Commento su Levitico 21:18

כי כל איש אשר בו מום לא יקרב FOR ANY MAN THAT HATH A BLEMISH SHALL NOT APPROACH — This means: it is not right that he should approach; It expresses the same idea as (Malachi 1:8) “[And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame or sick, is it not evil?] offer it now unto thy governor! [will he be pleased with thee?]”.

O (OR) CHARUM O (OR) SARU’A.’ “[Charum] is anyone whose nose is sunk between his two eyes, so that he is able to paint both his eyes [for cosmetic purposes] with one stroke.” This is Rashi’s language. And in the Torath Kohanim⁷⁰Torath Kohanim, Emor 3:7. and in the Gemara of Tractate Bechoroth⁷¹Bechoroth 43 b. we have been taught: “Charum is one whose nose is sunk. [How do I know about] one whose nose is obstructed? or one whose nose is turned up? or whose nose overhangs his lips? From the expression o charum, [the word ‘o’ (or) includes these blemishes]. Aba Yosei says: The word charum means only one who can paint both his eyes with one stroke. But the Rabbis said to him: ‘You have overstated it. Even though he cannot paint both his eyes with one stroke’” [because his nose is not so deeply sunken, he may nonetheless come within the term charum].⁷²Ramban’s objection to Rashi’s interpretation is thus clear. Rashi stated that charum is one whose nose is so far sunk that he is able to paint both his eyes with one stroke. But, as pointed out by Ramban, this is only the opinion of a single Sage, Aba Yosei, while all the other Sages differ with him, as explained in the text. Mizrachi too, writes that he does not know what prompted Rashi to follow the opinion of a single Sage. See also Gur Aryeh.
The term charum is of the expressions: None ‘cheirem’ (doomed) who shall be ‘yachoram’ (doomed of man);⁷³Further, 27:29. ‘v’hacharamti’(and I shall utterly destroy) their cities,⁷⁴Numbers 21:2. the meaning thereof being destruction. Now [a man with a sunken nose] is called charum because the nose determines the beauty of the face, just as the Rabbis have said:⁷⁵Yebamoth 120 a. “Evidence [as to the identity of a corpse] may not be given unless [from proof afforded by recognition] of the face together with the nose,” and if someone’s nose is unlike that of the appearance of normal people, the shape [of his face] is deemed “destroyed.”
‘O gibein o dak o t’valul b’eino.’⁷⁶Verse 20. The expression ‘o gibein’ is connected with the word ‘b’eino’ (in his eye), meaning that he is either a gibein in his eye, or has a dak (membrane) or a t’valul (a speck) in his eye, gibein meaning that the hair of his eyebrows are so long that they lie over his eyes, of the expressions: ‘gav’ (the side of) the altar;⁷⁷Ezekiel 43:13. upon ‘gabi’ (my back) plowed the plowers.⁷⁸Psalms 129:3.
Now Scripture mentioned⁷⁹Ramban now sets forth the thought that the blemishes mentioned in these verses are primary types of blemishes, which are to serve as examples for other defects to be deduced therefrom. Thus the Torah mentioned first, cases of missing limbs, then uneven limbs etc. Thus the list here, although not exhaustive, served as the source for the deduction of other defects enumerated by the Rabbis of the Talmud. first [in Verse 18 before us] blemishes of missing limbs: a blind man, or a lame, and afterwards [it
mentioned blemishes which are a result of] the smallness of the limbs, such as the charum [whose nose is sunk into his face, and consequently is shorter than the normal nose], or a result of the largeness of the limbs, such as the saru’a [meaning “anything too long,” as where one eye is larger than the other, or one leg longer]. Then in the following verse [19] it cites blemishes because of the breaking of bones even though he has all his limbs with him, nonetheless, if the bone is broken, he is disqualified [from ministering the Service]. Then [in Verse 20] He disqualified [a priest from performing the Service] even on account of a hideous appearance, such as one whose eyebrows overhang his eyes, or who has kernel-like growths in his eyes [like a membrane or a speck], and then it mentioned blemishes on the flesh of the body [such as scabs or scurvy], because he [the priest] must be clean and smooth [in flesh]. And afterwards He added [o m’roach ashech, which means] one who has wind [and as a result of which] his testicles are swollen, even though it is a sickness common amongst older people, and is not a blemish in the bone or flesh. Now our Rabbis have explained⁸⁰Bechoroth, Chapter 6. many other blemishes which are deduced from these, for those mentioned in the Torah are merely the primary [categories of those] blemishes [deduced by the Rabbis].

כי כל איש אשר בו מום לא יקרב, to stand and perform the Temple service. The principle is familiar to us from when Esther was aghast when her uncle Mordechai appeared wearing sackcloth in the courtyard of the Royal Palace (Esther 4,2).

חרום ושרוע, the details of this physical blemish have been explained in Bechorot 43 and 40 respectively.

חרום, “someone with a flat nose, without a bridge,” the origin of the word is חרם, as used in והחרמתי את עריהם, “I will utterly deface their cities.” (Numbers 21,2) The nose, i.e. the bridge of the nose, is considered essential to someone having a handsome face. Absence of that bridge deprives a person of his human appearance, [makes him appear like an inferior species, such as an ape. Ed.]

It is not proper that he approach. Because if not so, what reason is the verse giving when it says (verse 17) “Shall not approach... For any man who has a blemish shall not approach.” What is the verse adding with this? Therefore he explains, “It is not proper.” (R. Yaakov Taryosh)

'כי כל איש וגו, “for any man who is afflicted with a blemish” the Torah lists the reason that such priests may not perform service in the Temple as being that seeing that they represent the whole Jewish community, it would not seem appropriate that this community dispatches blemished people as their representatives at the Court of the King of Kings. (B’chor shor)

חרם A FLAT-NOSED MAN — one whose nose is sunk between his two eyes so that he is able to paint both his eyes (for medical or cosmetic purposes) with one stroke (Sifra, Emor, Section 3 7; Mishna Bekhorot 7:3).

Both his eyes with one stroke. Explanation: his nose is sunk close to his eyes so that when he wants to paint both of his eyes, his nose does not prevent him from painting them both together with one stroke.

אשר בו מום, “even if he had been born with the physical abnormality;”

שרוע HE THAT HATH A LIMB TOO LARGE — i.e. one of whose limbs forming a pair is larger than the other, e. g. one of his eyes is large and the other small, or, one of his legs is longer than the other (Bekhorot 40b; cf. Sifra, Emor, Section 3 9).

Longer. You might ask: This is the same as being lame. The answer is that lameness is when his limbs are like everyone else except that one thigh is shorter, while “disproportionate” is the opposite, all his limbs are like everyone else except that one thigh is longer. The expression of שרוע is similar to, “For the bed is too short to stretch oneself out (מהשתרע)” (Yeshayahu 28:20).

חרם, an expression similar to חרם or שבירה, “disgraceful, something to be avoided.” (Ibn Ezra)

שרוע, asymmetrical, too long or too short. Compare Isaiah, 28,20, השתרע.