Admission into the Sanctuary Chapter 6

כָּל כֹּהֵן שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ מוּם בֵּין מוּם קָבוּעַ בֵּין מוּם עוֹבֵר לֹא יִכָּנֵס לַמִּקְדָּשׁ מִן הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וּלְפָנִים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כא כג) "אֶל הַפָּרֹכֶת לֹא יָבֹא וְאֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לֹא יִגַּשׁ". וְאִם עָבַר וְנִכְנַס לוֹקֶה אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא עָבַד. וְאִם עָבַד בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ פָּסַל וְחִלֵּל עֲבוֹדָה וְלוֹקֶה אַף עַל הָעֲבוֹדָה. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כא יז) "אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בוֹ מוּם לֹא יִקְרַב". מִפִּי הַשְּׁמוּעָה לָמְדוּ שֶׁאַזְהָרָה זוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִקְרַב לַעֲבוֹדָה:

Any priest who has a physical blemish - whether a permanent blemish or a temporary blemish - should not enter the area of the altar and beyond in the Temple, as [Leviticus 21:21-23] states: "[Any man from among the descendants of Aaron the priest who has a blemish...] shall not come near the curtain, nor may he approach the altar. If he transgresses and enters [this area], he is liable for lashes even if he did not perform any service. If he performs service in the Temple, he invalidates and desecrates his service. He is worthy of lashes for the service as well, as [ibid.:17] states: "One who has a blemish shall not draw near [to offer...]." According to the Oral Tradition, we learned that this warning means that he shall not draw near to the Temple service.

וְכֵן בַּעַל מוּם עוֹבֵר שֶׁעָבַד פָּסַל וְלוֹקֶה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כא יח) "כָל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ מוּם לֹא יִקְרָב". מִפִּי הַשְּׁמוּעָה לָמְדוּ שֶׁזּוֹ אַזְהָרָה לְבַעַל מוּם עוֹבֵר. וְאֵין בַּעֲלֵי מוּמִין שֶׁעָבְדוּ בְּמִיתָה אֶלָּא בְּמַלְקוֹת בִּלְבַד:

Similarly, a person with a temporary blemish who performs service in the Temple invalidates [his service] and is liable for lashes, as [ibid.:18] states: "Any man who has a blemish shall not draw close...." According to the Oral Tradition, we have learned that this is a warning against [a priest] with a temporary blemish [serving]. [A priest] with a blemish who serves is not liable for death, only for lashes.

כָּל הַמּוּמִין כֻּלָּן אֶחָד שֶׁהָיוּ בּוֹ מִתְּחִלַּת בְּרִיָּתוֹ וְאֶחָד שֶׁנּוֹלְדוּ בּוֹ אַחַר כֵּן בֵּין עוֹבְרִין בֵּין שֶׁאֵינָן עוֹבְרִין הֲרֵי זֶה פָּסוּל עַד שֶׁיַּעֲבוֹרוּ:

All physical blemishes - whether the priest had them from birth or acquired them afterwards, whether they will heal or they will not heal - disqualify [him] until they heal.

מוּם קָבוּעַ כְּגוֹן שֶׁבֶר רֶגֶל אוֹ שֶׁבֶר יָד. וּמוּם עוֹבֵר כְּגוֹן גָּרָב אוֹ יַלֶּפֶת וְהִיא הַחֲזָזִית. וְלֹא הַמּוּמִין הַכְּתוּבִין בַּתּוֹרָה בִּלְבַד הֵן שֶׁפְּסוּלִין בְּכֹהֲנִים אֶלָּא כָּל הַמּוּמִין הַנִּרְאִין בַּגּוּף שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כא יח) (ויקרא כא כא) "כֹּל אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ מוּם" מִכָּל מָקוֹם. וְאֵלּוּ הַכְּתוּבִים בַּתּוֹרָה דֻּגְמָא הֵן:

A permanent blemish is a broken leg or a broken arm. A temporary blemish is a dry skin eruption or a moist skin eruption also known as a chazizit. Not only the blemishes mentioned in the Torah, but any apparent bodily blemish disqualifies the priests, as [ibid.:21] states: "Any man who has a blemish," i.e., any type. Those mentioned by the Torah are merely examples.

