Purity of the Kohein

The Alshich on numerous occasions, points out that it was never G-d’s intention that there should be death in the world. It was all connected to the sin of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden.

Death was nearly abolished once again on Mount Sinai. The Jewish people went through a seven week period of purification after they left Egypt. They were elevated to a level of holiness like Adam and Eve before the sin.

The Alshich further points out that there is a big difference between the death of an animal and the death of a Jew. One becomes contaminated only if he touches the carcass, but with a human, he is even contaminated by being under the same roof with a corpse.

In essence, death occurs when the Divine soul leaves the body. We mourn for the souls of our loved ones, not their bodies.

The body without a soul, has the highest level of impurity. This is why we hurry to bury the dead, as the body longs to return to the earth. The process of removing this impurity takes seven days and requires the ashes of the Red Heifer.

All of this explains why the Kohanim, who were entrusted with offering sacrifices in the Temple, needed to maintain a high level of sanctity. They were not allowed to defile themselves by coming in contact with the dead. The only exception were his seven close relatives: father, mother, unmarried sister, brother, son, daughter, and wife.

These rules apply today as well. Hospitals in Israel issue a warning for Kohanim not to enter if someone has passed away, and they have not removed the body. There are even streets that are prohibited for Kohanim as they might be built on Jewish graves, or there is an overhang of trees from inside the cemetery.

Clearly, it was the duty of the Kohein to try to maintain a high level of purity.