3,981. Leaving the Temple During the Service

Hilchos Bias HaMikdash 2:5

If a regular kohein or a Kohein Gadol leaves the Temple during the service, he is subject to a divine death penalty, as per Leviticus 10:7: “From the entrance of the Tent of Meeting you may not go, lest you die.” We see that one may not desist from the service and depart in fear. The Kohein Gadol is additionally instructed, “He may not go out from the Temple” (Leviticus 21:12), which also means during the service.

Hilchos Bias HaMikdash 2:6

The reason this was repeated regarding a Kohein Gadol is because if a regular kohein was in the middle of performing the service and he learned that a close relative had died, even though he wouldn’t leave the Temple, he was not permitted to serve in his bereavement. If he served in a state of bereavement, he profanes the service, whether it’s a public or a private offering. A Kohein Gadol, however, continues serving when in a state of bereavement, as per the aforementioned verse: “He may not go out from the Temple and not profane.” In other words, he is to remain in the Temple and continue the service he was performing, which is not thereby profaned.