In this week’s parasha, Emor, we read:

Speak to Aaron and say: No man of your offspring throughout the ages who has a defect shall be qualified to offer the food of his God. No one at all who has a defect shall be qualified: no man who is blind, or lame, or has a limb too short or too long; no man who has a broken leg or a broken arm; or who is a hunchback, or a dwarf, or who has a growth in his eye, or who has a boil-scar, or scurvy, or crushed testes. No man among the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall be qualified to offer to God by fire; having a defect, he shall not be qualified to offer the food of his God. (Leviticus 21:17-21)

Kohen Lighting Temple Menorah (Courtesy: Temple Institute)

The Torah seems to be saying that any kohen with a physical disability or serious blemish is disqualified from serving God. Some are understandably distraught by this—after all, is it a person’s fault that they were born lame, or with dwarfism, or have a cancerous growth, or suffered a serious injury resulting in a disability? Why should this disqualify a person from serving God? Are they somehow “less” because of a disability? Why the apparent discrimination?

This position appears to be exacerbated by a Talmudic teaching that “the Shekhinah only rests upon a person who is wise, strong, wealthy, and of great statute.” (Shabbat 92a) A similar teaching elsewhere is that “the Holy One, Blessed be He, rests His Shekhinah only upon one who is strong, and wealthy, and wise, and humble.” (Nedarim 38a) So, does that mean that if one is not physically strong or healthy, they cannot merit to have the Shekhinah dwell upon them? How do we make sense of these perplexing statements? Continue reading →