Torah Portion of the Week

Emor אמור

Leviticus 21:1–24:23

Parshat Emor ('Say') moves from the holiness of persons (Kedoshim) to the holiness of the priesthood, of time, and of sacred objects. It opens with laws governing the priests — their purity obligations, who they may marry, and physical blemishes that disqualify them from Temple service. The heart of the parsha is the comprehensive calendar of sacred times: Shabbat, Passover with the Omer offering, the seven-week count to Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah and the shofar, Yom Kippur's affliction, Sukkot with its four species, and Shemini Atzeret. It then prescribes the continual menorah lighting and weekly showbread. The parsha concludes with a dramatic narrative: a man who blasphemes God's name is brought before Moses, and God pronounces the penalty of death — along with the broader principle of 'eye for eye, tooth for tooth' as equal justice for citizen and stranger alike.

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Parsha Outline

1 of 7

Priestly Purity and Marriage Laws

טהרת הכהנים ונישואיהם

Leviticus 21:1–21:15

An ordinary priest must not defile himself through contact with the dead except for his closest relatives: mother, father, son, daughter, brother, and unmarried sister. He may not shave his head, cut the corners of his beard, or make gashes in his flesh. He may not marry a woman who is a harlot, a profaned woman, or a divorcee. The High Priest has stricter rules: he may not let his hair go loose, rend his garments, or come near any dead body — not even his father or mother. He may not leave the sanctuary. He must marry only a virgin of his own people.

2 of 7

Priestly Blemishes and Terumah

מומי הכהנים ותרומה

Leviticus 21:16–22:16

No descendant of Aaron who has a physical blemish — whether blind, lame, with a broken limb, a hunchback, a dwarf, or other defect — may approach the altar to offer God's fire-offerings. He may eat the priestly portions but may not serve. The Torah then details who may eat terumah (the priestly share of produce): priests and their household members, but not a priest's daughter married to a non-priest (she regains the right if widowed or divorced and returns home childless). If someone eats terumah accidentally, he must add a fifth to its value and pay the priest.

3 of 7

Blemished Offerings and God's Name

מומי הקרבנות וקידוש השם

Leviticus 22:17–22:33

Just as the priest must be unblemished, so too the offering. Any animal — ox, sheep, or goat — brought as an offering must be without defect: no blindness, broken limbs, sores, scabs, or crushed organs. An animal with overlapping or short limbs may be a freewill offering but not a vow offering. An animal may not be castrated. No animal may be sacrificed before it is eight days old, and a mother and its young may not be slaughtered on the same day. When offering a thanksgiving offering, eat it on the same day. The section closes: 'You shall not profane My holy name, and I will be sanctified among the children of Israel — I am the Lord who sanctifies you.'

4 of 7

The Festival Calendar — Spring

מועדי ה' — האביב

Leviticus 23:1–23:22

God's appointed times (mo'adim) begin with the weekly Shabbat. Passover falls on the fourteenth of the first month, followed by seven days of Unleavened Bread (the first and last are holy convocations). On the day after the first Shabbat of Passover, a sheaf (omer) of the first barley harvest is waved before the Lord. From that day, seven complete weeks are counted — the fiftieth day is Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks), marked by a new meal offering of two leavened loaves, burnt offerings, a sin offering, and peace offerings. The section concludes by repeating: leave the corners and gleanings of the harvest for the poor and the stranger.

5 of 7

The High Holidays — Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

ימים נוראים — ראש השנה ויום כיפור

Leviticus 23:23–23:32

On the first day of the seventh month is a day of rest, a memorial of blowing (teru'ah), a holy convocation — Rosh Hashanah. On the tenth of the month is Yom Kippur: a holy convocation on which the people must afflict their souls (fast) and bring fire-offerings. No work of any kind may be done — anyone who works shall be cut off, and anyone who does not afflict their soul shall be cut off. It is a 'Sabbath of Sabbaths' (shabbat shabbaton), observed from evening to evening.

6 of 7

Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret

סוכות ושמיני עצרת

Leviticus 23:33–23:44

Beginning on the fifteenth of the seventh month is the seven-day Festival of Sukkot (Booths). The first day is a holy convocation; fire-offerings are brought for seven days; the eighth day (Shemini Atzeret) is another holy convocation. On the first day, the people take the 'four species' — the fruit of a beautiful tree (etrog), palm branches, myrtle boughs, and willows — and rejoice before the Lord for seven days. The Israelites are to dwell in booths (sukkot) so that future generations will know that God made them dwell in booths when He brought them out of Egypt.

7 of 7

The Menorah, Showbread, and the Blasphemer

המנורה, לחם הפנים והמגדף

Leviticus 24:1–24:23

The Israelites are to bring pure beaten olive oil for the Menorah, which Aaron kindles continually from evening to morning. Twelve loaves of showbread are arranged in two rows on the golden Table each Shabbat. The parsha then tells of a man — son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father — who blasphemes the Name of God during a quarrel. He is brought to Moses; God decrees death by stoning. The broader principle of justice is then stated: whoever kills a person shall be put to death; whoever kills an animal shall make restitution. 'Fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth' — one law for citizen and stranger alike.

Prophetic Reading

Haftarah הפטרה

Ezekiel 44:15–44:31

יחזקאל

Ezekiel's laws for the priests in the future Temple parallel the parsha's priestly regulations — who they may marry, how they must conduct themselves, and their sacred responsibilities.

