Emor אֱמֹ֥ר Leviticus, 21:1 - 24:23

Summary

Chapter 21 and 22 deal specifically with the Kohanim / priests and the Kohein Gadol : A kohein may not become ritually impure through contact with a dead body, except from the death of a close relative. A kohein may not marry a divorcee, or a woman with a promiscuous past; a Kohein Gadol can marry only a virgin. A kohein with a physical deformity cannot serve in the Holy Temple, nor can a deformed animal be brought as an offering.

A newborn calf, lamb or kid must be left with its mother for seven days before being eligible for an offering; one may not slaughter an animal and its offspring on the same day.

The second part of Emor lists the annual gatherings of Holiness—the festivals of the Jewish calendar: Shabbat; Passover, the bringing of the Omer offering from the first barley harvest on the second day of Passover, and the beginning of the 49 day Counting of the Omer, culminating in the festival of Shavuot on day 50, a “remembrance of shofar blowing” on 1 Tishrei (Rosh Hashanah) a solemn fast day on 10 Tishrei (Yom Kippur); the Sukkot festival (15 Tishrei) and the holiday of the 8th day of Sukkot (Shemini Atzeret).

Next are laws for the lighting of the menorah in the Temple, and the showbread (lechem hapanim) placed weekly on the table there.

Emor concludes with the incident of a man executed for blasphemy, and the penalties for murder (death) and for injuring one’s fellow or destroying his property (monetary compensation).

אָמַר (v) heb

1. • to say, speak, utter
     • to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend, to be told, to be said, to be called, to boast, to act proudly, to avow, to avouch

Daber versus Amar: Daber is a stronger emphasis, Amar is a softer emphasis. The double emphasis is like a whisper. Somehow the Kohein has to hear "the whisper of Hashem", that even when we experience something that is a harsh judgment, we are to believe that within that there is good. We need to stretch our ears...stretch our souls...there is an ultimate goodness. Adapted from the Zohar.

For those that survived the Shoah, students were being taught by those who were affected spiritually by the death around them that they experienced, causing a little grievance against Hashem. That may have spurred on a search for love.

~Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach

Ultimately, the challenge of balancing individual needs with those of the larger community is an ongoing one. It requires constant reflection and self-examination, as well as a willingness to sometimes put the needs of others above our own — and sometimes not to. But if we can find a way to strike this balance, we can create a world

in which individual freedom and interdependence are both valued, and the needs of the larger community are met by members who strive to be good to one another and to themselves. ~ Rabbi Menachem Creditor

A kohein believes that everything that is, and that happens, comes from God. That person--might have a crisis of faith in God when you see things happening in this world that you can't grasp...that person might feel it even more---doubt even more why God would act in certain ways. The warning is to the Kohein that even though you will come in contact with death regularly...sees the harshness of death, will question the ways of God. Better to avoid this and stay at a distance. Adapted from a sermon by Rabbi Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider, on commentary by the Ishbitzer Rebbe

Emor opens with the repetition of the verb "Emor" אֱמֹ֥ר . Chazal (our Sages) and the Sfar Emet looked for places and clues in our texts where there is another example of two words. In Tehillim / Psalms, the answer is found---a remarkable text.

The proof text: Words are what God used to form the world, words of purity.

Shabbat, as a day set apart, is distinctive and Kadosh, Holy.

The Holy Bountiful One brought down to This World a complete system of holiness where one can independently strengthen their purpose of becoming a holy nation. This system encompasses the dimensions of Space (Olam), Time (Shanah) and of Soul (Nefesh).

• In the dimension of Space/Olam, there is a Beit Mikdash that continually helps holiness flow throughout K'lal Yisrael, because the Beit Mikdash and holy congregations make K'lal Yisrael holy, and a little bit of the light pushes aside a lot of darkness, and a little bit of holiness pushes aside a lot of impurity.

• In the dimension of Time/Shanah, all of the Festive Days and Shabbatot are a system of holiness, for all who want to be called towards the holiness, there is for that purpose a well-spring of holiness. ~The Netivot Shalom

Kohanim may not have defects....

The word "mum," meaning blemish or defect, appears 10 times in the book of Vayikrah, all of them in this week's parsha, parshat Emor. In an effort to demarcate just who can participate in the heights of holiness, and how, the early chapters of the Torah portion call unambiguously for one thing: perfection. ~Rabbi Erin Smokler

The verse states "[one who] has a defect shall not come near to offer..." (Lev. 21:17). The gematria (numerical equivalent) of the word "mum" (defect) is "Elokim" [the name of God that signifies God's judgement]. [Both equal 86.] This means that any priest who has a defect actually has within him the aspect of Elokim, of din (judgement), of smallness, of divine hiddenness. [The repetition of the phrase] "Shall not come near" indicates that this kind of priest cannot bring himself close to God. His service is not complete until he can cleave to the [other] divine attribute of chesed (lovingkindness). ~Sefer Bat Ayin, Emor [Rabbi Avraham Dov of Avritch (1765-1840), a student of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev]

