Thursday, May 2, 2024

Yom Kippur... in May?

Parshat Acharei Mot 

Leviticus 16:1 - 18:30)


Synopsis: Parshat Acharei Mot
After the death of Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, God tells Moses to instruct Aaron not to come freely into the Holy of Holies. Only once a year, on the tenth day of the seventh month, is the High Pries to enter the shrine behind the curtain. This is the day on which atonement is to be made for all the sins of the Israelites. No work is to be done on this day, and on it the Israelites are to practice self-denial.

On the Day of Atonement, when the High Priest enters the Holy of Holies, he is to wear plain linen robes and he is to make expiation for himself and for his household and then for all of the Israelites.

Then the High Priest is to take two male goats and, by lot, mark one for God and one for Azazel. He is to slaughter the goat marked for God as a sin offering and use its blood to cleanse the Tent of Meeting, the altar, and the Holy of Holies of the sins of the people. Then Aaron is to confess all the sins of the Israelites over the goat for Azazel, and the goat is to be sent off into the wilderness.

In this portion, Moses is told further to instruct the Israelites that all meat is to be slaughtered in a ritual way before the Tent of Meeting. The people are reminded not to consume blood, for blood represents life itself, and not to eat of an animal that has died or been torn by wild beasts.

Finally, Moses details for the Israelites forbidden sexual relationships. Relationships between blood relations are considered incestuous. The Israelites are told not to copy the practices of the Egyptians or the Canaanites; rather, they are to live by God's laws and rules.

Synopses courtesy of Teaching Torah, by Sorel Goldberg Loeb and Barbara Binder Kadden

For your Shabbat table:
  • Elsewhere in the Torah, we read descriptions of a very fancy “uniform” for the priests, but in this parsha, they are told to wear a very simple outfit on Yom Kippur. Why might certain clothes be necessary for an important day like Yom Kippur?  Why do you think the instruction here is to wear something so plain?
  • Why is it better to think something through carefully before doing or saying it?
  • Do you believe that everyone deserves forgiveness?

And now.. the Torah portion in cartoon form:

Acharei Mot:

No comments:

Post a Comment