Pt3 Body, Blemish, and Temple Duty: Physical Deformities that Disqualify Priests from Serving (Mishnah Bekhorot 7:1-6; Leviticus 21:18-20)
This is the third and final part of a three-part series. Part 1 is here, Part 2 is here; the outline can be found at the beginning of Part 1.
Male Genitals: Long scrotum or penis; missing or single testicle; crushed or swollen testicles
The list of disqualifications continues:
absence of testicles, or having only one testicle,3 which falls under the category of mero’aḥ ashekh (מרוח אשך) as mentioned in the relevant biblical verses (quoted in the intro in Part 1, #11 in the list there).
R' Yishmael interprets mero’aḥ ashekh as crushed (נמרחו) testicles (אשך),4 R' Akiva interprets it as swollen testicles,5 and R' Ḥanina ben Antigonus views it as referring to a particularly dark (חשוכין) appearance.6
המאשכן,
ובעל גבר.
אין לו ביצים,
או אין לו אלא ביצה אחת --
זהו מרוח אשך האמור בתורה.
רבי ישמעאל אומר: כל שנמרחו אשכיו.
רבי עקיבא אומר: כל שרוח באשכיו.
רבי חנינא בן אנטיגנוס אומר: כל שמראיו חשוכין
or one whose scrotum is unnaturally long;
or one whose penis is unnaturally long is disqualified from performing the Temple service.
If one has no testicles,
or if he has only one testicle,
that is the mero’aḥ ashekh that is stated in the Torah (see Leviticus 21:20) among the blemishes that disqualify a priest from Temple service.
R' Yishmael says: A mero’aḥ ashekh is anyone whose testicles were crushed.
R' Akiva says: It is anyone that has wind in his testicles, i.e., they are swollen.
R' Ḥanina ben Antigonus says: Mero’aḥ ashekh does not refer to the testicles; rather, the reference is to anyone whose appearance [marav] is especially dark [ḥashukhin].
Legs and Feet: Crooked legs; bowlegged
The list of disqualifications continues:
A priest whose legs are crooked, causing his ankles (קרסליו) or knees (ארכובותיו) to knock (מקיש) into each other as he walks.7
One with a protrusion (פיקה - see next section)
An “ikkel” (עקל), defined as a person who, when standing with feet together, has knees that do not touch.8
המקיש בקרסליו,
ובארכובותיו,
ובעל פיקה,
והעקל.
איזהו "עקל"?
כל שמקיף פרסותיו, ואין ארכובותיו נושקות זו לזו.
The mishna lists additional blemishes that disqualify a priest from performing the Temple service:
One whose legs are crooked and bend inward, causing him to knock his ankles
or his knees into each other as he walks,
and a ba’al happikim,
and the ikkel.
What is the ikkel?
It is anyone who places his feet together and his knees do not knock into each other, i.e., he is bowlegged.
Legs and Feet: protuberance on thumb or toe, protruding heel, wide feet
The list of disqualifications continues:
Heel protrudes back11
פיקה יוצאה מגודלו,
עקבו יוצא לאחוריו,
פרסתו רחבה כשל אוז
[...]
A priest with a protuberance emerging alongside the thumb of his hand or the big toe of his foot,
or one whose heel emerges and protrudes back from his foot,
or one whose feet are wide like those of a goose are all disqualified from performing the Temple service.
[...]
Fingers and Handedness: Extra Finger; Ambidextrous
If a priest had an extra finger or toe13 and cut it off, he remains disqualified if the appendage had a bone. If there was no bone, he is considered fit.
If he has six fingers or toes on each hand or foot, totaling 24, R' Yehuda considers him fit, but the majority Rabbis disqualify him.
For an ambidextrous14 priest, R' Yehuda HaNasi disqualifies him, viewing him as left-handed, while the Rabbis consider him fit.
היתה בו יתרת וחתכה, אם יש בה עצם --
פסול.
ואם לאו --
כשר.
יתר בידיו וברגליו שש ושש עשרים וארבע --
רבי יהודה מכשיר
וחכמים פוסלים.
השולט בשתי ידיו --
רבי פוסל
וחכמים מכשירים.
In a case where there was an extra finger or toe on his hand or foot and he cut it, if that extra appendage contains a bone,
the priest is disqualified even after it was cut,
and if there is no bone
the priest is fit.
If there was an extra appendage on his hands and on his feet, six on each for a total of twenty-four,
R' Yehuda deems the priest fit and the Rabbis deem him disqualified.
With regard to one who is ambidextrous and has control of both of his hands,
R' Yehuda HaNasi deems the priest disqualified, as his halakhic status is like that of one who is left-handed,
and the Rabbis deem him fit.
Unusual Physical Features and Problematic Mental Conditions: Cushi (Ethiopian), Giḥor, Pale, Kipe’aḥ, Dwarf, deaf-mute, mentally disabled, alcoholic, and one with a skin condition
The chapter concludes with a list of nine items, of physical or mental conditions that disqualify a person from performing the Temple service, but do not disqualify an animal with these conditions from being sacrificed.
Conditions mentioned include dark-skinned (Cushi),15 pale-skinned (leukon), and physically or mentally impaired individuals (such as the dwarf, deaf-mute,16 mentally disabled, and alcoholic).
הכושי,
והגיחור,
והלבקן,
והקפח,
והננס,
והחרש,
והשוטה,
והשכור,
ובעלי נגעים טהורין --
פסולין באדם, וכשרין בבהמה.
Concerning
the kushi,
the giḥor,
the lavkan,
the kipe’aḥ,
the dwarf,
the deaf-mute,
the imbecile,
the drunk,
and those with ritually pure marks,
their conditions disqualify a person from performing the Temple service and are valid, i.e., they do not disqualify with regard to being sacrificed, in the case of an animal.
Appendix - Table Summarizing
The word מאשכן is from the root of אשך, meaning “testicle”, see later in this section.
Abnormally long scrotum: This could be a sign of scrotal ptosis, where the scrotum hangs lower than usual. It could result from age-related tissue elasticity changes or conditions that affect the scrotum, such as varicoceles (enlarged veins in the scrotum) or previous injury.
Abnormally large penis: This is more ambiguous, as human penis size varies naturally. However, extreme cases could involve congenital or acquired conditions like macrophallia or conditions affecting tissue elasticity.
Absence of testicles or having only one testicle (mero’aḥ ashekh): Absence of testicles may refer to anorchia (congenital absence of testicles) or undescended testicles. Having only one testicle could also arise from monorchism, whether congenital or resulting from trauma or surgery.
R' Yishmael’s “crushed testicles” interpretation may relate to testicular atrophy or trauma. Injury to the testicles can indeed affect appearance and function, impacting fertility and hormonal balance.
רוח באשכיו - literally: “air in his testicles”.
R' Akiva’s “wind in the testicles” (swelling) might be interpreted as hydrocele (fluid accumulation around the testicle) or epididymitis (inflammation of the epididymis, often causing swelling). Swollen testicles can indicate infections or other underlying issues.
Dark appearance (mar’av ḥashukhin): R' Ḥanina’s interpretation might refer to hyperpigmentation or conditions causing darker skin tones, potentially as symptoms of chronic adrenal insufficiency (Addison’s disease). People with Addison’s disease may develop a bronzed or darkened skin tone, which could lead to a distinct appearance.
This likely refers to genu valgum (commonly known as "knock knees"). Knock knees cause the knees to angle inward and often result in instability or awkward gait, which might have been seen as unsuitable for the precision required in Temple service.
The word עיקל is from the root of עקל, meaning “bent, curved, twisted”. Here, indicating bowleggedness.
Compare the derived words:
And compare also these words, likely related, based on the bilateral root “עק“:
פיקה - Jastrow:
“פִּיקָא, פִּיקָה I [...] lump, ball, swelling, esp[ecially] 1) protruding cartilage”.
Protuberances near thumb or big toe: These descriptions seem consistent with conditions like:
Polydactyly: the presence of extra fingers or toes.
Bunions (hallux valgus): a deformity causing a bony bump at the base of the big toe, making the toe point toward the other toes.
Protruding heel: Haglund’s deformity: a bony enlargement on the back of the heel, which can lead to pain and difficulty walking.
Wide feet like a goose’s: This could refer to flat feet (pes planus) or possibly webbed toes (syndactyly). Both flat feet and syndactyly may cause irregular gait or imbalance, which may have been considered a detriment to performing Temple rituals.
Extra finger or toe (polydactyly) with or without a bone: Polydactyly is common and can involve an extra digit with a bone or just a skin appendage. The Mishnah’s concern with the presence of a bone might relate to the functional impact; a bony extra digit could interfere with precision tasks, even if removed.
שולט בשתי ידיו - literally: “has control of both of his hands”.
Ambidexterity and left-handedness: In the classical world, there was often a preference for right-handedness, associated with strength and dexterity (dexterity literally means “right-handed”), while left-handedness was sometimes regarded as unusual or even unfavorable. The Mishnah’s disqualification of ambidextrous priests may relate to a perception that strength should be predominantly on the right side.
On #1-5 in the list in this section; see my piece: “"Unusual In His Skin": Talmudic Discourse on the Cushi and other Types of People With Notable Physical Appearances (Berakhot 58b and Moed Katan 16b)”.