Is it assur for a Yisraeli or a Levi to marry a Bat Kohen? I know there are prohibitions for a Kohen when it comes to marriage but I was wondering if there are any special requirements for the husband of a Bat Kohen.
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Have you never met the daughter of a kohein who is married to someone else? I'd expect that to be more common than the daughter of a kohein marrying another kohein.– Double AA ♦Feb 23, 2017 at 2:01
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2 Answers
The Gemara in Pesachim 49A states that an Am Haeretz (Ignoramus) should not marry a Kohenes (daughter of Kohen). If they do, the marriage won't last, as one of them will die young or they will quarrel. This is also stated in Shulchan Aruch Even Haezer 2:8. It seems from Ramah in 2:6, that it may only refer to someone who is lax in keeping the mitzvos. Pischei Teshuvah quotes Chavas Yair, that today's religious Jews are not considered Ignoramus regarding this law.
No there isn't.
Gemara in Pesachim (49a) discusses two apparently contradictory sentences of Rabbi Yochanan, one which says that if an Israel who marry a Kohen's daughter, the couple does not succeed. In the second sentence, Rabbi Yochanan says that in way to be rich, it's good to marry the daughter of a Kohen. The conclusion is that the Israel who is Am haarets is not adapted to her, but a Talmid chacham is. This is not an Halacha of Yochasim, as the mitsvot of Kohanim a dressed below.
The Tur and Shulchan Aruch (in sayif 8) quoted the conclusion of the Gemara. We already soon that this rule is more an advise than a prohibition.
Strict laws of marriage:
Kohen women have not the same restrictions as men (e.g. regarding the prohibition to be unclean Bene Aharon and not Benot Aharon, see Rambam Isure Bia 19, 10 who uses this drasha, according to the Magid Mishne understanding, to allow chalal to marry with a divorced woman or a convert, so it is obviously true for a kohen woman not least than for a chalal to marry a convert). See in Sefer Hachinuch 266 - 268 who summarizes that special marriage rules concerning Kohanim are specific to males. In mitsva 269, it seems that the mitsva "to make him holy" is to honor kohen males only.
The Tur Even Haezer 2, in name of Rabenu Tam who writes explicitely that there is no prohibition for a kohen-woman to marry even a man who is chalal.
ורבינו תם פירש שאין בדיקה אלא לכהונה. ... אבל אשה כהנת אינה צריכה לבדוק אחר האיש, שלא הוזהרו כשרות לינשא לפסולין; אבל ליוחסין שאין בו צד כהונה, לא בעי בדיקה, עד כאן. Kohen women are not prohibited to marry pesulim likh'una.
The Bach is more explicit:
דאשה כהנת לא הוזהרה שלא ליקח חלל גר ומשוחרר אבל בקרא ערעור דפסול ממזרות פשיטא דאשה הוזהרה כמו האיש אדרבה פשטא דקרא לא יבא ממזר הוא שלא ישא ישראלית
A Kohen woman is not prohibited to take a Chalal, convert, or a freed slave, but the verses or prohibition to mamzerut are equivalent for men and women, the verse regarding prohibition of marrying with mamzerim is formulated as a prohibition of marriage between a man mamzer (bastard) and a kasher woman.
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1The 1st two paragraphs are great but you seem to be underappreciating the idea of advice of the Sages. Not being prohibited is one level. Advising the better path, particularly in regard to marriage shouldn't be disregarded. In the blessing for the reestablishment of the Sanhedrin, we ask G-d to return our judges and our advisors. OP is asking about both even though main title mentions only prohibition. Feb 23, 2017 at 12:43
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2@YaacovDeane I appreciate all the ideas of the Sages, but the op looks for a prohibition.– koutyFeb 23, 2017 at 12:54
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Yes, and Pesachin 49a which you cite is making clear that the 'wealth' they discuss has two meanings. One applies to the educated person (talmid chacham) and one to the uneducated. The wealth of the educated is Torah and mitzvot. The wealth of the uneducated is cash. The idea that a Bat Kohen should restrict marriage to a non-Yisrael, generally, is because the Levi or a Kohen is traditionally going to be more acclimated to the type of value a talmid chacham possesses. This is emphasized by the 'exile' of Rav Kahana after marrying a Bat Kohen. The focus of the daf is partner compatibility. Feb 23, 2017 at 14:43
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