This week’s Torah portion, Emor, opens with the laws pertaining to the service Kohanim – the priests in the Tabernacle. These include the prohibition of the kohanim to put themselves in a situation where they could become ritually impure from contact with the dead. Other restrictions concern the domain of marriage and the responsibility the kohanim bear regarding their service in the Temple. The opening verse of this week’s portion begins: “And the Lord said to Moses: ‘Speak to the kohanim, the sons of Aaron, and say to them...’” (Leviticus 21:1)
Upon first reading these words, we encounter linguistic duplication: “Speak to the kohanim,” and “say to them.”
Why is there a need for Moses to be commanded to say these laws to the kohanim twice?
And did Moses indeed instruct them twice on the same laws?
Upon deeper examination, we discern the dual identity attributed to the kohanim. They are not just “kohanim” but also the “sons of Aaron.” What would have been lacking if they had been identified solely as “kohanim” or solely as “sons of Aaron”?
Regarding the first question, Rashi, the greatest Torah commentator, explains that indeed, Moses was commanded to say these laws to the kohanim twice in order “to warn the elders concerning the younger ones.”
Unlike all other commandments, which do not apply to young children, the laws of the priesthood – such as the prohibition against becoming ritually impure through contact with the dead – apply even to young kohen children. Since it is impossible to instruct young children to be cautious about these laws, the elder kohanim are responsible for ensuring that the laws are observed among the young.
It can be suggested that the linguistic duplication “Speak to the kohanim – and say to them” is related to the dual identity by which they are presented: “kohanim” and “sons of Aaron.” What is the meaning of this dual identity?
The priesthood is an inherited status. If one’s father is a kohen, then he, too, will be a kohen. If his father is not a kohen, he can never be a kohen and serve in the Temple. Such a status may cause the kohanim to feel that they are “born into it,” that they are not required to make an effort, to engage in personal work, to progress, and to be worthy of their role. After all, they were born kohanim.
To address this, Moses was commanded to give over the laws of the priesthood to both the “sons of Aaron” and to the “kohanim.” While these were the same people, it was important that they understand that being “sons of Aaron” was not enough. They must also be “kohanim” themselves, to be worthy of the priesthood. Indeed, this is dual statement expresses the dual status of the priesthood as belonging to them both as descendants of Aaron Hakohen and as individuals striving to be worthy of their role.
Perhaps this is also the intention of Rashi’s words “to warn the elders concerning the younger ones.”
Being worthy of one’s role
It was the kohen parents who were responsible for teaching their children to be worthy of the priesthood, not to rely solely on their lineage. The more a kohen relied on his familial descent from Aaron and the less he focused on personal advancement, the more likely he was to come to abuse his status. This took place in the history of the Jewish people, particularly in the late days of the Second Temple. It got to the point that there were kohanim who purchased the high priesthood for a payment to their contemporary Roman ruler of the Land of Israel.
About such a phenomenon, the sages said: “Woe is me due to the High Priests of the house of Baitos, woe is me due to their clubs. Woe is me due to the High Priests of the house of Hanin; woe is me due to their whispers and the rumors they spread. Woe is me due to the High Priests of the house of Katros; woe is me due to their pens that they use to write lies. Woe is me due to the servants of the High Priests of the house of Yishmael ben Piakhi; woe is me due to their fists.
“The power of these households stemmed from the fact that the fathers were High Priests, and their sons were the Temple treasurers, and their sons-in-law were Temple overseers [amarkalin]. And their servants strike the people with clubs...” (Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Pesachim, page 57).
The more an individual invests in being worthy of his/her role, the better he/she performs his/her role. This is as true for kohanim as it is for parents, teachers, managers, and every individual in any role. ■
The writer is rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites.