For the week of May 17, 2024

Leviticus 23:  “the Lord said unto Moses: speak (Emor) unto the priests, the sons of Aaron, and  say unto them…”

This opening verse which introduces all manner of regulations for the “kohanim,” the Biblical priests, contains the the word giving the title to our Torah portion. In ancient times, the “kohanim” the priests who inherited the office of ministering to God in the performance of sacrifices, had to be ritually fit/clean at all times. So these detailed instructions as to what to avoid in one’s personal life, and for example whom to marry, or where the priest could walk, are all part of these regulations.

Traditional Judaism which still hopes for the a messianic return to the ancient sacrificial system in the Jerusalem, has sought to retain the ancient classification of Kohayn and Levites. Without such retention of one’s family pedigree from father to son, the messianic return to the use of the Jerusalem Temple would be impossible. So even today, traditional Jewish men who are ‘kohanim’ will not go inside a cemetery, in accordance with the injunction in verse 1: “there shall no person defile himself for the dead among his people…”

Join us for an insightful Torah session this Shabbat on zoom.