Shemini, Sh'mini, or Shmini ( —

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

for "eighth," the third word, and the first distinctive word, in the parashah) is the 26th

weekly Torah portion It is a custom among religious Jewish communities for a weekly Torah portion to be read during Jewish prayer services on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. The full name, ''Parashat HaShavua'' ( he, פָּרָשַׁת הַשָּׁבוּעַ), is p ...

(, ''parashah'') in the annual

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

cycle of

Torah reading Torah reading (; ') is a Jewish religious tradition that involves the public reading of a set of passages from a Torah scroll. The term often refers to the entire ceremony of removing the scroll (or scrolls) from the Torah ark, chanting the a ...

and the third in the

Book of Leviticus The book of Leviticus (, from grc, Λευιτικόν, ; he, וַיִּקְרָא, , "And He called") is the third book of the Torah (the Pentateuch) and of the Old Testament, also known as the Third Book of Moses. Scholars generally agree ...

. Parashah Shemini tells of the consecration of the

Tabernacle According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle ( he, מִשְׁכַּן, mīškān, residence, dwelling place), also known as the Tent of the Congregation ( he, link=no, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ōhel mō‘ēḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), ...

, the deaths of

Nadab and Abihu In the biblical books Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, Nadab () and Abihu () were the two oldest sons of Aaron. According to Leviticus 10, they offered a sacrifice with "foreign fire" before the , disobeying his instructions, and were immediate ...

, and the dietary laws of kashrut (). The parashah constitutes It is made up of 4,670 Hebrew letters, 1,238 Hebrew words, 91 verses, and 157 lines in a Torah Scroll (, '' Sefer Torah'').

Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...

s read it the 25th or 26th Sabbath after

Simchat Torah Simchat Torah or Simhat Torah (, lit., "Rejoicing with/of the Torah", Ashkenazi: ''Simchas Torah'') is a Jewish holiday that celebrates and marks the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the beginning of a new cycle. Simch ...

, in late March or April. In years when the first day of Passover falls on a Sabbath (as it did in 2018 and 2019), Jews in Israel and

Reform Jews Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its ethical aspects to its ceremonial ones, and belief in a continuous searc ...

read the parashah following Passover one week before

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

and Orthodox Jews in the Diaspora, for Jews in Israel and Reform Jews celebrate Passover for seven days and thus read the next parashah (in 2018, Shemini) on the Sabbath one week after the first day of Passover, while Conservative and Orthodox Jews in the Diaspora celebrate Passover for eight days and read the next parashah (in 2018, Shemini) one week later. In some such years (for example, 2018), the two calendars realign when Conservative and Orthodox Jews in the Diaspora read

Behar Behar, BeHar, Be-har, or B'har ( — Hebrew language, Hebrew for "on the mount," the fifth word, and the Incipit, first distinctive word, in the parashah) is the 32nd weekly Torah portion (, ''parashah'') in the annual Judaism, Jewish cycle of Tor ...

together with

Bechukotai Bechukotai, Bechukosai, or Bəḥuqothai (Biblical) ( ''bəḥuqqōṯay'' — Hebrew for "by my decrees," the second word, and the first distinctive word, in the parashah) is the 33rd weekly Torah portion (, ''parashah'') in the annual Jewish cycl ...

while Jews in Israel and Reform Jews read them separately.

Readings

In traditional Sabbath Torah reading, the parashah is divided into seven readings, or , '' aliyot''. Holman Consecration of Aaron and His Sons

First reading — Leviticus 9:1–16

In the first reading (, ''aliyah''), on the eighth day of the ceremony to ordain the priests and consecrate the Tabernacle, Moses instructed Aaron to assemble calves,

rams In engineering, RAMS (reliability, availability, maintainability and safety)goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...

, a

lamb Lamb or The Lamb may refer to: * A young sheep * Lamb and mutton, the meat of sheep Arts and media Film, television, and theatre * ''The Lamb'' (1915 film), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in his screen debut * ''The Lamb'' (1918 ...

