1The first 23 lines of the Hebrew text are not found in our translation.HE SHALL NOT PROFANE HIS SEED AMONG HIS PEOPLE. Whoever discharges his semen without purpose will never be allowed to behold the divine Presence,1v. T. B. Niddah, 13a. and such a one is called wicked. This is not the case, however, if a man’s wife does not conceive; still, a man should pray that God should provide him a fitting vessel so that his seed should not be spoilt.
For he who discharges his seed into a vessel that is not fitting spoils his seed; and if this is the case with ordinary men, how much more so with the priest who is the counterpart on earth of the supernal holiness.
AMONG HIS PEOPLE: that is to say, this is a disgrace, a defect among his people. FOR I AM THE LORD WHICH SANCTIFY HIM: I am He that sanctifies him every day, and therefore he must not spoil his seed nor must any blemish be found in him. He must be holy throughout, so that the Holy One may be served by a holy one.
And because God is served by the hand of the priest, who is holy, the priest is served by one who is sanctified by his purity, to wit, the Levite. The ordinary man, too, is served1i.e. should have water poured over his hands, v. Shulcan Aruch. by one who has already sanctified himself, and thus Israel are set apart in holiness to serve the Holy One, blessed be He.’
He further expounded the verse: “Salvation is the Lord’s; thy blessing be upon thy people” (Ps. 3, 9). ‘We have learnt’, he said, ‘that wherever Israel go into exile the Shekinah goes with them.1v. T. B. Megillah, 29a. When, therefore, they will come forth from captivity, who will be delivered? Israel or God? The answer is given in the verse, “Salvation is the Lord’s”. And when will this be? When “thy blessing is upon thy people, selah”, to take them out of captivity and deal well with them.’
תּוּ פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (ויקרא כ״א:ט״ו) וְלֹא יְחַלֵּל זַרְעוֹ בְּעַמָּיו כִּי אֲנִי יְיָ' מְקַדְּשׁוֹ. תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל מַאן דְּאַפִּיק זֶרַע לְבַטָּלָה, לָא זָכֵי לְמֶחמֶי אַפֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא, וְאִקְרֵי רָע, דִּכְתִיב (תהילים ה׳:ה׳) כִּי לֹא אֵל חָפֵץ רֶשַׁע אָתָּה לֹא יְגוּרְךָ רָע. הַאי מַאן דְּאַפִּיק לֵיהּ בִּידֵיהּ, אוֹ בְּאִנְתּוּ אָחֳרָא דְּלָא כַּשְׁרָא. וְאִי תֵּימָא דְּאַפִּיק לֵיהּ בְּאִנְתּוּ דְּלָא מִתְעַבְּרָא, הָכִי נָמֵי. לָא. אֶלָּא כְּמָה דְּאַמָרָן.
1The first 23 lines of the Hebrew text are not found in our translation.HE SHALL NOT PROFANE HIS SEED AMONG HIS PEOPLE. Whoever discharges his semen without purpose will never be allowed to behold the divine Presence,1v. T. B. Niddah, 13a. and such a one is called wicked. This is not the case, however, if a man’s wife does not conceive; still, a man should pray that God should provide him a fitting vessel so that his seed should not be spoilt.
וְעַל דָּא יִבְעֵי בַּר נָשׁ מִקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּיַזְמִין לֵיהּ מָאנָא דְּכַשְׁרָא, דְּלָא יַפְגִים זַרְעֵיהּ, מַאן דְּאַפִּיק זַרְעָא בְּמָאנָא דְּלָא כַּשְׁרָא, פָּגִים לֵיהּ לְזַרְעֵיהּ, וַוי לְמַאן דְּפָגִים זַרְעֵיהּ. וּמַה בִּשְׁאָר בְּנֵי נָשָׁא כַּךְ, בְּכַהֲנָא דְּקָאִים לְתַתָּא כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא בִּקְדוּשָּׁה עִלָּאָה, עַל אַחַת כַּמָה וְכַמָּה.
For he who discharges his seed into a vessel that is not fitting spoils his seed; and if this is the case with ordinary men, how much more so with the priest who is the counterpart on earth of the supernal holiness.