שְׁלֹשָׁה מִינֵי מוּמִין הֵם. יֵשׁ מוּמִין שֶׁהֵן פּוֹסְלִין הַכֹּהֵן מִלַּעֲבֹד וְהַבְּהֵמָה מִלִּקָּרֵב. [וְיֵשׁ מוּמִין שֶׁפּוֹסְלִין בָּאָדָם בִּלְבַד מִלַּעֲבֹד]. וְיֵשׁ מוּמִין שֶׁאֵין פּוֹסְלִין אֲבָל מִפְּנֵי מַרְאִית הָעַיִן אָמְרוּ שֶׁכָּל כֹּהֵן שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ אֶחָד מֵהֶן אֵינוֹ עוֹבֵד:

There are three types of blemishes [involving humans]: a) blemishes that disqualify a priest from serving and an animal from being offered [as a sacrifice]; b) blemishes that only prevent a man from serving; c) blemishes that do not disqualify a priest, but because of the impression that would be created, [our Sages] stated that every priest who has such a blemish should not serve.

כָּל מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ מוּם שֶׁפּוֹסֵל בָּאָדָם וּבַבְּהֵמָה וְעָבַד בֵּין בְּשׁוֹגֵג בֵּין בְּמֵזִיד עֲבוֹדָתוֹ פְּסוּלָה. וְאִם הָיָה מֵזִיד לוֹקֶה. וְכָל מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ מוּם מִן הַמּוּמִין הַמְיֻחָדִין לָאָדָם וְעָבַד אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא לוֹקֶה לֹא חִלֵּל עֲבוֹדָתוֹ. וְאִם הָיָה בּוֹ דָּבָר מִדְּבָרִים שֶׁהֵם מִפְּנֵי מַרְאִית הָעַיִן אֵינוֹ לוֹקֶה וַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ כְּשֵׁרָה:

Whenever [a priest] who has a blemish that disqualifies both a person and animal serves, whether inadvertently or intentionally, his service is invalid. If he served intentionally, he is liable for lashes. Whenever [a priest] who has a blemish that disqualifies only a person serves, even though he is liable for lashes, his service is valid. If he has one of the blemishes that disqualify him because of the impression that could be created, he is not liable for lashes and his service is valid.

אֵין פּוֹסֵל בָּאָדָם אֶלָּא מוּמִין שֶׁבְּגָלוּי. אֲבָל מוּמִין שֶׁבַּחֲלַל הַגּוּף כְּגוֹן שֶׁנִּטַּל כֻּלְיָתוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם אוֹ טְחוֹל שֶׁלּוֹ אוֹ שֶׁנִּקְּבוּ מֵעָיו אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה טְרֵפָה עֲבוֹדָתוֹ כְּשֵׁרָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כא יט) "שֶׁבֶר רָגֶל אוֹ שֶׁבֶר יָד" מָה אֵלּוּ בְּגָלוּי אַף כּל בְּגָלוּי:

Only blemishes that are apparent disqualify a person. Blemishes that are within the cavity of the body, e.g., a person's kidney or his spleen was removed or his intestines were perforated, even though he becomes a treifah, his service is acceptable. [This is derived from the mention, Leviticus 21:19, of] "a broken leg or a broken arm." Just as these are apparent, all [disqualifying blemishes] must be apparent.

הֶעָרֵל הֲרֵי הוּא כְּבֶן נֵכָר שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל מד ט) "כָּל בֶּן נֵכָר עֶרֶל לֵב וְעֶרֶל בָּשָׂר". לְפִיכָךְ עָרֵל שֶׁעָבַד חִלֵּל עֲבוֹדָתוֹ וְלוֹקֶה כְּזָר שֶׁעָבַד. אֲבָל אֵינוֹ חַיָּב מִיתָה:

An uncircumcised person is like a foreigner [as Ezekiel 44:9] states: "Any foreigner with an uncircumcised heart and uncircumcised flesh." Therefore if an uncircumcised [priest] serves, he disqualifies his service and is liable for lashes like a non-priest who serves. He is not, however, liable for death.

