I saw the following in a Parsha publication "Likutei Peshatim," produced by the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, under the direction of an adam chashuv me'od, Rabbi Ben-Zion Rand. After sharing what he says, I expand on it a little bit.
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THE DAY OF INITIATION
"From here we learn that Kohanim may not become defiled by contact with dead bodies, for Elazar and Isamar were there and were not called upon to carry away the bodies of their brothers." -- Toras Kohanim
The Midrash is amazing. What need is there to present a roundabout proof that Kohanim may not become contaminated by contact with a corpse, when it is explicitly stated at the beginning of Parashas Emor? Furthermore, why indeed did Elazar and Isamar not remove the corpses of their brothers, since the Torah (Vayikra 21:2-3) explicitly states that one’s father, mother, never married sister, brother, son and daughter are excluded from the general prohibition of contact with corpses.
The Da’as Zekeinim teaches us that both these questions can be answered by assuming that the meaning of the Midrash is that on the day of an ordinary Kohen’s inauguration, he will assume the status of the Kohen Gadol. In fact, the Mincha offering of a Kohen Gadol every day is the same korban as that of the standard Kohen on the day of his inauguration. For this reason, just as a Kohen Gadol may not attend to the body for the funeral of even his closest relatives, so, too, may a כהן הדיוט (a plain Kohen) not attend to the body of his close relatives on his inaugural day, and the laws regarding the grooming of a Kohen Gadol apply to him as well.
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Here is the Daas Zkeinim (and he says that the Bechor Shor says the same idea. It is not in our editions of the Bechor Shor, but it's brought by several Rishonim, such as Reb Chaim Paltiel and the Paaneiach Raza.)
The idea that the Kohen brings a Minchas Chavitin on the day of his inauguration, his Chinuch, clearly teaches that on that day, an unlimited future opens up, and he can accomplish anything, he can reach for the stars. I've said this many times, but I never thought to relate it to the fact that Elozor and Isomor were not allowed to carry Nodov and Avihu's bodies. If we are to take his idea at face value, it has tremendous halachic application - that every Hedyot, on his day of Minuy, is assur to become tamei to his seven kerovim. Indeed, it seems from the Bechor Shor and the Raavad on the Toras Kohanim here (1:25-6) that they do hold like that.
(Rav Zevin extrapolated from here to explain why they didn't use oil that was tamei for the the Menora after the Nes of the Chashmona'im. Just as here on the day of Chinuch tuma was assur without exception, so, too, when they were mechaneich the replacement Menorah you don't say hutra be'tzibbur. Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank disagrees. I discussed this here.)
So here's a question. Given that this special status of the Yom Hachinuch gives a Kohen dinim of the Kohen Gadol, what if, on Yom Kippur, both the Kohen Gadol and the Sgan became unfit to do the avodah. Could you just call in a new Kohen, have him do his Minchas Chinuch, and continue Avodas Yom Hakippurim?
Of course, the answer is no. But why? According to these Rishonim, a Kohen Hedyot on his day of Chinuch has the dinim of a Kohen Gadol!
The answer is, of course, that there are two dinim in "Kehuna Gedola." One is the kedusha of the Kohen Gadol, which might apply to a hedyot on his day of Chinuch. But the other is the minui, the fact that he is "Gadol mei'echav," that he was appointed to be the head of the Kohanim. The proof of the difference is that even according to these Rishonim, the Hedyot on his day of Chinuch serves in arab begadim. For Yom Kippur, you need Kehuna Gedola in the sense of being the head of the Kohanim.
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THE DAY OF INITIATION
ויקרא משה אל מישאל ואל אלצפן בני עזיאל דד אהרן ויאמר אלהם קרבו שאו את אחיכם מאת פני הקדש אל מחוץ למחנה
Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come forward and carry your kinsmen away from the front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.” Vayikra 10:4"From here we learn that Kohanim may not become defiled by contact with dead bodies, for Elazar and Isamar were there and were not called upon to carry away the bodies of their brothers." -- Toras Kohanim
The Midrash is amazing. What need is there to present a roundabout proof that Kohanim may not become contaminated by contact with a corpse, when it is explicitly stated at the beginning of Parashas Emor? Furthermore, why indeed did Elazar and Isamar not remove the corpses of their brothers, since the Torah (Vayikra 21:2-3) explicitly states that one’s father, mother, never married sister, brother, son and daughter are excluded from the general prohibition of contact with corpses.
The Da’as Zekeinim teaches us that both these questions can be answered by assuming that the meaning of the Midrash is that on the day of an ordinary Kohen’s inauguration, he will assume the status of the Kohen Gadol. In fact, the Mincha offering of a Kohen Gadol every day is the same korban as that of the standard Kohen on the day of his inauguration. For this reason, just as a Kohen Gadol may not attend to the body for the funeral of even his closest relatives, so, too, may a כהן הדיוט (a plain Kohen) not attend to the body of his close relatives on his inaugural day, and the laws regarding the grooming of a Kohen Gadol apply to him as well.
**********************************************************
Here is the Daas Zkeinim (and he says that the Bechor Shor says the same idea. It is not in our editions of the Bechor Shor, but it's brought by several Rishonim, such as Reb Chaim Paltiel and the Paaneiach Raza.)
ויקרא משה אל מישאל. אתמר בת"כ מכאן שאין הכהנים מטמאין למתים שהרי אלעזר ואיתמר לא נטמאו להם.
ותימה שהרי במקום אחר מצינו בפי' שהכהנים מוזהרין על טומאת מת דכתיב לנפש לא יטמא בעמיו. ועוד אלעזר ואיתמר כהנים הדיוטי' היו ולמה לא נטמאו לאחיהם? וי"ל דהא דקאמר מכאן שהכהני' אין מטמאין למתים היינו כהני' הדיוטים ביום משחתם שאין מטמאין לקרובים שיש להם דין כהני' גדולי'. וכן פי' הרב בכור שור גבי ראשיכם אל תפרעו דאע"ג דכהנים הדיוטי' לא הוזהרו על פריעה ופרימה דמטמאין הן לקרוביהן ביום משחתם הרי הן ככהנים גדולים. ונ"ל דהיינו האי דקאמר בסיפיה דקרא כי שמן משחת קדש עליהם:
The idea that the Kohen brings a Minchas Chavitin on the day of his inauguration, his Chinuch, clearly teaches that on that day, an unlimited future opens up, and he can accomplish anything, he can reach for the stars. I've said this many times, but I never thought to relate it to the fact that Elozor and Isomor were not allowed to carry Nodov and Avihu's bodies. If we are to take his idea at face value, it has tremendous halachic application - that every Hedyot, on his day of Minuy, is assur to become tamei to his seven kerovim. Indeed, it seems from the Bechor Shor and the Raavad on the Toras Kohanim here (1:25-6) that they do hold like that.
(Rav Zevin extrapolated from here to explain why they didn't use oil that was tamei for the the Menora after the Nes of the Chashmona'im. Just as here on the day of Chinuch tuma was assur without exception, so, too, when they were mechaneich the replacement Menorah you don't say hutra be'tzibbur. Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank disagrees. I discussed this here.)
So here's a question. Given that this special status of the Yom Hachinuch gives a Kohen dinim of the Kohen Gadol, what if, on Yom Kippur, both the Kohen Gadol and the Sgan became unfit to do the avodah. Could you just call in a new Kohen, have him do his Minchas Chinuch, and continue Avodas Yom Hakippurim?
Of course, the answer is no. But why? According to these Rishonim, a Kohen Hedyot on his day of Chinuch has the dinim of a Kohen Gadol!
The answer is, of course, that there are two dinim in "Kehuna Gedola." One is the kedusha of the Kohen Gadol, which might apply to a hedyot on his day of Chinuch. But the other is the minui, the fact that he is "Gadol mei'echav," that he was appointed to be the head of the Kohanim. The proof of the difference is that even according to these Rishonim, the Hedyot on his day of Chinuch serves in arab begadim. For Yom Kippur, you need Kehuna Gedola in the sense of being the head of the Kohanim.
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