וקדשתו

Shavua Tov. Today we read פרשת אמור that has over sixty of the 613 Mitzvot. The beginning of the Parsha discusses specific laws related to Kohanim. Aside from the Halachot that deal with whom a Kohein is allowed to marry, and how a Kohein must not serve in the Temple if he has one of 140 blemishes, (מום), we also learn of the positive commandment of וקדשתו. The מצוה of וקדשתו, “and sanctify him, requires to treat the Kohein with a greater amount of respect. The obvious ways we do this is by giving the Kohein the first Aliya to the Torah, and we ask the Kohein to lead the “Benching”, ברכת המזון. It is also written that when sitting down at a meal, the Kohein is served first. When I studied at Mercaz Harav in 1971, my roommate was Eliezer Chirqui, the brother of Rav Chirqui of Machon Meir. He used to say to me, “If you weren’t a Kohein, and I didn’t have the Mitzva of וקדשתו, I would tell you to clean up your part of the room.” I got the hint.