STATUTES CONCERNING THE HOLINESS OF THE PRIESTS Having presented statutes concerning the life of the congregation as a whole – people and priests – he now presents statutes concerning the priests in particular, to practice the holy life befitting of them as the priests of the Holy Lord (6), who presents offerings to Him (6, 8), and as spiritual leaders (28). For the more his responsibilities are, man is committed to a more particulate life. 1- The priests and the circumstances of death 1 - 6 2- The priests and marriage 7 - 8 3- The fall of a priest’s daughter into sin 9 4- Statutes concerning the high priest 10 - 15 5- The priests and the congenital defects 16 – 24 1- THE PRIESTS AND THE CIRCUNSTANCES OF DEATH: It is befitting of the priest who received the fatherhood in Jesus Christ, to soar above the personal human emotions; to consider all the congregation as his children, brothers, and beloved, with no discrimination. As according to St. John Chrysoston: [The priest as a steward of God, is committed to care for the rest of the people, being a father of the whole world]. Through such general concept of fatherhood, the law of the old covenant sought from him, even to refrain from feeling sorrow for the death of any of his relatives, or to “defile himself for the dead among his people” (1); with the exception of the father, mother, brother, and unmarried sister (2, 3). The Lord of glory Himself, presenting this statute with an evangelic sense, said: “Let the bead bury their own dead” (Matthew 8: 22; Luke 9: 60); as it is befitting of the minister of God not to get confused with such familial duties, for the sake of ministering to the whole congregation. According to the scholar Tertullian: [Dedicating himself to God, it is befitting of the nazirite, and of him who has got the task of priesthood, to be inspired only by preaching the kingdom of God]. According to the Mosaic law, the priest should not touch the dead of even his relatives, with the exception of those we mentioned; And in his sorrow even for those, it is befitting of him not to practice the heathen customs, forbidden even for the people of God, like shaving the hair of the head, the edges of the beard, and wounding the body. If those practices are not befitting for the congregation to do, how much more would they be concerning the priest who offers the offerings of the Lord and serve the sanctuaries?! 2- THE PRIESTS AND MARRIAGE: According to the Mosaic law, the priest should not be married to an adulteress, even if she repents, nor to a divorced woman …, he and his wife, being role models for the congregation, have to be blameless in the sight of God and people,. As to the high priest, he should not be married even to a widow, but to a virgin, on account of that he refers to the Lord Christ, the greatest High Priest, who acquired the church -- a chaste virgin for Himself (2 Corinthians 11: 2). 3- THE FALL OF A PRIEST’S DAUGHTER INTO SIN: “The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the harlot, she profanes her father, she shall be burned with fire” (9). Receiving so many divine graces, the priest, together with his wife and children, should be blameless. Any sin committed by one of them, would be condemned by a verdict more cruel than for any body else. As according to St. Cyril of Alexandria: [In case of the priest’s family, the punishment will be harsher; on account of that “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required” (Luke 12: 48)]. 4- STATUTES CONCERNING THE HIGH PRIEST: “The high priest among his brethren” as he is so called here (10), on account of that he symbolizes the Lord Christ our greatest High Priest, will submit to statutes special for him, among which are: a- “On whose head the anointing oil was poured, and who is consecrated to wear the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor tear his clothes” (10); He is not allowed to uncover his head that was anointed by the holy ointment; for the anointed head refers to the Lord Christ (Leviticus 2). Having received the Lord Christ in us, we should hide Him in our depths, saying together with the bride of the Song: “When I found the one I love, I held him and would not let him go, until I had brought him to the house of my mother, and into the chamber of her who conceived me” (Songs 3: 4); She is the paradise that bore in her, Christ the Tree of Life, and the fountain, filled with the living water; the inexhaustible fountain, for the Lord of glory is inside it! Let our Groom be in us, as though in a closed-up paradise, a closed-up fountain, and a sealed spring … Let us rejoice in Him, unite with Him, and partake of His inner glories. Not tearing the clothes; is on account of that the garment refers to the church by which the Lord Christ is clothed. Let it be one church without dissension; for her Groom is One. b- “Nor shall he go near any dead body, nor defile himself for his father or his mother” (11). Being a symbol of the Lord Christ, the Grantor of life, he would not partake of death; for if he touches a dead