Midrash
Midrash Tanchuma, Emor 1 מדרש תנחומא, אמור א׳
Part of: Siman 1
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אֱמֹר אֶל הַכֹּהֲנִים. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: אִמְרוֹת ה' אֲמָרוֹת טְהוֹרוֹת וְגוֹ' (תהלים יב, ז). עַל כָּל מַה שֶּׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַזְהִיר אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, בִּשְׁבִיל קְדֻשָּׁתָן וְטָהֳרָתָן. הֱוֵי, אִמְרוֹת ה' אֲמָרוֹת טְהוֹרוֹת. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אֱמֹר אֶל הַכֹּהֲנִים וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם, הֲרֵי אֲמִירָה שְׁנֵי פְּעָמִים. מָשָׁל לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה, לְטַבָּח שֶׁהָיָה נִכְנָס וְיוֹצֵא לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ. אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ, גּוֹזֵר אֲנִי עָלֶיךָ שֶׁלֹּא תִּרְאֶה אֶת הַמֵּת כָּל יָמֶיךָ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאַתָּה נִכְנָס וְיוֹצֵא וְרוֹאֶה פָּנַי, שֶׁלֹּא תְּטַמֵּא אֶת פַּלְטְרִין שֶׁלִּי. כָּךְ גָּזַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל הַכֹּהֲנִים הַנִּכְנָסִים לְבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, שֶׁלֹּא יִטַּמְּאוּ לַמֵּת. לְפִיכָךְ הוּא אוֹמֵר, לְנֶפֶשׁ לֹא יִטַּמָּא בְּעַמָּיו.
(Lev. 21:1:) “Speak unto the priests.” This text is related (to Ps. 12:7), “The sayings of Hashem are pure sayings….” Everything [against] which the Holy One, blessed be He, warned Israel is for the sake of their holiness and their purity. Hence, “The sayings of Hashem are pure sayings.” Another interpretation (of Lev. 21:1), “Speak (literally, say) unto the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say unto them”: Note that "say" [occurs] two times. To what is the matter comparable? To a cook who would go in and out before the king. The king said, “I am commanding you not to look at a dead person all your days since you come in and out before me, lest you defile my palace.”1Lat.: praetorium, Gk.: praitorion. Similarly, the Holy One, blessed be He, had commanded the priests who enter the Temple not to be defiled for a dead person. It therefore says (in Lev. 21:1), “Let no one defile himself for a dead soul among his people.”
(Lev. 21:1:) “Speak unto the priests.” This text is related (to Ps. 12:7), “The sayings of Hashem are pure sayings….” Everything [against] which the Holy One, blessed be He, warned Israel is for the sake of their holiness and their purity. Hence, “The sayings of Hashem are pure sayings.” Another interpretation (of Lev. 21:1), “Speak (literally, say) unto the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say unto them”: Note that "say" [occurs] two times. To what is the matter comparable? To a cook who would go in and out before the king. The king said, “I am commanding you not to look at a dead person all your days since you come in and out before me, lest you defile my palace.”1Lat.: praetorium, Gk.: praitorion. Similarly, the Holy One, blessed be He, had commanded the priests who enter the Temple not to be defiled for a dead person. It therefore says (in Lev. 21:1), “Let no one defile himself for a dead soul among his people.”