Commentary for Kiddushin 152:4

אין בודקין מן המזבח ולמעלה מאי טעמא אי לאו דבדקוה לא הוו מסקי ליה ולא מן הדוכן ולמעלה מאי טעמא דאמר מר ששם היו יושבים מייחסי כהונה ומייחסי לויה

What is the reason? - Had she<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The mother of the priest who served at the altar.');">⁸</span> not been examined, he would not have been promoted [to that dignity]. NOR FROM THE DAIS AND UPWARDS. What is the reason? - Because a Master said: For there sat those who certified the genealogy of the priestly and the Levitical families.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And priests or Levites of impure descent were not permitted to sing in the Temple service or pronounce the priestly blessing. - Rashi states that this took place in the Hall of Hewn Stones, and the examiners were the Sanhedrin. Weiss, Dor p. 175, n. 2. inclines to the view that a special priestly court was set up for this purpose (Cf. 'the priestly court' mentioned in Keth. 12a) , which sat in a place behind the veil. Wilna Gaon takes an intermediate position: this special court made the investigations, but the actual verdict was pronounced by the Sanhedrin.');">⁹</span>

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