Difference Between A Kohen And Levi?

Question

In terms of being a Priest-what is the difference? Is one a High Priest and the other a regular Priest, or an assistant to the Priest?

In Judaism: In terms of being a Priest-what is the difference? Is one a High Priest and the other a regular Priest, or an assistant to the Priest?

In Simple Terms: Kohen=high Priest and Levi=Assistant to High Priest in today's synagogue?

Answer 1

Levi is the tribe of descendents from Levi,Son of Jacob.

Cohenim are descendents of Aaron,Moses' brother, and were chose to be the sacrifers,incense-offerers.etc as priests before the Ark and in the Temple.

Aaron came from the tribe of Levi(one of Israel's 12 Tribes)

Levites(the one tribe not given territory) were to minister in the temple as assistants to the Cohenim/Priests as "sacristans' and choristers among other things.

The High Priest had to be a Cohen or Kohen

Answer 2

GREAT QUESTION!
A Kohen and a Levi are both from the tribe of Levi.
Kohanim are the direct descendants of Aaron, who was the first high priest. The rest of the Kohanim take care of the temple in Jerusalem.
Everyone else from the tribe of Levi is called a Levite; traditionally, they were great musicians who composed,sang,and played music in the temple.

Answer 3

Father K gives a great answer - I hope you will give him the 10 pts for best answer.

A simple way to look at it is all Kohen's are decendants of the Levite tribe (Levi) and decendants of priests, however not all the Levi where Kohens (priests) but were just members of the Tribe Levi.

Good Luck!!!

Answer 4

Great question! No, the differences are as follows:

The Kohanim (plural of Kohen) are direct descendants of the Kohanim (priests) in the days when the ancient Temple stood in Jerusalem. They are therefore direct descendants of Aaron, Moses’ brother, the first High Priest.

All of Aaron’s sons were automatically Kohanim, and one of them became the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) when their father died. That process continued for as long as the Temple in Jerusalem stood (until 70 C.E.). Since then, the descendants of Aaron became only Kohanim (priests); there were no more Kohanim Gedolim (High Priests).

Since Moses and Aaron were members of the tribe of Levi, the Kohanim are a subset of the Levi’im (the plural of Levi).
The Levi’im (plural of Levi) are descendants of the tribe of Levi who, at the time the Temple stood, were the assistants who served the Kohanim (priests).

They were intimately involved in Temple sacrifice and provided the vocal and instrumental music in the Temple.