohen’s status as a prince
Rabbaynu Ovadia Sforno explains that the Kohen is a prince among the people. This
status is not merely a privilege; it is the duty of the Kohen to protect
this status. In other words, his status
as a prince is derived from his office – from his role as Kohen. He must conduct himself in a manner
consistent with his status. Proper
conduct reinforces the office and status assigned to him. Improper conduct diminishes the office and
role.
The Kohen’s elevated status is expressed
through the commandments in this parasha. How does the prohibition against defilement
elevate the status of the Kohen? Sforno explains that there are two premises
underlying this prohibition. First, the
princely status of the Kohen is
expressed through his separation from ritual defilement. In other words, because he has priestly
status, he may not defile himself.
Second, the requirement to care for the body of the departed is an act
of respect for the departed. If a Kohen
engages in caring for the departed, he becomes defiled. Thereby, he prioritizes his concern for and
commitment to the departed above his priestly sanctify of the Kohen.
This is inappropriate for a prince.[1]
3. The difference between the prohibition against
defilement and the prohibition against intoxication
In contrast, intoxication is not prohibited by the
Torah as an expression of the Kohen’s princely status. Similarly, he is not required to maintain
immaculate personal appearance because he is a prince. These behaviors result from the sanctity of
the service. When performing service in
the Mikdash, the sanctity of the service demands an appropriate
appearance and state of mind.
Therefore, when the Kohen is
not in the process of performing the service, he is not restricted in these
behaviors.
The Sacrifices of Shavuot are Central to its Sanctity
Until the day
following the seventh week, you should count fifty days. And you should present an offering of new
grain to Hashem. (VaYikra 23:16)
1. The purpose of the listing of Festivals
The parasha
reviews the various days on which melachah
– work – cannot be performed and upon which special sacrifices are offered in
the Mikdash. The Chumash begins
this list with Shabbat. The Chumash
continues and identifies each of the Festivals. In almost every case, the Torah explains that melachah is prohibited on the occasion
and sacrifices are offered. The Chumash
also mentions special mitzvot related
to the Chag – the Festival. For example, we are commanded to eat matzah on Pesach. On Yom Kippur, the Torah requires us to
fast.
The specific sacrifices that are required for each Chag are generally not enumerated or described. This seems slightly
odd. After all, much of Sefer VaYikra
is devoted to discussing sacrifices.
The commentators offer a number of explanations. Nachmanides suggests that the Festival
sacrifices were not offered in the wilderness but only once the nation entered
the Land of Israel. Therefore, a
description of the specific sacrifices was postponed until the people were
poised to enter the Land. This detailed
description of the sacrifices is included in Sefer BeMidbar.[2] Of course, this raises the question: What is
the purpose of this list? Rabbaynu
Ovadia Sforno responds that this list identifies the occasions upon which melachah
is prohibited.[3] The requirement to offer sacrifices is
mentioned without elaboration as the main purpose of the list is to identify
occasions restricted in melachah.
This explains an odd deviation within the list. The list begins with Shabbat. In listing Shabbat, the Torah describes it
as an occasion restricted in melachah.
However, no mention is made of the additional sacrifices offered on
Shabbat. Only much later in the chapter
is any reference made to the Shabbat sacrifices (Sefer VaYikra 23:38). However, Sforno’s comments explain this
deviation. The list begins with Shabbat
in order to identify the list’s purpose and nature. Shabbat is the most fundamental and primary occasion of
restriction from melachah. Any
list of occasion restricted in melachah must begin with Shabbat. Because this list is an enumeration of such
occasions, it first identifies Shabbat and then proceeds to the Festivals.
There are exceptions in the listing to the manner in
which sacrifices are treated. The Omer sacrifice, offered on the second
day of Pesach, is described. The
special offerings of Shavuot are also outlined. The Torah describes the two loaves – the Shetai HaLechem and the accompanying offerings brought on this Chag.
