Responsum: On a Kohen Who Apostatized

R. Eliezer ha-Gadol (“the great”) was asked the following question:

A priest apostatized of his own free will and initiative, and remained in his state of conversion without anyone compelling him to do so, to the extent that he learned their erroneous book, shaved his head, removed his beard, offered sacrifices on their altars, joined himself to [the biblical idol] Baal Peor [see Psalms 106:28], ate from the sacrifices of the dead [see m. Avot 3:3], and became an idolatrous priest like one of the non-Jewish priests. Many years later, he regretted his actions and repented, and subsequently married and fathered children. Are he and his descendants permitted to recite the priestly blessing, to read first from the Torah, and to have ḥallah¹ separated on their behalf?

He responded that the children are fit for all matters of sanctity and the priesthood, as the descendants of a priest are disqualified only if they are born from an invalid union, such as a widow to a high priest, a divorcée, or a woman who has performed the ḥalitsah ceremony [see Deuteronomy 25:5–10] to a regular priest. As for that priest himself, R. Eliezer permitted him to read first from the Torah and said that ḥallah may be separated on his behalf; he ruled that he is disqualified only from reciting the priestly blessing. The reason is that the Torah associates this blessing with the service of God in the Temple, as it is written: To stand before the Lord to serve Him, [and to bless in His name] (Deuteronomy 10:8). R. Eliezer deemed him like a blemished priest with respect to the Temple service, because he apostatized of his own free will, but permitted him for all other matters of the priesthood. As it is taught [b. Menaḥot 109b]: “If a priest bowed to an idol, Rav Naḥman says that his offering is a pleasing aroma to God.” And even Rav Sheshet [who disagreed] stated his dissenting opinion only regarding sacrificing an offering, but when it comes to eating consecrated food, everyone agrees that he is fit. As it was taught:

The priests who served in the temple of Onias may not serve in the Temple in Jerusalem. If they served for “something else” [i.e., idolatry] it goes without saying [that they are disqualified from the Temple service], as it is stated: Nevertheless, the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, but they did eat unleavened bread among their brethren (2 Kings 23:9). What is this unleavened bread? Meal-offerings. [m. Menaḥot 13:10]

This implies that even though these priests of the high places acted willfully, they were nonetheless permitted to eat consecrated food, as they were disqualified only from offering sacrifices. Consequently, this priest is fit to be called first to the Torah reading, and to recite a blessing first, and to have ḥallah separated on his behalf.