“Sanctify him.” (Vayikra 21:8)

Hashem chose the kohanim to be His special servants because they demonstrated their zeal for His honor. We are therefore commanded to treat kohanim with respect. This includes:

* Giving them the first aliyah when we read from the Torah.

* Allowing them to lead the blessings at the end of a meal.

* Serving them with the first and nicest portion.

Honoring kohanim is a form of honoring Hashem (Sefer HaChinuch, mitzvah 269).

Text Copyright © 2007 by Rabbi Moshe Goldberger and Torah.org.