"Neither shall he profane his seed among his people"

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon speaks about the precept against ejaculating semen in vain, and says it is even more important for priests to obey because they must be holy in every respect. Rabbi Shimon says that Yisrael are happy because when they went into exile the Shechinah went with them. In the end God will return from exile with Yisrael.

Evil Face Hands Semen Shechinah Wickedness Women

33. He continued with the verse, "Neither shall he profane his seed among his people, for I Hashem do sanctify him"(Vayikra 21:15). Come and see, whoever ejaculates semen in vain is not worthy of beholding the face of the Shechinah, and is considered evil, as it is written, "For You are not an El that has pleasure in wickedness; nor shall evil dwell with You" (Tehilim 5:5). THIS REFERS TO one who emits it by hand or through another, unworthy woman. You may argue that one who ejaculates it within a woman who does not conceive IS also CONSIDERED TO BE EMITTING SEMEN IN VAIN. This is not so, but only those we mentioned.

33. תּוּ פָּתַח וְאָמַר, וְלֹא יְחַלֵּל זַרְעוֹ בְּעַמָּיו כִּי אֲנִי יְיָ' מְקַדְּשׁוֹ. ת"ח, כָּל מַאן דְּאַפִּיק זֶרַע לְבַטָּלָה, לָא זָכֵי לְמֶחֱמֶי אַפֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא, וְאִקְרֵי רָע, דִּכְתִיב כִּי לֹא אֵל חָפֵץ רֶשַׁע אָתָּה לֹא יְגוּרְךָ רָע. הַאי מַאן דְּאַפִּיק לֵיהּ בִּידֵיהּ, אוֹ בְּאִנְתּוּ אָחֳרָא דְּלָא כַּשְׁרָא. וְאִי תֵּימָא דְּאַפִּיק לֵיהּ בְּאִנְתּוּ דְּלָא מִתְעַבְּרָא, הָכִי נָמֵי. לָא. אֶלָּא כְּמָה דְּאַמָרָן.

Holiness (Kedushah) Kedushah (Holiness) Likenesses Priests Vessels Women

34. A man should therefore ask the Holy One, blessed be He, to summon him a worthy vessel, THAT IS A WORTHY WOMAN, so as not to blemish his seed. Whoever ejaculates his seed in an unworthy vessel blemishes his seed. Woe to him who causes damage in his seed. And if this is true for other people, it is much more so to a priest that is below, CORRESPONDING to a likeness of above in utmost holiness. IT IS THEREFORE WRITTEN, "NEITHER SHALL HE PROFANE HIS SEED AMONG HIS PEOPLE."

34. וְעַל דָּא יִבְעֵי ב"נ מִקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּיַזְמִין לֵיהּ מָאנָא דְּכַשְׁרָא, דְּלָא יַפְגִים זַרְעֵיהּ, מַאן דְּאַפִּיק זַרְעָא בְּמָאנָא דְּלָא כַּשְׁרָא, פָּגִים לֵיהּ לְזַרְעֵיהּ, וַוי לְמַאן דְּפָגִים זַרְעֵיהּ. וּמַה בִּשְׁאָר בְּנֵי נָשָׁא כַּךְ, בְּכַהֲנָא דְּקָאֵים לְתַתָּא כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא בִּקְדוּשָּׁה עִלָּאָה, עַל אַחַת כַּמָה וְכַמָּה.

Harlotry Likenesses Women

35. HE ASKS, What is the meaning of "among his people," seeing that it is written before, "A widow, or a divorced woman, or a profaned, or a harlot, these shall he not take" (Vayikra 21:14), and "Neither shall he profane his seed among his people." It should have said, 'among them.' Why "among his people?" HE ANSWERS, this MEANS this would be a disgrace among his people, a blemish among his people. Hence it is written, "but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife" (Ibid.), "of his own people" assuredly. Everything is in the likeness of above. "For I Hashem do sanctify him:" what is "sanctify him?" HE ANSWERS, it is I who daily sanctify him. Hence he must not blemish his seed and no blemish must be in him, "for I, Hashem do sanctify him," as I wish to sanctify him so that he shall be sanctified in every respect, and so that the holy will make use of what is holy.

35. בְּעַמָּיו, מַהוּ בְּעַמָּיו. דְּהָא כְּתִיב לְעֵילָּא, אַלְמָנָה וּגְרוּשָׁה וַחֲלָלָה זוֹנָה אֶת אֵלֶּה לֹא יִקָּח, וּכְתִּיב וְלֹא יְחַלֵּל זַרְעוֹ בְּעַמָּיו. בָּהֶם מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַהוּ בְּעַמָּיו. אֶלָּא מִלָּה דָּא קְלָנָא בְּעַמָּיו, פְּגִימוּ בְּעַמָּיו, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, כִּי אִם בְּתוּלָה מֵעַמָּיו יִקַּח אִשָּׁה, מֵעַמָיו וַדַאי, כֹּלָּא כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, כִּי אֲנִי ה' מְקַדְּשׁוֹ, מַהוּ מְקַדְּשׁוֹ. אֶלָּא אֲנָא הוּא הַהוּא, דְּאִיהוּ מְקַדֵּשׁ לֵיהּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא, וּבְגִין כַּךְ לָא יַפְגִּים זַרְעֵיהּ, וְלָא יִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ פְּגִימוּ. דְּהָא אֲנִי יְיָ' מְקַדְּשׁוֹ דַּאֲנָא בָּעֵינָא לְקַדְּשָׁא לֵיהּ וְיִשְׁתְּכַח קַדִּישָׁא בְּכֹלָּא, דְּקַדִּישָׁא יִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ עַל יְדָא דְּקַדִּישָׁא.

