Kiddushin 78B

האי קרא, רישא בכהן גדול וסיפא בכהן הדיוט?! אמר ליה: אין.

Concerning this verse from Ezekiel, the first clause addresses a case with a High Priest, as it states that he may not marry a widow, and the latter clause addresses a case with a common priest, as it states that he may marry a widow. Is that a reasonable manner in which to interpret a verse? Rava said to him: Yes, that is the correct interpretation of the verse.

וכתב קרא הכי? אמר ליה: אין, דכתיב: ״ונר אלהים טרם יכבה ושמואל שכב בהיכל ה׳״⁠ – והלא אין ישיבה בעזרה אלא למלכי בית דוד בלבד! אלא: ״נר אלהים טרם יכבה״⁠ – בהיכל ה׳, ״ושמואל שכב״⁠ – במקומו.

Rav Naḥman proceeded to ask: But can a verse be written in this way, addressing two different subjects without any demarcation? Rava said to him: Yes, and there is a similar case, as it is written: “And the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down to sleep in the Temple of YHWH” (I Samuel 3:3). If read literally, this verse is puzzling. It apparently states that Samuel was lying in the Sanctuary, but there is a right to sit in the courtyard of the Temple only for the kings of the house of David alone. How then could Samuel be laid down to sleep in the Temple? Rather, the verse should be understood as follows: “And the lamp of God was not yet gone out” in the Temple of YHWH, “and Samuel was laid down” in his place outside the Temple.

״והאלמנה אשר תהיה אלמנה מכהן יקחו״⁠ – ״מכהן״⁠ – אין, מישראל לא?! הכי קאמר: ״מכהן יקחו״⁠ – משאר כהנים יקחו. תניא נמי הכי: ״מכהן יקחו״⁠ – משאר כהנים יקחו.

Since the Talmud quoted the verse in Ezekiel, it proceeds to discuss it further. The continuation of that verse states: “And a widow who is the widow of a priest, they may take” (Ezekiel 44:22). Does this mean that a priest may marry the widow of a priest, yes, but the widow of an Israelite he may not marry? This is counter to the halakha that allows a priest to marry any widow. Rather, this is what the verse is saying: “And a widow who is the widow of a priest they may take,” meaning that of the rest of the priests, they may take. In other words, it is permitted for all other priests, i.e., common priests, to marry widows, and only the High Priest may not marry them. That is also taught in a baraita: “Of a priest they may take” means of the rest of the priests, they may take.