Mary Poppins, high priestess of the sacred task of childrearning, was famously ‘practically perfect’ in every way, but even she would have been banned from priestly service in the tabernacle. In her case, it’s because she is a woman, but for many other men born of Aaron’s line, it was due to some physical defect that rendered them imperfect. Chapter 21 reviews the laws of the priests, including who they may marry, how they may or may not mourn, and who among them is disqualified:
“Speak to Aharon, saying: A man of your seed, throughout their generations, who has in him a physical blemish, is not to come near and offer the food-offering for God.” (Va.21:17)
The command goes on to list conditions that include being blind, limping, suffering from eye disease, being short, or a hunchback, and more. This blatant discrimination was seen over the generations as unpleasuent but necessary for the sake of preserving the protocols of sacred decorum. Maimonides comments in 12th century Egypt, citing the human weakness for physical beauty: ..”For the multitude does not estimate man by his true form but by the perfection of his bodily limbs and the beauty of his garments, and the temple was to be held in great reverence by all.” From his perch in the spanish royal court two hundred years later, Don Isaac Abarbanel adds: “It is possible to explain the meaning of "man who has a blemish shall not sacrifice"--as a parable to a king for whom any person with a blemish cannot serve...Certainly this is the case for the King of kings.” Franklin D. Roosevelt worked hard to hide his wheelchair from the public. Today, the Pope and Queen Elisabeth use canes, with dignity, due to age and health. But while we have clearly advanced in making disability not stand in the way of access to corridors and corridors of power, our abelist culture, in need of so much more change, has not advanced much beyond the Torah in welcoming all people to leadership positions regardless of so-called ‘defects’.
And while no temples still exist to determine who of Aaron’s sons will offer sacrifices, today’s synagogue still includes the priestly blessing, conducted by cohens, with laws that still apply to who among them may join his brothers on the stage to convey the blessings to the community. In 16th century Safed, Rabbi Yosef Karo composed the Code of Jewish Law known as Shulchan Aruch, or The Set Table, where he distills the law that is still in place in many synagogues, including the lenient clause:
“One who has a deformity on his face or his hands, or an Albino, should not perform the priestly blessing because the congregation will stare at him. This is also the rule for one who has a deformity on his feet, in places where they ascend to the platform without socks. And so it is if he has spittle drooling down his beard, or if his eyes tear up, or one who is blind in one of his eyes. However, if he is familiar in his city, meaning that they are familiar with him and everyone recognizes that he has this deformity, he may perform the blessing, even if he is blind in both eyes. Anyone who has stayed in the city for thirty days or more is considered familiar in his city.”
The familiary clause means that the human being is not an object to be stared at but a subject, familiar , loved and respected. A lot of us still hold on to prejudices that prioritize looks over substance in some perfectionist vision of the world. As we think of accessing our own inner temples, and honoring each other’s being in divine design, perhaps it’s on us to keep expanding the definition of this law, see beyond skin deep into the eyes and soul of every single sacred one of us. Wouldn't Mary Poppins agree? (The original song ‘Practically perfect’, by the way, was cut from the original score. It included lyrics like '“Each virtue virtually knows no bound, Each trait is great and patently sound, I’m practically perfect from head to toe, If I had a fault it would never dare to show.”)
Want to learn more, discuss your thoughts and feelings about Va’Yikra and Below the Bible Belt? Join me on Monday July 25th 2022, 1pm ET for our first hour long Zoom Study Session. Link here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89433380921 Meeting ID: 894 3338 0921
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Israel also known as Jacob, received a wound that left him limping. I want him on the bima offering a blessing.
Peter