בְּעַמָּיו, מַהוּ בְּעַמָּיו. דְּהָא כְּתִיב לְעֵילָּא, אַלְמָנָה וּגְרוּשָׁה וַחֲלָלָה זוֹנָה אֶת אֵלֶּה לֹא יִקָּח, וּכְתִּיב וְלֹא יְחַלֵּל זַרְעוֹ בְּעַמָּיו. בָּהֶם מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַהוּ בְּעַמָּיו. אֶלָּא מִלָּה דָּא קְלָנָא בְּעַמָּיו, פְּגִימוּ בְּעַמָּיו, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, כִּי אִם בְּתוּלָה מֵעַמָּיו יִקַּח אִשָּׁה, מֵעַמָיו וַדַאי, כֹּלָּא כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, כִּי אֲנִי ה' מְקַדְּשׁוֹ, מַהוּ מְקַדְּשׁוֹ. אֶלָּא אֲנָא הוּא הַהוּא, דְּאִיהוּ מְקַדֵּשׁ לֵיהּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא, וּבְגִין כַּךְ לָא יַפְגִּים זַרְעֵיהּ, וְלָא יִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ פְּגִימוּ. (ס"א ובגין דא) דְּהָא אֲנִי יְיָ' מְקַדְּשׁוֹ דַּאֲנָא בָּעֵינָא לְקַדְּשָׁא לֵיהּ וְיִשְׁתְּכַח קַדִּישָׁא בְּכֹלָּא, דְּקַדִּישָׁא יִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ עַל יְדָא דְּקַדִּישָׁא.
AMONG HIS PEOPLE: that is to say, this is a disgrace, a defect among his people. FOR I AM THE LORD WHICH SANCTIFY HIM: I am He that sanctifies him every day, and therefore he must not spoil his seed nor must any blemish be found in him. He must be holy throughout, so that the Holy One may be served by a holy one.
תָּא חֲזֵי, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ עַל יְדֵי דְּכַהֲנָא, וְיִשְׁתְּכַח קַדִּישָׁא כַּד אָתֵי לְשַׁמְּשָׁא, וּבְגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ עַל יְדָא דְּכַהֲנָא דְּאִיהוּ קַדִּישָׁא, כַּהֲנָא יִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ עַל יְדֵי דְּדַכְיָא, דְּאִתְקַּדָּשׁ בְּדַכְיוּתֵיהּ, וּמַאי אִיהוּ. לֵיוָאֵי. בַּר נָשׁ (כהנא) אָחֳרָא, יִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ עַל יְדֵי דְּקַדִּישָׁא אָחֳרָא, בְּגִין דְּיִשְׁתַּכְחוּן כֹּלָּא בִּקְדוּשָּׁא, לְשַׁמְּשָׁא לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, דְּעָלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב, (ויקרא כ׳:כ״ו) וָאַבְדִיל אֶתְכֶם מִן הָעַמִּים לִהְיוֹת לִי. כַּמָה פְּרִישָׁן יִשְׂרָאֵל מִכֹּלָּא, בִּקְדוּשָּׁה, לְשַׁמְּשָּׁא לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (ויקרא כ׳:ז׳) וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם וִהְיִיתֶם קְדוֹשִׁים כִּי אֲנִי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם.
And because God is served by the hand of the priest, who is holy, the priest is served by one who is sanctified by his purity, to wit, the Levite. The ordinary man, too, is served1i.e. should have water poured over his hands, v. Shulcan Aruch. by one who has already sanctified himself, and thus Israel are set apart in holiness to serve the Holy One, blessed be He.’
תּוּ פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (תהילים ג׳:ט׳) לַיְיָ' הַיְשׁוּעָה עַל עַמְּךָ בִרְכָתֶךָ סֶּלָה. לַיְיָ' הַיְשׁוּעָה. הָכִי תָּנֵינָן, זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, דִּבְכָל אֲתַר דְּאִתְגָּלוּ, שְׁכִינְתָּא אִתְגַּלְיָיא בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ. כַּד יִפְּקוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל מִגָּלוּתָא, פּוּרְקָנָא לְמַאן, לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹ לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. אֶלָּא הָא אוּקְמוּהָ בְּכַמָּה קְרָאֵי, וְהָכָא, לַיְיָ' הַיְשׁוּעָה וַדַּאי, אֵימָתַי. עַל עַמְּךָ בִרְכָתֶךָ סֶּלָה. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יַשְׁגַּח בְּבִרְכָאן עָלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, לְאַפָּקָא לוֹן מִן גָּלוּתָא, וּלְאוֹטָבָא לְהוּ, כְּדֵין לַיְיָ' הַיְשׁוּעָה וַדַּאי. וְעַל דָּא תָּנֵינָן, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יֵיתוּב עִמְּהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מִן גָּלוּתָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (דברים ל׳:ג׳) וְשָׁב יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ וְרִחֲמֶךָ.
He further expounded the verse: “Salvation is the Lord’s; thy blessing be upon thy people” (Ps. 3, 9). ‘We have learnt’, he said, ‘that wherever Israel go into exile the Shekinah goes with them.1v. T. B. Megillah, 29a. When, therefore, they will come forth from captivity, who will be delivered? Israel or God? The answer is given in the verse, “Salvation is the Lord’s”. And when will this be? When “thy blessing is upon thy people, selah”, to take them out of captivity and deal well with them.’