Daily Zohar # 4264 – Naso – A priest needs a Levite
Daily Zohar 4264
Hebrew translation:
157. וּבְסִפְרָא דִצְנִיעוּתָא לָמַדְנוּ, לֵוִי שֶׁהִתְקַדֵּשׁ כֹּהֵן עַל יָדוֹ, צָרִיךְ הוּא לְהִתְקַדֵּשׁ בַּתְּחִלָּה. וְלָמָּה לֵוִי? שֶׁיִּתְקַדֵּשׁ עַל יְדֵי כֹהֵן אַחֵר. לָמַדְנוּ, כֹּהֵן אַחֵר לֹא צָרִיךְ, שֶׁהֲרֵי כֹּהֵן שֶׁאֵינוֹ שָׁלֵם, לֹא צָרִיךְ זֶה הַכֹּהֵן הַשָּׁלֵם לְהִפָּגֵם עַל יְדֵי פָגוּם שֶׁלֹּא שָׁלֵם. אֲבָל לֵוִי שֶׁהוּא שָׁלֵם וְרָאוּי לַעֲלוֹת לַדּוּכָן וְלַעֲבֹד בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, הֲרֵי הוּא שָׁלֵם, וַהֲרֵי נִקְרָא קָדוֹשׁ, שֶׁכָּתוּב וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ אֶת הַלְוִיִּם. אָמַר רַבִּי תַנְחוּם, אַף נִקְרָא טָהוֹר, שֶׁכָּתוּב וְטִהַרְתָּ אֹתָם. וּמִשּׁוּם כָּךְ צָרִיךְ לְהוֹסִיף כֹּהֵן קְדֻשָּׁה עַל קְדֻשָּׁתוֹ.
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Zohar Naso
Continued from previous DZ
#156
We learned that a priest who wants to raise his hands, should add sanctification to his sanctity, that is, his hands should be sanctified by the hand of a holy, who is a levite from whose hands the priest should take the holy water. Because it is written;
Numbers 8:6
“קַח אֶת הַלְוִיִּם מִתּוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְטִהַרְתָּ אֹתָם.”
“Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and sanctify them.”
Numbers 18:2
“וְגַם אֶת אַחֶיךָ מַטֵּה לֵוִי שֵׁבֶט אָבִיךָ הַקְרֵב אִתָּךְ וְיִלָּווּ עָלֶיךָ וִישָׁרְתוּךָ וְאַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ אִתָּךְ לִפְנֵי אֹהֶל הָעֵדֻת.”
“Also bring with you your brethren of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may be joined with you and serve you while you and your sons are with you before the tabernacle of witness.”
The Levites were sanctified, and every priest who carries his hand to bless Israel, must be sanctified by a Levite, who will add sanctification to his sanctity. A priest shall not take the sanctity of the water from another person who is not holy.
#157
We learned in the book, Sifra Ditzniuta, that the Levite, that the priest is sanctified by his hands, he needs to sanctify himself first. He asks, why a Levite, and why not sanctified by another priest. He replies, saying that another priest can not sanctify his fellow priest, because he can be a priest with a blemish, who is forbidden to work, and the good priest does not need to be flawed by an incomplete one, but a Levite who is whole, and worthy to work in the Holy Tabernacle is called holy, as it is written; “and you shall sanctified the Levites”. Rabbi Tanchum said, they are called pure, because it is written above “purify them” (numbers 8:6). And for this reason the priest should add holiness to his holiness and be included from the side of the Levites that can purify and sanctify him.
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