יחזקאל, פרק מ״ד, פסוק כ״ד

The responsibilities of the priests extend far beyond their daily service in the Temple. They carry a heavy burden as the primary teachers and judges of the people, tasked with maintaining the spiritual and legal order of the nation [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. When conflicts arise, the priests step in to mediate and judge interpersonal disputes, even sitting on the high court of the Sanhedrin to decide civil and capital cases [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד, צאינה וראינה]. Their role as judges is uniquely influenced by their spiritual disposition. Generally, a court bound by strict law finds it difficult to acquit a defendant. However, because the spiritual root of the priesthood is grounded in kindness, a priest is uniquely capable of standing in judgment while still finding a way to vindicate the person standing before him [אהבת יהונתן].

When resolving these conflicts, the priests are required to base their decisions strictly on the laws given to them by God. They must evaluate the dispute itself without relying on their own personal logic or estimation [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, רד״ק]. This expectation of legal mastery requires them to study and uphold all areas of God's law. This comprehensive duty includes mastering complex legal frameworks, such as the laws regarding forbidden relationships and the mixing of different species [מלבי״ם].

The priests are also entrusted with the proper observance of the sacred calendar. During the festivals, the primary approach among commentators is that they must precisely execute the specific sacrificial laws required in the Temple [מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. Others expand this duty, noting that the priests must ensure the festivals are observed everywhere, not just within the Temple walls, and that they must safeguard all the laws pertaining to the holidays [ביאור שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם]. Regarding the Sabbath, they must offer the mandatory weekly sacrifices [מצודת דוד, רד״ק], but they also face a special warning. Because certain types of work are specifically permitted for them so they can perform the Temple service, they must be extra vigilant to maintain the overarching holiness of the Sabbath day [מלבי״ם].

A fascinating detail emerges in how the priests interact with these sacred days in the future. Traditionally, human courts actively sanctify the new months and festivals, while the Sabbath simply requires passive guarding. Yet, in the context of the priests' future duties, this dynamic is reversed: they are told to guard the festivals and sanctify the Sabbath. This reversal points to the Messianic era. In the future, the moon's cycle will be fixed and it will shine as brightly as the sun, eliminating the need to actively calculate and sanctify the new months; the festivals will only need to be guarded. Conversely, because that future era will consist entirely of daylight with no night, the sunset will no longer naturally signal the start of the Sabbath. Therefore, the priests will have to actively sanctify and announce the arrival of the Sabbath, just as courts previously did for the new months [אהבת יהונתן].