## Rashbam on Leviticus Chapter 21

###### Rashbam on Leviticus 21:1:1
[Rashbam on Leviticus 21:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashbam%20on%20Leviticus/r/21:1:1)

לנפש לא יטמא בעמיו - איש בעם הכהנים לא יטמא לנפש אדם. כמו: בתולה מעמיו יקח אשה, אבל אילו היה כתוב לעמיו היה משמע לא יטמא לעמיו. כמו שכתוב: לנפש לא יטמא. לאחיו ולאחותו לא יטמא להם - ולא נאמר בהם. גם יש לפרש בנפש הנמצא בעמיו לא יטמא.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
לנפש לא יטמא בעמיו, a man belonging to the “nation” of priests must not defile himself by contact with a dead human being. The word בעמיו “of his people,” is used here in the same sense as in verse 14 later on where the Torah decrees that the only suitable marriage partner for a High Priest [if he was not married at the time of his appointment. Ed.] is בתולה מעמיו, “a virgin from his people.” If the Torah had written here לעמיו instead of בעמיו, the meaning would have been more restrictive, i.e. that the priest must only not defile himself by contact with a Jewish corpse. Similar constructions involving the expression לעמיו are found in Numbers 6,7 The expression לנפש allows leeway, as we know from the subsequent verse where it is permitted for the priest or even mandated that he defile himself on the corpses of his closest relatives.


###### Rashbam on Leviticus 21:4:1
[Rashbam on Leviticus 21:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashbam%20on%20Leviticus/r/21:4:1)

לא יטמא בעל בעמיו - שום בעל בעם הכהנים לא יטמא לאשתו.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
לא יטמא בעל בעמיו, no husband among the tribe of the priests is to defile himself ritually


###### Rashbam on Leviticus 21:4:2
[Rashbam on Leviticus 21:4:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashbam%20on%20Leviticus/r/21:4:2)

להחלו - שהרי מתחלל מכהונתו (ולפי דברי חכמים, לא מטמא לאשתו פסולה וחללה, אבל מטמא לאשתו כשירה).

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
להחלו, as he would thereby desecrate his status as a priest. According to the words of our sages (compare Rashi) he is not to so defile himself if his dead wife had been someone whom a priest should not have married in the first place, such as a divorcee; however, he is entitled or obligated to defile himself for the sake of burying a wife whom he was legally entitled to have married.


###### Rashbam on Leviticus 21:5:1
[Rashbam on Leviticus 21:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashbam%20on%20Leviticus/r/21:5:1)

לא יקרחוה - על מת. והוא הדין לישראל.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
לא יקרחה קרחה, both he and an ordinary Israelite are not to make bald spots on their heads as a sign of mourning. (compare Deuteronomy 14,1)


###### Rashbam on Leviticus 21:7:1
[Rashbam on Leviticus 21:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashbam%20on%20Leviticus/r/21:7:1)

וחללה - בת אותן שכתוב בהן ולא יחלל זרעו.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
וחללה, a daughter of the category of people of whom the Torah had warned in verse 15 that by marrying them he would desecrate his seed.


###### Rashbam on Leviticus 21:9:1
[Rashbam on Leviticus 21:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashbam%20on%20Leviticus/r/21:9:1)

ובת איש כהן - ארוסה. ומפורש בסנהדרין.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ובת איש כהן, a girl who is already betrothed to be married. The details of this legislation are explained in Sanhedrin 50.


###### Rashbam on Leviticus 21:18:1
[Rashbam on Leviticus 21:18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashbam%20on%20Leviticus/r/21:18:1)

חרם ושרוע - מפורש בבכורות .

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
חרום ושרוע, the details of this physical blemish have been explained in Bechorot 43 and 40 respectively.


###### Rashbam on Leviticus 21:20:1
[Rashbam on Leviticus 21:20:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashbam%20on%20Leviticus/r/21:20:1)

מרוח אשך - מעוך ביצים.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
מרוח אשך, whose testicles have been crushed.