3,997. Serving in a State of Ritual Impurity

Hilchos Bias HaMikdash 4:1

If a ritually unclean person performs the Temple service, his service is profaned and he is liable to a divine death penalty even if he didn’t delay there, as per Leviticus 22:2: “so that they retreat from the sanctified (things) of the children of Israel and not desecrate My holy name.” This is a warning to one who serves in ritual impurity. Verse 9 continues: “They will die because of it, because they profaned it.” Just as profaning renders one liable to a divine death penalty in verse 9, the same is true of one serves in a state of impurity. Lashes are given for violating any prohibition that incurs a divine death penalty.

Hilchos Bias HaMikdash 4:2

While a kohein who served in a state of impurity was only subject to lashes in court, his fellow kohanim wouldn’t bring him to court. Rather, they would take him outside and bash his brains in. This form of punishment was not opposed. [It is a case in which the zealous are permitted to execute. We will discuss this IY”H when we get to Hilchos Sanhedrin 18:6.]