, an ox, and a meal offering as sacrifices (, ''korbanot'') to

God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

, saying: "Today the Lord will appear to you." They brought the sacrifices to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and the

Israelites The Israelites (; , , ) were a group of Semitic-speaking tribes in the ancient Near East who, during the Iron Age, inhabited a part of Canaan. The earliest recorded evidence of a people by the name of Israel appears in the Merneptah Stele o ...

assembled there. Aaron began offering the sacrifices as Moses had commanded.

Second reading — Leviticus 9:17–23

In the second reading (, ''aliyah''), Aaron concluded offering the sacrifices as Moses had commanded. Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them. Moses and Aaron then went inside the Tent of Meeting, and when they came out, they blessed the people again. Then the Presence of the Lord appeared to all the people. The Sin of Nadab and Abihu (detail)

Third reading — Leviticus 9:24–10:11

In the third reading (, ''aliyah''),

fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames a ...

came forth and consumed the sacrifices on the

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...

, and the people shouted and fell on their faces. Acting on their own, Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu each took his fire pan, laid

incense Incense is aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremony. It may also b ...

on it, and offered alien fire (, ''eish zarah''), which God had not commanded. And God sent fire to consume them, and they died. Moses told Aaron, "This is what the Lord meant when He said: ‘Through those near to Me I show Myself holy, and gain glory before all the people,'" and Aaron remained silent. Moses called Aaron's cousins Mishael and Elzaphan to carry away Nadab's and Abihu's bodies to a place outside the camp. Moses instructed Aaron and his sons

Eleazar Eleazar (; ) or Elʽazar was a priest in the Hebrew Bible, the second High Priest, succeeding his father Aaron after he died. He was a nephew of Moses. Biblical narrative Eleazar played a number of roles during the course of the Exodus, from cr ...

and

Ithamar In the Torah, Ithamar () was the fourth (and the youngest) son of Aaron the High Priest."Ithamar", '' Encyclopaedia Biblica'' Following the construction of the Tabernacle, he was responsible for recording an inventory to ensure that the constructed ...

not to mourn Nadab and Abihu by rending their garments or leaving their hair unshorn and not to go outside the Tent of Meeting. And God told Aaron that he and his sons must not drink

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

or other

intoxicant A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, psychoactive agent or psychotropic drug is a chemical substance, that changes functions of the nervous system, and results in alterations in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition or behavior. Th ...

s when they entered the Tent of Meeting, so as to distinguish between the sacred and the profane.

Fourth reading — Leviticus 10:12–15

In the fourth reading (, ''aliyah''), Moses directed Aaron, Eleazar, and Ithamar to eat the remaining meal offering beside the altar, designating it most holy and the priests' due. And Moses told them that their families could eat the breast of the elevation offering and the thigh of the gift offering in any clean place.

Fifth reading — Leviticus 10:16–20

In the fifth reading (, ''aliyah''), Moses inquired about the goat of sin offering, and was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar when he learned that it had already been burned and not eaten in the sacred area. Aaron answered Moses: "See, this day they brought their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, and such things have befallen me! Had I eaten sin offering today, would the Lord have approved?" And when Moses heard this, he approved.

Sixth reading — Leviticus 11:1–32

In the sixth reading (, ''aliyah''), God then instructed Moses and Aaron in the dietary laws of kashrut ().

Seventh reading — Leviticus 11:33–47

In the seventh reading (, ''aliyah''), God instructed Moses and Aaron in several laws of purity, saying: "You shall be holy, for I am holy." In verse 42 the letter ( Vav) in the expression is enlarged.

Readings according to the triennial cycle

Jews who read the Torah according to the triennial cycle of Torah reading read the parashah according to the following schedule:

In inner-Biblical interpretation

The parashah has parallels or is discussed in these Biblical sources:

Leviticus chapter 9

This is the pattern of instruction and construction of the Tabernacle and its furnishings: Scinia

Second Book of Chronicles Chapter 6-2 (Bible Illustrations by Sweet Media)

Professor Gordon Wenham, formerly of Queen's University Belfast and

Cheltenham College ("Work Conquers All") , established = , closed = , type = Public school Independent School Day and Boarding School , religion = Church of England , president = , head_label = Head , head = Nicola Hugget ...