Full Text

Parshat Emor

Leviticus 21:1–24:23 · 124 verses

First Aliyah

ראשוןLeviticus 21:1–21:15

Chapter 21

פרק 21

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1 וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל מֹשֶׁה אֱמֹר אֶל הַכֹּהֲנִים בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם לְנֶפֶשׁ לֹֽא יִטַּמָּא בְּעַמָּֽיו

2 כִּי אִם לִשְׁאֵרוֹ הַקָּרֹב אֵלָיו לְאִמּוֹ וּלְאָבִיו וְלִבְנוֹ וּלְבִתּוֹ וּלְאָחִֽיו

3 וְלַאֲחֹתוֹ הַבְּתוּלָה הַקְּרוֹבָה אֵלָיו אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא הָיְתָה לְאִישׁ לָהּ יִטַּמָּֽא

4 לֹא יִטַּמָּא בַּעַל בְּעַמָּיו לְהֵחַלּֽוֹ

5 לֹֽא [יִקְרְחוּ] (יקרחה) קׇרְחָה בְּרֹאשָׁם וּפְאַת זְקָנָם לֹא יְגַלֵּחוּ וּבִבְשָׂרָם לֹא יִשְׂרְטוּ שָׂרָֽטֶת

6 קְדֹשִׁים יִהְיוּ לֵאלֹהֵיהֶם וְלֹא יְחַלְּלוּ שֵׁם אֱלֹהֵיהֶם כִּי אֶת אִשֵּׁי יְהֹוָה לֶחֶם אֱלֹהֵיהֶם הֵם מַקְרִיבִם וְהָיוּ קֹֽדֶשׁ

7 אִשָּׁה זֹנָה וַחֲלָלָה לֹא יִקָּחוּ וְאִשָּׁה גְּרוּשָׁה מֵאִישָׁהּ לֹא יִקָּחוּ כִּֽי קָדֹשׁ הוּא לֵאלֹהָֽיו

8 וְקִדַּשְׁתּוֹ כִּֽי אֶת לֶחֶם אֱלֹהֶיךָ הוּא מַקְרִיב קָדֹשׁ יִֽהְיֶה לָּךְ כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי יְהֹוָה מְקַדִּשְׁכֶֽם

9 וּבַת אִישׁ כֹּהֵן כִּי תֵחֵל לִזְנוֹת אֶת אָבִיהָ הִיא מְחַלֶּלֶת בָּאֵשׁ תִּשָּׂרֵֽף

10 וְהַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל מֵאֶחָיו אֲֽשֶׁר יוּצַק עַל רֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה וּמִלֵּא אֶת יָדוֹ לִלְבֹּשׁ אֶת הַבְּגָדִים אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ לֹא יִפְרָע וּבְגָדָיו לֹא יִפְרֹֽם

11 וְעַל כׇּל נַפְשֹׁת מֵת לֹא יָבֹא לְאָבִיו וּלְאִמּוֹ לֹא יִטַּמָּֽא

12 וּמִן הַמִּקְדָּשׁ לֹא יֵצֵא וְלֹא יְחַלֵּל אֵת מִקְדַּשׁ אֱלֹהָיו כִּי נֵזֶר שֶׁמֶן מִשְׁחַת אֱלֹהָיו עָלָיו אֲנִי יְהֹוָֽה

13 וְהוּא אִשָּׁה בִבְתוּלֶיהָ יִקָּֽח

14 אַלְמָנָה וּגְרוּשָׁה וַחֲלָלָה זֹנָה אֶת אֵלֶּה לֹא יִקָּח כִּי אִם בְּתוּלָה מֵעַמָּיו יִקַּח אִשָּֽׁה

15 וְלֹֽא יְחַלֵּל זַרְעוֹ בְּעַמָּיו כִּי אֲנִי יְהֹוָה מְקַדְּשֽׁוֹ

1 GOD said to Moses: Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: None shall defile himself for any [dead] person among his kin,

2 Except for the relatives that are closest to him: his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, and his brother;

3 Also for a virgin sister, close to him because she has not become someone’s [wife], for her he may defile himself.

4 But he shall not defile himself as a kinsman by marriage, and so profane himself.

5 They shall not shave smooth any part of their heads, or cut the side-growth of their beards, or make gashes in their flesh.

6 They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God; for they offer the ETERNAL ’s offerings by fire, the food of their God, and so must be holy.

7 They shall not marry a woman defiled by prostitution, nor shall they marry one divorced from her husband. For they are holy to their God

8 And you must treat them as holy, since they offer the food of your God; they shall be holy to you, for I GOD who sanctify you am holy.

9 When the daughter of a priest defiles herself through prostitution, it is her father whom she defiles; she shall be put to the fire.

10 The priest who is exalted above his fellows, on whose head the anointing oil has been poured and who has been ordained to wear the vestments, shall not bare his head or rend his vestments.

11 He shall not go in where there is any dead body; he shall not defile himself even for his father or mother.

12 He shall not go outside the sanctuary and profane the sanctuary of his God, for upon him is the distinction of the anointing oil of Mine, the ETERNAL ’s.

13 He may marry only a woman who is a virgin.

14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or one who is degraded by prostitution—such he may not marry. Only a virgin of his own kin may he take to wife—

15 That he may not profane his offspring among his kin, for I GOD have sanctified him.