Ask Rabbi Dan
by Rabbi Dan S. Wiko PhD
Joel asks,
My bloodline is supposedly connected to the Levites. It has been passed
down to me that in more traditional times (and movements), it was only the
Levites and Kohenim that would do Aliyahs during services
(this certainly is not the case in my Shul); also, that Levites
are forbidden from standing over open graves. What other "rights" and
"restrictions" did Levites carry and which ones (if any) still exist as
tradition?
Thank you in advance, Joel
Dear Joel,
Kohanim are not permitted to be with or near a deceased person, nor are
they permitted to marry a woman who is divorced. When a loved one or friends
pass on, they may not be inside the funeral home and must remain on the outside
of a cemetery. To my knowledge, that is not the case with Levites (Leviim).
Traditionally, the Levites served the Kohanim (Priests. when it comes to
aliyot, the Kohain is called first and the Levi is second. When there is no
Kohain present, the Levi is called "bin kain Kohain" (not a Kohain,
but acting "as if he were") and then, a second Levi is called up. If there is
only a Kohain and not Levi, the same Kohain is called twice in a
row.
B'Shalom