, noted that the phrase "as the Lord commanded Moses" or a similar phrase "recurs with remarkable frequency" in appearing in
5

an

In the Presence of the Lord appeared to the people and fire came forth and consumed the sacrifices on the altar. God also showed approval by sending fire in upon the birth of

Samson Samson (; , '' he, Šīmšōn, label= none'', "man of the sun") was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16) and one of the last leaders who "judged" Israel before the institution o ...

, in

2 Chronicles The Book of Chronicles ( he, דִּבְרֵי־הַיָּמִים ) is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Chronicles) in the Christian Old Testament. Chronicles is the final book of the Hebrew Bible, concluding the third sect ...

upon the dedication of Solomon's Temple, and in

1 Kings The Book of Kings (, '' Sēfer Məlāḵīm'') is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Kings) in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. It concludes the Deuteronomistic history, a history of Israel also including the book ...

Elijah Elijah ( ; he, אֵלִיָּהוּ, ʾĒlīyyāhū, meaning "My El (deity), God is Yahweh/YHWH"; Greek form: Elias, ''Elías''; syr, ܐܸܠܝܼܵܐ, ''Elyāe''; Arabic language, Arabic: إلياس or إليا, ''Ilyās'' or ''Ilyā''. ) w ...

's contest with the prophets of

Baal Baal (), or Baal,; phn, , baʿl; hbo, , baʿal, ). ( ''baʿal'') was a title and honorific meaning "owner", "lord" in the Northwest Semitic languages spoken in the Levant during antiquity. From its use among people, it came to be applied t ...

First Book of Kings Chapter 12-7 (Bible Illustrations by Sweet Media)

Leviticus chapter 10

reports that Nadab and Abihu put fire and incense (, ''ketoret'') in their censors and offered "strange fire" (, ''eish zarah''). prohibited offering "strange incense" (, ''ketoret zarah''). reports that Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu died prematurely, after Aaron had in fashioned for the Israelites the Golden Calf and they said, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt." Similarly, the northern Kingdom of Israel's first King

Jeroboam Jeroboam I (; Hebrew: ''Yārŏḇə‘ām''; el, Ἱεροβοάμ, Hieroboám) was the first king of the northern Kingdom of Israel. The Hebrew Bible describes the reign of Jeroboam to have commenced following a revolt of the ten northern I ...

's sons Nadab and Abijah died prematurely (Nadab in and Abijah in ), after Jeroboam had in made two golden calves and said to the people, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!" Professor

James Kugel James L. Kugel (Hebrew: Yaakov Kaduri, יעקב כדורי; born August 22, 1945) is Professor Emeritus in the Bible Department at Bar Ilan University in Israel and the Harry M. Starr Professor Emeritus of Classical and Modern Hebrew Literature at ...

Bar Ilan University Bar-Ilan University (BIU, he, אוניברסיטת בר-אילן, ''Universitat Bar-Ilan'') is a public research university in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel. Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is Israel's second-largest academic i ...

noted that Abihu and Abijah are essentially the same names, as Abijah is a variant pronunciation of Abihu. Perhaps reflecting some of the motivation for God’s instruction in for priests to "drink no wine nor strong drink" while performing their duties, reports that “the priest and the prophet reel through strong drink, they are confused because of wine, they stagger because of strong drink; they reel in vision, they totter in judgment.”

Leviticus chapter 11

The Torah sets out the dietary laws of kashrut () in both and And the Hebrew Bible makes reference to clean and unclean animals in and an
11
associate death with uncleanness; in the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' 11
and and also associate it with death. And perhaps similarly, associates it with childbirth and associates it with skin disease. associates it with various sexuality-related events. And

and and associate it with contact with the worship of alien gods.

