Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Daf Yomi - Yoma 49 - Drunk Kohen

The Gemora quotes a ברייתא that a drunkard is unfit to do the avodah in the בית המקדש. Tosfos discusses the various opinions as to which liquids will one be חייב מיתה for and to which will there be only a transgression and will the avodah be כשר or not. The Rambam in Hilchos Tefillah rules that a kohen who drinks wine is not allowed to דוכן. The לחם משנה asks that the Rambam rules like Rebbe Yehuda that for drinking wine and doing the avodah, he will be חייב מיתה and for other drinks that cause one to become intoxicated, there is a לאו, if so, by Hilchos Tefillah he should mention that a kohen will not be allowed to duchen if he drinks other drinks as well?

My cousin, Rav Sholom Shapiro answers this question by learning a different pshat in the Rambam in ביאת המקדש. He does not rule in accordance with Rebbe Yehuda, for if so the avodah should be invalidated and the Rambam explicitly states that it is כשר. (I don't know how the לחם משנה would explain this.) The rationale of the Rambam is based on a Mishna in Bechoros that states that one who is שיכור is not allowed to do the avodah because it is considered a מום - a blemish and a blemish which is only applicable to a person and not an animal does not invalidate the korban. This explains why by ברכת כהנים, the Rambam only mentions wine for that is learned from the passuk - יין ושכר אל תשת, however a כהן who drinks other liquids and is rendered a בעל מום, he would still be permitted to דוכן.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

By jcFlyer on 7/26/2006 6:30 PM
Can you clarify please about the drunken aspect of it. Is it simply a matter of consuming some alchohol or does it have to be enough to get the Kohen drunk?

Avromi said...

If youre asking regarding duchaning, the answer is as follows:

If he drinks wine more that a reviis (anywhere between 3.3 oz. and 4.6 approx), then he cannot duchan. This is if he drank this amount at one shot and he didn't dring water with it.

If he drinks other intoxicating liquids, then he can duchen as long as he is not drunk.

Anonymous said...

By jcFlyer on 7/26/2006 6:54 PM
What about in today's Daf? I learned that the word 'Shikor' does not mean drunk in this context, but rather that he has had something (containing alchohol to drink). Is that correct?

Avromi said...

It is an argument between Rashi and Tosfos. Rashi (quoted from Zevachim in tosfos here) holds that we are referring to one who drank wine. Tosfos holds that it is speaking about any intoxicating liquid. The basis of their argument has to do with a machlokes Tanaim when is the avodah considered invalid.

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