Leviticus 21:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Scripture in Leviticus records: "Say unto Aaron: No man of thy seed in all their generations, who shall have a blemish in his body, shall come to offer bread to his God; no man who shall have a blemish in his body shall come, neither blind, nor lame, nor ugly, nor one whose leg is broken, nor one whose arm is broken, nor hunchbacked, nor with a dry member, nor with an eyesore, nor crusty, nor lousy, nor with damaged yatras; No man of the seed of Aaron the priest, who hath a blemish upon his body, shall come to offer sacrifices unto the Lord; the blemish is upon him, therefore he shall not come to offer bread unto his God; the bread of his God out of the great sanctuaries, and out of the holy places, he may eat; but to the veil he shall not come, neither shall he come to the altar, because the blemish is upon him: He shall not dishonour my sanctuary: for I am the Lord that sanctifieth them" (Lev. 21:17-23).

Palladius asks, is it conceivable that a physical defect can be considered a fault for anyone? Does the Divine One truly condemn a nature that is unintentionally flawed? Cyril responds to Palladius affirmatively, stating that blame can only be placed on those who consciously choose to engage in vice and prefer foolishness. It is both cruel and harsh to attribute culpability to the unavoidable imperfections of the body. Thus, we can discern that the Creator of all does not condemn humanity for involuntary shortcomings, nor does He declare those with physical ailments unclean for sacred duties. Rather, He lifts our understanding beyond the corporeal and highlights the distinctions among various inner struggles, showing their opposition to God. The apostle Paul affirmed that those chosen for the priesthood should embody integrity in every honorable aspect. “Let the man of God be perfect,” he instructs, “a man of God, prepared unto every good work” (2 Tim. 3:17). He also clearly stated that a bishop must be above reproach (1 Tim. 3:2-8), emphasizing the importance of this discernment.

In Leviticus, it is stated: “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron, saying, No man of thy seed in all their generations, whose body shall have a blemish, shall come to offer bread to his God. Every man that hath a blemish, let him not come: neither blind, nor lame, nor ugly, nor having a broken leg or arm, nor hunchbacked, nor having a dry cock, nor eyesore, nor crusty, nor lousy, nor with blemished yatras. No man of the seed of Aaron the priest, that hath a blemish in his body, shall come to offer sacrifices unto the Lord: the blemish is upon him: therefore he shall not come to offer bread unto his God” (Leviticus 21:17-21). This directive stemmed from the understanding of the priest as a representative of the Lord. As the Lord is without flaw, so must the priest also be without physical blemish. The Old Testament law emphasized offering divine service with utmost splendor and purity to cultivate spiritual cleanliness and order in humanity.

In contrast, Christianity acknowledges only one perfect representative of God: Jesus Christ. Priests are viewed merely as servants of Christ tasked with sanctifying individuals internally through the power of the word and spirit, preparing them for eternal life. Consequently, the physical appearance of a priest is of minor importance, except when bodily defects hinder one's ability to fulfill clerical responsibilities properly. Thus, these guidelines assert that someone who suffers injury to one eye or leg may rightfully take on the role of bishop if they possess the necessary spiritual attributes, as evidenced by the 77th Rule of the Apostles stating that it is moral rather than physical shortcomings that tarnish a person.

It is understandable that a deaf or blind individual should not serve as a bishop—not due to any inherent impurity from their condition but rather because such limitations could impede the effective governance of church matters. Valsamon poses a pertinent inquiry in interpreting these guidelines: Should a person who has become deaf or blind after entering the priesthood, or who has developed any other physical ailment preventing them from performing sacred duties, be excluded from service? He promptly responds in the negative, indicating that such a stance is lacking in compassion and contradicts the Apostolic intention of rejecting those who deserve understanding for their afflictions. Many bishops, priests, and deacons who encountered blindness or enduring illness that inhibited their ministry were not expelled from the sacred calling for the remainder of their lives. While they were not assigned new duties, they retained their previous responsibilities before their condition worsened.