Other Books: Bereishis (Genesis) , Shemos (Exodus) , Bamidbar (Numbers) , Devarim (Deuteronomy)
Please note: If you print the weekly Parsha summary, be aware that it is Torah, and like all Torah articles must be treated with respect even after you have read it. It must be disposed of in a special, honorable manner and may not be thrown into the trash. There are dedicated reception bins available; please ask the Gabby for details. It is permissible to delete the summary from your computer without printing it. Thank you.
Parsha Summary is the property of JEM and Gabby Moshe Parnes. Any reproduction or transmission must give credit to the author. Parsha summary can not be used for commercial purposes without the express written consent of Gabby Moshe Parnes.
B’chukosai
Apocalypse….Maybe!
Summary: This parsha is mainly devoted to the concept of reward and punishment. If we go in the path of the Torah, God promises us many benefits. He will bring rains in their proper times, the earth will bring forth its bounty and the trees will produce their fruit. We are guaranteed such large harvests that will have an abundance of grain in our storehouses and we won’t need to consume the new crops.
We will dwell securely and peacefully in our land – Israel – and we won’t even be threatened by any enemies. We will pursue our long-standing enemies and with minimal effort, they will fall to our armies. Even wild animals will not attack us!
Furthermore, our families will increase and we will be a noble, respected and independent nation. God will establish his Holy Temple among us in Jerusalem and we will be imbued with great spirituality.
However, if we do not follow the ways of the Torah, God promises us that He will turn His wrath upon us, gradually increasing our difficulties until we return to the ways of the Torah. He will cause our crops to fail. Animals will attack us, our children and our livestock.
If we continue to defy God, our enemies will successfully attack us. We will be afflicted with all sorts of physical pains. Various dreadful epidemics will break out and their will be hunger among our people.
If we still defy God and do not heed His Torah, we will suffer starvation and be driven to madness through it. Our cities will be destroyed and left desolate and bleak, and the Holy Temple will be destroyed. We will be exiled and be forced to live among the various nations of the world.
The survivors among us will be broken and subdued. They will live in constant fear and be exiled from place to place.
However, God guarantees us that He will never forsake us completely and never repudiate the covenant that He made with our forefathers. He further guarantees us that we will eventually realize our errors and return to the ways of the Torah. God will then forgive us and we will be restored to the Land of Israel!
Questions to Consider
- What prayer do we recite daily that reminds of the concept of reward and punishment?
- Why do we need the promise of material benefit as an incentive to keeping the Torah; shouldn’t we strive to keep Torah for its own sake?
- Why does God bring such frightful punishments on us for not observing the Torah; why can’t He just chastise us in a less severe fashion?
- During what periods in our history did we enjoy the benefits of the promises that God made to us when we keep the Torah?
- During what periods in our history did we suffer the punishments that were promised when we neglected to keep the Torah?
B'har
Jew - Bilee Year
Summary: God tells Moses to instruct the Jewish People about the laws of the Sabbatical year (Shmitta). From the time when we settle in the Land of Israel, every seventh year the entire country would keep a Sabbatical year. Planting, plowing, harvesting, fertilizing and weeding the fields are forbidden. No one may be denied access to anyone else’s field and people would be permitted to pick wild produce from any field in Israel to eat immediately.
God promises the Jewish People an unusually bountiful harvest in the sixth year to sustain us during the Sabbatical year and into the following year, until the new crop comes in.
After seven Sabbatical Years – on the 50th year, a shofar shall be sounded to mark the declaration of a Jubilee year (Yovel). The Jubilee year is like the Sabbatical year in that working fields in the Land of Israel is forbidden. In addition, all Jewish bonded servants must be set free. All land purchases in the Land of Israel revert to their original owners during this year. Sale prices must reflect the temporary nature of the sale.
The sole exception being homes purchased within the confines of a walled city. During the first year after purchase, the owner has the right to redeem his home for the original purchase price. After the year is over, the home remains the property of the purchaser and does not revert to the original owner on the Jubilee year.
The Torah continues with laws concerning the poor and unfortunate. When a Jewish person becomes poor, we are required to help him. We may not lend him money and charge interest. If a Jewish man is so destitute that he must become an indentured servant, it is forbidden for his master to give him degrading or overly difficult work to do. God reminds us that we were once slaves to the Egyptians and we must remember what it was like to be oppressed by others.
-
Why does the Torah mandate that we keep a Sabbatical year?
- What is the significance of the Sabbatical year happening on the seventh year?
- Why don’t we keep the laws of the Sabbatical year outside the Land of Israel?
