Halakhah su Ezechiele 44:78

In the word "Tefillin" the Lamed (Hebrew letter: ל) is Dagush (Has a dot in it: לּ, in Hebrew grammar, when there is a dot in a letter other than the letters of בג״ד כפ״ת, it is drawn out), since the Shoresh (root) of the word is Pallel (פ.ל.ל.) as I have written in the name of the Tur. And it should theoretically be written with two Lameds (It is written תפילין when it should theoretically be written תפיללין in order to match up with the root of the word), but the Dagush (the dot in the letter) fills in the missing letter, as is known. And thus when one says "To place the Tefillin", and so with "About the Mitzvah of Tefillin" — he should draw out the Lamed (ל) as is the way with Dagush-es. And he should say "להניח - Le'Honeach (To place)" with the Hey (Hebrew letter: ה) pronounced with a Kamatz (vowel underneath a letter, pronounced by Ashkenazim "o" as in "off") since it is the language of placing - on the hand - like "to place (Le'Honiach) a blessing upon your house" (Ezekiel 44:30), and not with a Patach (vowel underneath a letter: אַ, pronounced as "o" as in "octagon") which is the language of abandonment (meaning that the word "Le'Haniach" means abandonment), like "leave (Hanichu) your one brother with me" (Genesis 42:33) with a Makaf (a dash under the letter: a Patach). And "על מצות - Al Mitzvat (About the Mitzvah of)" with a Patach underneath the Vav (Hebrew letter: ו), that since it is only said upon the Shel Rosh it must be in the singular (Thus, it is "Al Mitzvat" as in "another", which would be the singular, as opposed to Al Mitzvot, as in "ode", which would be the plural). And even if it would be said that the blessing is upon both [of the Tefillin], isn't it written: "The commandment (singular, Mitzvat) of Hashem is clear and lights up the eyes", this is referring to all the commandments [of the Torah]. And in any case the use of a Patach is singular language (Magen Avraham), that all the commandments are [really] one Mitzvah, meaning: that the Holy One, Blessed be [God] commanded us. And there are those who say "Al Mitzvot" with a Cholam (Hebrew vowel above a letter and to the left or above a Vav: רֹ or וֹ, making the "o" sound as in "ode", which is thus plural) but when they have only the Shel Rosh they say it with the Patach, because [they only have] the singular [Shel Rosh] (Turei Zahav in the name of his brother). And the main custom is like the first one ("Al Mitzvat" with a Patach), and so ruled the Great Achronim (Eliyah Rabbah, and the Graz, and Levushei Srad, and the Derech Ha'Chayim).

And the rest of the many details of this commandment are elucidated in the third chapter of Chullin. And the laws of the other prohibitions that we wrote above which are understood from the understanding of the language of the verse inside [of it] are in this same exact chapter and in the last chapter of Makkot and the first of Bekhorot. And this warning was repeated in the Prophets in the book of Ezekiel 44:31 for the priests alone, as it is written, "Any carcass or torn animal [...] the priests shall not eat." And the Sages informed us (Menachot 45a) that it was repeated [specifically] for them, as Scripture commanded them to eat the bird sin-offering with melikah (ritual decapitation), even though it is forbidden to [other Jews] like a carcass. And maybe you would think from this that non-consecrated meat would also be permissible for them with melikah or an inferior slaughtering, as the Torah is not exacting with them. As since they were excluded for one thing, they would would be excluded regarding all matters of slaughter. And therefore, the prophet warned them explicitly to inform us that melikah alone is only permissible with a sacrifice, but with non-consecrated meat, they are still forbidden like [other Jews].

That the priests not enter the Temple with grown hair: That the priests not enter the Temple with grown hair, like mourners do - meaning to say that they not grow their hair long, as it is stated (Leviticus 10:6), "you shall not let your head be wild." And the Targum (Aramaic translation of Onkelos) said, "Do not increase locks." And Yechezkel the prophet elucidated and said (Ezekiel 44:20), "and they shall not send forth locks." And so too with the metsora (Leviticus 13:45), "and his head shall be wild" - and they said in Sifra [that it means], "He grows locks."

That He prohibited the priests from entering the Temple with overgrown hair, like that of mourners who do not cut their hair. And that is His saying, "you shall not let your head be wild (tifraau)" (Leviticus 10:6). And Yechezkel explained and said (Ezekiel 44:20), "and they shall not send forth locks (fera)." And likewise did He say with the metzora, (Leviticus 13:45), "and his head shall be wild." And we say in the Sifrei (Sifrei Bamidbar 25:1), "He grows locks."And the language of the Sifra (Sifra Shemini, Mechilta d'Miluim 2:40) is likewise, "'You shall not let your head be wild' - do not grow hair." And this prohibition was already repeated with a high priest, when He said, "and he shall not let his head be wild" (Leviticus 21:10). However it was repeated so that you not think that His saying to Elazar and Itamar, "you shall not let wild," was only for the sake of the dead - but if one did it not in the way of mourning, it is permitted. And hence it comes with the high priest, to [teach] that it is on account of the [Temple] service. And one who transgresses this negative commandment - meaning he serves [in the Temple] with unkempt hair - is [punished] with death. And among those things [listed in Sanhedrin 83a as things punished] by death is unkempt hair. [This is] on account of what He said, "so that you do not die." However if one enters the Temple with unkempt hair but does not serve, behold that it is [only] a prohibition, and not [punished] with death. (See Parashat Shemini; Mishneh Torah, Admission into the Sanctuary 1.)

And Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (Nachmanides), may his memory be blessed, wrote (in his glosses to the Sefer HaMitzvot LaRambam on the third Shoresh, s.v. veraiti) that that which the teacher said that the commandment was moved to the Kohanim is not true. God forbid that we should say that any commandment in the Torah changed, that the Levites were disqualified from carrying the Ark forever, and that he explained it well. [As we see that] the Levites carried it in the days of David, as it is stated (I Chronicles 15:26), "And it was in God's assisting the Levites who were carriers of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord," and it is written (I Chronicles 15:27), "And all the Levites who were carrying the Ark, etc." But in truth, both the Kohanim and Levites are acceptable for carrying the Ark from Torah writ. As they are all called Levites, as it is written (Ezekiel 44:15), "the Levite Kohanim." And so [too,] is it written (I Chronicles 15:14-15), "And the Kohanim and Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, as Moshe had commanded by the word of the Lord, with the poles on their shoulders." And they said in the Sifrei, "Where did He command [this]? [From the verse] 'And to the sons of Kehat was not given any other, etc.'" - as they are all called the sons of Kehat. And he also wrote [regarding] what Maimonides, may his memory be blessed, wrote that it is elucidated from the Book of Joshua and Samuel, that he did not find this elucidation. Rather, he found the opposite, as it is stated there (Joshua 3:3), "And he commanded the people saying, 'When you see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, your God, that is carried by the Kohanim, Levites." Rather, the truth is as we have said, that the whole tribe is eligible to carry the Ark. Moreover, the thing is explicit in Tractate Sotah 33b, where they, may their memory be blessed, said, "How did the Israelites cross the Jordan? Every day the Levites carried the Ark, and on this day it was carried by the Kohanim." That is, on the day that they crossed the Jordan, only the Kohanim carried it, as so is it written (Joshua 3:6), "And Yehoshua said to the Kohanim, 'Carry the Ark of the Covenant'" - so that the miracle would be done by the Kohanim, as they are the holiest members of the tribe.