[א] "והכהן הגדול מאחיו" – שיהא גדול מאחיו בנוי, בעושר, בכח, בחכמה, ובמראה. אין לו מנין שיגדלוהו משל אחיו? תלמוד לומר "הגדול מאחיו" – שיהא גדול מאחיו. אמרו עליו על פינחס איש הבתה שעלה גורלו להיות כהן גדול והלכו אחריו גזברין ומרכולין ומצאוהו חוצב ומלאו עליו את המחצב דינרי זהב. אמר ר' חנניא בן גמליאל וכי סתת היה?! והלא חתנינו היה! והלא לא מצאוהו אלא חורש כענין שנאמר ו"שנים עשר צמדים לפניו והוא בשנים העשר" (מלכים א יט, יט). 1) (Vayikra 21:10) ("And the Cohein who is greater than his brothers [i.e., the high-priest], upon whose head the oil of anointment has been poured, and who has been invested to wear the garments — his hair he shall not dishevel and his garments he shall not rend.") "And the Cohein who is greater than his brothers": He must be greater than his brothers in wealth, strength, strength, and wisdom. Whence is it derived that if he is lacking these attributes, his brother Cohanim are to elevate him? From "greater than (lit., "from") his brothers" — his greatness should come from his brothers. They said about Pinchas of Havata upon whom the lot fell to be high-priest, that the (Temple) treasures and trustees went after him and found him quarrying, whereupon they filled the quarry with golden dinars. R. Chananiah b. Gamliel said: Now was he a quarrier? Was he not our son-in-law, and did they not find him plowing? As it was related: Twelve (ox-) pairs went before him, and he came after the twelfth!
[ב] "אשר יוצק על ראשו שמן המשחה" מה תלמוד לומר? לפי שנאמר (שמות כט, ל) "שבעת ימים ילבשם הכהן תחתיו מבניו אשר יבא אל אהל מועד לשרת בקדש", שיכול אין לי אלא שנמשח שבעה ונתרבה שבעה. נמשח שבעה ונתרבה יום אחד, נמשח יום אחד ונתרבה שבעה, נמשח יום אחד ונתרבה יום אחד, ואפילו שעה אחת מנין? תלמוד לומר "אשר יוצק על ראשו שמן המשחה" – אפילו שעה אחת. "ומלא את ידו ללבוש את הבגדים" – אפילו שעה אחת. 2) "upon whose head the oil of anointment has been poured": What is the intent of this? Because it is written (Shemoth 29:31) "Seven days shall he anoint his sons, who ministers in his stead put them on, when he comes to the tent of meeting to minister in the holy place," I might think (that he is ordained as high-priest) only if he is anointed for seven days and invested (in the garments) for seven days. Whence do I derive that the same applies if he is anointed for seven and invested for one, or anointed for one and invested for seven, or if he is anointed for one and invested for one — even for one moment? From "upon whose head the oil of anointment has been poured" — even for one moment; "and who has been invested to wear the garments" — even for one moment.
[ג] אילו אמר "ראש לא יפרע ובגד לא יפרום", יכול לא יפרע ולא יפרום של סוטה! תלמוד לומר "את ראשו [לא יפרע] ובגדיו [לא יפרום]" – [שאינו בפריעה ופרימה כל עיקר דברי רבי יהודה]. ר' מאיר אומר "ראשו לא יפרע ובגדיו לא יפרום" על מתו כדרך שבני אדם פורעים ופורמים על מתיהם. "לא יפרום" – לא יפרום כדרך הפורמים. הא כיצד? כהן גדול פורם מלמטה וההדיוט מלמעלה. 3) If it were written "The hair he shall not dishevel and the garment he shall not rend, I might think that this refers to the hair and to the garment of a sotah (See Bamidbar 5:18); it is, therefore, written "his (the high-priest's) hair" and "his garments." R. Meir says: "his hair he shall not dishevel and his garments he shall not rend" — for his dead, as others do for their dead. How so? The high-priest rends from the bottom (of his garment), and others, from the top.