- Why must land revert to its original owner on the Jubilee year? Why can’t we sell property permanently?
-
Why do homes within a walled city not return to their original owner and not homes outside a walled city?
- How do the laws concerning the poor, which are found at the end of the parsha, connect with the laws of the Sabbatical year and the Jubilee year that are discussed at the beginning of the parsha?
Emor
The BIG Kehuna
Summary: God tells Moses to relate to the Kohanim (Jewish priests) that they must maintain their sanctity. They may not come into contact with dead people, except for members of their immediate families. They are also not permitted to marry divorcees.
The Kohen Gadol (High Priest) may not even come into contact with dead members of his own family. If a member of his family passes away, he must place the service in the Holy Temple before his own mourning. He may not marry a divorcee nor may he marry a widow.
God further instructs Moses that Kohanim who are marred with permanent blemishes may not serve in the Holy Temple. They may not enter into the sanctuary while they are in a ritual state of impurity.
Kohanim receive tithes from produce that is grown in Israel. The members of their immediate families may eat these tithes. Kohanim also receive portions of the various sacrifices and offerings that are brought to the Holy Temple.
God instructs Moses in laws concerning animals. Animals brought for sacrifices must be whole and free of blemishes. The portions given to Kohanim must be consumed no later than the evening following the day of its sacrifice - or on the following day for certain types of sacrifices.
It is forbidden to taking a newborn baby away from its mother. It is also forbidden to castrate or neuter any animal.
God tells Moses that the Festivals must be held at specific times. The Paschal Sacrifice is slaughtered on the 14th day of the month of Nissan. Passover must begin on the 15th of Nissan. We must count the days from the day after Passover (Sefiras Haomer) until Shavuos when we bring an offering of two loaves of bread to the Holy Temple.
On the 1st day of Tishrei is the Day of Shofar Sounding – Rosh Hashanah. On the 10th day of that month we must spend the entire day –from sunset to sunset - in fasting. It is Yom Kippur. The 15th day of that month is Sukkos. We must sit in Sukkos to remind us that God protected us as we left Egypt and remained in the desert. We must also take the Four Species – the lulav (palm branch), esrog (citron fruit), hadasim (myrtle branches) and aravos – and lift and wave them together. металлические двери
On the 8th day after the beginning of Sukkos is a special festival called Shmini Atzeres.
We must be careful to declare leap years to ensure that the festivals will occur in their proper seasons.
At the end of the parsha, a Jewish man, the son of Jewish woman named Shlomis Bas Divri, and a non-Jewish father, engages in an argument with other people. He stands in the middle of the encampment and pronounces God’s name and curses it. He is apprehended. Moses asks God what the man’s punishment should be. God tells Moses that the man should be put to death. He is brought outside the encampment and put to death.
- Why is Kohen limited in his choice of a wife? Why can't he marry whomever he wants?
- Why can't a Kohen serve in the Temple if he has a blemish? Why should a cosmetic thing affect his knowledge and practice of the service?
- Why does it matter what an animal looks like (if it has a blemish it may not be used) when it is used as a sacrificial offering?
- Why is it forbidden to castrate and neuter animals if want to limit their populations?
- Why did the son of Shlomis bas Divri curse God?
Kedoshim
Summary: This week’s parsha is devoted entirely to listing mitzvos (commandments). It contains 70 mitzvos – some of which are familiar to most of us, others are less well-known.
Some of the more familiar mitzvos are:
Maintaining respect for parents, keeping the laws of Shabbos and not being involved in idolatry.
Some of the less-familiar laws concern produce that must be left for the poor. The Torah mandates that one who harvests his produce in the Land of Israel must leave the corners of his fields untouched for the poor to collect. He must also leave stalks of grain or grapes that have fallen from the hands of the harvesters and pickers for poor people to pick up.
Another set of laws involves employment and commercial transactions. An employer must be careful to pay the wages that he owes his workers immediately. Shopkeepers must ensure that their weights and measures are accurate.
Judges must take heed not to favor the rich and powerful in judgment. They must consider their cases very thoroughly before making a decision.
Other mitzvos govern interactions between people. The Torah directs us to be careful not to slander people and not to gossip about them (Loshon Harah). We are instructed not to take revenge against our enemies and to be understanding when our brethren are harsh or unfair to us. We must also be careful not to hate our brethren.
The parsha concludes with an admonition to us to guard against the immoral and indecent behavior that the decadent inhabitants of Canaan practice.
- · What are the commandments concerning honoring parents, maintaining the sanctity of Shabbos and avoiding idolatry, which are part of the Ten Commandments, repeated here?
- · If many poor people come to harvest the corners of a field, how do we decide who has precedence?
