Rashi on TanakhLeviticus 21

Speak to the kohanim. Say, and you shall say — to warn the adults regarding the minors.

The sons of Aharon. Perhaps those unfit [are also included in this prohibition]? The verse says:

The kohanim. The sons of Aharon — even those who have a [physical] blemish are implied.

The sons of Aharon, and not the daughters of Aharon.

Let him not defile himself among his people, while the dead body is still “among his people,” excluding a mes mitzvoh.

Except for his kin. “His kin” [refers] to none other than his wife.

To whom he is closely related — to include the betrothed [sister].

Who has not yet been married, [referring to the marriage’s] consummation.

For her, he may be defiled. [It is] a [positive] command.

A husband may not defile himself among his people to become profaned. He may not defile himself for an illegitimate wife, through whom he becomes unfit [for the kehunoh], while she is still with him. And thus the plain meaning of the verse is [as follows]: “A husband may not defile himself” — “with his flesh,” while [the corpse is] yet “among his people” — when there are [people available who can] bury her, [that is,] she is not a mes mitzvoh. And regarding what flesh [= wife] did I speak? Regarding one [through] which “he becomes profaned” — to become unfit from his kehunoh.

They shall not make baldness for a deceased person. Were not Israelites also prohibited such [conduct]? However, because it was stated regarding Israelites: “[You shall not make any baldness] ’between your eyes’ [for the dead],” Perhaps he is not liable [for plucking out hair] on [any part] of the head [other than “between the eyes”]? The verse says: “on their head” — and [the law of] Israelites is derived from [the law] of kohanim by [means of] a gezeroh shovoh: “baldness” (קָרְחָה) is mentioned here and “baldness’ (קָרְחָה) is mentioned regarding Israelites — just as here [any part of] the entire head [is implied], so too further on the entire head is implied, wherever he makes a bald spot on the head. And just as further on [the prohibition involves mourning] for a deceased person, so, here [mourning] for a deceased person [is implied].

And the corners of their beards they shall not shave. Because regarding an Israelite it is said, “you shall not destroy [by shaving the corner of your beard],” perhaps for plucking with a tweezer or with plane-like tools he is liable? Therefore it is said, “they shall not shave” — he is liable only for something which is called “shaving” and which has in it “destructiveness,” and that [is accomplished only with] a razor.

They shall not make gashes in their flesh. Because it is said regarding an [ordinary] Israelite, “A gash for the dead shall you not make,” perhaps [this means that if he] made five gashes, he is liable for only one? The verse says: “They shall not make gashes” — to make him liable for each and every gash. for this word [= “gashes”] is superfluous [and intended] for midrashic exposition, for it should have been written: “They shall not gash,” and I would know that [the verb “gash” refers to] gashes.

They shall be holy. The court shall sanctify them against their will in this.

A harlot, [A woman] who has had sexual relations with an Israelite who is forbidden for her to marry, under the penalty of koreis [for doing so], or a נָתִין, or a מַמְזֵר .

A profaned woman, [that is, a woman] who was born of a marriage [between a kohein] and one [forbidden] to the kehunoh, as for example the daughter of a widow [illegally married] to a Kohein Godol, or the daughter of a divorced woman [illegally married] to an ordinary kohein. So too one who became invalid [for intermarriage] with the kehunoh because she had sexual relations in one of the marriages forbidden to a kohein.

You shall make him holy — [even] against his will, for if he does not wish to divorce [his illegal wife], beat him and punish him until he does divorce [her].

He shall be holy unto you, treat him with sanctity, to take precedence in all matters [of sanctity], and to bless first at a meal.

Who profanes herself by fornication, when she becomes profaned through fornication, as when she had [some] marital tie with a husband and fornicated, whether [this tie was through] betrothal or marriage. Our Rabbis disagreed about the matter, [but] all agree that the verse does not speak regarding a free woman.

She profanes her father. She has profaned and degraded his honor, for they say of him: “Cursed be he that he caused this one to be born; cursed be he that he raised this one”!

Shall not let [his hair] grow wild, it shall not grow wild in mourning. And what is [the measure] of “growing wild”? More than thirty days.

And adjacent to any dead body, etc. [That is,] in[to] a tent [which is over a] dead body.

Dead body [literally, “souls of a dead body”] — to include a quarter [of a לוֹג] of blood from a dead body, which causes impurity in a “tent.”

For his father and his mother he shall not become [ritually] impure. This comes only to permit him [to become impure] for a mes mitzvoh.