body, death would not endure his touch and would flee away. Having carried in himself the Lord Christ, who has no fellowship with death nor with the pit, the apostle Paul daringly says: “O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law; but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15: 55, 56). c- “Nor shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him” (12). Namely, while he is ministering in the Lord’s sanctuary, he is not allowed to come out of the tabernacle of meeting, nor stop his work, for whatever reason there is, even if his closest relative dies; For leaving his ministry would be counted as an insult to that holy task, and a despise of the glory with which the holy anointment adorned his head. Commenting on this statute, St. Jerome says: [Surely, as we believe in Christ, we carry Him in us, and because of the oil of anointment we received, we are committed not to leave the altar, namely, not to forsake our Christian task, and go out, to get involved in the works of the nations of unbelievers; but to stay perpetually inside, as ministers obedient to the will of the Lord]. And according to St. John Chrysostom: [In this statute there is a living portrait of the believer’s heart, which became a sanctuary and a dwelling place for the Lord (Romans 6: 16); in which no human work should be practiced, but only what is divine. Hence, any word that comes out of his mouth, would be considered as coming out of the mouth of God; no profanity, nor rejoicing in fun. In other words, having been justified by our Lord Jesus Christ, we have to become a dwelling place for the Highest Priest, who would never forsake us; for being His sanctuary; and our behavior would be His, in and by us]. With the same meaning, father Nestor says: [This means that the Lord Christ, having promised to abide in our hearts forever, says: “I will dwell in them, and will walk among them” (2 Corinthians 6: 16). c- “He shall take a wife in her virginity” (13) from among his people (14). According to some interpreters, the high priest was committed to be the husband of one wife, a virgin he takes from among his people, as according to the apostle: “a church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven” (Hebrew 12: 23). From among his people and not a foreigner; having become in the waters of baptism the body of Christ, no strangers to Him, but members of His body; and He granted His Holy Spirit dwelling in us. 5- THE PRIESTS AND CONGENITAL DEFECTS (BLEMISHES): “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron, saying: No man of your descendants in succeeding generations, who has any defect,. … a man blind or lame, who has a mutilated face, or any limb too long, a man who has a broken foot or broken hand, or a hunchback or a dwarf, or a man who has a defect in his eye, or an itching disease or scab, or crushed testicles; No man … who has a defect, shall come near to offer the offerings made by fire to the Lord, to offer the bread of his God. He may eat the bread of his God, both the most holy and the holy; only he shall not go near the veil or approach the altar; … lest he profanes My sanctuaries; for I the Lord sanctify them” (16 – 23). That is why, when the sons of priests reach the legal age to receive the priestly work, they would be examined by the elders of the Senhedrim, who separate those without defect for the proper priestly task; while assigning those with defects to do the simple priestly tasks like kindling the fire, etc. In the new covenant the apostle Paul made a condition for the bishop to be “blameless” (1 Timothy 3: 2); and to have a good testimony among those who are outside (1 Timothy 3: 7). Pope Gregory the Great, sees in this statute before us, a symbolic spiritual concept of the conditions of choosing the priest. The following are some quotations of his talk about “Shepherding”: [The “blind” is he who does not recognize the light of heavenly meditation; For he who is submerged in the darkness of this world, cannot perceive the Light to come, on account of that he does not long for it; does not know how to walk, or where to head. Hence Hanna the prophetess said: “He (God) will guard the feet of His saints; but the wicked shall be silent in darkness” (1 Samuel 2: 9). The “lame” is he, who although he knows the way, yet he cannot walk steady in it, because of his sick soul. And because he cannot rise with his wicked habits up to the level of virtues; he does not have the ability to walk according to his own free will; Hence the apostle Paul says: “Therefore, strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees. And make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed” (Hebrew 12: 12, 13). He “who has a mutilated face”, is he who, because of not having the sound sense of smell, is unable to discern between the sweet fragrance and the corrupt stench; to discern between the virtue and iniquity. Hence, commending the bride church, it is said: “Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon” (Songs 7: 4). As the holy church can