Torah Portion of the Week

Achrei Mot אחרי מות

Leviticus 16:1–18:30

Parshat Achrei Mot ('After the Death') opens in the shadow of the tragedy of Nadav and Avihu — God tells Moses that Aaron may not enter the Holy of Holies at will, lest he die. Instead, it prescribes the elaborate Yom Kippur service: Aaron dons simple white linen, brings a bull for his own sin offering, casts lots over two goats — one for the Lord and one as the scapegoat (azazel) sent into the wilderness bearing the sins of the people — and enters the innermost chamber with incense smoke to sprinkle blood before the Ark cover. The parsha then centralizes all slaughter at the Tabernacle, prohibits the consumption of blood ('for the life of the flesh is in the blood'), and concludes with the forbidden sexual relationships that defiled the Canaanites and will defile anyone who practices them.

Landscapes of the Promised Land

Seven Species by Avigail Sapir - Giclée Print on Fine Art Paper or Stretched Canvas Giclée

From $115

Own This Parsha as Art →

Locations in the Parsha

Biblical Places

Map of the Parsha

Biblical Locations

Section by Section

Parsha Outline

1 of 6

The Yom Kippur Service — Preparation

עבודת יום הכיפורים — הכנה

Leviticus 16:1–16:10

After the death of Aaron's two sons, God warns Aaron not to come at all times into the Holy of Holies behind the curtain, before the Ark cover, lest he die. He may enter only on Yom Kippur with a young bull as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering. He dons sacred white linen garments after immersing in water. From the community he takes two he-goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. Aaron casts lots over the two goats: one lot 'for the Lord' and one 'for Azazel.' The goat for the Lord becomes a sin offering; the Azazel goat is presented alive to be sent into the wilderness.

2 of 6

Entering the Holy of Holies

הכניסה לקודש הקודשים

Leviticus 16:11–16:19

Aaron slaughters his bull sin offering and takes a fire-pan of burning coals from the altar with two handfuls of finely ground incense, bringing them behind the curtain. The incense cloud covers the Ark cover so he will not die. He sprinkles the bull's blood with his finger once on the front of the Ark cover and seven times before it. He then slaughters the people's goat sin offering and brings its blood behind the curtain, sprinkling it the same way. He makes atonement for the sanctuary, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, purifying them from the impurities of the Israelites.

3 of 6

The Scapegoat and the Day of Atonement

שעיר לעזאזל ויום הכיפורים

Leviticus 16:20–16:34

Aaron lays both hands on the live goat, confesses over it all the iniquities of Israel, and sends it away into the wilderness with a designated man — it carries all their sins to an inaccessible land. Aaron removes the linen garments, immerses, puts on his regular priestly garments, and offers the burnt offerings for himself and the people. This is to be an eternal statute: on the tenth day of the seventh month, the people must afflict themselves and do no work, for on this day atonement is made to cleanse them from all their sins before the Lord.

4 of 6

Centralized Slaughter

ריכוז השחיטה

Leviticus 17:1–17:7

Any Israelite who slaughters an ox, lamb, or goat — whether inside the camp or outside — without bringing it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting as an offering to the Lord shall be guilty of bloodshed and cut off from his people. This is to ensure that sacrifices formerly made in the open field to goat-demons (se'irim) are instead brought to the priest at the Tabernacle as peace offerings. This shall be an eternal statute for all generations.

5 of 6

The Prohibition of Blood

איסור הדם

Leviticus 17:8–17:16

Any Israelite or stranger who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice without bringing it to the Tabernacle shall be cut off. The Torah then states the fundamental prohibition: 'You shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood.' Anyone who eats blood shall be cut off. When hunting a wild animal or bird, the blood must be poured out and covered with earth. A person who eats an animal that died naturally or was torn by beasts must wash their garments and immerse, and remains impure until evening.