- · Why is the mitzvah of leaving the corners of the fields to the poor only incumbent upon us in the Land of Israel and not outside Israel?
- · Is there any significance to the number of mitzvos (70) found in this week’s parsha?
- · Why did the Torah need to admonish judges not to favor the rich in judgment since judges must follow the laws of the Torah in deciding cases?
Achrei-Mos
Summary: The parsha begins with an exhortation to Aaron the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) and all Kohanim (plural for Kohen), his descendants after him, not to enter the Innermost Sanctuary of the Holy Temple. The only exception would be the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) who be permitted to enter on Yom Kippur to perform that day’s special services. He would enter by himself, with nobody accompanying him.
The Torah describes the Kohen Gadol's Yom Kippur service and his entry into the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur. He wore his eight special garments during part of the service and he changed to special white clothing during other parts of the service. During the service he immersed himself in a mikvah (ritual bath) several times and he washed his hands and feet from a special basin, in a distinct fashion, several more times.
He offered certain animal sacrifices for himself, for the other Kohanim and for the entire nation of Israel.
One unusual aspect of the day featured two selected goats, one of whom was offered as a sacrifice and the other (the scapegoat) which was thrown off a precipice as an atonement for the sins of the nation of Israel.
During the Mussaf service of today’s Yom Kippur prayers, the liturgy describes the special service that the Kohen Gadol performed in great detail.
The Torah continues with an exhortation not to follow the immoral and incestuous, practices of the Egyptian people, from whom we recently parted and of the Canaanite nations into whose lands we would enter. He called Juan regarding Coaster microfiber furniture and learned COASTER furniture sites.
- Why is the Kohen Gadol the only one who is permitted entry into the Innermost Sanctuary of the Holy Temple?
- Why did the Kohen Gadol change into white garments for part of the service?
- How did they choose the goat that was thrown off the cliff?
- Why did the Kohen Gadol wash himself so many times during the Yom Kippur service?
- What is the connection between the first part of the parsha – the discussion of the service of the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur – and the second part of the parsha – the exhortation against immorality?
Mitzora
Summary: In this week’s parsha the Torah continues with the theme of last week. Last week the Torah focused on the different types of spiritual impurity which are manifested in a skin condition called tzoras. This week, the Torah discusses the purification process.
After the kohen (Jewish priest) has determined that the tzoras has faded, the person takes two kosher birds, a red thread and a piece of a particular type of moss. One of the birds is slaughtered and its blood is drained into a special earthenware vessel containing pure spring water. The kohen then takes the other bird, together with the red thread and the moss, and dips it into earthenware vessel and sprinkles it on the person seven times. The bird is then set free.
The person must then wash his clothing, shave his hair and immerse himself/herself in a mikvah. On the seventh day after this process has been completed, the person washes his clothing, shaves and immerses in the mikvah a second time. He/she is then considered ritually pure.
After the seven days are completed, the person brings sacrificial offering on the altar.
God tells Moses and Aaron when the Jewish People enter the Land of Israel, there may appear signs of ritual impurity on the walls of their homes. If a home is suspected by a kohen to be ritually impure, the owners remove all items from the home lest they too become ritually impure. After removing the contents of the house, the kohen returns to the house. If he pronounces it ritually impure, the parts of the wall that contain this spiritual malady must be removed. The walls may be repaired. Latex Jason Voorhees Mask - Friday the 13th Part II
If after removing the affected parts of the wall the impurity returns, the house must be destroyed.
- What is the significance of the red string and the moss in the purification process?
- What is the significance of the second bird being set free?
- Why must a person who is becoming pure shave his/her hair?
- Why did impurity in houses only appear after we entered the Land of Israel and not when we were in the desert?
- What are the causes of impurity in homes?
Tazriya
More than Skin Deep
Summary: This week’s parsha discusses the different types of ritual impurities that occur to men and women.
After giving birth to a son, a woman enters a 7 day period of impurity followed by a 33 day period of purity. During her impure period, she can’t enter the Holy Temple nor come in contact with food or other items that are ritually pure. She also can’t be intimate with her husband.
During her pure period, she is in an enhanced state of purity and is not affected by certain other types of impurities.
After giving birth to a daughter, her impure period extends for 14 days however, her pure period extends for 66 days.
After giving birth, a woman is required to offer certain sacrifices to God in the Holy Temple.
The Torah outlines certain impurities that manifest themselves in the skin. (These conditions have been wrongly translated as leprosy - they are not physical ailments and are not affected by physical cures). They occur to people who have committed certain sins, most prominent among them are gossip and slander (Loshon Harah).