Why is a discussion of these sacrifices included in this section?
2. The definition of sanctity and the sanctity of
the Land of Israel
Our section is introduced by an important pasuk.
Hashem tells Moshe, “Speak to Bnai Yisrael and say to them, ‘These are
the special times of Hashem. You should
declare them as sacred occasions. The
following are my special times.’”[4] In other words, this section provides a list
of sacred occasions. As explained
above, the Torah then provides a list of occasions on which melachah is
restricted. What does this reveal
regarding the concept of sanctity – kedushah?
The term kedushah
or sanctity has a specific meaning in halachah. Kedushah
means that the object or entity is differentiated through halachah. Let us consider
an example. The Land of Israel has kedushah. From the perspective of halachah,
this means that the Land is different from all other lands. This distinction is created by the special mitzvot that apply only to the Land of
Israel. In other words, the special mitzvot
of the Land of Israel are not a result of its kedushah. They are the source and basis of its kedushah. It is these mitzvot that
differentiate the Land from other lands, make it special, and endow it with
sanctity.
3. The source of the sanctity of Shabbat and the
festivals
Now, let us return to our section. The Torah is providing a list of days that
have kedushah. These days are different from the other days
of the year. What is the fundamental
element that creates this kedushah? The characteristic that is the focus of the
list is the prohibition against melachah. This restriction is this unique mitzvah that defines these days as sacred occasions.
However, the list also notes that special sacrifices
are associated with each Chag. This suggests an interesting question. The
sacrifices also distinguish these days from all others. Our section implies that these offerings do
not, by themselves, create the sanctity of the day. However, do the offerings add an additional aspect of kedushah?
4. The role of the Shabbat and festival sacrifices
The answer seems to be provided by the liturgy
accompanying these occasions. On each,
a Musaf Amidah is recited. The Musaf Amidah makes reference to the special offerings of the
occasion. The Amidah is a series of blessings.
It is notable that the reference to the sacrifices is not formulated as
a separate blessing. The reference is
included in the blessing that discusses the kedushah
of the occasion. The message of this
formulation is clear. Although, the
sacrifices do not create the kedushah
of these days, they do add to this sanctity.
In other words, the essential element differentiating these occasions
from other days is the prohibition of melachah. The sacrifices create a secondary kedushah or distinction.
5. The unique sanctity of Shavuot
This analysis suggests that Shavuot is different
from other holidays. As explained
above, in discussing Shavuot, the Torah does delineate the special offerings
for the Chag. However, there is
another deviation in the manner in which the Torah discusses Shavuot. In enumerating the other Festivals, the
Torah first states that melachah is restricted on the occasion and then
notes the requirement to offer special sacrifices. In its description of Shavuot, only after describing the
sacrifices is the prohibition of melachah
mentioned. The implication is that the
relationship between the sacrifices and the prohibition of melachah is reversed. These
offerings are not a mere secondary source of kedushah. On Shavuot, these
sacrifices create the kedushah of the
Chag.
In summary, the section demonstrates that the fundamental element that endows Shabbat and Festivals with sanctity is the restriction from performing melachah. Sacrifices further contribute to the occasion’s sanctity but are not an independent source of kedushah. In other words, the characteristic that distinguishes Succot from the days that precede it and follow it – that endow it with sanctity – is the restriction of melachah. Succot has many special sacrifices – more than any other Festival. However, these sacrifices are not the distinction that is most fundamental to the occasion’s kedushah. The sacrifices only enhance and contribute to the sanctity. This role of the melachah restriction is the same for most other Festivals. It is the fundamental source of their sanctity. However, Shavuot is an exception. The sacrifices of Shavuot are its fundamental distinguishing characteristic. It is these sacrifices that give the occasion its identity and sanctity. In this instance, it is the melachah prohibition that is secondary. Rather than endowing the occasion with sanctity, the melachah restriction is a response to and enhances the Festival’s sanctity.