כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל לֹא יִשָּׂא אַלְמָנָה, בֵּין אַלְמָנָה מִן הָאֵרוּסִין, בֵּין אַלְמָנָה מִן הַנִּשּׂוּאִין, וְלֹא יִשָּׂא אֶת הַבּוֹגֶרֶת. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן מַכְשִׁירִין בְּבוֹגֶרֶת. לֹא יִשָּׂא אֶת מֻכַּת עֵץ. אֵרֵס אֶת הָאַלְמָנָה, וְנִתְמַנָּה לִהְיוֹת כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל, יִכְנֹס. וּמַעֲשֶׂה בִיהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן גַּמְלָא שֶׁקִּדֵּשׁ אֶת מָרְתָא בַת בַּיְתוֹס, וּמִנָּהוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ לִהְיוֹת כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל, וּכְנָסָהּ. שׁוֹמֶרֶת יָבָם שֶׁנָּפְלָה לִפְנֵי כֹהֵן הֶדְיוֹט, וְנִתְמַנָּה לִהְיוֹת כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁעָשָׂה בָהּ מַאֲמָר, הֲרֵי זֶה לֹא יִכְנֹס. כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל שֶׁמֵּת אָחִיו, חוֹלֵץ וְלֹא מְיַבֵּם:
Ein Hoherpriester darf keine Witwe heiraten, sei sie nach der Verlobung oder nach der Verehelichung Witwe geworden. Auch darf er keine Mannbare heiraten; R. Elieser und R. Simon erklären eine Mannbare für geeignet. Auch darf er keine Verletzte heiraten. Hatte er sich mit einer Witwe verlobt und wurde erst dann zum Hohenpriester ernannt, so darf er sie heimführen. So geschah es auch, dass Josua, Sohn Gamlas, der sich die Martha, Tochter des Boëthos, angetraut hatte, diese heimführte, nachdem der König ihn zum Hohenpriester ernannte. Wenn eine auf die Leviratsehe wartende Frau einem gemeinen Priester zufällt und dieser zum Hohenpriester ernannt wird, so darf er sie nicht ehelichen, wenn er auch die „Heirate-Ansprache“ an sie gehalten. Ein Hoherpriester, dessen Bruder gestorben ist, muss (seiner Schwägerin) die Chaliza erteilen, darf aber nicht die Leviratsehe vollziehen.
Jerusalem Talmud Yevamot
Jerusalem Talmud Horayot
In the text of L one refers to the statement in the Mishnah that an acting High Priest and a deposed one are equal in all but the service of the Day of Atonement. The question is whether the acting High Priest may take the required fist full of incense and the deposed one then may bring the incense to the inner altar and burn it there; or the acting High Priest receive the blood of his sacrifices and the deposed one sprinkle of the blood on the walls of the altar. The question is not asked anywhere else and the positive answer is difficult to accept. Therefore, it is better to accept the text of B, even though it does not refer to the High Priest, as necessary introduction to the following paragraph which does.
That text reads:
Rebbi Isaac asked, does this apply to the remaining actions? He took the fist full and afterwards burned it; he received and afterwards threw it, he burned and afterwards sprinkled? Rebbi Jacob bar Idi in the name of Rebbi Isaac: They made it like a robbed purification sacrifice which was not publicly known. This implies that if he took the fistful afterwards he burns it, if he received [the blood] afterwards he throws [it on the walls of the altar], he burned [the red cow] he afterwards sprinkles [water with its ashes to purify others].
As explained in Terumot, the question is asked about a Cohen who is informed that he is disbarred from the priesthood because of his birth from a woman forbidden to priests when he had completed one sacral action which by necessity must be followed by a different one. The answer is that the desecrated son of a Cohen who innocently started officiating may officiate to the end even though in the future he will be barred from officiating. Rebbi Isaac asked, are these things so in all other things? He takes the fist full and the other burns it; he receives and the other throws, he burns and the other sprinkles? Rebbi Jacob bar Idi in the name of Rebbi Isaac: They made it like a (great) [robbed]195The reference is to Mishnah Gittin 5:5, as explained in Terumot. The text of L is in parentheses, the correct text in brackets is from B. The point of the argument is missing here in both texts, that the purification offering is acceptable (i., e., that the Temple authorities are prohibited from inquiring into the way the offerer acquired his animal.) purification sacrifice which was not publicly known. This implies that he takes the fistful and the other burns it, he receives and the other throws, he burns and the other sprinkles. 196Terumot 8:2, Notes 32–33,40. If the High Priest after his elevation was found to be desecrated by his birth and thereby is removed, is this considered to be his death as far as the Sanctuary is concerned and releases any homicide sentenced during his tenure of office from the city of refuge or is his tenure as High Priest erased from the annals of the Sanctuary (Makkot 2:10–11)? No answer is given here; the first eventuality is chosen in Terumot.Rebbi Berekhiah, Rebbi Jacob bar Idi: Rebbi Isaac asked. If he was standing sacrificing on the altar when it became known that he was the son of a divorcee or the son of a woman having received ḥaliṣah, how do you treat him? [As if]197Text of B. he had died and the homicide might return to his home town or should he be treated as one whose trial had been concluded without a High Priest and he never can leave from there?
Jerusalem Talmud Yevamot
A different story appears in Jesephus Antiquities xv, 320 ff., where king Herod dismisses the incumbent High Priest from office and replaces him with Simon ben Boethos, because he wants to marry Simon’s daughter (the granddaughter of a Boethos).
In addition to the similarities of names and subject, the sources also agree about the prevailing corruption. The note that the High Priest was appointed, not elected by his fellow priests, is an intended slur. when the king appointed him as High Priest and he married her. If a woman was waiting for her Cohen levir when he was elected High Priest, even though he “bespoke” her, he may not marry her76“Bespeaking” is only rabbinical. Since he has the possibility to fulfill all biblical requirements by ḥalîṣah, he may not marry the widow.. If the brother of a High Priest died, he performs ḥalîṣah but not levirate.