LEVITICUS VI:1-VIII:36

THE KOHEN HERITAGE

The central theme of these chapters is the figure of the Kohen, the priest who will officiate at the offering of sacrifices. In later stages, after the conquest of the Promised Land during the period of the Beit HaMikdash, the Kohanim caste  conducted the cult that was centered in the precincts of this Holy House. While the title of Rav, “teacher,” depends on the sustained study of the Holy Scriptures – and especially of the Oral Torahrepresented by the Talmud – the Kehunah, the condition of Kohen, has a genetic origin. The descendants of Aharon(Aaron), the brother of Moshe (Moses), have access to the right to the Kehunah by reason of birth. 

Moreover, the Kohen cannot renounce his priestly nature, a condition that is affected only by certain biological defects or by the forbidden marriage contracted by his father. The Torahforbids the Kohen from  marrying, for example, a divorced woman. In the case of Kohen Gadol, chief of the Kohanim, this prohibition includes the widow. Whoever descends from such a forbidden union receives the designation of Kohen Chalaldisqualified from officiating. Likewise, the descendants of this Chalal will be disqualified.

As Rachel Lifshitz points out, the Kohen had privileges and obligations. Especially during the existence of the BeitHaMikdash, the Kohen had a position of privilege that included the obtaining of some parts of the animal offered free and received the contribution called Terumah, which even the other members of the tribe of Levi had to offer. Although the Torahdoes not stipulate the amount of the contribution, the Talmudsuggests an amount of not less than one-fiftieth of the annual income. 

The Mishnah teaches that the Kohen Gadol was held in the realm of the Beit HaMikdash for the 7 days leading up to Yom HaKippurim (Day of Atonement) for the purpose that he might review the order of this Day of Atonement offering service. Obtaining divine forgiveness depended on the labors of the Kohen Gadol, who could not deviate from the order that the Chachamim had established according to their interpretation of the sacred text. This was necessary, because there had been situations of Kohanim who were not learned in the tradition. Moreover, the Chachamim wanted to ensure that the Kohenfollowed the opinion of the Perushim (Pharisees) and not that of the Tsedukim (Sadducees) in cases where there was divergence of opinion. 

The Kohen Gadol entered the Kodesh HaKodashim (Holy of Holies) only on Yom HaKippurim to ask for divine forgiveness for his personal sins, the mistakes of his relatives and of the entire people. At present after the destruction of the BeitHaMikdash, this holy day is celebrated mainly by means of prayers and prayers and abstention from food and drink. 

During the period of the physical existence of the BeitHaMikdash, worship centered on the offerings made by the Kohen Gadol, the drawing of the animals to select the “scapegoat” who would symbolically bear upon himself the sins of the Jewish people. The crucial moment, however, was when the Kohen Gadol entered the interior of the Kodesh HaKodashim. The people waited anxiously to see if the Kohen Gadol would come out of the compound alive, a sign that their requests for forgiveness had been accepted.

After the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash, the Kohen has been limited to certain privileges such as officiating at the Pidyon Haben, the redemption of the firstborn; being called to the first section of the Torah reading; and reciting the “triple blessing” during the repetition of the Amidah (the central silent prayer).

Perhaps above the figure of the Kohen, the Rav, the Talmid chacham, teacher, has special relevance in the present. In the absence of the Beit HaMikdash, the study of Torah  and the Talmud have acquired supremacy and study has become the preferred vehicle for ensuring the continuity and spiritual development of Judaism.

MITZVAH: ORDINANCE OF THE TORAH IN THIS PARSHA

CONTAINS 9  POSITIVE MITSVOT AND 9 PROHIBITIONS

131. Leviticus 6:3 Raise the ashes (from the Altar)

132. Leviticus 6:6 To light a fire daily upon the altar

133. Leviticus 6:6 Do not quench the fire of the Altar

134. Leviticus 6:9 Eat the remainder of the Mincha offering

135. Leviticus 6:10 Do not leaven the remainder of the Mincha offering

136. Leviticus 6:13 The  Daily Mincha offering of the KohenGadol (High Priest)

137. Leviticus 6:16 The Mincha offering  of a Kohen is not consumed

138. Leviticus 6:18 The procedure with the Chatat offering (for sin)

139. Leviticus 6:23 Do not eat the flesh of the Chatat offering whose blood is splattered inside (the sanctuary)

140. Leviticus 7:1 The Asham offering procedure  (for guilt)

141. Leviticus 7:11 The Shelamim (for Peace) offering procedure

142. Leviticus 7:15 Do not leave any meat of the Todah(thanksgiving) offering after the time allotted for its consumption 

143. Leviticus 7:17 The Obligation to burn the remnants of the sacred offerings

144. Leviticus 7:18 Do not eat of the Pigul offering, an offering with wrong intentions

145. Leviticus 7:19 Do not eat the flesh of unclean sacred offerings

146. Leviticus 7:19 The obligation to burn unclean sacred flesh

147. Leviticus 7:23 Do not eat Chelev (forbidden fat of the offering)

148. Leviticus 7:26 Do not ingest the blood of any animal or bird