283. I Didn’t Say Challah: The prohibition against a chalalah eating terumah

The simplest reading of this verse appears to inform us that if a kohein’s daughter marries a non-kohein, she forfeits her terumah-eating ability. However, the verse doesn’t actually say “marry.” It says, “the daughter of a kohein who will be to an outsider…” The Talmud in Yevamos (68b) understands this to refer to a girl from a priestly family who had conjugal relations with a disqualifying individual (such as a mamzer).

In reality, the meaning of our verse is only the prohibition against a kohein’s daughter who has had sexual congress with a disqualifying man. The Talmud (Yevamos 68a-b) actually derives the case of a kohein’s daughter who married a non-kohein from the words “any outsider” in Leviticus 22:10 (the word “any” being seemingly superfluous). Nevertheless, Rashi and others treat our verse as if a kohein’s daughter marrying a non-kohein were the subject.

This law applies not only to terumah but also to the breast and thigh of certain sacrifices. If a kohein’s daughter marries a non-kohein and later rejoins her father’s household following the dissolution of her marriage, she may resume eating terumah but not the breast and thigh.

The reason for this mitzvah is what we have said about terumah being “members only” for kohanim. A kohein’s daughter can quit the team and, in some case, rejoin the team. When she’s on the team, she can eat terumah but when she’s off the team, she’s like any non-kohein.

This mitzvah applies to a kohenes (woman of a priestly family) when the laws of terumah are in effect. It is discussed in the Talmud in tractate Yevamos on page 68a-b. It is codified in the Mishneh Torah in the sixth chapter of Hilchos Terumos. This mitzvah is #137 of the 365 negative mitzvos in the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvos.