Responsum: On the Priestly Blessing

Here is a letter of greeting from myself, Gershom ben Judah, and a response to my inquirer concerning a priest [kohen] who became an apostate and subsequently repented, as to whether or not he is fit to pronounce the Priestly Blessing, and to be called first to read from the Torah. I am inclined to the following view: that even though [he sinned], since he has repented, he is fit to ascend the platform in the synagogue and pronounce the Priestly Blessing, even though it is written: And you shall sanctify him (Leviticus 21:8) [which the sages interpreted to mean] for all sacred matters. And this individual, having apostatized, profaned his sanctity; nevertheless, as he has repented, his sanctity has returned and has not left him [permanently], as it is stated: However, the priests upon the high places did not go up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, but ate unleavened bread among their brethren (2 Kings 23:9). And we have learned in a mishnah: “They have the status of priests with a physical blemish, that they may apportion the [flesh of the sacrifices] among themselves and eat [it, but not perform the actual sacrifice]” [b. Menaḥot 109a]. And [priests] with physical blemishes do possess sanctity, for if they did not possess any sanctity and were defiled, how could they eat and apportion the terumah offering [a sacrificial offering eaten only by priests] and the offerings enjoying the highest degree of sanctity among themselves? On the contrary, it is plain that they do possess sanctity and enjoy the status of priests with physical blemishes and are forbidden to marry a harlot or a woman who has been profaned, and they are forbidden to defile themselves on account of a dead person in the same way as priests with physical blemishes are so forbidden. And [such an individual] is fit to pronounce the Priestly Blessing in the same way as priests pronounce the Priestly Blessing notwithstanding their physical blemishes.

And he likewise may pronounce the Priestly Blessing and may be called first to read from the Torah; for if you do not hold this view, why does the mishnah state: “They are like [priests] with a physical blemish”? It ought to have taught: “They are disqualified from exercising priestly functions.” But we may infer from this that what is taught in the mishnah is intended [as law], but that which is not stated expressly in the mishnah is not taught, [and hence one cannot deduce the law from it]. Now if you were to contend that the reason why the mishnah teaches “They are like [priests] with physical blemishes” is that [we are dealing here] with priests who officiated in the Temple of Onias [in Egypt], which did not constitute idolatry, but where [priests] have been involved in [actual] idol worship, they are to be disqualified from exercising priestly functions, [the response to this is] that the rabbis were divided among themselves in regard to someone who prostrated himself before an idol and one who acknowledged the divine status of an idol, as it is stated: “As for one who prostrates himself before an idol, R. Naḥman says that [once he repents], his offering is [acceptable to the Almighty] as a sweet savor, and the sages are in disagreement in regard to his future ministrations in the Temple” [b. Menaḥot 109b], implying that for all matters concerning priestly status, they are not in disagreement [i.e., ascending the platform in the synagogue from which to pronounce the Priestly Blessing, and being called first to read from the Torah.]

Now, if you were to say, “But is it not written: And they shall place My Name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them (Numbers 6:27)? From which we see that it is the priests who bless Israel, and the Holy One merely concurs with the blessing; and this [apostate] who has abandoned the Holy One, the Holy One has abandoned him, as it is stated: [The people] will forsake Me, and break My covenant. . . . Then My anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them! (Deuteronomy 31:16–17).” The response to this is that it has already been written through the medium of God’s prophets: Return to Me . . . and I will return to you! (Zechariah 1:3). So, once he has repented, the All-Present accepts him and concurs with the blessing [which he bestows].

Accordingly, we have no proof, either from scripture or from the Mishnah, to disqualify him, but, on the contrary, we have a proof from scripture and from the Mishnah not to disqualify him, for it is written: And you shall not oppress each man his brother (Leviticus 25:17), [and the sages say that] the verse is speaking about verbal oppression. How does this work? If he was a penitent, one should not say to him, “Recall your former deeds!” Now, if you were to contend that he should not ascend the platform to pronounce the Priestly Blessing, and that he should not be called first to read from the Torah, there is no worse form of oppression than this! And, furthermore, you weaken the hands of penitents, and it is not right to do this, for R. Yoḥanan has stated: “Anyone who says that Manasseh sinned has no portion in the world to come, because he weakens the hands of penitents” [b. Sanhedrin 103a]. And if you say that he should not ascend the platform to pronounce the Priestly Blessing, he will contemplate in his mind the possibility of apostasy, and [will think]: “Woe is me on account of my shame; woe is me on account on account of my disgrace!” and he will be held back from repenting. And we find that scripture made an enactment that Israel should not sink among the nations, as it is stated: And [if] he is sold to the stranger who is a settler with you, or to the offshoot of a stranger’s family (Leviticus 25:47). And the sages have declared: to the offshoot of a stranger’s family refers to one who is sold into the service of idols specifically. Now, it is written: After he is sold, he may be redeemed (Leviticus 25:48), and it was taught in the school of R. Ishmael: “[I might have thought that] since this individual went and became a priest ministering to idols, [one should] throw a stone after the one who has fallen from divine grace!” [b. Arakhin 30b]. Hence the Torah comes to teach [differently]: He may be redeemed. Accordingly, for all these reasons, even after he became an apostate, since he repented, he enjoys the same status as the rest of his priestly brethren, and he may ascend the platform to pronounce the Priestly Blessing, and he may be called first to read from the Torah.