כֹּהֵן שֶׁהָיָה נוֹשֵׂא נָשִׁים בַּעֲבֵרָה אֵינוֹ עוֹבֵד עַד שֶׁיַּדִּירוּהוּ בֵּית דִּין עַל דַּעַת רַבִּים כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה לוֹ הֲפָרָה שֶׁלֹּא יוֹסִיף לַחֲטֹא וְעוֹבֵד וְיוֹרֵד וּמְגָרֵשׁ. וְכֵן אִם הָיָה מִטַּמֵּא לְמֵתִים פָּסוּל עַד שֶׁיְּקַבֵּל עָלָיו בְּבֵית דִּין שֶׁלֹּא יִטַּמֵּא. וְאִם עָבַר וְעָבַד קֹדֶם שֶׁיַּדִּיר אוֹ שֶׁיְּקַבֵּל אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא נָשׂוּי בַּעֲבֵרָה לֹא חִלֵּל עֲבוֹדָה:

A priest who married women sinfully may not serve until he is compelled by the court to take a vow dependent on the discretion of other people so that it cannot be nullified that he will not continue to sin. He may then perform the service, descend [from the altar], and divorce her. Similarly, if he would become impure due to contact with a human corpse, he is disqualified until he makes a resolution in court not to contract such impurity. If he transgressed and performed service before taking such a vow or making such a resolution, he does not disqualify his service even though he remains married in sin.

כֹּהֵן שֶׁעָבַד וְנִבְדַּק וְנִמְצָא חָלָל עֲבוֹדָתוֹ כְּשֵׁרָה לְשֶׁעָבַר וְאֵינוֹ עוֹבֵד לְהַבָּא. וְאִם עָבַד לֹא חִלֵּל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים לג יא) "בָּרֵךְ ה' חֵילוֹ וּפֹעַל יָדָיו תִּרְצֶה" אַף חֻלִּין שֶׁבּוֹ תִּרְצֶה:

When a priest performed service and afterwards, his [genealogy] was checked and it was discovered that he was a challal, his previous service is acceptable, but he may not serve in the future. If, however, he does [continue] to serve, he does not desecrate the service. [This is derived from Deuteronomy 33:11]: "May G-d bless His legion and find acceptable the work of his hand." [implied is that] He will find acceptable even the desecrated among them.

בֵּית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל הָיוּ יוֹשְׁבִין בְּלִשְׁכַּת הַגָּזִית. וְעִקַּר מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הַתָּדִיר שֶׁהָיוּ יוֹשְׁבִין וְּדָנִין אֶת הַכְּהֻנָּה וּבוֹדְקִין הַכֹּהֲנִים בְּיוּחֲסִין וּבְמוּמִין. כָּל כֹּהֵן שֶׁנִּמְצָא פָּסוּל בְּיִחוּסוֹ לוֹבֵשׁ שְׁחוֹרִים וּמִתְעַטֵּף שְׁחוֹרִים וְיוֹצֵא מִן הָעֲזָרָה. וְכָל מִי שֶׁנִּמְצָא שָׁלֵם וְכָשֵׁר לוֹבֵשׁ לְבָנִים וְנִכְנָס וּמְשַׁמֵּשׁ עִם אֶחָיו הַכֹּהֲנִים:

The High Court would sit in the Chamber of Hewn Stone. Their primary ongoing activity was sitting and judging the priests, e.g., examining the lineage of the priests and inspecting their blemishes. Whenever a disqualifying factor was found in the lineage of a priest, he would put on black clothes and wrap himself in black and leave the Temple Courtyard. Whoever is found to be bodily sound and of acceptable lineage puts on white garments and enters and serves with his priestly brethren.

מִי שֶׁנִּמְצָא כָּשֵׁר בְּיִחוּסוֹ וְנִמְצָא בּוֹ מוּם. יוֹשֵׁב בְּלִשְׁכַּת הָעֵצִים וּמְתַלֵּעַ עֵצִים לַמַּעֲרָכָה וְחוֹלֵק בְּקָדָשִׁים עִם אַנְשֵׁי בֵּית אָב שֶׁלּוֹ וְאוֹכֵל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כא כב) "לֶחֶם אֱלֹהָיו מִקָּדְשֵׁי הַקָּדָשִׁים וּמִן הַקָּדָשִׁים יֹאכֵל":

[A priest] who is discovered to be of acceptable lineage, but was discovered to have a physical blemish should sit in the Chamber of Wood and [removes] worm-eaten wood for the [Altar's] pyre. He should be included in the division of the sacrifices with the members of his clan and may partake [of the sacrifices], as [Leviticus 21:22] states: "He may partake of the food of his G-d from [the sacrifices of] the most holy order and of the sacred foods."