[ד] "ועל כל נפשות מת לא יבא". אמר ר' עקיבא מנין לרביעית דם שהיא משתי מתים? תלמוד לומר "ועל כל נפשות מת" – שתי נפשות ומת אחד. "לא יבא…ולא יִטַמָא" – חייב ב"לא יבוא" וחייב ב"לא יטמא". אין לי אלא כהן גדול שהוא חייב ב"לא יבא" וחייב ב"לא יטמא", מנין לכהן הדיוט שהוא ב"לא יבא" ושהוא ב"לא יטמא"? תלמוד לומר "לא יִטַמָא" "לא יִטַמָא" לגזירה שוה. מה "לא יטמא" האמור בכהן גדול – חייב ב"לא יבא" וחייב ב"לא יטמא", אף "לא יטמא" האמור בכהן הדיוט – חייב ב"לא יבא" וחייב ב"לא יטמא". "לאביו ולאמו לא יטמא" – מטמא הוא למת מצוה. 4) (Vayikra 21:11) ("And to any dead body he shall not come. For his father and for his mother he shall not become tamei.") "And to any dead body he shall not come": R. Akiva said: Whence is it derived that a fourth of a log of blood issuing from two dead bodies (is tamei)? From "And to any dead (lit., "bodies, he shall not come" — two bodies and one amount (of blood [connoted by "dead body"]). "he shall not come" "he shall not come" and "he shall not become tamei": He is liable for (both) "he shall not come" (into the tent of the dead body) and "he shall not become tamei." This tells me only that the high-priest is liable for both. Whence is it derived that the same applies to an ordinary Cohein, (in respect to whom only "he shall not become tamei" is written [viz. Vayikra 21:1])? From gezeirah shavah (identity) of "he shall not become tamei" (here) and "he shall not become tamei" (there) — Just as with that written in respect to the high-priest there is liability for both "he shall not come" and for "he shall not become tamei," so with that written in respect to an ordinary Cohein. "For his father and for his mother he may not become tamei": (but) he does make himself tamei for a meth mitzvah (a dead body without anyone else to bury it).
[ה] "ומן המקדש לא יצא" – עמהם אינו יוצא אבל יוצא הוא אחריהם. אלא הם נכסים והוא נגלה, הם נכסים והוא נגלה. ויוצא עמהם עד פתח העיר, דברי ר' מאיר. ר' יהודה אומר "ומן המקדש לא יצא" – אינו יוצא כל עיקר. 5) (Vayikra 21:12) ("And from the sanctuary he shall not go out, and he shall not profane the sanctuary of his G d; for the crown of the anointing oil of his G d is upon him, I am the L–rd.") "And from the sanctuary he shall not go out": He does not go out (i.e., he does not follow the litter), but follows after them, when they (the litter bearers) are concealed" (in an alleyway), he is revealed." When they are concealed (in a second alleyway), he is revealed. And he goes out with them until the entrance of the city. These are the words of R. Meir. R. Yehudah says: "And from the sanctuary he shall not go out": He does not go out at all.
[ו] ומנין שאם עבד, עבודתו כשרה? תלמוד לומר "ולא יחלל את מקדש אלקיו" – הא כהן הדיוט שעבד אונן, עבודתו פסולה."כי…שמן משחת אלקיו עליו" – אין לי אלא משיח בשמן המשחה. מרובה בגדים מנין? תלמוד לומר "כי נזר שמן משחת אלקיו עליו". "אני ה'" – להגיד מה גרם. 6) And when is it derived that if he performed the (sacrificial) service (and does not go out after the hearse), it is valid? From "And (if he does not go out after the hearse) he does not profane the sanctuary of his G d." But if an ordinary Cohein serves while in mourning, his service is invalid. "for the crown of the anointing oil of his G d is upon him": This tells me (that he may not go out) only if he is anointed with the oil of anointment. Whence is the same derived for one who is clothed in the many vestments (of the high-priest)? From "for the crown of the anointing oil of his G d is upon him": This (i.e., the "crown" of the high-priesthood [the many vestments, along with the anointing oil] is the cause (of his not going out).
[ז] 'הוא' – ולא המלך. 'הוא' – ולא הנזיר. 'הוא' – לרבות כהן משיח מלחמה. "אשה בבתוליה יקח" – פרט לבוגרת שכלו בתוליה. ר' אלעזר ור' שמעון מכשירין בבוגרת. 7) (Vayikra 21:13) ("And he, a woman in her virginity he shall take"): "He" (the high-priest), and not the king (is under the interdict); "he" and not the Nazirite, (though they, too, are "crowned"): "he," to include (in the interdict) the Cohein anointed for war. "a woman in her virginity he shall take": excluding a bogereth (a maid after twelve and a half years), whose (signs of) virginity have diminished. R. Eliezer and R. Shimon permit a bogereth.