In early nonrabbinic interpretation

The parashah has parallels or is discussed in these early nonrabbinic sources: Philo

Leviticus chapter 10

Philo Philo of Alexandria (; grc, Φίλων, Phílōn; he, יְדִידְיָה, Yəḏīḏyāh (Jedediah); ), also called Philo Judaeus, was a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher who lived in Alexandria, in the Roman province of Egypt. Philo's de ...

interpreted to teach that because Nadab and Abihu fearlessly and fervently proceeded rapidly to the altar, an imperishable light dissolved them into ethereal beams like a whole burnt-offering and took them up to heaven. Thus, Nadab and Abihu died in order that they might live, exchanging their mortal lives for immortal existence, departing from the creation to the creator God. Philo interpreted the words of "they died before the Lord," to celebrate their incorruptibility and demonstrate that they lived, for no dead person could come into the sight of the Lord.

Josephus Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for '' The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly ...

taught that Nadab and Abihu did not bring the sacrifices that Moses told them bring, but rather brought those that they used to offer before, and consequently they were burned to death.

Leviticus chapter 11

Aristeas Aristeas ( el, Ἀριστέας) was a semi-legendary Greek poet and miracle-worker, a native of Proconnesus in Asia Minor, active ca. 7th century BC. The Suda claims that, whenever he wished, his soul could leave his body and return again. ...

cited as a reason for dietary laws that they distinctly set Jews apart from other people. Professor Isaiah Gafni of Hebrew University of Jerusalem noted that in the Book of Tobit, the protagonist Tobit observed the dietary laws. Figures 061 Moses consecrates Aaron and his sons and offers their sin offering

Figures 061 Moses consecrates Aaron and his sons and offers their sin offering

In classical rabbinic interpretation

The parashah is discussed in these

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

nic sources from the era of the

Mishnah The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Tor ...

and the

Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...

Leviticus chapter 9

Rabbi Judah taught that the words of "And it came to pass on the eighth day," begin the second major topic of the book of Leviticus. A

Midrash ''Midrash'' (;"midrash"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. he, מִדְרָשׁ; ...

taught that the account that begins with “And it came to pass on the eighth day,” should have appeared at the beginning of the Book of Leviticus (as it relates the Inauguration of the Tabernacle service), but that it appears where it does illustrates the proposition that the Torah does not follow a chronological order. Rabbi Levi (or others say Rabbi Jonathan or Rabbi

Tanhuma Midrash Tanhuma ( he, מִדְרָשׁ תַּנְחוּמָא) is the name given to three different collections of Pentateuch aggadot; two are extant, while the third is known only through citations. These midrashim, although bearing the name of ...

in the name of Rabbi Hiyya the Elder and

Rabbi Berekiah R. Berekiah (or R. Berekhyah; he, רבי ברכיה, read as ''Rabbi Berekhyah'') was an ''Amoraim, Amora'' of the Land of Israel, of the fourth generation of the Amora era. He is known for his work on the Aggadah, and there are many of his statem ...

in Rabbi Eleazar's name) taught that a tradition was handed down from the Men of the

Great Assembly According to Jewish tradition the Men of the Great Assembly ( he, כְּנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה) or Anshei Knesset HaGedolah (, "The Men of the Great Assembly"), also known as the Great Synagogue, or ''Synod'', was an assembly of 120 sc ...

that wherever Scripture uses the term "and it was" or "and it came to pass" (, ''va-yehi''), it indicates the approach of trouble (as , ''va-yehi'' can be read as , ''vai, hi'', "woe, sorrow"). Thus, the first words of "And it came to pass (, ''va-yehi'') on the eighth day," presage that Nadab and Abihu died on that day.Babylonian Talmud Megillah 10b
in, e.g., ''Talmud Bavli'', elucidated by Gedaliah Zlotowitz and Hersh Goldwurm, edited by Yisroel Simcha Schorr (Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1991), volume 20, page 10b²; see also