6 of 6

Forbidden Sexual Relationships

עריות

Leviticus 18:1–18:30

God warns the Israelites not to follow the practices of Egypt (where they lived) or Canaan (where they are going). A comprehensive list of forbidden sexual relationships is given: no person may approach a close relative to uncover their nakedness — including one's mother, father's wife, sister, granddaughter, aunt, daughter-in-law, or sister-in-law. Additional prohibitions include marrying a woman and her daughter, relations with a menstruating woman, adultery, giving children to Molech, male homosexual acts, and bestiality. The land itself vomits out those who defile it with these practices, as it did the Canaanites.

Prophetic Reading

Haftarah הפטרה

Ezekiel 22:1–22:19

יחזקאל

Ezekiel denounces Jerusalem's abominations — bloodshed, idolatry, and sexual immorality — directly echoing the parsha's prohibitions against forbidden relationships and the warning not to follow the ways of Egypt and Canaan.

Full Text

Parshat Achrei Mot

Leviticus 16:1–18:30 · 80 verses

First Aliyah

ראשוןLeviticus 16:1–16:17

Chapter 16

פרק 16

Layout

Language

Layout

Language

1 וַיְדַבֵּר יְהֹוָה אֶל מֹשֶׁה אַחֲרֵי מוֹת שְׁנֵי בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן בְּקׇרְבָתָם לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה וַיָּמֻֽתוּ

2 וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל מֹשֶׁה דַּבֵּר אֶל אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ וְאַל יָבֹא בְכׇל עֵת אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ מִבֵּית לַפָּרֹכֶת אֶל פְּנֵי הַכַּפֹּרֶת אֲשֶׁר עַל הָאָרֹן וְלֹא יָמוּת כִּי בֶּֽעָנָן אֵרָאֶה עַל הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת

3 בְּזֹאת יָבֹא אַהֲרֹן אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ בְּפַר בֶּן בָּקָר לְחַטָּאת וְאַיִל לְעֹלָֽה

4 כְּתֹֽנֶת בַּד קֹדֶשׁ יִלְבָּשׁ וּמִֽכְנְסֵי בַד יִהְיוּ עַל בְּשָׂרוֹ וּבְאַבְנֵט בַּד יַחְגֹּר וּבְמִצְנֶפֶת בַּד יִצְנֹף בִּגְדֵי קֹדֶשׁ הֵם וְרָחַץ בַּמַּיִם אֶת בְּשָׂרוֹ וּלְבֵשָֽׁם

5 וּמֵאֵת עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יִקַּח שְׁנֵֽי שְׂעִירֵי עִזִּים לְחַטָּאת וְאַיִל אֶחָד לְעֹלָֽה

6 וְהִקְרִיב אַהֲרֹן אֶת פַּר הַחַטָּאת אֲשֶׁר לוֹ וְכִפֶּר בַּעֲדוֹ וּבְעַד בֵּיתֽוֹ

7 וְלָקַח אֶת שְׁנֵי הַשְּׂעִירִם וְהֶעֱמִיד אֹתָם לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵֽד

8 וְנָתַן אַהֲרֹן עַל שְׁנֵי הַשְּׂעִירִם גֹּרָלוֹת גּוֹרָל אֶחָד לַיהֹוָה וְגוֹרָל אֶחָד לַעֲזָאזֵֽל

9 וְהִקְרִיב אַהֲרֹן אֶת הַשָּׂעִיר אֲשֶׁר עָלָה עָלָיו הַגּוֹרָל לַיהֹוָה וְעָשָׂהוּ חַטָּֽאת

10 וְהַשָּׂעִיר אֲשֶׁר עָלָה עָלָיו הַגּוֹרָל לַעֲזָאזֵל יׇֽעֳמַד חַי לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה לְכַפֵּר עָלָיו לְשַׁלַּח אֹתוֹ לַעֲזָאזֵל הַמִּדְבָּֽרָה

11 וְהִקְרִיב אַהֲרֹן אֶת פַּר הַֽחַטָּאת אֲשֶׁר לוֹ וְכִפֶּר בַּֽעֲדוֹ וּבְעַד בֵּיתוֹ וְשָׁחַט אֶת פַּר הַֽחַטָּאת אֲשֶׁר לֽוֹ

