THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
The priests were commanded to maintain holiness and purity, courageously distancing themselves from the dead, symbolizing a state of spiritual lethargy devoid of virtue. This divine instruction is exemplified in the Scripture, where it states, “And the Lord said unto Moses, Declare unto the priests, the children of Aaron, and say unto them: Let them not defile themselves by touching a dead man of their people; only his neighbour's kinsman, his mother and his father, his son and his daughter, his brother and his sister, a maiden who lives with him and has not been married, may he touch without defiling himself; and he shall not defile himself by touching anyone of his people, lest he become unclean.
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They shall not shave their heads, nor trim the edges of their beards, nor make cuts on their bodies. They shall be holy to their God, and shall not dishonour the name of their God; for they offer sacrifices to the Lord, bread to their God, and therefore they shall be holy” (Leviticus 21:1-6).
Upon closer examination, one finds that there is no inherent impurity from the death of another individual. However, the reality of physical death reflects a deeper spiritual and mental decay, which can corrupt anyone who draws near through desire or action. Therefore, it is fitting for the saints to abstain from dead works and avoid associating with those engaged in such actions; it is written, “He who touches the pitch will be defiled” (Sir. 13:1). One who is not cautious in avoiding it may easily share in the wrongdoing of another.
Nonetheless, the law permits the consecrated to come into contact with their deceased family members, such as parents, children, and siblings, out of reverence for their human nature. These allowances are made without accounting for such actions as transgressions, provided that those devoted to God do not appear cruel or unfeeling. The commandment unequivocally states, “Honour thy father and thy mother, … That thy days may be long upon the earth” (Ex. 20:12).
Moreover, it can be asserted that the consecrated are prohibited from mourning excessively; how can those who serve as ministers of life and present offerings to God, representing liberation from death through Christ’s sacrifice, allow themselves to be weighed down by grief over death? The Apostle Paul articulates this to those baptized into Christ with hope for life and resurrection: “But I do not want to leave you, brethren, in ignorance of the dead, lest you should grieve as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, God will also bring those who died in Jesus with Him” and raise them up with us (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14:17).
Thus, while the law allows the consecrated to approach their deceased kin, it also sets boundaries to prevent them from misusing this provision in a manner that could diminish the sanctity of their priestly role. For instance, it forbids the act of shaving heads to imitate others, disfiguring the face by shaving the beard, and engaging in the pagan custom of bodily markings; it is reasonable to empathize with loved ones in sorrow, but completely altering one’s appearance is utterly foolish. It is stated, “everything must be decent and respectable” (1 Cor. 14:40). Furthermore, the Savior Himself taught us to prioritize our obligations to God even over those to our parents, saying, “Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matt. 10:37).