Why does the Torah prohibit the Kohen Gadol to marry a widow, while the kohen hedyot is only denied marriage to a divorcee? Horav Meir Bergman, Shlita, cites the Moshav Zekeinim, authored by the Baalei Tosfos, which offers an intriguing answer. They state that on Yom Kippur, when the Kohen Gadol reaches the zenith of kedushah and utters the Shem Ha’Meforash, Ineffable Name, he might perchance stare at a married woman. During this brief interlude, the Kohen Gadol might become momentarily captivated by this woman. His attraction to her might cause him to will death for her husband. Such strong emotion during the Kohen Gadol’s utterance of the Name can cause the premature death of this woman’s husband. Consequently, the Torah enjoined the Kohen Gadol to marry only a besulah, virgin, who has never married.
This statement is disquieting! The yetzer hora, evil inclination, is powerful. If we can begin to fathom the complex nature of man, it will only be through Chazal’s interpretation of the mysterious secrets of creation. They have taught us regarding the yetzer hora’s unscrupulous methods of ensnaring a person to sin. We are concerned here, however, with the holiest Jew, the Kohen Gadol who wears the crown of kedushah. He stands in the Kodesh Ha’Kodoshim, Holy of Holies, on the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur. Are we to imagine that as he utters the Name of Hashem this sublime individual can abruptly fall to the nadir of sin, by entertaining licentious thoughts about a married woman, thereby causing her husband to die? Yet, this is what Chazal teach. Man can stand at the height of spirituality and witness the most awesome revelations, yet still descend into the abyss of immorality if he is not constantly vigilant.
Horav Bergman explains that in order for man to aspire to reach the heights of spiritual attainment, he must strive to become similar to a fiery angel, enveloped in kedushah, shining forth brilliantly in spiritual light; he must be able to negate and devoid himself completely of his physical and material essence. This could only happen if man is truly insignificant. Man comes to grips with the fact that he is vile and contemptuous by nature. He must develop good character traits through Torah, or they will never become integrated into his character. Indeed, man alone without Torah can descend to an abysmal state of sin. With Torah guidance and constant vigilance, he may aspire to reach the pinnacle of sublimity in serving Hashem.
