[Avodah] cohen gadol and marriage to a pubescent girl

[kennethgmiller at juno.com]

R' Mordechai Cohen wrote:
> ...in most cases the issue in not applicable, because when
> appointed the KG can stay married to his current wife.
> ie only in the relatively rare case of a widowed KG would
> the mitzvah have relevance.

I recall learning that on Erev Yom Kippur, the Kohen Gadol would take a second wife al tenai, so that it would be valid if his main wife would pass away that night. This way he'd still be married the next day, and be able to do the avodah.

If this is correct, this provisionary second wife would have to be a young naarah, and this would occur every year. Some might think it would be weird and dificult to find women who would be willing to take this gamble, but given the prestige of the kohen gadol's position, maybe it would not be all that difficult. In any case, the current discussion points out that there would be the additional weirdness of the age difference.

My point is that it would not be relevant "only in the relatively rare case of a widowed KG", but that it would be relevant every year. Perhaps my memory of this halacha is faulty.

Akiva Miller

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