He shall not depart from the Sanctuary. He does not follow the coffin. Furthermore, our Rabbis learned from here that a Kohein Godol may offer [a sacrifice] while he is an onein, and this is its meaning: Even if his father and his mother died, he is not required to leave the Sanctuary, but performs the Temple-service.

And he shall not profane. . .the Sanctuary, He does not profane the Temple-service with this, since Scripture permitted him [to remain there]; thus, [we learn,] that an ordinary kohein who performs [the Temple-service] while he is an onein does profane [it].

And a profaned woman, born of [a marriage] forbidden to the kehunoh.

He shall not profane his offspring — thus, if he marries one [of those] women invalid [for marriage with kohanim], his offspring from her is profaned from the status of the holiness of the kehunoh.

The bread of his God, “the food” of his God. Every meal is called “food,” as [in the verse] “he made a great feast.”

For any man who has a blemish shall not approach. It is not proper that he approach; [the word “approach”] is like [that in the verse] “[If you offer the lame or sick, is it not evil?] Offer it now to your governor; [will he be pleased with you?].”

A man with a sunken nose, [one] whose nose is sunken between the two eyes, [so that] he can paint both his eyes with one stroke.

A man who has disproportionate limbs, [one who has] one limb larger than the other — one eye large and one eye small, or one thigh is longer than the other.

One with overhanging eyebrows. Sorzilos in Old French, [denoting one whose] eyebrows — their hair is long and lies [over his face].

Or with a cataract, who has a membrane in his eyes, which is called toyle [in Old French], similar [to the use of the word in the verse]: “Who spreads out [the heavens] like a membrane.”

Or a disarrangement [in the eye], something which confuses the eye, such as a white streak which stretches from the white [of the eye] and intersects the iris — the circle which surrounds the black [of the eye], [that] which is called prunelle in Old French. This streak intersects the circle and enters the black [of the eye]. The Targum of תְּבַלוּל is חִילִּיז, a word [related to] חִלָּזוֹן, for that streak is similar to a worm, and so the Sages of Israel termed it, [when describing] the blemishes [which can befall] a firstling: worm, snake, wart.

Scurf [= gorov] or scabs [= yallefes]. These are types of boils. “Scurf” is [what is called elsewhere] cheres, a boil [which is] dry within and without [on the surface]; “scab” is the Egyptian lichen. And why is it called yallefes? Because it continues to cling [to the body] until the day of death, and it is moist without and dry within, and in another place gorov is called shechin — moist without and dry within, as it is said, “and with the scab [= gorov] and with the itch [= cheres].” When [the word] “scurf” [= gorov] [appears] near cheres, [then] “scab” [= yallefes] is called “scurf” [= gorov], [but] when it [= gorov] [appears] near “scab” [= yallefes], cheres is called “scurf” [= gorov] — so is it explained in Bechoros.

Or one with crushed testicles, [which is,] according to the Targum: מְרֵס פַּחֲדִין, whose פַּחֲדִין are מְרוּסָסִין — his testicles are crushed. [The word] פַּחֲדִין is related [to its meaning in the verse]: “All the sinews of his testicles are knit together.”

Any man who has a blemish — [this comes] to include other blemishes.

He has a blemish, while “he has a blemish,” he is unfit; therefore, if the blemish passes, he is fit.

The bread of his God, every food is called “bread.”

Of the most holy [sacrifices] — these are the most holy sacrifices.

And from the holy, he may eat. These are the sacrifices of lesser sanctity. If sacrifices of greater sanctity are mentioned, why are sacrifices of lesser sanctity [also] mentioned? If it had not been said, I would have thought: A blemished person may eat of the most holy sacrifices, since we find that they were permitted to a non-kohein, [as when] Moshe ate the flesh of the installation-sacrifices. But [I might think] that of the breast and thigh of sacrifices of lesser sanctity he may not eat, since we do not find that a non-kohein had a part in them — therefore sacrifices of lesser sanctity are mentioned. So is it explained in [the Maseches of] Zevochim.

However, [he may not enter] beyond the curtain, to sprinkle seven sprinklings on the curtain.

And to the altar, the outer [one]. And both [the curtain and the altar] had to be written, and [the reason] is explained in Toras Kohanim.

He shall not profane My holy things. For if he did perform [the service], his service is profaned and becomes invalid.

Moshe spoke this mitzvah.

To Aharon and to his sons and to all of Bnei Yisroel — to warn the court regarding the kohanim.