Saadia · Vayikra 21
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- Vayikra 21:1
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה אֱמֹר אֶל-הַכֹּהֲנִים בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם לְנֶפֶשׁ לֹא-יִטַּמָּא בְּעַמָּיו
. .
Then God said to Moses: 'Command the imāms, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: Let no one among you become impure through a dead person of his people —
- Vayikra 21:2
כִּי אִם-לִשְׁאֵרוֹ הַקָּרֹב אֵלָיו לְאִמּוֹ וּלְאָבִיו וְלִבְנוֹ וּלְבִתּוֹ וּלְאָחִיו
. . .
except for his next of kin, who is close to him: his mother and his father, and his son and his daughter and his brother,
- Vayikra 21:3
וְלַאֲחֹתוֹ הַבְּתוּלָה הַקְּרוֹבָה אֵלָיו אֲשֶׁר לֹא-הָיְתָה לְאִישׁ--לָהּ יִטַּמָּא
. .
and his virgin sister who is closest to him — she who has not yet become belonging to a man; for her he shall become impure, as is obligatory.
- Vayikra 21:4
לֹא יִטַּמָּא בַּעַל בְּעַמָּיו--לְהֵחַלּוֹ
.
But he shall not become impure through a person of consequence from his people, as that would debase him.
- Vayikra 21:5
לֹא-יקרחה (יִקְרְחוּ) קָרְחָה בְּרֹאשָׁם וּפְאַת זְקָנָם לֹא יְגַלֵּחוּ וּבִבְשָׂרָם--לֹא יִשְׂרְטוּ שָׂרָטֶת
. . .
They shall not pluck a plucking from the hair of their heads, nor shall they shave the corners of their beards, nor shall they scratch a scratch upon their bodies.
- Vayikra 21:6
קְדֹשִׁים יִהְיוּ לֵאלֹהֵיהֶם וְלֹא יְחַלְּלוּ שֵׁם אֱלֹהֵיהֶם כִּי אֶת-אִשֵּׁי יְהוָה לֶחֶם אֱלֹהֵיהֶם הֵם מַקְרִיבִם--וְהָיוּ קֹדֶשׁ
. .
And they shall be consecrated to their Lord, and shall not debase the name of their Lord — for, inasmuch as they are those who offer the offerings of God their Lord continually, they shall be consecrated.
- Vayikra 21:7
אִשָּׁה זֹנָה וַחֲלָלָה לֹא יִקָּחוּ וְאִשָּׁה גְּרוּשָׁה מֵאִישָׁהּ לֹא יִקָּחוּ כִּי-קָדֹשׁ הוּא לֵאלֹהָיו
. .
With a wanton and debased woman they shall not marry, and with a woman divorced from her husband they shall not marry — for every one of them is consecrated to his Lord.
- Vayikra 21:8
וְקִדַּשְׁתּוֹ--כִּי-אֶת-לֶחֶם אֱלֹהֶיךָ הוּא מַקְרִיב קָדֹשׁ יִהְיֶה-לָּךְ--כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי יְהוָה מְקַדִּשְׁכֶם
. . .
And you shall consecrate him, as is obligatory — for he offers the offering of your Lord the Eternal; he shall therefore be consecrated to you, even as I, God, consecrate you.
- Vayikra 21:9
וּבַת אִישׁ כֹּהֵן כִּי תֵחֵל לִזְנוֹת--אֶת-אָבִיהָ הִיא מְחַלֶּלֶת בָּאֵשׁ תִּשָּׂרֵף
. . .
And whichever daughter of a man who is an imām has debased herself and acted wantonly — she has brought public disgrace upon her father; she shall be burned with fire.
- Vayikra 21:10
וְהַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל מֵאֶחָיו אֲשֶׁר-יוּצַק עַל-רֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה וּמִלֵּא אֶת-יָדוֹ לִלְבֹּשׁ אֶת-הַבְּגָדִים--אֶת-רֹאשׁוֹ לֹא יִפְרָע וּבְגָדָיו לֹא יִפְרֹם
. . .
And the great imām among his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured and whose obligation is fulfilled by the wearing of the vestments — he shall not dishevel his head, nor shall he tear his garments.
- Vayikra 21:11
וְעַל כָּל-נַפְשֹׁת מֵת לֹא יָבֹא לְאָבִיו וּלְאִמּוֹ לֹא יִטַּמָּא
.
Over any dead person he shall not enter; even for his father and his mother he shall not become impure.