If a "mum" is not an anathema to God, but is rather an aspect of God (Elokim), then the Torah is not saying to the imperfect among us, "Stay away because you are unworthy." Rather, "Take time until you can come to know the fullness of God, that mysterious interplay between din and chesed." Exclusion from the heights of the holy is not a prescription, but a description of an inner state of alienation. On this view, isolation of the blemished is not a cruel act, but a kind one. The God of perfection grants us permission to wrestle honestly with our imperfections, to own them and all of their spiritual weight. Do not pretend to come close when you cannot, intimate the verses. Do not step into a role that you cannot possibly inhabit authentically. Do not take on the mantle of divine intimacy when you are in the shadow of divine distance. ~Rabbi Erin Smokler

We are, all of us, blemished. Human wholeness does not come from some elusive perfection, but rather from the radical act of taking hold of our imperfections and offering even them. "In all your ways,” reads the verse from Proverbs, “know God.” ~Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson

The festivals listed in this parsha, with its description recited during Musaf prayers and Kiddush on those holidays.

The counting of the Omer begins the second night of Pesach / Passover until Shavuot. The counting consists of 49 days (known as the S'phirah / counting. This is a time for spiritual elevation and traditionally, a time when weddings and festive occasions are suspended, due to this time of 'semi-mourning'.

You shall count for yourselves from the morrow of the Shabbat, from the day on which you bring the Omer offering; seven complete weeks they shall be . . . (23:15)

The word sefirah, “counting,” also means “illumination.” On each of the forty-nine days of Sefirat HaOmer (the “Counting of the Omer”), we refine, develop and illuminate another of the forty-nine traits of our soul. ~Rabbi DovBer, the Maggid of Mezeritch

The Sfat Emet notes that the sentence in Tehilim / Psalms (above, 12:7) introduces the subject of tahara (purity; i.e., “ahmahrot tehorot”), and he seems to wonder what the subject of purity is doing here. To understand what the Sfat Emet says next, some background information may be helpful.

We live with a fundamental metaphysical problem: How can we, as human beings — bassar (flesh, with all of its weaknesses) vadahm (blood = volition, with all its selfishness) — achieve a state of purity?

Sfat Emet replies: We can achieve purity because HaShem created the world with His ma’amoros (spoken words; note that we are back to “Emor”). And HaShem’s ma’amar implants tahara (purity) in the whole world. So, what is learned from this sentence is that amira (speech) brings with it the possibility of tahara. In other words, the double mention of amira at the beginning of Emor is there to remind us that HaShem formed this world with his ma’amar, and thus to draw our attention to the possibility of achieving a respectable level of purity. (edited for clarity, RS)

Rabbi Dr. Nosson Chayim Leff at www.torah.org Parshas Emor • Torah.org

Sfat Emet says that the phrsaing for ma’amar dovetails with Sefirat Ha’omer / The Counting of the Omer. (In the time of the Sfat Emet, the letter “ayin” was pronounced similarly to the letter “aleph.” Therefore, Sfat Emet assumes that we are all aware that he is reading “omer” as an allusion to Emor. Because this remez (interpretive hint) is so obvious, he does not mention the connection.

The Sfat Emet explains that, like the beginning of this week’s parsha (“Emor …”), the Sefirat Ha’omer is about achieving purity. Thus, in the tefilah / prayer that we say after counting the Omer: “You commanded us to count the omer in order that we may be purified …” Our redemption from Egypt showed that we can achieve freedom from all desires and all commands other than those of HaShem. The Sfat Emet tells us that “freedom” means exactly that: to be able constantly to do the will of HaShem. Our redemption from Egypt demonstrated that possibility. That demonstration, however, was limited to the special case in which miracles were in operation.

The Sefirat Ha’omer is a process in which we cut away from our middot — our behavioral qualities — everything that is extraneous to our service to HaShem. By discarding everything that is not conducive to doing HaShem’s will, we can achieve purity even in a world in which miracles are not apparent.

(edited for clarity, RS)

Rabbi Dr. Nosson Chayim Leff at www.torah.org Parshas Emor • Torah.org

Rabbi Aryeh Carmel, Masterplan, Feldheim - p. 205

Kedusha / Holiness from Mesillat Yesharim / Path of the Just

The concept of Holiness is that a person be so deeply and constantly attached to God so that every action is connected to Him, until the person elevates everything physical…

until every action, even the most lowly and physical will be as sacrifices and Divine service…

The Shechina (Divine Presence) rests on such an individual just like it rested in the mikdash (Tabernacle).

Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, (1707 - 1746), Mesillat Yesharim / Path of the Just , Chapter 26

A connection between names and holiness:

This parsha began with an emphasis on speech...and with these verses the importance of words are stressed. It is unclear whether the blasphemer cursed God, or cursed another who used the name of God, or actually pronounced God's name. The power of speech is one that is expounded upon time after time in the Torah. Words created the world and are taken very seriously.