Un grand prêtre juge et il est jugé; il témoigne et il est témoigné pour; il administre la chalitzah et sa femme reçoit la chalitzah. Sa femme est prise en yibum, mais il ne fait pas de yibum, car une veuve lui est interdite. Si l'un de ses parents est mort, il ne suit pas la litière, [de peur qu'il ne vienne la toucher dans sa préoccupation, et il est écrit (Lévitique 21:11): "Et à aucun cadavre il ne viendra"]. Mais ils (les porteurs de litière) sont cachés et il est révélé; ils sont révélés et il est caché. [Lorsque les porteurs de litière sont "cachés" de la ruelle qu'ils ont quittée, il est "révélé" et y pénètre. Mais tant qu'ils sont "révélés" dans la ruelle, il en est "caché", sans y entrer.] Et il sort avec eux jusqu'à l'entrée de la ville. [Car il y a des ruelles dans la ville dans lesquelles il peut se cacher, mais en dehors de la ville il n'y a aucun signe (distinctif) (de sa séparation d'avec la procession)]. Ce sont les paroles de R. Meir. R. Yehudah dit: Il ne sort pas du sanctuaire, c'est-à-dire. (Lévitique 21:12): "Et du sanctuaire il ne sortira pas." [R. Yehudah explique: "Et du sanctuaire (mikdash), il ne sortira pas"—du tout. R. Meir explique: «Et de sa sainteté (kedushatho), il ne sortira pas», c'est-à-dire qu'il devrait prendre soin d'éviter le contact (avec le corps). Et à l'intérieur de la ville, là où il y a des ruelles, il y a un signe distinctif, pour qu'il prenne soin. La halakha est conforme à R. Yehudah.] Et quand il console les autres, (quand) c'est la coutume de tous les gens de passer l'un après l'autre [(Car tous conviennent qu'il peut suivre la litière de celui qui est pas ses parents; pour ne pas être préoccupé, il veillera à éviter le contact avec la litière. Et quand ils reviendront de l'enterrement et se tiendront dans une file pour consoler les pleureuses, qui se tiennent dans leurs haltes, et chacun dit: "Consolez-vous by Heaven ")], le memunah (le" nommé ") [l'adjudant grand-prêtre, qui est nommé pour remplacer le grand prêtre s'il devient inapte à Yom Kippour] le place au milieu entre lui et le peuple . [Car le memunah marche à droite du grand prêtre, et tout le peuple à sa gauche, de sorte que le grand prêtre se trouve au milieu.] Et quand il est consolé par les autres, tout le monde dit: lui: "Nous sommes votre expiation" [c'est-à-dire, vous recevrez l'expiation à travers nous, et nous sommes à votre place pour tout ce qui devrait arriver sur vous], et il leur dit: "Soyez bénis par le ciel!" Et quand ils lui donnent le repas de la personne en deuil, [car il est interdit à une personne en deuil de manger le premier repas de sa propre nourriture, et ses parents et amis le lui fournissent], tout le monde est assis par terre [se resserrant et pleurant sa souffrance ], et il s'assied [dans le respect de sa dignité] sur un banc.
Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
כהן גדול. אינו יוצא אחר המטה – Perhaps he would come to touch [the corpse] in the midst of his troubles. And the All-Merciful One said (Leviticus 21:11): “He shall not go where there is any dead body.”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
Introduction
Mishnah one contains with special rules regarding the High Priest.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
הן נכסין והוא נגלה – since those who carry the bier are covered from the entrance to a group of buildings/alleyway that is to say, when they left him; he was revealed and went inside within, but all the while that they were revealed and appeared in the alleyway, he was covered from them and did not enter into their midst.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
This mishnah can be divided into three basic sections: 1) the High Priest’s relationship to the court; 2) the High Priest’s ability to perform halitzah (the release of the widow from the obligation to marry the levir, her dead husband’s brother) and levirate marriage; 3) the High Priest’s participation in the mourning ritual.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
ויוצא עמהן עד פתח העיר – that in the city were found alleyways and he can cover himself from them, but outside of the city, there is no recognition.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
The High Priest can judge and be judged; he can testify and others can testify against him. The High Priest is treated like a normal person with regards to the laws of the court. As we shall see in mishnah two, this is not true with regards to the king.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
שנאמר: "ומן המקדש לא יצא" – Rabbi Yehuda expounds [on the verse – Leviticus 21:12]: “He shall not go outside the sanctuary,” at all. And Rabbi Meir expounds that he shall not leave from his holiness, that is, he should be careful that he not come in contact [with the bier] and within the city there are alleys where there is recognition and he is careful. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehuda.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
He can perform halitzah for another’s wife and others can perform halitzah for his wife or contract levirate marriage with his widow, but he cannot contract levirate marriage since he is forbidden to marry a widow. The High Priest is basically the same as any other person with regards to the laws of levirate marriage. If he should die without children, his wife must either marry his brother or his brother must perform halitzah for her. If his brother should die without children he must perform halitzah for his wife. He cannot, however, contract levirate marriage with her since he is in general prohibited from marrying a widow (Lev. 21:14).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
וכשהוא מנם את אחרים – that is of a dead person that is not his (family), everyone admits that he is able to go and not go to the trouble that he won’t come in contact [with the bier]. And when they return from the graves and stand in a line to comfort the mourners and all the people pass one after another and comfort the mourner who stands at his standing post [to receive the consolation of the others in attendance] , and everyone says to him: “May you be comforted from Heaven.”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
If any of his near kin die he may not follow after the bier, rather when the bearers are not visible, he is visible, when they are visible he is not visible, and he may go out with them as far as the city gate, according to Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Judah says, “He may not leave the Temple, as it says, “Nor shall he go out of the Sanctuary”. And when he comforts other mourners the custom is for all of the people to pass by, the one after the other, while the appointed [priest] stands between him and the people. And when he receives comfort from others, all the people say to him, “Let us be your atonement”, and he says to them, “May you be blessed by Heaven.” When they feed him the funeral meal all the people sit around on the ground and he sits on a stool. The High Priest is severely restricted with regards to his participation in the rituals of burial. Since contact with the dead causes impurity the High Priest cannot even participate in the burying of his own immediate family (unlike a regular priest who may) (see Lev. 21:10-12). According to Rabbi Meir, the High Priest is allowed to semi-secretly participate in the burial procession, up until they leave the city gates of Jerusalem (people were not buried within the city confines). Rabbi Judah states that he may not even participate this much, since the Torah states that he may not leave the Sanctuary at all. If the High Priest needs to participate in the comforting of mourners he may do so, but the “appointed” priest would come in between him and the other people. According to the Rambam this is to show the honor due to the High Priest, that he shouldn’t be just a part of the crowd. When others comfort him they say, “Let us be your atonement”. It seems to me that this is to assuage the sense of guilt that the High Priest must feel since he was not able to participate in the burying of his own dead. When he comforts others he should give them a blessing. When he is fed the traditional funeral meal which would normally be eaten by the mourner while sitting close to the ground, the rest of the people must sit on the ground. This fulfills two functions: 1) he retains a higher status than them; 2) they are able to participate in his sorrow and grief.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
הממונה – he is the deputy [High Priest] , who is appointed to serve in place of the High Priest, lest something occur to him that would make the High Priest unfit for service on Yom Kippur.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
והממונה מנצעו – who walks to the right of the High Priest and all the people are to his left, so that the High Priest is in the middle.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
אנו כפרתך – though us you will be forgiven – you and we under you for all that is appropriate to come upon you.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
וכשמברין אותו – for a mourner is forbidden to eat the first meal of his own [possessions], but his relatives and loved ones/friends feed him.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
מסובין על הארץ – they distress themselves and mourn in his grief/pain.
