Wives of Priests

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They shall not take [into their household as their wife] a woman defiled by harlotry, nor shall they take one divorced from her husband. For they are holy to their God

Leviticus 21:7

They shall not marry widows or divorced women of the stock of the House of Israel, but only virgins; or they may marry widows who are widows of priests.

Ezekiel 44:22

The Gemara adds that this is in accordance with the opinion of Abaye, as Abaye says: An animal given to a gentile prostitute is considered to be payment to a prostitute, which is prohibited for sacrifice on the altar. And a priest who engages in intercourse with a gentile prostitute is not flogged due to the prohibition of: “A widow, or one divorced, or a profaned woman, or a prostitute, these shall he not take, but a virgin of his own people shall he take to wife…

Bekhorot 56b:3-6

§ Rav Pappa said: Rava tested us with the following question: As for the wife of a priest who was raped in the presence of witnesses, is she entitled to receive payment of her marriage contract or is she not entitled to receive payment of her marriage contract? The Gemara explains the two sides of the question: Is the halakha that since rape with regard to a woman married to a priest is like willing sexual intercourse with regard to a woman married to an Israelite…

Nedarim 90b:9

MISHNA: A common priest may not marry a sexually underdeveloped woman [aylonit], who is incapable of bearing children, unless he already has a wife and children. Rabbi Yehuda says: Even if he has a wife and children, he may not marry a sexually underdeveloped woman, as she is the zona about whom it is stated in the Torah that a priest may not marry her. Intercourse with her is considered a licentious act because she is incapable of bearing children…

Yevamot 61a:12

Any priest - whether a High Priest or an ordinary priest - who enters into relations with a gentile woman receives lashes for relations with a zonah. [There is a difference between her and a Jewish woman,] because she cannot be consecrated. He is forbidden to enter into relations with any zonah, whether a Jewess or a gentile. A woman who has undergone the rite of chalitzah (a chalutzah) is forbidden to a priest according to the Rabbinic tradition, for she resembles a divorcee. [If he engages in relations with such a woman,] he is given "stripes for rebellious conduct…

Mishneh Torah, Forbidden Intercourse 17:6-7

זנה is a woman who had sexual intercourse with an Israelite who is forbidden to her as a husband, for instance, with those whom she may not marry under the penalty of excision, or a Gibeonite or a ממזר (that is, a man born from the union of a couple who are liable to excision for such a union) (cf. Sifra, Emor, Chapter 1 7; Yevamot 61b). חללה — This is a woman born from a marriage which is forbidden to the priesthood alone (Kiddushin 77a), e. g., the daughter of a widow and a high priest, or the daughter of a divorced woman [or one released from levirate marriage by the appropriate ceremony (cf…

Rashi on Leviticus 21:7:1-2

who is only a widow A real [widow], excluding a divorcee and a woman upon whom the rite of chalitzah was performed; although she is unmarried, she is forbidden even for an ordinary [priest].

Rashi on Ezekiel 44:22:2

The mishna elaborates: And these are cases of women who are permitted to their husbands and forbidden to their yevamin: In the case of a common priest who married a widow, and he has a brother who is the High Priest, the widow, who was permitted to her husband, is forbidden to her yavam, as it is prohibited for the High Priest to marry a widow. The same is true in the case of a priest disqualified due to flawed lineage [ḥalal], e.g…

Yevamot 84a:6-84b:16

HALAKHAH: “Rebbi Eliezer ben Jacob says,” etc. There, we have stated: “Rebbi Jehudah said, the daughter of a male proselyte is like the daughter of a male desecrated one.” They all interpret the same verse (Ez. 44:22): “Only virgins from the seed of the House of Israel.” Rebbi Jehudah says, unless his father be from Israel. Rebbi Eliezer says, either her father or her mother. Rebbi Yose says, unless they are born in the holiness of Israel…

Jerusalem Talmud Bikkurim 1:5:2

And from [this], we learned that one who has mated with a beast does not become a licentious woman, even though she is [punishable] with stoning — as it is specifically the intercourse of a man that makes her a licentious woman (Yevamot 59b). And so [too,] if she had intercourse when she was still a menstruant with someone to whom it is fitting for her to be married; she does not become a licentious woman with that, even though it is [punishable] with excision. And likewise [in a case of] one who has intercourse with a single woman — even if she was a prostitute…

