עזרא, פרק ב׳, פסוק ס״ג

When the Jewish people returned to Israel from exile, they faced a complex legal and social challenge. Certain priests lacked the proper family records to prove their lineage, leaving their official status in doubt. The leadership had to determine how to treat these individuals, ultimately placing them in a temporary state of suspension until the truth could be uncovered.

The leader who addressed these priests held a unique title. Most commentators identify this figure as Nehemiah, though it is possible he was another, unnamed Jewish representative [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The title itself is understood in two distinct ways. A straightforward reading suggests it is simply an Aramaic term of honor and authority, referring to a governor or high-ranking minister [אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. A more interpretive tradition, however, breaks the word apart to mean "one who is permitted to drink." This refers directly to Nehemiah, who served as the Persian king's cupbearer. Due to the sensitive and dangerous nature of his position, the sages specifically permitted him to drink wine produced by non-Jews [רש״י, מצודת דוד, אבן עזרא, רס״ג].

The ruling handed down to these priests restricted them from consuming the most sacred items. They were forbidden from eating foods reserved exclusively for the priesthood. Some commentators explain this as a ban on eating the meat from sin and guilt offerings [רש״י], while others expand the restriction to include various tithes and other sacrifices brought to the altar [מצודת דוד, אבן עזרא]. Despite these strict limitations, their priestly status was not entirely canceled. Instead, they were treated similarly to priests with physical blemishes or those who had previously compromised their status but later repented. As a result, they were still allowed to receive and eat certain standard tithes and dough offerings, even though they were barred from consuming the most sacred items or performing sacrifices on the altar [רס״ג].

This state of limbo was set to continue until a priest wearing the Urim and Thummim could arise to definitively clarify their true lineage [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Because the original Urim and Thummim used in the desert were hidden away when the First Temple was destroyed and were absent during the Second Temple era, the primary approach among commentators is that this condition is an idiom. It essentially means the matter is delayed until the days of the Messiah, or until the prophet Elijah arrives to wear the sacred breastplate [רש״י, מצודת דוד, אבן עזרא, רס״ג]. On the other hand, another perspective suggests this was not meant as a delay to a distant messianic future. During the early days of the Second Temple, the returning exiles held a genuine hope that if they proved themselves worthy, God's presence would return to dwell among them, and the Urim and Thummim would once again function to resolve their doubts within their own lifetimes [מלבי״ם].