Commentaire sur Sotah 3:7
בַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנִּשֵּׂאת לְכֹהֵן, מִנְחָתָהּ נִשְׂרֶפֶת. וְכֹהֶנֶת שֶׁנִּשֵּׂאת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, מִנְחָתָהּ נֶאֱכֶלֶת. מַה בֵּין כֹּהֵן לְכֹהֶנֶת, מִנְחַת כֹּהֶנֶת נֶאֱכֶלֶת, מִנְחַת כֹּהֵן אֵינָהּ נֶאֱכֶלֶת. כֹּהֶנֶת מִתְחַלֶּלֶת, וְכֹהֵן אֵין מִתְחַלֵּל. כֹּהֶנֶת מִטַּמְּאָה לְמֵתִים, וְאֵין כֹּהֵן מִטַּמֵּא לְמֵתִים. כֹּהֵן אוֹכֵל בְּקָדְשֵׁי קָדָשִׁים, וְאֵין כֹּהֶנֶת אוֹכֶלֶת בְּקָדְשֵׁי קָדָשִׁים:
Une fille d'un Israélite qui a épousé un prêtre fait brûler son offrande. [Cependant,] Une prêtresse qui a épousé un Israélite fait manger son offrande. Quelle est la différence entre un prêtre et une prêtresse? L'offrande de repas d'une prêtresse est mangée, et l'offrande de repas d'un prêtre n'est pas mangée. Une prêtresse peut devenir profanée [perdre son statut sacerdotal en raison d'un mariage invalide] et un prêtre ne peut pas devenir profané. Une prêtresse peut se souiller pour les morts, et un prêtre ne peut pas se souiller pour les morts. Un prêtre mange le saint des saints [sacrifices], et une prêtresse ne mange pas le saint des saints [sacrifices].
Bartenura on Mishnah Sotah
כהנת שנשאת לישראל – the daughter of a Kohen.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sotah
Introduction
In the last clause of yesterday’s mishnah we learned that the meal offering of a priest is not eaten and neither is the meal offering of a sotah who is married to a priest. Our mishnah compares several laws concerning priests, their wives and their daughters.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sotah
מנחתה נאכלת – it is written (Leviticus 6:16): “So, too, every meal offering of a priest shall be a whole offering [it shall not be eaten].” A Kohen, but not the daughter of a Kohen, and similarly a daughter of a Priest who is a widow and–or a divorcee who brought a free-will donation of meal-offering is consumed.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sotah
The meal-offering of the daughter of an Israelite who is married to a priest is burned. But the meal-offering of the daughter of a priest who is married to an Israelite is eaten. With regard to the eating of the meal offering, what matters is whether or not she is married to a priest and not whether or not she is the daughter of a priest. If she is married to a priest she takes on his status and if she is married to an Israelite, she takes on his status.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sotah
כהנת מתחללת – from the priest’s due and from the priesthood if she was engaged in a sexual affair to those who are unfit, she never can return to her state of fitness ever.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sotah
What [differences are there in law] between a priest and a priest's daughter? The meal-offering of a priest’s daughter is eaten but the meal-offering of a priest is not eaten. The mishnah now begins to examine in general the difference in law between priests and their daughters. The meal offering of a priest’s daughter is eaten, even if she is not married to an Israelite. Only the meal-offering of a priest himself is not eaten.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sotah
כהן אינו מתחלל – if he married a divorcee, the priest’s wife’s illegitimately married to him or a harlot, but rather all the while that he is with her, he is unfit for Divine service. When he divorces her, he returns to his state of spiritual fitness, as it is written (Leviticus 21:15): “that he may not profane his offspring among his kin;” his progeny are profaned but he is not is not profaned.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sotah
A priest’s daughter may become deconsecrated, but a priest does not become deconsecrated. If a priest’s daughter has sexual intercourse with someone to whom she is prohibited to marry, she becomes a halalah, or “deconsecrated.” As a halalah, she can not subsequently marry a priest nor can she eat terumah. However, if a priest has sexual relations with someone prohibited to him, such as a divorcee, he does not become a halal, “deconsecrated.” The prohibited sexual relations do not impact his class status.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sotah
כהנת מטמאה למתים – as it is written (Leviticus 21:1): “[Speak to the priests,] the sons of Aaron,” and not the daughters of Aaron.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sotah
A priest’s daughter may defile herself by contact with the dead, but a priest may not defile himself by contact with the dead. Leviticus 21 teaches that priests may not defile themselves through contact with the dead, with the exception of their immediate family. These laws apply only to male priests and not to their daughters.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sotah
ואין כהנת אוכלת בקדשי קדשים – for the sin offering and guilt offering and meal-offering, with all of them it is written (Leviticus 6:11): “Only the males among Aaron’s descendants shall eat of it.”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sotah
A priest eats of the most holy things, but a priest’s daughter may not eat of the most holy things. Leviticus 6:22 and 7:6 state explicitly, “Only the males in the priestly line may eat of it: it is most holy.” Women may not therefore eat most holy things, which include certain sacrifices. However, they may eat other sacrifices which do not fall into this category.
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