Torah Portion: Ki Sisa
Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands together with their feet from [the Laver] (Shemos 30:19).
It is a positive commandment upon the kohanim to wash their hands and feet whenever they enter the Sanctuary or are about to engage in the Divine Service, using the procedure known as the “sanctifying of the hands and feet,” as it is written, Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands together with their feet from [the Laver] whenever they come to the Tent of Meeting… or when they approach the Altar to serve (Shemos 30:19-20).
Among the roots of the mitzvah is the aim of increasing the glory of the Temple and all the services that are performed there. It is therefore proper to cleanse one’s hands, which are the vehicle of carrying out the services, whenever the kohanim handle anything related to the Temple. The kohentherefore does not have to wash his hands between one service and the next; rather, he washes them once in the morning and can then serve throughout the day and the following night — provided that he does not sleep in the meantime or relieve himself with his bodily functions, and provided that he does not take his mind off from focusing on the Temple service.
This commandment applies when the Temple stands, to the kohanim alone. One who transgressed this and did not wash his hands and feet, is liable to death at the hands of Heaven, and the service he performed in that state in invalid. The same applies to both an ordinary kohen and a Kohen Gadol.