In general, ritual impurity would occur when the skin of a man or woman turns a particular shade of white and at least two hairs also change color (if the area of the skin is hairy). If an entire section of the body changes color, or if one’s entire body becomes white, he/she remains ritually pure. Only a kohen (priest) may determine whether the proper conditions are met for determining ritual impurity. Any kohen may make the determination; it need not be the most learned one.
If the kohen is unclear whether or not the requirements for ritual impurity have been met, he confines the afflicted person for 7 days until the condition becomes apparent. If at the end of 7 days the condition is still unclear, the kohen would confine the person for a further 7 days. If at the close of 14 days the condition has not changed, the person is determined to be ritually pure.
If the kohen determines that the conditions meet the Torah’s requirements for impurity, he declares the person impure. The method of becoming pure again is outlined in next week’s parsha.
Vessels, clothing and even houses can become ritually impure. The determination of their status is also the responsibility of the kohen.
- Why does a woman become impure when giving birth?
- Why is the length of purity and impurity different when giving birth to boys and girls?
- What is the connection between gossip and slander, and skin conditions?
- Why can’t a knowledgeable person who is not a kohen determine whether a person is ritually impure?
- Why is the determination period for people with unclear skin conditions 7 days specifically?
- Can the decision of a kohen be overridden by a Beis Din (Jewish court of law)?
Sh'mini
Tweeters and Hoofers
Summary: On the eighth day of the dedication ceremony for the Tabernacle, which is the first day of the Jewish month of Nissan the Tabernacle is erected. Moses instructs Aaron, the High Priest, and his sons in the type of sacrifices and offerings to place on the altar. Moses tells them that the Divine Presence will appear on the Tabernacle. They complete their dedications and a Heavenly fire descends and consumes their offerings. The people see the Heavenly fire descend and they fall on thir faces in awe and praise God. Aaron and his sons bless the Jewish Nation.
Aaron’s two oldest sons, Nadav and Avihu, each take a pan and place their own incense in it and bring an offering that was not permitted to be brought into the Tabernacle. A Heavenly fire descends and kills them.
Moses comforts his brother Aaron by telling him that with the death of his two sons, a great lesson is taught to the Jewish People forever after in that they will realize how holy the Tabernacle is and how careful one must be in the presence of God. Aaron accepts God’s judgment completely and doesn’t utter any complaint.
Moses instructs Mishael and Elitzaphan, Aaron’s cousins, to remove the bodies from the sanctuary to outside the encampment for burial. Mishael and Elitzaphan carry the dead bodies of Nadav and Avihu by their clothing and remove them from the Sanctuary.
Aaron together with his other sons, Elazar and Isamar, remains in the Sanctuary to complete the dedication ceremony. They do not leave to mourn their loss.
God speaks directly to Aaron and explains the laws of maintaining the reverence of the Tabernacle. Those who enter must have a clear mind and must refrain from drinking wine or other intoxicating beverages.
God speaks to Moses and Aaron and describes the various types of animals and how to distinguish between kosher and non-kosher animals, fish and birds.
Animals must have two characteristics to be kosher. They must have both split hooves and must chew their cud. Those that lack either (or both) characteristic are not kosher.
Fish must have both fins and scales to be considered kosher.
God describes the phyla of birds that aren’t kosher and the types of locusts that are permissible to eat.
Parsha Questions
- Why didn’t Aaron leave the Tabernacle to sit “shiva” and mourn for his dead sons?
- What is the significance of split hooves and chewing cud in determining kosher animals?
- Name three kosher animals and three non-kosher animals?
- Name four kosher birds and four non-kosher birds?
- Name five kosher fish and five non-kosher fish?
Did You Know…?
- That Nadav and Avihu, Aaron’s sons, never married and had no children!
- That Moses considered Nadav and Avihu to be greater than he and Aaron were!
- That all shellfish are non-kosher!
- That many of the most popular food fishes are kosher such as: herring, certain types of tuna, salmon, snapper, flounder, halibut, sea bass, tilapia, cod, trout, whitefish and pike!
Tzav
Summary: The Torah continues with a discussion about the various sacrifices and services in the Holy Temple. God instructs Aaron and his sons - through Moses - to periodically remove built-up ashes from the Altar in the Tabernacle and in the Holy Temple. When they remove the ashes, they must take off their priestly clothing and put on other clothing. The ashes were removed to a special place outside the encampment.
God also tells Aaron to make certain that the fire on the Altar is kept constantly burning.
