Emor (“Say”) opens with laws regulating priestly behavior, working in the Tabernacle, and consuming sacrifices and priestly food. It describes the biblical holidays of Passover, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot, and ends with a story about a blasphemer and his punishment.
Notable Sources
All Sources
A
The Blasphemer's Lesson
TANAKH
When a man blasphemes the name of God, the people of Israel don't know what to do with him and request clarity from God. The story of the blasphemer in Parashat Emor highlights the consequences of cursing God and the communal responsibility to uphold divine sanctity.
One Law for All
TANAKH
The Torah mandates a single standard of justice for both strangers and citizens. Parashat Emor emphasizes the principle of equal justice, ensuring fairness and equality before God.
The Parable of Priestly Purity
MIDRASH
According to Torah law, coming into contact with a dead body creates impurity, and Parashat Emor opens with a command to the priests to stay away from this impurity. Midrash Tanchuma, an early medieval collection of midrash, uses a parable to explain the importance of priestly purity.
Gleanings and Festivals
MIDRASH
The agricultural commandments of leaving gleanings for the poor come in the midst of commandments about the yearly holidays. The Sifra, an ancient midrash on the book of Leviticus from the land of Israel, explores the juxtaposition of these commandments to learn more about their spiritual importance.
Monetary Justice in Parashat Emor
COMMENTARY
Parashat Emor dictates "an eye for an eye" when one injures another. Rashi, in his renowned 11th-century commentary on the Torah, explains the ancient rabbinic tradition interpreting these verses as financial restitution.
Compassionate Commandment
JEWISH THOUGHT
Parashat Emor forbids killing a female animal and her offspring on the same day. Rambam, in his 12th-century philosophical work, The Guide for the Perplexed, offers a philosophical explanation for this commandment.
Counting the Omer in Beta Israel Tradition
HALAKHAH
Parashat Emor commands counting the days and weeks of the omer, the period of time between Passover and Shavuot. This contemporary work by Rabbi Sharon Shalom explains how the Ethiopian Jewish community known as Beta Israel has a unique tradition of counting the omer.
Shalom Koboshvili, Feast of Sukkot, 1938
Shalom Koboshvili, Feast of Sukkot, 1938
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