Sefer HaChinukh 266:4

And a priest who marries women by a transgression, e.g., a divorcée or a woman who underwent ḥalitza, is disqualified from performing the Temple service until he vows not to derive benefit from her. The vow ensures that he will divorce her promptly. And a priest who becomes impure through exposure to corpses is disqualified from performing the Temple service until he accepts upon himself a commitment that he will no longer become impure through exposure to corpses.…

Bekhorot 45b:12-16

They shall not take to wife a woman who hath gone astray by fornication, or who was born illegitimate, nor a woman who hath been put away, whether from her husband or the husband's brother, may they take; for he is to be holy before his God.

Targum Jonathan on Leviticus 21:7

The Sages taught: A widow married to a High Priest, or a divorcée or a ḥalutza married to a common priest has the right to receive payment for her marriage contract; and for the produce of her property that her husband used; and sustenance; and she gets back her worn clothes and other objects she brought to the marriage; and she is disqualified as a ḥalala from marrying a priest; and her offspring is disqualified from the priesthood as a ḥalal; and the court forces him to divorce her…

Yevamot 85a:15-85b:1

MISHNA: There is a principle with regard to the halakhot of lineage: Any case where there is betrothal, i.e., where the betrothal takes effect, and the marriage involves no transgression by Torah law, the lineage of the offspring follows the male, his father. And in which case is this applicable? For example, this is the case with regard to the daughter of a priest; or the daughter of a Levite; or the daughter of an Israelite, who married a priest, a Levite, or an Israelite…

Kiddushin 66b:14-15

A priest that has intercourse with a possibly licentious woman, such as a possible convert or freed [maidservant], or with a possible divorcee; and so [too,] a high priest who has intercourse with a possible widow — behold this is a doubtfully profaned woman and the offspring is a doubtfully profaned priest. It comes out that there are three [types of] profaned priests: a profaned priest from Torah writ; a profaned priest from the words of [the Rabbis]; and a doubtfully profaned priest. And we give upon any doubtfully profaned priest or profaned priest from the words of [the Rabbis] the…

Sefer HaChinukh 267:5

MISHNA: The daughter of a male ḥalal is unfit to marry into the priesthood forever. In other words, all daughters of male descendants of a ḥalal are prohibited from marrying priests, as they have the status of ḥalalot. If there was an Israelite who married a ḥalala, his daughter is fit to marry into the priesthood, whereas if there was a ḥalal who married a Jewish woman, his daughter is unfit to marry into the priesthood…

Kiddushin 77a:1-17

From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Yevamot 59a) that she is called a divorcee even from betrothal, and there is no need to say from marriage. But one who refused (child marriage) — even if he divorced her with a bill of divorce and brought her back and she refused him — behold she is permitted to a priest (Yevamot 108a). And a released woman (chalutsah) — meaning to say a woman that went out from [the domain of] her levirate husband with release — is forbidden to a priest rabbinically…

Sefer HaChinukh 268:3

[The prohibition against marrying a divorcee applies] whether she was divorced after consecration or after marriage. If, however, a girl is released from marriage through the rite of mi'un, she is permitted to a priest, as we explained in Hilchot Gerushin. [This applies even if] her husband first divorced her with a get, then remarried her, and then she was released through mi'un.
Any woman who is not fit to perform the rite of chalitzah, but nevertheless performs it is not disqualified from [marrying] a priest.

Mishneh Torah, Forbidden Intercourse 17:18

The Gemara answers: He derives this from the case of a High Priest who married a widow, a woman whom he is prohibited from marrying. Just as his daughter is disqualified from marrying into the priesthood, so too is the daughter of an Ammonite convert disqualified from marrying into the priesthood. However, an objection may be raised: What comparison can be made to a High Priest who married a widow, which is a stringent prohibition, as his intercourse involves a transgression? Can one say the same with regard to the daughter of an Ammonite…

Yevamot 77a:10-14

Relatedראו גם

High Priest

Priesthood

Laws of Those Forbidden to Marry Priests

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