Emorโs haftarah reads Ezekielโs priestly laws, ending:
The priests shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself, or is torn, whether it be fowl or beast. (Ezekiel 44:31)
ืึผึธื ื ึฐืึตืึธื ืึผืึฐืจึตืคึธื ืึดื ืึธืขืึนืฃ ืึผืึดื ืึทืึผึฐืึตืึธื โ ืึนื ืึนืืึฐืืึผ ืึทืึผึนืึฒื ึดืื. (ืืืืงืื ื"ื, ืื)
The Babylonian Talmud (Shabbat 13b) relates:
Indeed, remember that man for good, Hananiah ben Hezekiah: without him Ezekielโs book would have been hidden away, for its words contradicted the Torah. What did he do? They brought him three hundred jars of oil, and he sat in an upper chamber and expounded them.
ืืจื, ืืืืจ ืืืชื ืืืืฉ ืืืื, ืืื ื ืื ืื ืืืงืื ืฉืื, ืฉืืืืื ืืื โ ื ืื ื ืกืคืจ ืืืืงืื, ืฉืืื ืืืจืื ืกืืชืจืื ืืืจื ืชืืจื. ืื ืขืฉื? ืืขืื ืื ืฉืืฉ ืืืืช ืืจืื ืฉืื ืืืฉื ืืขืืื ืืืจืฉื.
Perhaps one contradiction he addressed was the final prohibition of carrion and torn flesh. Ezekiel implies it is specifically priestly, like the preceding laws, whereas the Torah prohibits it for all Israel (Exodus 22:30; Deuteronomy 14:21).
Yet why complain about Ezekiel when our portion explicitly says the same?
What man soever of the seed of Aaron โฆ That which dieth of itself, or is torn of beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith. (Leviticus 22:4โ8)
ืึดืืฉื ืึดืืฉื ืึดืึผึถืจึทืข ืึทืึฒืจึนื โฆ ื ึฐืึตืึธื ืึผืึฐืจึตืคึธื ืึนื ืึนืืึทื ืึฐืึธืึฐืึธื ืึธืึผ. (ืืืงืจื ื"ื, ื-ื).
This is no innovation originating in Ezekiel: Leviticus too applies it to priests alone.
A similar contradiction concerns mourning cuts and baldness. Priests are told โThey shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corners of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their fleshโ (Leviticus 21:5), apparently priestly restrictions. Halakhah applies them to all Israel, as Deuteronomy says: โye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the deadโ (Deuteronomy 14:1).
The plain meaning indeed suggests laws arising from Aaronโs descendantsโ greater sanctity, rather than general prohibitions. But this may unlock the wider picture.
A beautiful midrash praising the Nazirite may supply the answer:
โAll the days that he consecrateth himself unto the LORD,โ etc.: Come and see: whoever sanctifies himself below is sanctified above. Since this person abstains from wine and imposes discomfort on himself by not shaving his head to protect himself from transgression, the Holy One, blessed be He, says: He is regarded before Me as a high priest โฆ (Numbers Rabbah 10:11)
"ืึธึผื ืึฐืึตื ืึทืึดึผืืจืึน ืึทื'" ืืื': ืืื ืืจืื ืฉืื ืื ืฉืืงืืฉ ืืช ืขืฆืื ืืืืื โ ืืงืืืฉืื ืืืชื ืืืืขืื. ืื, ืืคื ืฉืืืืจ ืืช ืขืฆืื ืื ืืืื ืื ืืื ืฆืขืจ ืืขืฆืื ืฉืื ืืืื ืจืืฉื ืืื ืืฉืืืจ ืขืฆืื ืื ืืขืืืจื, ืืืจ ืืงื"ื: ืืจื ืืื ืืฉืื ืืคึธื ึทื ืืืืื ืืืืโฆ (ืืืืืจ ืจืื ื ืื)
The midrash observes parallels between Nazirite and high priest. The only person otherwise forbidden by heightened sanctity to become impure for father or mother is the high priest. The Torah extends that prohibition against corpse impurity, including parents, to an Israelite voluntarily making a Nazirite vow, elevating him to the high priestโs level.
This model of widening the circle subject to special holiness laws may explain the mourning and dietary contradictions.
Holiness prohibitions originate with priestly sanctity. Leviticus, also called the Priestly Torah, and Ezekiel, whose prophecies are delivered by a priest, present them as specifically priestly. Exodus and Deuteronomy extend some, particularly carrion and torn flesh and mourning baldness and cuts, to all Israel.
This expresses the aspiration that all Israel rise to priestly stature: โand ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nationโ (Exodus 19:6).