- Vayikra 21:12
וּמִן-הַמִּקְדָּשׁ לֹא יֵצֵא וְלֹא יְחַלֵּל אֵת מִקְדַּשׁ אֱלֹהָיו כִּי נֵזֶר שֶׁמֶן מִשְׁחַת אֱלֹהָיו עָלָיו--אֲנִי יְהוָה
. . .
And from the sanctuary he shall not go out after them, nor shall he debase the consecration of his Lord — for, inasmuch as the crown of his Lord's anointing oil is upon him, I, God, have honored him.
- Vayikra 21:13
וְהוּא אִשָּׁה בִבְתוּלֶיהָ יִקָּח
And he — he shall marry none but a virgin woman.
- Vayikra 21:14
אַלְמָנָה וּגְרוּשָׁה וַחֲלָלָה זֹנָה אֶת-אֵלֶּה לֹא יִקָּח כִּי אִם-בְּתוּלָה מֵעַמָּיו יִקַּח אִשָּׁה
. .
As for a widow, or a divorced woman, or a debased woman, or a wanton woman — he shall not marry any of these; only a virgin woman from his people shall he marry.
- Vayikra 21:15
וְלֹא-יְחַלֵּל זַרְעוֹ בְּעַמָּיו כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה מְקַדְּשׁוֹ
And he shall not debase his offspring through any other than her from his people — for I, God, consecrate him.'
- Vayikra 21:16
וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר
Then God spoke to Moses in speech.
- Vayikra 21:17
דַּבֵּר אֶל-אַהֲרֹן לֵאמֹר אִישׁ מִזַּרְעֲךָ לְדֹרֹתָם אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בוֹ מוּם--לֹא יִקְרַב לְהַקְרִיב לֶחֶם אֱלֹהָיו
. . . .
'Command Aaron and say to him: Any man from your offspring, throughout their generations, in whom there is a blemish — he shall not come forward to offer the offering of his Lord.
- Vayikra 21:18
כִּי כָל-אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ מוּם לֹא יִקְרָב אִישׁ עִוֵּר אוֹ פִסֵּחַ אוֹ חָרֻם אוֹ שָׂרוּעַ
. .
For every man in whom there is a blemish shall not come forward. Among such: the blind and the lame, and one with a cleft nose and one who limps,
- Vayikra 21:19
אוֹ אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר-יִהְיֶה בוֹ שֶׁבֶר רָגֶל אוֹ שֶׁבֶר יָד
.
or a man in whom there is a broken leg or a broken arm,
- Vayikra 21:20
אוֹ-גִבֵּן אוֹ-דַק אוֹ תְּבַלֻּל בְּעֵינוֹ אוֹ גָרָב אוֹ יַלֶּפֶת אוֹ מְרוֹחַ אָשֶׁךְ
. . .
or a hunchback, or one of dim sight, or one with a cataract in his eye, or in whom there is mange or thick scaling of the head, or one with a crushed testicle —
- Vayikra 21:21
כָּל-אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ מוּם מִזֶּרַע אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן--לֹא יִגַּשׁ לְהַקְרִיב אֶת-אִשֵּׁי יְהוָה מוּם בּוֹ--אֵת לֶחֶם אֱלֹהָיו לֹא יִגַּשׁ לְהַקְרִיב
. . . . .
so too every man in whom there is a blemish, from the offspring of Aaron the imām: he shall not come forward to offer the offering of God; and whatever that blemish be in him, the offering of his Lord he shall not come forward to offer.
- Vayikra 21:22
לֶחֶם אֱלֹהָיו מִקָּדְשֵׁי הַקֳּדָשִׁים וּמִן-הַקֳּדָשִׁים יֹאכֵל
. .
However, the provision of his Lord — from the choicest of the holy things and from the general portions thereof — he may eat.
- Vayikra 21:23
אַךְ אֶל-הַפָּרֹכֶת לֹא יָבֹא וְאֶל-הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לֹא יִגַּשׁ--כִּי-מוּם בּוֹ וְלֹא יְחַלֵּל אֶת-מִקְדָּשַׁי כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה מְקַדְּשָׁם
. . . .
But into the curtain he shall not enter, and to the altar he shall not come forward, since there is a blemish in him; and he shall not debase My sacred things — for I, God, consecrate them.'
- Vayikra 21:24
וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל-בָּנָיו וְאֶל-כָּל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
.
And Moses commanded thereby Aaron and his sons, and the rest of the sons of Israel.
English is a working draft — author revising