43. Entry into Holy Places - Bi'as ha-Mikdash
A priest is forbidden to enter the Temple except at
the time of the service, nor may anyone enter the holy of
holies except for the high priest at the proper times
during the Yom Kippur service, as it says "And he shall not
come at all times into the holy place inside the curtain
in front of the cover that is on the ark, and he shall not
die".1 A priest is forbidden to leave the Temple during
the service, as it says "And you shall not leave the tent
of meeting lest you die",2 and it says regarding the high
priest "And he shall not leave the Sanctuary".3,a
A drunken priest is forbidden to enter the Temple
beyond the altar; but if he does so his service is fit
unless he has drunk wine, as it says "[And Ha-Shem said to
Aaron: You shall not drink wine or intoxicating drinks, you
or your sons, when you come into the tent of meeting] and
you shall not die".4 Similarly, it is forbidden for anyone
to rule on a nontrivial point of law when drunk, as it says
"And to teach the children of Israel".5,b
A priest whose hair has grown for 30 days or more or
whose clothes are torn is also forbidden to go beyond the
altar, as it says "They shall not shave their heads nor
grow long hair... and no priest shall drink wine when they
come into tbe inner court"6; and it says "You shall not let
your head [hair] grow long or tear your clothes and you
shall not die"7; and it says regarding the high priest "He
shall not let his head [hair] grow long or tear his clothes".8
However, the service of such priests is fit.c
A priest who has certain visible physical defects is
also forbidden to go beyond the altar even if the defect
is not permanent. Such a priest is also forbidden to
participate in the service, and if he does so his service is
unfit, as it says "[Say to Aaron: Any man of your descendants]
who has a blemish shall not come near to offer his G-d's
bread, for any man who has a blemish shall not come near...
he may eat of his G-d's bread... but he shall not come to
the curtain nor approach the altar [for he has a blemish
and he shall not profane My sacred things]".9,d
A priest who has just lost a close relative should
not participate in the service, and if he does so his
service is unfit. The high priest, however, can serve even on
that day, as it says "[For any dead persons...] he shall
not leave the sanctuary and he shall not profane his G-d's
sanctuary".10 But not even the high priest can share in
the eating of the sacrifices on that day, as it says "If I
eat a sin-offering today will it be proper in the eyes of
Ha-Shem?"11 Similarly, if a person is in mourning or impure
to a major degree his sacrifices cannot be offered.e
An impure person is forbidden to serve in the Temple
and if he does so his service is unfit, as it says "[Say
to Aaron and to his sons:] They must abstain from the
sacred things of the children of Israel lest they defile
My holy Name... [any man of all your descendants who
approaches the sacred things that the children of Israel
sanctify to Ha-Shem with his impurity upon him, that
person shall be cut off...] and they shall die if they
profane it".12 He is forbidden to do so even after he has
immersed himself as long as the day has not ended, as it
says "And they shall not profane the Name of their G-d",13
and it says "[If he has washed his flesh with water] and
the sun has set he becomes pure".14 His service is
unfit even if he has not yet brought a sacrifice on account
of impurity, as it says "And the priest shall atone for her
and she shall become pure"15 -- implying that until the
atonement, purification is not complete. The communal
sacrifices which must be brought at fixed times can
be brought if necessary even in a state of impurity, but
they are not eaten under such circumstances. The priests
are commanded to wash their hands and feet before serving
in the Temple and if they do not do so their service is
unfit, as it says "And Aaron and his sons shall wash their
hands and feet from it; [when they enter the tent of meeting]
they shall wash in water and not die".16,f
An impure person is forbidden to enter a holy place:
a leper must not enter a walled city in the land of Israel;
a person impure on account of a running issue must not enter
the Temple mount; a non-Jew or a person impure on account
of contact with a corpse must not enter the outer zone; a
person who has immersed himself for impurity on that day
must not enter the women's court; and a person who has not
yet brought a sacrifice for impurity must not enter the
westernmost part of the court -- as it says "[If there is
a man among you who is not pure...] he shall go outside the
camp; he shall not come inside the camp"17; and it says
"And they shall not make their camp unclean [in which I
dwell among them]"18; and it says "And if he does not wash
[his clothes] and does not wash his flesh he shall bear
his sin19; and it says "Or a person who touches any impure
thing... [and he forgets it... he shall bring his guilt-offering
to Ha-Shem]".20 We are commanded to send all such
persons out of the places that they are forbidden to enter,
as it says "And they shall send out of the camp every leper
and every person with a running issue and every person
impure on account of a corpse"21; and it is forbidden to bring
such impure things or persons into such places.g
A non-priest or an uncircumcised person is forbidden
to serve in the Temple and if he does so his service is
unfit, as it says "And an outsider shall not come near
you... and an outsider who comes near shall be killed".22
A priest who has committed idolatry or has offered
sacrifices outside the Temple should not serve in the
Temple, as it says "[Since they have served before their
abominations]... they shall not approach Me to be My priests"23;
similarly, an apostate's sacrifices cannot be offered. The
service must be performed while standing (as it says "To
stand and serve"24) directly on the Temple floor and
must be performed with the right hand; otherwise it is
unfit.h
Sources: |
| 1. Lev. 16:2 |
a. 2:2-5 |
| 2. Lev. 10:7 |
b. 1:1-3; see 15 |
| 3. Lev. 21:12 |
c. 1:8-11,14 |
| 4. Lev. 10:9 |
d. 6:1-2,7,12 |
| 5. Lev. 10:11 |
e. 2:6-8,11-12 |
| 6. Ezekiel 44:20-21 |
f. 4:1,4-5,10-11; 5:1-2 (compare Beis ha-Bechirah 7:21) |
| 7. Lev. 10:6 |
g. 3:1-8,10,12,16; compare Beis ha-Bechirah 7:13-18 |
| 8. Lev. 21:10 |
h. 5:16-18; 6:8; 9:1,13-14; Maaseh ha-Korbanos 3:4 |
| 9. Lev. 21:17-18,22-23 |
|
| 10. Lev. 21:11-12 |
|
| 11. Lev. 10:19 |
|
| 12. Lev. 22:2-3,9 |
|
| 13. Lev. 21:6 |
|
| 14. Lev. 22:6-7 |
|
| 15. Lev. 12:8 |
|
| 16. Ex. 30:19-20 |
|
| 17. Deut. 23:11 |
|
| 18. Num. 5:3 |
|
| 19. Lev. 17:16 |
|
| 20. Lev. 5:2,6 |
|
| 21. Num. 5:2 |
|
| 22. Num. 18:4,7 |
|
| 23. Ezekiel 44:12-13 |
|
| 24. Deut. 18:5 |
|