Leviticus 21-24

Tree of Life Version

Parashat Emor

Holiness Code for Kohanim

21 Then Adonai said to Moses, “Speak to the kohanim, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: A kohen is not to allow himself to become unclean for the dead among his people, ² except for his relatives that are nearest to him—his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother, ³ or his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband. For her he may allow himself to become unclean. ⁴ But he is not to defile himself—a husband among his people—and so profane himself.

⁵ “Kohanim are not to shave their heads, nor shave off the corners of their beards, nor make any cuttings in their flesh. ⁶ They are to be holy to their God, and not profane the Name of their God, for they present the offerings of Adonai made by fire, the bread of their God. Therefore they are to be holy. ⁷ They are not to marry women who are defiled as prostitutes, or profane. Neither should they marry women divorced from their husbands, for a kohen is holy to his God. ⁸ Therefore you are to sanctify him, because he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I, Adonai, who sanctifies you, am holy.

⁹ “The daughter of any kohen, if she profanes herself by playing the prostitute, profanes her father. She is to be burned with fire.

¹⁰ “He who is the kohen gadol among his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured and is consecrated to put on the garments, is not to let the hair of his head hang loose or tear his clothes, ¹¹ nor should he go near any dead person, defiling himself, even for his father or his mother. ¹² He is not to go out of the Sanctuary or profane the Sanctuary of his God—for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him. I am Adonai.

¹³ “He should take a wife in her virginity. ¹⁴ A widow, or one divorced, or one who has been defiled as a prostitute, he is not to marry. He is to take a virgin from his own people as a wife, ¹⁵ so as not to corrupt his offspring among his people. For I am Adonai who sanctifies him.”

¹⁶ Adonai spoke to Moses saying: ¹⁷ “Say to Aaron: None of your offspring throughout their generations who has a defect may approach to offer the food of his God. ¹⁸ Any man who has a defect is not to draw near: no one blind or lame or disfigured or deformed, ¹⁹ or a man who has a crippled foot or crippled hand ²⁰ or a hunchback or dwarf, or who has an eye defect or a rash or scabs, or who has damaged testicles. ²¹ None of the offspring of Aaron the kohen who has a defect should come near to present the offerings of Adonai made by fire. Since he has a defect, he is not to come near to offer the food of his God. ²² He may eat the food of his God, both from the most holy and the holy. ²³ But he is not to approach the curtain or come near the altar, because of the defect on him, so that he may not desecrate My sanctuaries, for I am Adonai who sanctifies them.”

²⁴ So Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons, and to all Bnei-Yisrael.

22 Adonai spoke to Moses, saying: ² “Tell Aaron and his sons to separate themselves from the holy things of Bnei-Yisrael, which they consecrate to Me, so that they would not profane My holy Name. I am Adonai. ³ Tell them, if anyone of all your offspring throughout your generations approaches the holy things, which Bnei-Yisrael consecrate to Adonai, while in a state of uncleanness, that soul will be cut off from before Me. I am Adonai.

⁴ “None of the offspring of Aaron who has tza’arat or has a discharge should eat of the holy things until he is clean. Whoever touches anything that is unclean by the dead or a man whose seed discharges from him ⁵ or who touches any creeping thing that may make him unclean or a person who is unclean—whatever his uncleanness— ⁶ the person who touches any such thing will be unclean until the evening, and is not to eat of the holy things, unless he has bathed his body in water. ⁷ When the sun sets, he will become clean, and afterward he may eat of the holy things, because it is his food. ⁸ A carcass or what is torn by beasts he is not to eat, becoming unclean by it. I am Adonai.

⁹ “Therefore kohanim shall keep My charge, so that they do not become guilty of sin and die should they profane it. I am Adonai who sanctifies them.

¹⁰ “No layman is to eat from the holy offering. A foreigner living with the kohanim or a hired servant is not to eat from the holy offering. ¹¹ But if a kohen buys a slave purchased by his money, that one may eat from it. Also those born in his house may eat his food. ¹² If a kohen’s daughter is married to a layman, she is not to eat from the gifts of the holy offerings. ¹³ But if a kohen’s daughter is a widow or divorced, and has no child and has returned to her father’s house as in her youth, she may eat from her father’s food. But no layman may eat any of it.

¹⁴ “If anyone eats something holy unwittingly, then he is to add a fifth to it and give the holy offering to the kohen. ¹⁵ They are not to profane the holy offerings of Bnei-Yisrael, which they lift up to Adonai, ¹⁶ so causing them to bear the iniquity that brings guilt when they eat the holy offerings. For I am Adonai who sanctifies them.”