Holiness (Kedushah) Kedushah (Holiness) Levites Priests World to Come, The

36. Come and see, the Holy One, blessed be He, will make use of the priest, who is holy when he comes to serve. Since the Holy One, blessed be He will use the priest who is holy, the latter will be helped by a pure man, who is sanctified by his own purity. These are the Levites. Another MAN, NAMELY THE PRIEST, will be helped by another holy man, THE LEVITE, so they will all be in holiness to serve the Holy One, blessed be He. Happy are Yisrael in this world and in the World to Come, as it is written of them, "and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine" (Vayikra 20:26). Yisrael are separated by holiness in every respect, so as to serve the Holy One, blessed be He. This is the meaning of, "Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am Hashem your Elohim" (Ibid. 7).

36. ת"ח, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ ע"י דְּכַהֲנָא, וְיִשְׁתְּכַח קַדִּישָׁא כַּד אָתֵי לְשַׁמְּשָׁא, וּבְגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ עַל יְדָא דְּכַהֲנָא דְּאִיהוּ קַדִּישָׁא, כַּהֲנָא יִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ ע"י דְּדַכְיָא, דְּאִתְקַּדָּשׁ בְּדַכְיוּתֵיהּ, וּמַאי אִיהוּ. לֵיוָאֵי. בַּר נָשׁ אָחֳרָא, יִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ ע"י דְּקַדִּישָׁא אָחֳרָא, בְּגִין דְּיִשְׁתַּכְחוּן כֹּלָּא בִּקְדוּשָּׁא, לְשַׁמְּשָׁא לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, דְּעָלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב, וָאַבְדִיל אֶתְכֶם מִן הָעַמִּים לִהְיוֹת לִי. כַּמָה פְּרִישָׁן יִשְׂרָאֵל מִכֹּלָּא, בִּקְדוּשָּׁה, לְשַׁמְּשָּׁא לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הה"ד וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם וִהְיִיתֶם קְדוֹשִׁים כִּי אֲנִי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם.

Blessing Compassion Exile Redemption and Salvation Shechinah Shepherd

37. He opened again and said, "Salvation belongs to Hashem; Your blessings be upon Your people. Selah" (Tehilim 3:9). "Salvation belongs to Hashem:" we have so learned, happy are Yisrael, for wherever they were exiled, the Shechinah went into exile with them. When Yisrael will come out of exile, whose salvation shall this be, that of Yisrael or of the Holy One, blessed be He, SEEING THAT THE SHECHINAH AS WELL WILL GO OUT OF EXILE? We have explained it in relation to several verses. Here, "Salvation belongs to Hashem," surely. When will that be? When "Your blessings be upon Your people." When the Holy One, blessed be He, cares for Yisrael with blessings so as to take them out of exile and help them, then "Salvation belongs to Hashem," BECAUSE THE SHECHINAH WILL GO OUT OF EXILE. We therefore learned that the Holy One, blessed be He, will return from exile with Yisrael. This is the meaning of, "then Hashem your Elohim will turn your captivity, and have compassion upon you" (Devarim 30:3). 'TURN' CAN BE CONSTRUED TO MEAN HE WILL RETURN WITH YISRAEL FROM EXILE.

37. תּוּ פָּתַח וְאָמַר, לַיְיָ' הַיְשׁוּעָה עַל עַמְּךָ בִרְכָתֶךָ סֶּלָה. לַיְיָ' הַיְשׁוּעָה. הָכִי תָּנֵינָן, זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, דִּבְכָל אֲתַר דְּאִתְגָּלוּ, שְׁכִינְתָּא אִתְגַּלְיָיא בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ. כַּד יִפְּקוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל מִגָּלוּתָא, פּוּרְקָנָא לְמַאן, לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אוֹ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. אֶלָּא הָא אוּקְמוּהָ בְּכַמָּה קְרָאֵי, וְהָכָא, לַיְיָ' הַיְשׁוּעָה וַדַּאי, אֵימָתַי. עַל עַמְּךָ בִרְכָתֶךָ סֶּלָה. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יַשְׁגַּח בְּבִרְכָאן עָלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, לְאַפָּקָא לוֹן מִן גָּלוּתָא, וּלְאוֹטָבָא לְהוּ, כְּדֵין לַיְיָ' הַיְשׁוּעָה וַדַּאי. וְעַל דָּא תָּנֵינָן, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יֵיתוּב עִמְּהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מִן גָּלוּתָא, הה"ד, וְשָׁב יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ וְרִחֲמֶךָ.