12 וְלָקַח מְלֹֽא הַמַּחְתָּה גַּֽחֲלֵי אֵשׁ מֵעַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ מִלִּפְנֵי יְהֹוָה וּמְלֹא חׇפְנָיו קְטֹרֶת סַמִּים דַּקָּה וְהֵבִיא מִבֵּית לַפָּרֹֽכֶת

13 וְנָתַן אֶֽת הַקְּטֹרֶת עַל הָאֵשׁ לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה וְכִסָּה עֲנַן הַקְּטֹרֶת אֶת הַכַּפֹּרֶת אֲשֶׁר עַל הָעֵדוּת וְלֹא יָמֽוּת

14 וְלָקַח מִדַּם הַפָּר וְהִזָּה בְאֶצְבָּעוֹ עַל פְּנֵי הַכַּפֹּרֶת קֵדְמָה וְלִפְנֵי הַכַּפֹּרֶת יַזֶּה שֶֽׁבַע פְּעָמִים מִן הַדָּם בְּאֶצְבָּעֽוֹ

15 וְשָׁחַט אֶת שְׂעִיר הַֽחַטָּאת אֲשֶׁר לָעָם וְהֵבִיא אֶת דָּמוֹ אֶל מִבֵּית לַפָּרֹכֶת וְעָשָׂה אֶת דָּמוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לְדַם הַפָּר וְהִזָּה אֹתוֹ עַל הַכַּפֹּרֶת וְלִפְנֵי הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת

16 וְכִפֶּר עַל הַקֹּדֶשׁ מִטֻּמְאֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמִפִּשְׁעֵיהֶם לְכׇל חַטֹּאתָם וְכֵן יַעֲשֶׂה לְאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד הַשֹּׁכֵן אִתָּם בְּתוֹךְ טֻמְאֹתָֽם

17 וְכׇל אָדָם לֹא יִהְיֶה בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד בְּבֹאוֹ לְכַפֵּר בַּקֹּדֶשׁ עַד צֵאתוֹ וְכִפֶּר בַּעֲדוֹ וּבְעַד בֵּיתוֹ וּבְעַד כׇּל קְהַל יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

1 GOD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they drew too close to GOD’s presence.

2 GOD said to Moses: Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come at will into the Shrine behind the curtain, in front of the cover that is upon the ark, lest he die; for I appear in the cloud over the cover.

3 Thus only shall Aaron enter the Shrine: with a bull of the herd for a purgation offering and a ram for a burnt offering.—

4 He shall be dressed in a sacral linen tunic, with linen breeches next to his flesh, and be girt with a linen sash, and he shall wear a linen turban. They are sacral vestments; he shall bathe in water and then put them on.—

5 And from the Israelite community he shall take two he-goats for a purgation offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

6 Aaron is to offer his own bull of purgation offering, to make expiation for himself and for his household.

7 Aaron shall take the two he-goats and let them stand before GOD at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting;

8 And he shall place lots upon the two goats, one marked for GOD and the other marked for Azazel.

9 Aaron shall bring forward the goat designated by lot for GOD, which he is to offer as a purgation offering;

10 While the goat designated by lot for Azazel shall be left standing alive before GOD, to make expiation with it and to send it off to the wilderness for Azazel.

11 Aaron shall then offer his bull of purgation offering, to make expiation for himself and his household. He shall slaughter his bull of purgation offering,

12 And he shall take a panful of glowing coals scooped from the altar before GOD, and two handfuls of finely ground aromatic incense, and bring this behind the curtain.

13 He shall put the incense on the fire before GOD, so that the cloud from the incense screens the cover that is over [the Ark of] the Pact, lest he die.

14 He shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger over the cover on the east side; and in front of the cover he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

15 He shall then slaughter the people’s goat of purgation offering, bring its blood behind the curtain, and do with its blood as he has done with the blood of the bull: he shall sprinkle it over the cover and in front of the cover.

16 Thus he shall purge the Shrine of the impurity and transgression of the Israelites, whatever their sins; and he shall do the same for the Tent of Meeting, which abides with them in the midst of their impurity.

17 When he goes in to make expiation in the Shrine, nobody else shall be in the Tent of Meeting until he comes out. When he has made expiation for himself and his household, and for the whole congregation of Israel,