Weekly Parsha

This Week Study is sponsored by Yud in honor of our kehilat Kodesh Community. May G-d Bless us all with much success, good health and peaceful home.  

Emor, 

Leviticus 21:1 - 24:24

This week's portion sets forth the standards of purity and perfection for a Cohen; specifies the physical requirements of sacrifices and what is to be done with blemished offerings; proclaims as holidays the Shabbat, Pesach, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot.

It reminds the Jewish people to provide pure olive oil for the Menorah and designates the details of the Showbread (two stacks of 6 loaves each which were placed on the table in the portable sanctuary and later in the Temple once a week upon Shabbat).

The portion ends with the interesting story of a man who blasphemed G-d's name with a curse. What should be the penalty for this transgression? Curious? Leviticus. 24:14.

"And you shall observe my commandments and do them, I am the Almighty. And you shall not desecrate my Holy Name and I will be sanctified among the Children of Israel, I am the Almighty who sanctifies you." (Lev. 22:31,32)

What connection is there between the two verses?

The verse 31 is an introduction to verse 32. "you shall observe my commandments" refers to studying Torah since the only way to have the knowledge to observe the commandments is through studying them first. Therefore, the Torah immediately warns those who study Torah against chilul HaShem, desecration of the Almighty's name; it obliges those who study Torah to make a kidush HaShem, a sanctification of the Almighty's name.

The behavior of anyone who studies Torah should be on such a level that it will be an expression of the sanctity of the Almighty. People who observe those who study Torah should be able to say that the Torah gives those who study it much wisdom and promotes excellence in their daily behavior."Everyone who studies Torah must excel in his love for other people, in showing honor and respect to other people, and in the pleasant manner with which he should always speak to others.

His elevated behavior should be on such a level that everyone will say about him, "How fortunate is his father who taught him Torah. how fortunate is his teacher who taught him Torah. How unfortunate are those who have not studied Torah. This person who has studied Torah, see how pleasant are his ways."

This statement should be repeated over and over again. Based on the Talmudic statement in the Bavli Talmud, Yoma 86a, it stresses three points:

1) love for other people

2) honor and respect for others

3 )a pleasant manner of speaking. Not everyone can appreciate the genius of deep Torah thoughts. However, everyone does appreciate being spoken to with kindness and respect.

Act as if this is the last day of your life .... some day you will be right! 

Shabbat Shalom!

Online Learning

Rabbi Tank is a professor at the American Jewish College of New York where he teaches classes on Talmud, Chassidism, Jewish History, Contemporary Jewish Law and Jewish Music. Rabbi Tank is dedicated to finding modern usefulness and meaning in ancient wisdom texts, providing spiritual, cultural, social and educational programming for communities around the world.

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