The Chinuch writes (Mitzvah 263): The body of a dead person is the ultimate source of impurity, meaning it has an extremely strong impurity above all others. The reason is that when the living intellectual form – the nefesh – departs from it, left behind is only the base flesh that yearns for evil and caused the precious soul to sin while it dwelt within it. Therefore, it is fitting that all around it become impure when its glory departs.
Regarding the Kohen Gadol, he shall not enter the tent of the dead, even for a Met Mitzvah (a body with no one to bury it), as he is set apart to be the holiest of the holy. Even though he has a body, his soul constantly dwells among the supernal servants. Therefore, the Torah does not consider allowing him to become impure, even for relatives. Unlike ordinary Kohanim, the Kohen Gadol, due to the great attachment of his soul above, completely divests himself of the nature of human beings, forgetting all matters of this corrupt world, and his soul does not weep for the company of a relative, for he is already separated in life.
From these words of the Sefer HaChinuch, I would like to address two points that came to me. When the Torah speaks of the Kohen Gadol, it emphasizes twice that he is anointed with the anointing oil. First, שׁ ֶ מ ֶ ן ה ַ מּ ִ שׁ ְ ח ָ האֲשׁ ֶר יוּצַק עַל רֹאשׁ וֹ – on whose head the anointing oil has been poured, and then again, לֹהָיו עָלָיו-אֱ שׁ ֶ מ ֶ ן מִ שׁ ְ ח ַ תכִּי נֵזֶר – for upon him is the distinction of the anointing oil of his G-d.
What secret is hidden here? The Gemara asks (Yoma 18a): When it says ָדוֹל מֵ אֶ חָ יו הַ ג, in what way is he greater? The Gemara answers: ו ּ ב ְ ע ו ֹ שׁ ֶ ר בְּ חָ כְ מָ ה בְּ נוֹי ָדוֹל מֵ אֶ חָ יו בְּ כֹחַ שׁ ֶ י – this teaches that he must be greater than his priestly brethren in strength, in beauty, in wisdom, and in wealth. Thus, the Rambam writes (Hilchot Klei HaMikdash 5:1): The Kohen Gadol must be greater than all his fellow Kohanim in beauty, strength, wealth, wisdom, and appearance. If he has no wealth, all the Kohanim give him from their own, each according to his wealth, until he becomes richer than the wealthiest among them.
Regarding this title of Gadol, The Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah, 26:9) says it is because he is greater in five things: wisdom, strength, beauty, wealth, and years. When I first read this, I asked myself a very elementary question. He must be greater in wealth – understood; one of the Kohanim ensures he has money, or worst-case scenario, they hold a gala fundraiser for him. Greater in strength – how do they make him strong? They send him to the gym! Perfect. But how do they arrange for him to be the most handsome?
The Midrash says (Yalkut Shimoni, Tehillim 45:790): When they came to anoint the Kohen Gadol, they would bring the Kohanim and stand them on the sides, place the anointing oil (שׁ ֶ מ ֶ ן ה ַ מּ ִ שׁ ְ ח ָ ה) in the middle, and the oil would then run on its own and be poured on the head of the Kohen Gadol, as it says:
ָ שׁ ֶ מֶן שָׂ שׂוֹן מֵ חֲ בֵ רֶ יך ָ לֹהֶ יך -ל ֹהִ ים אֱ - אֱ ָ עַל כֵּן מְ שׁ ָ חֲך – Therefore G-d, your G-d, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows. Once the anointing oil descended upon him, if he was short, he would grow taller. If he was dark, he would become fair. If his face was unpleasant, it would become radiant. Rabbotai, this anointing oil performed a complete transformation and makeover! Similarly, it is brought in Midrash Rabbah (Vayikra Rabbah, 26:9): You learn that even if a person is short and appointed king, he becomes tall. Why so? Because when the Kohen is also anointed with anointing oil and thus becomes more distinguished than all his brothers.
When is the Kohen Gadol anointed with the שׁ ֶ מ ֶ ן ה ַ מּ ִ שׁ ְ ח ָ ה? After the Sanhedrin of seventy-one selects him as Kohen Gadol, they sew garments for him: a robe, tunic, sash, headplate, and so on – all well and good. But what size do they make these garments? Imagine if the Kohen Gadol was six feet tall and they made the robe for a six-foot man, only to discover he’s six inches taller after anointed with the שׁ ֶ מ ֶ ן ה ַ מּ ִ שׁ ְ ח ָ ה! The new made-to-measure garments would no longer fit him!
Rav Yonatan Eybeschutz (Tiferet Yonatan, Tetzaveh) provides a wonderful idea on the garments being לְ כָבוֹד וּלְתִ פְ אָ רֶ ת. The glory in these garments is that they must be precisely fitted to the Kohen’s measurements, neither too short nor too long. But if a Kohen anointed with the שׁ ֶ מ ֶ ן ה ַ מּ ִ שׁ ְ ח ָ ה grows taller, how could they adjust for the fact that he’d grow taller in the near future? The answer is, the garments were also anointed at the outset, and they too grew larger! This is a clear miracle, a wonder of Hakadosh Baruch Hu, for one might say the Kohen’s growth is natural, as people say that good news or a promotion naturally elevates a person, but this cannot be said of the garments, and this is for glory and splendor, for Hashem performed a wondrous miracle.
The שׁ ֶ מ ֶ ן ה ַ מּ ִ שׁ ְ ח ָ ה that Moshe made in the desert wilderness was the subject of miracles right from the get-go, according to the Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah, 10:8). It was only twelve log in volume, barely enough to soak the wood, not to mention how much the fire consumed, how much the wood absorbed, and how much the pot absorbed. From it, Aharon and his sons were then anointed all seven days of the Mishkan’s dedication. Also, the golden altar and its vessels were anointed with it, along with the brass altar and its vessels, the shulchan and its vessels, the menorah and its vessels, the basin and its pedestal, etc. And on top of all that, Kohanim Gedolim and kings were anointed with it for generations! Yet, the שׁ ֶ מ ֶ ן ה ַ מּ ִ שׁ ְ ח ָ ה still endures!
How do we know it still endures? This is learned from the term לִי – for Me. Wherever we find this term, the matter it refers to never ceases, neither in this world nor in the world to come. Within this group of items is: לִ ייִהְיֶה זֶה שׁ ֶ מ ֶ ן מִ שׁ ְ ח ַ ת ק ֹ דֶ שׁ.