God tells Aaron that the offering called Mincha, which consists of flour, oil and spices and is partly burned on the Altar and partly eaten by the kohanim (priests), must be eaten without any chometz (unleavened bread) and must be consumed in the Courtyard of the Sanctuary.
As was discussed last week, only certain parts of most sacrifices were burned on the Altar. The rest of the meat was eaten by the kohanim or by the one offering the sacrifice. Here, the Torah provides time limits for the eating of the various sacrifices. Certain sacrifices may be eaten only on the day of the sacrifice and the following night, others may be eaten on the following day as well.
God instructs Moses to take Aaron and his sons and present them to the entire nation of Israel for a dedication ceremony for them and for the Tabernacle. Aaron and his sons immerse in a mikvah (specially-designed ritual immersion pool) and Moses dresses them in their priestly clothing. He anoints them with the specially-prepared anointment oil.
Moses takes this oil and anoints the Tabernacle and all its vessels and appurtenances. He sprinkles some oil on the base of the Altar 7 times. He offers the various sacrifices and performs the prescribed rituals. Aaron then prepares the meat of the sacrifices and he and his sons eat it.
The inauguration took 7 days to complete. During that time, Moses served as the Kohen Gadol (High Priest). When it was over, Aaron and his sons took over the functions of the Kohanim (Priests) from Moses and their descendants are Kohanim until this day!
Parsha Questions
- Why must the kohanim put on different clothing to remove the ashes; why can’t they use their regular priestly garments?
- Why must the fire on the Altar be kept constantly burning, even when there are no sacrifices to offer?
- What is the significance of a seven-day inauguration period?
Why didn’t Moses need his own inauguration to perform the duties of temporary Kohen Gadol? - Can a Jewish person who is not a descendant of Aaron receive anointment and become a kohen?
Vayikra
Summary: The new Book of Leviticus begins with the various animal sacrifices and other offerings that are brought onto the altar of the Holy Temple (or the Tabernacle before the Temple was built). The Torah devotes more space to sacrifices than it does to any other commandment. Obviously, they are very important!
In general, sacrifices were offered when a person accidentally transgressed one of the commandments. Mostly, sacrifices were not permitted to be offered when a person purposely transgressed a commandment. Sometimes, however, they were brought for a willful sin.
Sacrifices were often brought voluntarily as an expression of appreciation to God for a positive thing that occurred. However, there are many occasions in which the Torah requires a sacrifice to be brought - the Paschal Sacrifice for example.
When an individual offered his own sacrifice, he paid for it himself. The Torah also mandates that the Nation offer daily community sacrifices. These were paid for with public funds.
Although, with the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem the institution of sacrifices has ceased, we continue to mention sacrifices in our prayers. Our prayers are considered by God to be substitutes for our former sacrifices.
These are the sacrifices mentioned in this week’s parsha:
Olah: This sacrifice was brought as atonement for various things including the non-performance of a positive commandment and the intention to commit a misdeed, even if the action was not carried out.
Mincha: There are several types of Mincha. They are brought as voluntary offerings. All of them consist of finely milled flour mixed with oil and a particular spice called frankincense. Some Mincha offerings are cooked, others are baked and others are raw. The kohen (priest) would remove a section of the Mincha and burn it on the altar. The rest would be eaten by the Kohanim (priests).
Shelamim: This sacrifice may be brought as a voluntary offering or it can be required by the Torah. Some of the meat is given to the kohanim to eat and some is eaten by the one who offered the sacrifice.
Chatas: This sacrifice is offered in atonement for unintentionally transgressing one of the negative commandments. There are many occasions when a Chatas is offered. A Kohen Gadol (High Priest) who sins unintentionally will offer this sacrifice, as will the King or one of the leaders of the 12 Tribes. If the entire nation were to sin, they would offer this sacrifice as well.
Asham: This sacrifice is offered when a person is in doubt as to whether he committed a sin or not. For example, if there are two pieces of meat on a table, one is kosher and the other isn’t and a person eats one of them but is unsure which one he ate, he would offer this sacrifice.
Parsha Questions
- Why are there so many different types of sacrifices; why isn’t one type sufficient?
- Why would God require animal sacrifices as part of the atonement process?
- Can a sacrifice be offered in a person’s backyard?
- Why would someone who transgressed a commandment accidentally need atonement at all?
- How does a poor person who transgressed accidentally and can’t afford the price of a sacrifice, achieve atonement?
- How can prayer be a substitute for sacrifices when the two concepts seem completely different?
Home | Gabby | Services | The Weekly Parsha | Torah Study | Jewish Outreach | Directions | Eruv | Membership | Pictures | Upcoming Events | Donations | Volunteer | Contact Us
