Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Herman Meester" <crazymulgogi AT gmail.com>]

2006/6/17, Yigal Levin <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>:
> Dear Anna,
>
> Yes, priests who had any deformity, permanent of temporary, were not
> allowed
> to perform sacrifices. Obviously, a priest who cannot perform sacrifices
> is
> also disqualified from the office of High Priest. In fact, Josephus
> recounts
> that one of the later Hasmoneans, I think Aristobolus III, chopped off his
> uncle's ear, thus disqualifying him for the High Priesthood, so that he
> could have the job. If I remember correctly, he was later drowned by King
> Herod in a swimming pool. In any case, a list of these disqualifying
> deformities is written in Lev. 21:17-23. "Left-handedness" (Hebrew
> "Itter")
> is not among them. But I would not be surprised if later halakhah (Jewish
> law, such as the Talmud and Rambam) included left-handedness in the list.
> Just a generation ago, left-handed people were considered handicapped. My
> father is left-handed. I remember him telling me that when he was in
> school,
> his teachers forced him to write with his right hand.


[not entirely on topic] In Holland, I've heard stories of my parents'
generation, that when kids were left-handed, in some primary/middle schools
their left hands were tied to the chair in order to force them to write with
their right hand (that's up to the early 1960's). [Can you imagine?]
Herman
Rotterdam