¹⁷ Adonai spoke to Moses saying: ¹⁸ “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, and to all Bnei-Yisrael, and say to them: Whoever is from the house of Israel, or one of the outsiders in Israel who brings his offering, whether it be any of their vows or any of their freewill offerings that they present to Adonai for a burnt offering— ¹⁹ for you to be accepted—you are to offer a male without blemish, from the bulls, the sheep or the goats. ²⁰ But whatever has a blemish you are not to present, for it will not be acceptable on your behalf. ^{[a] 21} Whoever brings a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to Adonai to fulfill a vow or for a freewill offering, either from the herd or the flock, it must be unblemished to be accepted—there must be no defect on it. ²² The blind, injured, maimed, having an abnormal growth or festering or a running sore are not to be offered to Adonai, or given as an offering by fire on the altar to Adonai. ²³ For a freewill offering you may present a bull or a lamb that has any deformity or lacking in its parts, but for a vow it will not be accepted. ²⁴ Whatever has its testicles bruised, crushed, broken or cut, you are not to offer to Adonai, nor are you to do so in your own land. ²⁵ Moreover, you are not to offer the food of your God from the hand of an outsider from any of these animals. For their corruption is within them—they have a defect. They will not be accepted on your behalf.”

²⁶ Adonai spoke to Moses saying: ²⁷ “When a bull, a sheep or a goat is born, then it is to remain seven days with its mother, and from the eighth day onward it will be accepted as the gift of an offering made by fire to Adonai. ²⁸ If it is a cow or ewe, you are not to slaughter it along with its young, both in one day. ²⁹ When you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to Adonai, you are to present it so that you may be accepted. ³⁰ It is to be eaten on the same day. You are to leave none of it until the morning. I am Adonai.

³¹ “So you are to keep My mitzvot and do them. I am Adonai. ³² You must not profane My holy Name, for I will be made holy among Bnei-Yisrael. I am Adonai who makes you holy, ³³ who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. I am Adonai.”

Biblical Feasts

23 Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying: ² “Speak to Bnei-Yisrael, and tell them: These are the appointed moadim of Adonai, which you are to proclaim to be holy convocations—My moadim.

³ “Work may be done for six days, but the seventh day is a Shabbat of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You are to do no work—it is a Shabbat to Adonai in all your dwellings.

Pesach and Feast of Matzot

⁴ “These are the appointed feasts of Adonai, holy convocations which you are to proclaim in their appointed season. ⁵ During the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening, is Adonai’s Passover. ⁶ On the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Matzot to Adonai. For seven days you are to eat matzah. ⁷ On the first day you are to have a holy convocation and you should do no regular work. ⁸ Instead you are to present an offering made by fire to Adonai for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation, when you are to do no regular work.”

Bikkurim and Shavuot

⁹ Adonai spoke to Moses saying: ¹⁰ “Speak to Bnei-Yisrael and tell them: When you have come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you are to bring the omer^[b] of the firstfruits of your harvest to the kohen. ¹¹ He is to wave the omer before Adonai, to be accepted for you. On the morrow after the Shabbat, the kohen is to wave it. ¹² On the day when you wave the omer you are to offer a male lamb without blemish, one year old, as a burnt offering to Adonai. ¹³ The grain offering with it should be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil—an offering made by fire to Adonai for a soothing aroma. Its drink offering with it should be a quarter of a gallon^[c] of wine. ¹⁴ You are not to eat bread, roasted grain, or fresh grain until this same day—until you have brought the offering of your God. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

¹⁵ “Then you are to count from the morrow after the Shabbat, from the day that you brought the omer^[d] of the wave offering, seven complete Shabbatot. ¹⁶ Until the morrow after the seventh Shabbat you are to count fifty days,^[e] and then present a new grain offering to Adonai. ¹⁷ You are to bring out of your houses two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two tenths of an ephah of fine flour. They are to be baked with hametz as firstfruits to Adonai. ¹⁸ You are to present, along with the bread, seven one-year-old lambs without blemish, one young bull, and two rams. They will become a burnt offering to Adonai, with their meal offering, and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to Adonai. ¹⁹ Also you are to offer one male goat for a sin offering and a pair of year-old male lambs for a sacrifice of fellowship offerings. ²⁰ The kohen is to wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before Adonai, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to Adonai for the kohen. ²¹ You are to make a proclamation on the same day that there is to be a holy convocation, and you should do no regular work. This is a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.

²² “Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the furthest corners of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Rather you are to leave them for the poor and for the outsider. I am Adonai your God.”

