1 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Speak unto the priests, sons of Aaron, and thou hast said unto them, For [any] person [a priest] is not defiled among his people,
2 except for his relation who [is] near unto him — for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother.
3 and for his sister, the virgin, who is near unto him, who hath not been to a man ; for her he is defiled.
4 'A master [priest] doth not defile himself among his people — to pollute himself ;
5 they do not make baldness on their head, and the corner of their beard they do not shave, and in their flesh they do not make a cutting ;
6 they are holy to their God, and they pollute not the name of their God, for the fire-offerings of Jehovah, bread of their God, they are bringing near, and have been holy.
7 'A woman, a harlot, or polluted, they do not take, and a woman cast out from her husband they do not take, for he [is] holy to his God ;
8 and thou hast sanctified him, for the bread of thy God he is bringing near ; he is holy to thee ; for holy [am] I, Jehovah, sanctifying you.
9 'And a daughter of any priest when she polluteth herself by going a-whoring — her father she is polluting ; with fire she is burnt.
Note · Lévitique 21.1–9
Une fonction qui touche aussi le deuil et la maison
Les exceptions pour les proches montrent que tous les contacts avec un mort ne sont pas traités identiquement. Les règles matrimoniales et la peine concernant la fille du prêtre appartiennent à un ordre familial ancien. La fonction religieuse d’un parent ne donne aucun droit de violence contre ses enfants.
10 'And the high priest of his brethren, on whose head is poured the anointing oil, and hath consecrated his hand to put on the garments, his head doth not uncover, nor rend his garments,
11 nor beside any dead person doth he come ; for his father and for his mother he doth not defile himself ;
12 nor from the sanctuary doth he go out, nor doth he pollute the sanctuary of his God, for the separation of the anointing oil of his God [is] on him ; I [am] Jehovah.
13 'And he taketh a wife in her virginity ;
14 widow, or cast out, or polluted one — a harlot — these he doth not take, but a virgin of his own people he doth take [for] a wife,
15 and he doth not pollute his seed among his people ; for I [am] Jehovah, sanctifying him.'
Note · Lévitique 21.10–15
Une distinction de fonction n’établit pas une humanité supérieure
Le grand prêtre reçoit des restrictions plus étroites. Le passage décrit une vocation déterminée et ses exigences, non une mesure universelle de la valeur des mariages ou des personnes. Il ne suffit pas à régler directement les débats chrétiens sur le mariage des ministres.
16 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
17 'Speak unto Aaron, saying, No man of thy seed to their generations in whom there is blemish doth draw near to bring near the bread of his God,
18 for no man in whom [is] blemish doth draw near — a man blind, or lame or dwarfed, or enlarged,
19 or a man in whom there is a breach in the foot, or a breach in the hand,
20 or hump-backed, or a dwarf, or with a mixture in his eye, or a scurvy person, or scabbed, or broken-testicled.
21 'No man in whom is blemish (of the seed of Aaron the priest) doth come nigh to bring near the fire-offerings of Jehovah ; blemish [is] in him ; the bread of his God he doth not come nigh to bring near.
22 'Bread of his God — of the most holy things, and of the holy things — he doth eat ;
23 only, unto the vail he doth not enter, and unto the altar he doth not draw nigh ; for blemish [is] in him ; and he doth not pollute My sanctuaries ; for I [am] Jehovah, sanctifying them.'
24 And Moses speaketh unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the sons of Israel.
Note · Lévitique 21.16–24
Une limite cultuelle n’est pas une culpabilité
Les descendants concernés par les particularités corporelles ne s’approchent pas de l’autel, mais gardent part à la nourriture sainte. Cette distinction doit être dite sans atténuer l’exclusion de fonction. Elle ne justifie ni mépris du corps ni règle actuelle selon laquelle le handicap empêcherait de servir Dieu et les autres.