Parshas Emor-5759 The Eyes of the Beholder
 By Rabbi Joshua (perceived as The Hoffer) Hoffman

   This week's parsha begins with a series of laws pertaining to the Kohanim-the priests-regulating their service in the Temple.Among these laws there is included a list of bodily blemishes which disqualify a person from this service.What is the reason for this disqualification? Is the blemished priest a lesser person in God's eyes? Rashi writes that it is not befitting that a blemished person be the one to perform God's service, and quotes a verse from the prophet Malachi to the effect that one would not offer a blemished gift to a governor. This explanation itself requires an explanation, for, while a human recipient may not be overwhelmed by a blemished gift, God may find the service of a person with a blemish more appealing, as such a person would be more likely to possess a contrite spirit, which is so desirable for divine service.Why, then, is a blemished priest disqualified?

   Rabbi Eliyahu Meir Bloch, in his commentary Peninei Da'as, explains the above mentioned Rashi to be referring to the attitude of the people who the Kohen represents.The Kohen acts as the representative of the people in performing the Temple service.While, as far as God is concerned, a blemished Kohen is a perfectly acceptable candidate to perform this service, he may not be so in the eyes of those he represents. They may feel that it is not fitting for them to have a person with bodily imperfections approach God's holy abode and offer their sacrifices to Him. Although this attitude may be wrong, it is a natural reaction, and the Torah, while not condoning such a reaction, takes cognizance of it. Since, subjectively, the people will feel that they are not properly fulfilling their duty by having a blemished  Kohen represent them, he is disqualified from service. Rabbi Bloch, in giving this explanation, cites the verse in parshas Nitzavim, "it is not in heaven." The Torah takes note of people's failings and realizes that they are likely to consider a person with one of the enumerated blemishes as somehow inferior.Therefore, even though, objectively, such a person may even be a superior candidate for the Temple service, he is disqualified from performing it.

 Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik has explained a certain detail in the laws of prayer  on the basis of an idea similar to that of Rabbi Bloch. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim, 53, 4) lists a number of optimal requirements for a person to serve as the shliach tzibbur, the one who leads the congregation in prayer.On the list of desirable characteristics, in addition to having a pleasant voice, it is mentioned also  that the leader not have a bad name from his youth. This means that if someone led a less than exemplary life in his youth, even though he later repented, it is preferable that he not serve as the shliach tzibbur.At first blush, this law is very difficult to understand.Don't the rabbis tell us that a penitent (baal tishuva) is on an even higher level spiritually than someone who did not commit sins? Why, then, should such a person be prevented from leading the congregation? Rabbi Soloveitchik explained that the problem is not in the person himself, but in the attitude of the congregation toward him.Although, in God's eyes, this person may be on a very high spiritual level, and his prayers may indeed be more sincere than those of some others, still, because of his past reputation, the congregation may not have sufficient confidence in him to serve as their leader in prayer. This attitude on the part of the congregation may be wrong, but it is a common attitude and cannot be ignored. Therefore, they are told to choose someone else to serve as their prayer leader.

 I once heard, from Rabbi Karno of Chicago, a different explanation for the disqualification of a blemished Kohen. The Kohen is commanded to bless the people each day, and this blessing is one given in love, as articulated in the text of the blessing-'..who commanded us to bless the people of Israel with love." Someone who has one of the bodily defects enumerated in the Torah senses a difference between himself and others.This sensitivity may very likely cause a certain degree of separation, in the Kohen's mind, between himself and the nation, and result in a diminution of the feeling of love he must have in carrying out his duties. The expression of love in the priestly blessing is in fact reflective of the  nature of the Temple service, which, as Rabbi Menachem Kasher has written, is an expression of love between the nation and God. The blemished Kohen is apt, due to his physical condition, to be somewhat lacking in his feelings of love, and, therefore, should not serve as the people's agent. 
According to Rabbi Karno's explanation, it is the possible attitude of the blemished Kohen, rather than that of the people, that disqualifies him from the Temple service. According to both explanations, however, the blemished Kohen is not prevented from serving on objective grounds.In the eyes of God his service is as acceptable as that of any other Kohen. However, because of the human condition, the subjective attitude of either the Kohen or those who he represents, he cannot perform the service. Thus, even though the Torah calls on us to be a holy people,and the highest expression of this holiness is concentrated in the Temple service, still, the fact that we are subject to human limitations is never lost sight of.Perhaps this is part of the meaning behind the midrash in parshas Kedoshim, in which we are told that, although we are commanded to be holy as God is , God's holiness is in a different category than our's. Our recognition of this fact should serve as a spur to attain the degree of holiness that is included in the command, as we are indeed capable of achieving it.