recognize the diverse causes of the temptations directed toward her; and can know ahead – from her tower – the evil battles that are to come. “Having a limb too long”, refers to the busybodies who are perpetually preoccupied with asking too many questions; Having an exaggerated confidence in themselves, they will never admit their foolishness.. “A man who has a broken foot or a broken hand”, refers to him who cannot ever walk in the way of God, and is utterly denied a portion in the good deeds. In this he differs from the “lame” who can – although with difficulty – partake of the good works. “The hunchback” refers to those who, bowed under the heavy burden of the worldly worries, cannot raise their eyes up high, but concentrate them on the lowly things at their footsteps; And if they hear good news concerning the heavenly dwelling place of the Father, they, under the burden of their evil habits, cannot raise up the face of their hearts, nor their minds, bound by the worldly worries on earth. Such people, the psalmist David describes as: “Bowed down greatly, and go mourning all the day long” (Psalm 38: 6); And rejecting their iniquities, the incarnate Lord says: “And the ones that fell among the thorns are those who, when they have heard (the word of God), go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity” (Luke 8: 14). “The one who has a defect in his eyes” refers to him who, although naturally enlightened by the knowledge of truth, yet his eyes are darkened by carnal works. Although the iris is sound, yet the eyelids are so swollen with discharge, and so withered by the dense flow of tears, to impair the power of sight. For him, despite his natural ability to discern between the good and the evil, yet he distorted and weakened his insight by his corrupt carnal way of life; To such a man, the angel says: “I counsel you ….to anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see” (Revelation 3: 18); to strengthen the eyes of his by the medication of good works, to be able to distinguish the brightness of the true light. But in case he has a white cloud on his eyes; he would be denied distinguishing the true light, because of his blindness caused by claiming wisdom and goodness. It is obvious that when man admits that he is fool and wicked, by the power of his mind, he can perceive the extent of the brightness of his inner light; But, referring to himself the shining of wisdom and goodness, he denies it the exalted light of understanding. Through the pride of his self glory, it would be impossible for him to perceive the brightness of the divine light. About such people it is said: “Professing to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1: 22). “Having an itching disease” refers to him who, being under the influence of wickedness, his inner heat comes out on the surface of his skin; a condition that truly represents fornication; When the seduction of the heart is translated into actual deeds, we may say that the inner heat is surfaced like eczema on the skin. Because lust will actually prevail, if not reigned by the mind, the apostle Paul strongly cared for purifying it, as though it is like an eczema on the skin; saying: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man” (1 Corinthians 10: 13). By this he intends to make it clear that, being human, we have to suffer the temptations of the mind; but in case it prevails on us, and settles down in our hearts, it would then be from the devil. “The scab”, refers to him whose mind is corrupted by greed; which if not controlled, it would prevail on his entire life. Like scab, that causes no pain, nor annoys its bearer, yet distorts his beauty; so is greed that may fill its victim with pleasure, yet defiles him. Putting before the mind things to strive to acquire, it stirs in him hatred and animosity. Causing no pain, is on account of that it promises to give the sick soul an abundance of things as a vain price for sin. But distorting the beauty of members, is because it distorts the beauty of virtue; namely, if iniquities fill the soul of man, the whole body would be corrupted; hence the apostle Paul truly says: “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6: 10). As to the one “with crushed testicles”, although he cannot actually perform uncleanness, yet he may come under the yoke of perpetual thinking about it; and his heart would keep pondering fornication, without any blame on the part of his conscience. He would let his mind go astray in things that stir his lust; and hence, would bear in his heart a filthy burden, that his soul cannot get rid of; and, at the same time, bowing under the heavy burden of his hidden shameful thoughts, he has no power to raise himself up to train himself on the good deeds. Therefore, those who have any of these blemishes, should refrain from approaching to offer the bread of the Lord; on account of that, man cannot atone for the transgressions of others, when he, himself, is reigned by his personal shortcomings].
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