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Parasha Behaalotecha: Raising the Menorah, the Light of Purity

Golden-Menorah

This week's Scripture portion is named Behaalotecha, which means when you step up. It is called this because it begins with instructions as to how the Menorah (lampstand) is to be set up in the Tabernacle. A related word is aliyah (עליה) — the Hebrew word for immigrating to the Land of Israel. It can also be defined as the act of going up.

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Emor: Sanctifying His Name With Holy Lives

Torah-scroll

In this week’s Torah reading, Emor, which means say, God gives Moses instructions regarding rules of purity for the priests (כֹּהֲנִים, Kohanim), who are held to a stricter standard than the general population. For instance, the priests are not to make themselves ceremonially unclean through contact with a person who had died, unless that person was a very close relative such as a father or mother, or son, or daughter.

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Parasha Shemini (Eighth): The Ordination of Aaron

red heifer, parah adumah, Kohen, Temple

For seven days, Aaron and his sons stayed at the Tent of Meeting as part of their ordination process. On the eighth day, Moses called for them to begin presenting the offerings (קָרְבֳּנוֹת, korbanot) to the Lord. These offerings were given as a kind of “welcoming ceremony” to greet the arrival of God’s Shekhinah (Glory or Divine Presence).

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Tetzaveh (You Command): The Beauty of Holiness

A fresco of King David dancing before the Ark by Johann Baptist Wenzel Bergl (Photo by Wolfgang Sauber)

Everything God creates in His physical world helps us understand His spiritual world. The use of physical gems on the breastplate of the Kohen Gadol is no different. Since these stones represent the 12 tribes, and the breastplate is connected with discovering the will of God, the stones represent how precious Israel is to the Lord and His desire to lead them into His will.

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