Lev. 16:1 -20:27
Précis:
Achrei Mot
begins with Adonai speaking to Moses after the death (achrei mot) of
Aaron’s sons. It describes the rituals for Yom Kippur, including the prescribed
sacrifices. There are specific details about the purification of the Sanctuary,
vessels, and the priests. Following this description, rules for the slaughter
of meat (including the prohibition against eating blood) are reiterated. The
parasha concludes with a listing of prohibited marriages.
Lev. 19:2 “Speak
to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘You shall
be holy; for I, Adonai your God, am holy.’”
Writing in MyJewishLearning.com (5/10/16), Rabbi Bradley Artson reminds us that
the Book of Leviticus is the middle Book of the Torah, and adds that Kedoshim (sometimes referred
to as “the Holiness Code”) is at the center of Leviticus. For some Jews today,
behavior is the central focus of their Judaism: the performance of mitzvot in
the required manner. Others see the core of their Judaism as the responsibility
for ethical behavior and tikkun olam.
But
Kedoshim is a
reminder that the joining of ethics and rituals is what makes Judaism
unique. There is no distinction in the rationale for paying a laborer his wages promptly and
observing Shabbat, or between the prohibitions of idols and leaving the corners of
the fields for gleaners. All are based on the justification of this verse: “You
are to be holy, for I, Adonai your God, am holy.”
The
two strands mentioned above – ethical behavior and ritual observance – create what
Artson calls “a tapestry stronger and more enduring than either individual
thread alone.”
True
ritual must be rooted in the human needs to limit urges and to promote an
understanding of God’s involvement in our existence. Ethical acts require ritual to
remind us, on a regular basis, of our responsibility to others. Ritual without
ethics is an empty exercise. Ethics without ritual becomes transitory and
situational.
Ethics
alone leave man the judge of all. Ritual alone cedes human intellect. Both are needed to provide the balance which our tradition calls “holiness.”
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