Fall Festivals

²³ Adonai spoke to Moses saying: ²⁴ “Speak to Bnei-Yisrael, saying: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you are to have a Shabbat rest, a memorial of blowing (shofarot),^[f] a holy convocation. ²⁵ You are to do no regular work, and you are to present an offering made by fire to Adonai.”

²⁶ Adonai spoke to Moses, saying: ²⁷ “However, the tenth day of this seventh month is Yom Kippur,^[g] a holy convocation to you, so you are to afflict yourselves. You are to bring an offering made by fire to Adonai. ²⁸ You are not to do any kind of work on that set day, for it is Yom Kippur, to make atonement for you before Adonai your God. ²⁹ For anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people. ³⁰ Anyone who does any kind of work on that day, that person I will destroy from among his people. ³¹ You should do no kind of work. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. ³² It is to be a Shabbat of solemn rest for you, and you are to humble your souls. On the ninth day of the month in the evening—from evening until evening—you are to keep your Shabbat.”

³³ Adonai spoke to Moses saying: ³⁴ “Speak to Bnei-Yisrael, and say, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Feast of Sukkot, for seven days to Adonai. ^{[h] 35} On the first day there is to be a holy convocation—you are to do no laborious work. ³⁶ For seven days you are to bring an offering by fire to Adonai. The eighth day will be a holy convocation to you, and you are to bring an offering by fire to Adonai. It is a solemn assembly—you should do no laborious work.

³⁷ “These are the moadim of Adonai, which you are to proclaim to be holy convocations, to present an offering by fire to Adonai—a burnt offering, a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, each on its own day, ³⁸ besides those of the Shabbatot of Adonai and besides your gifts, all your vows and all your freewill offerings which you give to Adonai.

³⁹ “So on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruits of the land, you are to keep the Feast of Adonai for seven days. The first day is to be a Shabbat rest, and the eighth day will also be a Shabbat rest. ⁴⁰ On the first day you are to take choice fruit of trees, branches of palm trees,^[i] boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and rejoice before Adonai your God for seven days. ⁴¹ You are to celebrate it as a festival to Adonai for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations—you are to celebrate it in the seventh month. ⁴² You are to live in sukkot for seven days. All the native-born in Israel are to live in sukkot, ⁴³ so that your generations may know that I had Bnei-Yisrael to dwell in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am Adonai your God.”

⁴⁴ So Moses declared to Bnei-Yisrael the moadim of Adonai.

Eternal Light and Bread

24 Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying: ² “Order Bnei-Yisrael to bring to you pure olive oil, beaten for the light, to keep a lamp burning continually. ³ Outside of the curtain of the Testimony, in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron is to keep it in order from evening to morning before Adonai continually. It is to be a statute forever throughout your generations. ⁴ He is to keep the lamps in order on the pure gold menorah before Adonai continually.

⁵ “Also you are to take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes of it, with two tenths of an ephah in each cake. ⁶ Then you are to set them in two rows, six in a row, on the pure gold table before Adonai. ⁷ Set pure frankincense on each row, as a memorial portion for the bread, an offering by fire to Adonai. ⁸ Every Yom Shabbat he is to set it in order before Adonai continually. It is an everlasting covenant on behalf of Bnei-Yisrael. ⁹ It belongs to Aaron and his sons, and they are to eat it in a holy place, for it is most holy to him among the offerings of Adonai by fire, as a perpetual statute.”

Justice and Restitution

¹⁰ Now the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among Bnei-Yisrael, and a fight broke out between the Israelite woman’s son and an Israelite man. ¹¹ The Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the Name, and cursed, so they brought him to Moses. His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. ¹² They put him in custody, until the will of Adonai could be declared to them.

¹³ Then Adonai spoke to Moses, saying: ¹⁴ “Bring the one who cursed, out of the camp, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and have the entire congregation stone him.

¹⁵ “Then you will speak to Bnei-Yisrael, saying: Whoever curses his God will bear his sin. ¹⁶ Whoever blasphemes the Name of Adonai must surely be put to death. The whole congregation must stone him. The outsider as well as the native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, is to be put to death.

¹⁷ “Whoever mortally strikes down any man must surely be put to death. ¹⁸ Whoever mortally strikes down an animal is to make restitution—life for life. ¹⁹ If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done, the same is to be done to him: ²⁰ fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.^[j] Just as he has injured someone, so it should it be done to him.

²¹ “Whoever kills an animal is to make restitution, but the one who kills a man is to be put to death. ²² You are to have one standard of justice for the outsider as well as the native-born, for I am Adonai your God.”

²³ So Moses spoke to Bnei-Yisrael, and they led the one who had cursed out of the camp, then stoned him with rocks. Thus Bnei-Yisrael did as Adonai commanded Moses.