"For Instruction shall come forth from Zion, The word of the L-rd from Jerusalem." -- Isaiah 2:3

Jerusalem

Torah Verses

Excerpt Sources

Complete List of Source Books

Navigate the Excerpts Browser

Before accessing the excerpts, please review a word about copyright.

Are you more of an "I'll dive right in and figure it out" person, or a "Show Me How This Thing Works" person?  If the former, go right ahead and try the excerpts browers on the right side of this page and/or scroll through the excerpts that start below the following information -- although we still suggest reading the information first.  If you are the latter, click here for a video demonstrating the Excerpts Browser. Either way (or both), enjoy! 

This page is recommended for searches limited to specific Torah books, weekly portions (parshiot), chapters, verses, and/or sources (authors). For keyword and/or for exact phrase (including verse and source) searches of the entire excerpts database, we recommend using the Search Engine page.  For broadest results, use both pages and alternative search strategies. 

This page displays the full text of all or "sorted" (filtered) excerpts in the database.  Use the "Torah Verses" and/or "Excerpt Sources" browsers at the right to locate the excerpts associated with your desired Torah book, portion, chapter. verse, or author.  Or, simply scroll through the excerpts, using the "boxes" at the bottom of any page displaying excerpts to "jump" ahead or back. 

Also note that immediately below the chapter, verse, and keyword of each excerpt is a highlighted line comprised of multiple links.  Clicking on any of the links will limit (filter) the excerpts display to the selected category.  

Transcription of excerpts is incomplete.  For current status, please see "Transcribed Sources" on the Search Engine page.  To assist with completion, please see "Contributors" page. 

207

LEVITICUS | 21:2 impure — LEV868 When a close relative of a regular Kohen d...

LEV868 When a close relative of a regular Kohen dies, the Kohen shall become spiritually impure to mourn and to attend to the needs of the deceased corpse, as any Jew whose close relative dies. When a close relative of a regular Kohen dies, there Kohen has a mitzvah and obligation to become spiritually impure through the nearness to the corpse that results from mourning and from attending to the needs of the deceased's corpse. The six relatives are his mother, father, son, daughter, brother and sister. The Rabbis added that the same requirement exists in the event of the death of his wife. When any such close relative dies and the Kohen does not want to fulfill this mitzvah because he wants to retain his spiritual purity, we oblige him to become impure and fulfill the mitzvah. Every Jew has this obligation to mourn and to attend to the needs of the corpse when the deceased is one of these relatives. Key concepts: Sometimes, owing to his physical nature, when something happens to a person he is not moved by it emotionally until he does an act that brings his emotions to the surface. Therefore, the Torah commands that when someone dies, his close relatives, who naturally loved him, must perform actions that will stir them to reflect upon why this suffering befell them. The prescribed acts of mourning help them to realize that their sins were the cause of their woe, for never does Hashem bring suffering or pain on anyone unless he is guilty of sin. This is a basic tenet of our faith. The required mourning and reflection upon it bring the mourner to repent his sins and improve his way to the best of his ability. Another benefit of the mitzvah is as follows: Non-believers attribute death to chance, as if just as animals die, people die. In order to prevent such a thought from entering our minds and to uproot it if it is already present, the Torah obligate special procedures for mourning.

Share

Print
Source KeyCHINUCH
Verse21:2
Keyword(s)impure
Source Page(s)168-9

Comment

Collapse Expand Comments (0)

You are replaying to

Your comment was added, but it must be approved first.

Please enter your name
Please enter your email adressPlease enter valid email adress
Please enter a comment
Please solve Captcha.
Add Comment
Back To Top