Before the inauguration of the second bet hamikdash, Dovid HaMelech and Tzadok the kohen gadol drew lots dividing the kohanim into twenty four divisions. These divisions are known as כ”ד משמרות כהונה -the twenty-four kohanic “gaurds”. Talmud Yerushalmi mentions that this division was done with wisdom; it was carefully planned so that at the culmination of every yovel (jubilee)…read more
The original print of Shoel U’meishiv contains an introduction by the author where he indicates that shevet levi has a unique and extensive connection to torah instruction. Unfortunatly, this valuable intro was left out of a few print edtions, so we would like to present it here; -רוב מבארי השולחן ערוך היו הכהנים הלוים בעלי…read more
Se’eth, the second and less intense nega than the bahereth, can be an immediate indicator of tumah. The whiteness intensity of the se’eth is a matter of tannaic dispute, Rabbi Meir says that it is the color of an egg membrane and it’s (lesser in whiteness) companion has the whiteness intensity of white wool but…read more
Does a kohen need to sanctify another kohen? The חתם סופר writes that since the mitzvah of וקדשתו is מדאורייתא it is best to be scrupulous about it, this likewise applies even to sanctifying a minor kohen.
The torah instructs בני ישראל to sanctify the kohen, but what if the kohen just wants to be your average guy and doesn’t want to be sanctified? To answer, although it is okay for the kohen to forego a kehuna privilege if he so chooses, the prohibitive components are not. With that said, may the kohen shy away from…read more
– בהא סלקינן דמתנות נוהגות אף בחו”ל..אנן לא קיימא לן כוותיה (כהבנת רנב”י לר”א)אלא ברה”ג ולא במתנות:מדל”ק נהוג עלמא במתנות ובראה”ג,.. ורנב”י גופיה דאמר נהוג ..קניס, ..וליכא למימר שהיה מחמיר אע”פ שלא היה צריך..,וליכא למימר דמקומות מקומות יש..דמדקאמר נהוג.. משמע דכל העולם נוהגים כן (ואעפ”כ קנס), ועוד מדקאמר נהוג עלמא..]משמע[ לכל הפחות במקומו היו נוהגים…read more
Story: In the previous generation there was a superb scholar that has been quite unknown beyond his community and those that met him. Rabbi Israel Isaac Kahanovitch, whose Hilula fell on 11 Tammuz (1945), was the Chief Rabbi of all of Western Canada and the Western United States from 1905-1945. Rabbi Kahanovitch attended the…read more
The Sifra{{1}} gives a general rule in skin nega’im is that the nega does not produce an actual raised or lowering of the skin, it merely ‘appears’ that way to the view of the kohen; לכל מראה עיני הכהן. Names are given by the torah for specific shades of נגעי עור and those names are…read more
Tzoraath is explained by chazal to indicate a very detailed message from on high. A knowledgeable kohen is able to -based on rabbinic literary sources- accurately inform the affected person why this message is being sent to him. This is done based on the type and extent of the tzoraath that the kohen sees on the property, clothing, or…read more