Study Desk

If a man goes to bed with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death; they have committed a perversion, and their blood is on them.

If a man takes his sister, his father's daughter or his mother's daughter, and has sexual relations with her, and she consents, it is a shameful thing; they are to be cut off publicly — he has had sexual relations with his sister, and he will bear the consequences of their wrongdoing.

You are not to have sexual relations with your mother's sister or your father's sister; a person who does this has had sexual relations with his close relative; they will bear the consequences of their wrongdoing.

If a man goes to bed with his uncle's wife, he has disgraced his uncle sexually; they will bear the consequences of their sin and die childless.

If a man takes his brother's wife, it is uncleanness; he has disgraced his brother sexually; they will be childless.

Adonai said to Moshe, "Speak to the cohanim, the sons of Aharon; tell them: ‘No cohen is to make himself unclean for any of his people who dies,

except for his close relatives — his mother, father, son, daughter and brother;

he may also make himself unclean for his virgin sister who has never married and is therefore dependent on him.

He may not make himself unclean, because he is a leader among his people; doing so would profane him.

"‘A cohen is not to marry a woman who is a prostitute, who has been profaned or who has been divorced; because he is holy for his God.

"‘The cohen who is ranked highest among his brothers, the one on whose head the anointing oil is poured and who is consecrated to put on the garments, is not to stop grooming his hair, tear his clothes,

go in to where any dead body is or make himself unclean, even when his father or mother dies.

He may not leave the sanctuary then or profane the sanctuary of his God, because the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him; I am Adonai .

he may not marry a widow, divorcee, profaned woman or prostitute; but he must marry a virgin from among his own people

and not disqualify his descendants among his people; because I am Adonai , who makes him holy.'"

"Tell Aharon, ‘None of your descendants who has a defect may approach to offer the bread of his God.

a hunched back, stunted growth, a cataract in his eye, festering or running sores, or damaged testicles —

no one descended from Aharon the cohen who has such a defect may approach to present the offerings for Adonai made by fire; he has a defect and is not to approach to offer the bread of his God.

He may eat the bread of his God, both the especially holy and the holy;

Moshe said these things to Aharon, his sons and all the people of Isra'el.