Parashah 31: Emor (Speak); Leviticus 21:1 through 24:23

Shabbat shalom, mishpocah!  As always, a synopsis of this week’s Torah portion can be found on our website: Parashah 31: Emor [Speak]; Leviticus 21:1 through 24:23

This lesson is absolutely POWERFUL - with its basic messages being the holiness YHWH expected of His cohenim (priests); and the giving of YHWH's "designated times" - His Feasts - all of which bear the statement that they are to be observed "forever" and/or "throughout your generations."

Leviticus 21 starts out with YHWH commanding Moshe to tell the cohenim what they are to do to be considered holy in His eyes. We must remember that the office of cohen is an elevated position beyond compare. Cohenim were expected to be blemishless both on the exterior and on the interior - Not perfect (since no human is perfect), but blemishless and without defect whenever they came into His Presence, as they were the intermediaries between YHWH and His people. YHWH even expected His cohens to marry "unblemished" women:

Leviticus 21: "'A cohen is not to marry a woman who is a prostitute, who has been profaned or who has been divorced; because he is holy for his God.

The above brings to mind the Catholic "priests" who are forbidden to marry and who, in no way, resemble YHWH's cohens - who, incidentally, come only from the tribe of Levi. (One has to wonder from where the Catholics got most of their rules and regulations, because they certainly didn't come from Torah....)

For more, please read our synopsis, and be sure to read the actual Torah and related portions, as well.  Shabbat shalom!