The Duties and Restrictions relating to the High-Priest

Tractate Sanhedrin, Herbert Danby tr. [1919], at sacred-texts.com

The Duties and Restrictions relating to the High-Priest.

M.II. I. The High-priest can judge and be judged, can bear witness and be witnessed against; he may perform the ḥaliṣa ¹ ceremony and it may be performed in the case of his wife; his brother may marry his wife if she be childless, but he may not marry his brother's wife since he is forbidden to marry a widow. ²

If a death occur in his family he may not follow the bier, but may follow the procession as far as the city gate, both he and the procession remaining out of each other's sight--so R. Meir; but R. Jehuda holds that he may not leave the temple, since it is written: ³ AND FROM THE TEMPLE HE SHALL NOT DEPART.

When he consoles others, it is usual for the people to pass along one after the other, the Superintendent ⁴ placing the high-priest between himself and the people. When he is consoled by others, all the people say to him: "May we make expiation for thee!" and he replies: "Be ye blessed of Heaven!" When they hold the funeral meal, ⁵

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M.all the people sit round on the ground, while he sits on the raised seat.

T. IV. 1. A high-priest who has slain a man intentionally is to be slain; if in error, he is to be an exile to the Cities of Refuge. ¹ If he have transgressed a positive or negative command, or any other commandment, ² he is to be treated as a commoner in every respect.

He does not perform the ḥaliṣa ceremony, nor is it performed in the case of his wife. He does not marry his deceased brother's wife if she be childless, nor does his brother marry his wife. (When, on the occasion of a death, he is consoled by others) he takes his position in the row, with the sagan at his right hand, and the head of his father's house on his left. And all the people say to him; "May we make expiation for thee!" and he says to them: "Be ye blessed of Heaven!" When he consoles others, he stands in the row with the sagan and the former high-priest on his right, and the mourner on his left. He may not be seen naked, nor when he is having his hair cut, nor when he is in the bath--as it is written: ³ AND HE THAT IS THE HIGH-PRIEST AMONG HIS BRETHREN, etc., so that his brethren the priests treat him with honour. But if he wish others to wash with him, he has such authority. R. Jehuda says: If he wished to conduct himself disgracefully, they must not listen to him, for it is written: ⁴ AND THOU SHALT KEEP HIM HOLY--even against his will.

They said to R. Jehuda: It is written, ⁵ AND FROM THE TEMPLE HE SHALL NOT DEPART, but this

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T.

refers only to the time when he is engaged in the temple worship. He may go to hold the funeral meal with others, and others may go to hold the funeral meal with him.

Footnotes

46:1 Deut. 25. 5-10.

46:2 Lev. 21. 14.

46:3 Lev. 21. 12.

46:4 A priest of high rank and deputy of the high-priest; identical with the sagan mentioned in parallel passage of Tosefta.

46:5 See Moed Katon 3. 7. The custom is based on 2 Sam. 12. 17.

47:1 Numb. 35. 9 ff.

47:2 In rabbinical terminology all the laws are divided into positive and negative commands, according as they begin with "thou shalt" or "thou shalt not."

47:3 Lev. 21. 10.

47:4 Lev. 2I. 8.

47:5 Lev. 21. 12.