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Parasha Kedoshim (Holy Ones): The Secret of Holiness

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Kedoshim (Holy Ones) begins with God's command that Israel be holy because God is holy. Because the Hebrew word Kedoshim is related to Kadosh, the word for holy, sanctified, or set apart, we understand that a person set aside for the service of God is holy because God is holy. But what does true holiness really look like? Most people have their own preconceived notions of holiness based on preferences, upbringing, and even systems. The answer, however, is found in the Word of God.

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Parasha Acharei Mot (After Death): The Scapegoat for Sin

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For most of us, even religious Jews, the idea of blood atonement for sin seems foreign and archaic. Moreover, in this day of do-what-you-think-is-right, even the basic concept of sin seems antiquated. Still, Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is a reminder that the problem of sin is just as real today as it was in the time of Moses. According to Jewish tradition, in fact, Yom Kippur is the day that God pronounces judgment, administering either the rewards for good deeds (mitzvot) or the punishments for sin.

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Parasha Metzora: Four Lepers Who Went From Outcasts to Heroes

This week, Parasha Metzorah continues with the theme of Tazria. In it, God gives Moses the law for the recovered metzora (commonly mistranslated as leper) and the ritual purification of the metzora by the kohen (priest). In Matthew 8:3, Yeshua upholds this law when He heals the leper and tells him, "Show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." In accordance with God's command in Leviticus, when the kohen determined that the metzora had healed, he or she underwent a process of ritual cleansing that began with the offering of two birds, one which was sacrificed and the other which was set free.

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Parasha Tazria (She Conceives): Drawing Close to God

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In the Torah, isolation or time alone is not restricted to physical or contagious conditions; it can also be seen as a necessary time for prayer, devotion, and communion with God. In the words of a Chassidic Jewish saying, “A person who does not have an hour to him or herself every day is not a person.” God invites each one of us spend time alone with Him to bond with Him and deepen our relationship in ways we cannot do in a group setting. There are plenty of Biblical examples to follow, as well.

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Parasha Shemini (Eighth): The Manifestation of the Presence of God

The Death of Ananais, by Raphael

This week’s Parasha provides the laws of kashrut (Biblical dietary laws). In Leviticus 11, God outlines which animals are edible and which are not. Why should the God of the Universe care about what we eat? The main purpose of the dietary laws is not for hygienic or health reasons; they set the Israelites apart as a holy people. What we eat not only affects our physical body and mind, but also our soul.

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Parasha Tzav (Command!): Remembering the Amalekites on Shabbat Zachor

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Parasha Tzav begins with the command for the burnt offering (korban olah) and the command to keep the fire burning upon the altar continually. Every morning, the priests were to shovel the ashes of the olah and to kindle wood in the fire to keep it burning. This reveals the continuity of our service to God in the offerings and prayers, one kindling the next. As well, as priests of the Lord, we are to keep a fiery enthusiasm burning in our hearts for our relationship with God. It is natural that there are times when the fire burns down to a lower level, but we must never let the fire totally go out. We must tend to the fire by removing the ashes and placing fresh kindling in the embers lest our service becomes routine and our fire for the Lord dies.

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Parasha Vayikra (And He Called): The Book of Holiness

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This Shabbat, we begin the study of the Third Book of Moses, which is called Leviticus in English Bibles. The name Leviticus is derived from the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures). The Hebrew name for Leviticus is Vayikra, from the opening word which means "and He called." In chapter one of Leviticus, God calls to Moses from the Tent of Meeting, giving him the laws of the animal and meal offerings.

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