אַלְמָנָ֤ה וּגְרוּשָׁה֙ וַֽחֲלָלָ֣ה זֹנָ֔ה אֶת־אֵ֖לֶּה לֹ֣א יִקָּ֑ח כִּ֛י אִם־בְּתוּלָ֥ה מֵֽעַמָּ֖יו יִקַּ֥ח אִשָּֽׁה: A widow, a divorcee, a woman who is desecrated or a prostitute he shall not marry [any] of these. Only a virgin of his people may he take as a wife . (Vayikra 21:14) Every halacha gives us an insight into the fundamental truths that govern our world. The halacha is that a Kohen Gadol may not marry a widow. This is indeed a strange halacha. At first glance one would think the opposite ought to be true. A Kohen is the paradigm of chesed. The Kohen Gadol is the paradigmatic Kohen. Could there be a greater act of chesed then the Kohen Gadol marrying a widow? Why is this prohibited? The Gemara in Pesachim (112a) teaches that when a divorced man marries a divorced woman there are four people in their marital bedroom because the memories of their previous spouses accompany them wherever they go. In light of this some suggest that the Kohen Gadol, who must remain absolutely focused on his avodah in the Beis HaMikdash, cannot spend emotional energy competing with the memory of his wife's late husband. In fact, if the brother of the Kohen Gadol dies childless the Kohen Gadol must perform chalitzah (spitting in the shoe) rather than perform the Mitzvah of Yibum. An ordinary Kohen is permitted to marry a widow because he does not hold the same station as the Kohen Gadol. However this is not the only answer given and the one that follows is far more troubling. The Chida q
Loading the rest…
