Torah

Leviticus 25:1-27:34

Parashat Behar-Bechukotai, comprising the final double portion of Vayikra, encompasses a richly textured matrix of mitzvoth, divine assurances, and warnings, through which the identity of Israel as a holy people consecrated unto Mar-Yah is further refined. Here, within these sacred ordinances, the covenantal dynamics between Mar-Yah and Israel are revealed in legal, theological, and eschatological dimensions.

Parashat Behar begins with a most significant assertion: “And Mar-Yah spoke unto Moshe in Mount Sinai…” (Leviticus 25:1). The placement of this declaration is intentional. It signals that the laws which follow, pertaining to the Sabbatical year and Jubilee, were received at Sinai, bearing equal authority to the Decalogue and other covenantal ordinances.

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Torah Reading: Leviticus 21:1–24:23

This Sabbath’s Parashah opens with a solemn charge to the kohanim, beginning with a clear delineation of the boundaries of ritual purity and conduct. Mar-Yah commands Moshe to say to the priests. “Speak to the priests the sons of Aaron, and say to them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people.” (Leviticus 21:1)

The repetition of “speak” and “say” evokes a tone of gentleness mingled with urgency. Rabbinic exegetes, such as Rashi, observed that this is a warning for the elders to educate the youth. Yet beyond rabbinic insight, within a Hebraic framework, we perceive a deeper liturgical principle—those who stand near the altar must be consecrated not only in office but in being. St. Gregory the Theologian states that the priest is a “mediator of the earthly and the divine”—a role prefigured in Aaron’s line, but fulfilled in the Great High Priest, Yeshua Mshikha (Hebrews 4:14).

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We will consider Achrei Mot–Kedoshim, a double portion that encompasses the holy commands found in Vayiqra (Lev. 16:1–20:27), chapters 16 through 20. These passages form a foundational pillar of righteousness for the remnant, that we might walk in the path of separation from the defilements of the nations and in the light of the presence of Alaha.

After the Death – Achrei Mot (16:1–18:30)
The portion begins solemnly: “With regard to the death of the two sons of Aharon, when they drew near before Alaha, and died” (16:1). This reference to Nadav and Avihu’s sin stands as a sacred warning to all who approach Alaha without discernment or reverence. The sons of Aharon brought forth strange fire—not commanded by Alaha—and were consumed. This is not because Alaha is cruel, but because His holiness is like fire. That which is not sanctified shall not endure in His presence.

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This week’s Torah portion is a double portion found in the book of Vayikra, chapters 12 through 15. This parashah is deeply concerned with the matters of ritual purity and impurity, which in Hebrew are termed taharah and tumah. These concepts are often misunderstood in modern thought, for they do not necessarily relate to sin or morality, but to the conditions under which a person may or may not enter the sacred space and approach Alaha in holiness.

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