Sifra Emor Chapter 2

¹1) (Vayikra 21:14) ("A widow, and a divorcée, and a challalah, and a zonah — these he shall not take; but only a virgin from his people shall he take as a wife.") Let it be stated (only) "a widow." Why is "a divorcée (also) written? For if "a widow" (alone) were stated and not "a divorcée," I would say: If a widow, who is permitted to an ordinary Cohein, is forbidden to a high-priest, then a divorcée, who is forbidden to a high-priest, how much more so is she forbidden to a high-priest! If so, I would say: A widow, who is permitted to an ordinary Cohein — his seed from her is profane (vis-à-vis the priesthood); a divorcée, who is forbidden to an ordinary Cohein — his seed from her is a mamzer. It is, therefore, written "a divorcée …" (Vayikra 21:15) And he shall not profane." ²2) Or if it were written "divorcée" and not (only) "widow," I would say: A divorcée, who is forbidden to an ordinary Cohein — his seed from her is profane; a widow, who is permitted to an ordinary Cohein — his seed from her is kasher. It is, therefore, written "A widow … And he shall not profane," "A divorcée … And he shall not profane" — "a widow," for severity; "a divorcée," for leniency. ³3) "and a challalah": Which is a "challalah"? A woman who was born of one of those forbidden to the priesthood (e.g., the daughter of the union of a widow and a high-priest). ⁴4) "a zonah": Why is this written? (i.e., I can derive it a fortiori from her being forbidden to an ordinary Cohein.) For I might think that only the seed of a high-priest by those unfit for him become challalim. Whence do I derive the same for the seed of an ordinary Cohein? It is, therefore, written "zonah" (here) and "zonah" (Vayikra 21:7, in respect to an ordinary Cohein), for a gezeirah shavah (identity). Just as the seed of a high-priest by those unfit for him are challalim, so, the seed of an ordinary Cohein. ⁵5) "these he shall not take": "these he shall not take … And he shall not profane." But his seed from a niddah do not become chullin (i.e., challalim). For it would follow a fortiori (that they do become challalim), viz.: If the children of these, cohabitation with which does not render him liable to kareth — if the children of these are challalim, how much more so the children of niddah, cohabitation with which does render him liable to kareth! It is, therefore, written "these he shall not take … And he shall not profane," (but) his seed from a niddah is not profaned. ⁶6) "but only a virgin": We are hereby taught that it is a mitzvah for him to wed a virgin. "from his people": to include the daughter of an Ammonite proselyte (from a Cohein) as fit for (marriage to) the priesthood. "he shall take as a wife': What is the intent of this? Whence is it derived that if one (a Cohein) betrothed a widow and he was then appointed high-priest, he is permitted to wed her (even though she is not a virgin)? From "he shall take as a wife." It happened with Yehoshua b. Gamla that he betrothed Marta the daughter of Baisus and the king appointed him high-priest, and he wed her. I might think that the same applied if he made a ma'amar (verbal betrothal) in his yevamah (a woman that fell to him for levirate marriage); it is, therefore, written "he shall take a wife," and not a yevamah. "and he shall not profane his seed": This tells me only of his seed. Whence is it derived that she herself becomes a challalah? It follows a fortiori, viz.: If her seed, who did not transgress, are rendered challalim, she, who did transgress, how much more so! ⁷8) No! (This is no proof.) He (the Cohein) himself refutes it, having transgressed and not having become a chalal. No, this may be so with a man, who does not become a chalal elsewhere, as opposed to a woman, who does become a challalah elsewhere. Or, if you will, it is derived that she herself becomes a challalah from (the repetitious) "and she shall not profane." ⁸9) "from his people": to include the daughter of a male chalal as unfit for (marriage to) the priesthood. R. Yehudah says: The daughter of a male proselyte is (a challalah) like the daughter of a male chalal. "for I am the L–rd who makes him holy": This is the basis of the law.