1) There are six places in the Torah where a sin is punished by burning, one of which is found in Parshas Emor. How many of them can you identify?
2) Which three laws in Parshas Emor involve broken bones?
3) There are seven mitzvos in Parshas Emor that explicitly mention the number seven. How many of them can you identify?
4) The Torah commands us (21:8) to sanctify Kohanim and to treat them respectfully, giving them precedence in all spiritual matters. If a Kohen and a Yisroel have the same level of obligation to daven as the shaliach tzibbur, is there a mitzvah to give precedence to the Kohen?
5) In this week’s parsha (21:10-11) we learn that the Kohen Gadol wasn’t allowed to leave the Beis HaMikdosh, even after suffering the loss of an immediate family member. The Rambam (Hilchos Klei HaMikdash 5:7) writes that the Kohen Gadol had a special room in the Beis HaMikdosh, and he had to remain in the Beis HaMikdosh all day, and was only allowed to leave at night. The Rambam further writes, that “His home should be in Yerusholayim and he should never leave”. The Kohen Gadol wasn’t allowed to leave Yerusholayim. Where does this chiddush [novel ruling] come from? The Minchas Chinuch (Mitzvah 136) answers in the name of a talmid: The din is, that if one brings a korban, he must stay in Yerusholayim until the next day. The Kohen Gadol would bring a korban mincha everyday, therefore, he always had to stay in Yerusholayim. In the same way that a Kohen Gadol wasn’t allowed to leave Yerusholayim, there is another type of person who isn’t allowed to enter Yerusholayim. The Shita Mekubetzes (Bava Kama, 82b, citing the Meiri in the name of the Avos D’Reb Nossan) writes: “A mamzer isn’t allowed to enter Yerusholayim”. The Yalkut Reuveni (Ki Seitzei, ois 95) cites a Medrash which says, that if a mamzer tries to enter, we push him out.
Considering the above, the Birchas Avraham (Ki Seitzei) asks an interesting question: The Mishnah at the end of Horiyos (13a) teaches: “A mamzer who is a talmid chocham precedes a Kohen Gadol am ho’aretz”. The Yerushalmi explains: The talmud chocham may sit in front of the Kohen Gadol, the talmud chocham should be answered first, and the talmud chocham should enter and leave first. The question is: A Kohen Gadol isn’t allowed to leave Yerusholayim, and a mamzer isn’t allowed to enter, so when would these dinim ever apply, seemingly there will never be a scenario where both a mamzer and talmud chocham could be together?
