יחזקאל, פרק מ״ד, פסוק כ״ג

The responsibilities of the priests extend far beyond their physical service in the Temple. They are entrusted with the leadership and spiritual guidance of the entire nation. Their primary public duty is to teach the Torah and direct every individual toward the proper service of God [אברבנאל, צאינה וראינה]. As part of this role, they must educate the people to recognize different spiritual categories [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This involves equipping the public with the knowledge to distinguish between the holy and the everyday, as well as between the impure and the pure [מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד].

There is a distinct difference in how the priests communicate these two sets of concepts. They actively teach the distinction between the holy and the everyday, but they merely inform the people regarding matters of purity and impurity. One explanation for this shift in approach relates to the physical nature of the subjects. The act of teaching is associated with pointing out tangible objects to clearly define what is holy and what is ordinary. In contrast, purity and impurity are invisible states, typically transferred through physical contact. Because these conditions cannot be seen with the eye, they must be communicated through abstract informing rather than direct physical pointing [אהבת יהונתן].

Another perspective suggests that this difference in communication is based on the people's existing level of knowledge. The complex laws regarding holy items are primarily managed by the priests in their daily service. Because these rules are less familiar to the general public, the priests must actively teach them. On the other hand, the laws of purity and impurity are expected to be widely known by all the Israelites. As a result, the priests do not need to teach the foundational rules of purity; they only need to inform the public when an actual state of impurity has occurred [מלבי״ם].