Parashat Emor - Leviticus 21-24

Tradition states that Emor, this week's portion, contains 63 of the 613 commandments.  It is certainly the most "mitzvah ridden" Torah portion, with one occurring in almost every other verse of the text!  The section does include a number of provisions we have already met elsewhere; here they are repeated and often elaborated.  Ancient Rabbis were able to use these repetitions to derive new legal details; to us, they are indications that the editors of Leviticus drew upon a variety of traditions and texts.

Chapter 21 begins with very specific rules for the priesthood.  They were not permitted to make themselves ritually impure through contact with a corpse, unless the dead had been an immediate relative.  Those relatives permitted are: the father, mother, brother, unmarried sister, son, or daughter.  Our rabbis noted that the fact that the Torah mentions these relations for which a priest may ritually defile himself in fact make mourning these relatives a mitzvah for which a priest must defile himself. By extension, mourning for these specific relatives is considered a commandment, and our rabbis added wives to the list. The High Priest was forbidden to mourn even his parents.  (Lev. 21:1-6)

They were not permitted to marry a divorcee or a woman who had been involved in forbidden sexual relations; the High Priest could not even marry a widow.  The daughter of a priest who was sexually immoral was to be burned by fire.  (Lev. 21:9)  The chapter concludes with a long list of physical defects, any of which prevent a priest or High priest from performing any sacral function.  (Lev. 21:16-23)

Chapter 22 commences with a declaration concerning sacred donations.  These were the portions of sacrifices assigned to the priests.  Meal offerings, sin offerings and guilt offerings could only be eaten by males of the priestly order; their households could share the other offerings.

Next, the text enumerates the defects in animals that disqualify them from being an offering to God.  Verse 23 tells us that a freewill offering may be slightly deformed.  The Rabbis give the explanation that this animal would not be placed on the altar; rather, it's body parts would be sold and the money contributed to the sanctuary.  An animal had to be at least eight days old to be sacrifices, and no animal could be sacrificed on the same day as its young.  (Lev.22:27-28)

Festival observance is treated many times in the Torah.  Chapter 23 speaks only of the three "pilgrim festivals":  Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Weeks, and Feast of Booths.  It also lists the New Year (though not by name) and the Day of Atonement, making it the most complete biblical account of the Holy Days.

Again, we begin with God commanding Moses to speak to the community.  Unlike the previous two chapters, the festivals are not merely for the priests.  They are addressed to the entire people.  Each festival and its' rituals are described, and the conclusion of the festival calendar comes with God saying that, "Those are the set times of the Lord which you shall celebrate as sacred occasions..."  (Lev. 23:37)   The chapter concludes with a very detailed description of the Feast of Booths (Succot), which many Rabbis believe to be from another source.  Verses 42-43 command us to live in booths for seven days, "That I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt."  This helps to give a Jewish historical perspective to an originally agricultural festival.  The both helps remind us of our humble beginnings, thus protecting us against arrogance.

Chapter 24 contains a number of short items that do not seem connected to one another.  It commences with two sets of rules concerning the Tabernacle.  Verses 1-4 repeat Exodus 27:20-21, and commands Aaron to keep the lights on the lamp stand burning regularly.  They are to be fueled with clear oil.  Verses 5-9 detail the twelve loaves of bread that are to be placed on the Table in the Tabernacle, which must happen on the Sabbath day.

The chapter then tells a story about a Hebrew whose mother, Sh'lomit Bat Divri, was an Israelite and whose father was Egyptian. This "son of an Israelite woman" fought with "a certain Israelite."  The son of the Israelite woman pronounced God's name in blasphemy. He was brought before Moses to find out what to do with him. Moses locked him up, and sought the guidance of God.  It should be noted that this is one of four times in the Torah that Moses has to make a special inquiry of God before he can give a legal decision.

God ordered the blasphemer to be taken outside the camp and stoned. God added three laws: 1.  Any blasphemer was to be put to death. 2.  Anyone who kills a human was to be put to death.  3.  Anyone who killed an animal was to make restitution for it.  Maiming another human was to result in a, "fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.  (Lev. 24:19)  Although it seems that the language indicates a physical retaliation, there is no record of any Jewish court carrying out such an action.  Further, Jewish tradition all but unanimously understood the language as referring to financial compensation.  The portion ends with the stoning of the blasphemer outside of the camp.

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