Can a disabled Kohen “work” in the Beit Hamikdash?
The disabled Kohen is mentioned in great detail in Parshat Emor. While he can get many of the benefits the priests receive (He is on the “Paylist”.) He can not serve as a full team member in the Beit Hamikdash, and is restricted to very limited activities in the temple.
This is a question which is especially relevant to us – living at a time in which efforts are made in all aspects of life – to allow and encourage participation of persons with any disability. – We are (the so-called) “Era of inclusion” .
Rabbi Benny Lau (Chairman of AKIM, a charity dedicated to supporting people with intellectual disabilities.) tried to invent a new approach. Rabbi Lau claims that theTorah’s approach to the disabled Kohen is based purely on the fact that society – at the time – had a der derogatory view on disabled people, and it would not be respectful of the Beit Hamikdash to have disabled Kohanim performing the important duties. Rabbi Lau concludes therefore that in today’s world, Kohanim would be allowed to serve in all duties at the Beit Hamikdash, and it would not violate any of the original restrictions.
This approach was however strongly rejected by Rav Aharon Lichtenstein זצ”ל (who, in fact, was the Rosh Yeshiva of Har Etzion- in which Rabbi Lau studied).
So, we still want to understand the motive behind the restriction.
In fact, The Rambam in does give an explanation which could have been interpreted as a good source for Rabbi Lau. It says in Moreh Nevuchim (3.45):
ולהגדיל הבית עוד – הגדיל מעלת עובדיו ונבדלו ׳הכהנים והלוים׳ וציוה להלביש ה׳כוהנים׳ בגדים נאים ומלבושים יפים וטובים ״בגדי קודש לכבוד ולתפארת״ ושלא ישמש ב׳עבודה׳ ׳בעל מום׳ ולא בעל מום לבד אלא הכיעורים גם כן ׳פוסלים׳ ב׳כהנים׳ – כמו שהתבארה בתלמוד זאת ה׳מצוה׳ – מפני שההמון לא יגדל אדם אצלם בצורתו האמיתית אלא בשלמות איבריו ויפי בגדיו; והמכוון – שתהיה לבית גדולה ותפארת אצל הכל.
In order to raise the estimation of the Temple, those who ministered therein received great honor: the priests and Levites were therefore distinguished from the rest. It was commanded that the priests should be clothed properly with beautiful and good garments, “holy garments for glory and for beauty” (Exodus 28: 2). A priest who had a blemish was not allowed to officiate. Not only those who had a blemish were excluded from the service, but also – according to the Talmudic interpretation of this mitzvah – those who had an abnormal appearance. This is because the masses do not judge a person by his true form but by the perfection of his bodily limbs and the beauty of his garments, and the Temple needed to be held in great reverence by all.
So – while our society – in some areas, seems to apply “positive discrimination” towards the disabled, this does not mean at all that the biblical rules regarding Kohanim – would also change. Even more so as it is clear that some if not all Halachot regarding the procedure of Avodat Korbanot (sacrificial offerings) have higher, spiritual elements which are beyond our understanding capacity. And any change which might be “Humane” or “sensible” to us – might have a totally different result in the context of Avodat beit HaMikdash.
In this contextt, it is important to remember that many of the most important people in the Torah had some disabilities – and yet were chosen to lead us through the generations :
Yitzchak Avinu was blind in his old days. Yaakov Avinu was limping, Moshe Rabbeinu had a speech difficulty. None of this suggests that the Torah “discriminates” against people who have been born, or have acquired a disability.
Some of the contemporary leaders of Am Yisrael continue to lead, advise and teach well into their nineties and beyond, even when their physical abilities have declined. The Neshama of a person is the most important “component” of us, and it does not depend at all on our external appearance or abilities.
Often however – one can recognise on a person’s face and appearance that he or she is working on “purifying” their character. This does shoe clearly over the years on the expression we have
כִּ֚י בְּצֶ֣לֶם אֱלֹקים עָשָׂ֖ה אֶת־הָאָדָֽם–
For in the image of G´d Was humankind made.
Best wishes
Rabbi Chaim Michael Biberfeld