Bekhorot 44A

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Text Excerpt

אף על פי שאינו כוחל שתי עיניו כאחת.

Rather, even if he does not paint both of his eyes as one, any priest with an abnormally sunken nose is considered a ḥarum.

שתי עיניו למטה. מה ״שתי עיניו למעלה״ ״שתי עיניו למטה״? אילימא שתי עיניו למעלה ⁠— דחזי למעלה, שתי עיניו למטה ⁠— דחזי למטה, עינו אחת למעלה ועינו אחת למטה ⁠— דחזאי עינו אחת למטה ועינו אחת למעלה, היינו ״רואה את החדר ואת העלייה כאחת״!

§ The Mishnah teaches that if both of one’s eyes are above or both of his eyes are below, he is disqualified from performing the Temple service. The Talmud asks: What does the Mishnah mean when it mentions a priest wherein both of his eyes are above or both of his eyes are below? If we say that the phrase: Both of his eyes are above, means that he constantly gazes upward, and the phrase: Both of his eyes are below, means that he constantly gazes downward, then the case where one of his eyes is above and one of his eyes is below must similarly mean that he gazes with one of his eyes downward and one of his eyes upward. But if so, this is identical to the next case in the Mishnah, that one sees both the room on the ground floor and the upper story as one.

אלא, שתי עיניו למעלה ⁠— דקיימן למעלה, שתי עיניו למטה ⁠— דקיימן למטה, עינו אחת למעלה ועינו אחת למטה ⁠— דקיימי עינו אחת למעלה ועינו אחת למטה, וקיימי כסדרן נמי, ורואה את החדר ואת העלייה כאחת.

Rather, the phrase: Both of his eyes are above, is referring to a case where his eyes are situated above their normal place, and the phrase: Both of his eyes are below, is referring to a case where his eyes are situated below their normal place. Similarly, the case where one of his eyes is above and one of his eyes is below is where one of his eyes is situated above and one of his eyes is situated below. And the Mishnah adds that in a case where his eyes are situated in their proper arrangement as well, but he sees the room on the ground floor and the upper story as one, he too is considered blemished.

Text data via Sefaria: William Davidson Edition - English and William Davidson Edition - Vocalized Aramaic, CC-BY-NC; edition provenance: Koren. Display terminology has been modernized for readability.