Genesis Rabbah Genesis Rabbah (Hebrew: , ''B'reshith Rabba'') is a religious text from Judaism's classical period, probably written between 300 and 500 CE with some later additions. It is a midrash comprising a collection of ancient rabbinical homiletical inter ...

br>42:3
(Land of Israel, 5th century), in, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Genesis'', translated by

Harry Freedman Harry Freedman (''Henryk Frydmann''), (April 5, 1922 – September 16, 2005) was a Canadians, Canadian composer, English hornist, and music educator of Polish birth. He wrote a significant amount of symphony, symphonic works, including the scores ...

and Maurice Simon (London: Soncino Press, 1939), volume 1, pages 341–46;

Numbers Rabbah Numbers Rabbah (or Bamidbar Rabbah in Hebrew) is a religious text holy to classical Judaism. It is a midrash comprising a collection of ancient rabbinical homiletic interpretations of the book of Numbers (''Bamidbar'' in Hebrew). In the first prin ...

13:5 (12th century), in, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Numbers'', translated by Judah J. Slotki (London: Soncino Press, 1939), volume 6, pages 513–16 (Rabbi Simeon bar Abba taught that the term "and it was" or "and it came to pass" (, ''va-yehi'') indicates the approach of trouble or joy);

Esther Rabbah Esther Rabbah (Hebrew: אסתר רבה) is a midrash to the Book of Esther. From its plan and scope, it is apparently an incomplete collection of the rich aggadic material which has been produced on the Book of Esther. Structure Except in the V ...

, proem 11 (6th–12th centuries), in, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Esther'', translated by Maurice Simon (London: Soncino Press, 1939), volume 9, pages 11–17 (Rabbi Simeon bar Abba in the name of Rabbi

Johanan Yohanan, Yochanan and Johanan are various transliterations to the Latin alphabet of the Hebrew male given name ('), a shortened form of ('), meaning "YHWH is gracious". The name is ancient, recorded as the name of Johanan, high priest of the S ...

);

Ruth Rabbah Ruth Rabbah (Hebrew: רות רבה) is an haggadic and homiletic interpretation of the Book of Ruth. Like the midrash on the four other "megillot", it is included in the Midrash Rabbot. Structure and origin This midrash is divided into eight chapt ...

proem 7 (6th–7th centuries), in, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Ruth'', translated by L. Rabinowitz (London: Soncino Press, 1939), volume 8, pages 9–14 (same). But a

Baraita ''Baraita'' ( Aramaic: "external" or "outside"; pl. ''Barayata'' or ''Baraitot''; also Baraitha, Beraita; Ashkenazi: Beraisa) designates a tradition in the Jewish oral law not incorporated in the Mishnah. ''Baraita'' thus refers to teachings ...

compared the day that the Israelites dedicated the Tabernacle with the day that God created the universe. Reading the words of "And it came to pass on the eighth day," a Baraita taught that on that day (when the Israelites dedicated the Tabernacle) there was joy before God as on the day when God created heaven and earth. For says, "And it came to pass (, ''va-yehi'') on the eighth day," and says, "And there was (, ''va-yehi'') one day."

Rabbi Eliezer Eliezer ben Hurcanus or Hyrcanus ( he, אליעזר בן הורקנוס) was one of the most prominent Sages (tannaim) of the 1st and 2nd centuries in Judea, disciple of Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai Avot of Rabbi Natan 14:5 and colleague of Gamalie ...

interpreted the words, "And there I will meet with the children of Israel; and he Tabernacleshall be sanctified by My glory," in to mean that God would in the future meet the Israelites and be sanctified among them. The Midrash reports that this occurred on the eighth day of the consecration of the Tabernacle, as reported in And as reports, "when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces." Book of Exodus Chapter 4-6 (Bible Illustrations by Sweet Media)

Book of Exodus Chapter 4-6 (Bible Illustrations by Sweet Media)

Rabbi Samuel bar Nahman taught that Moses first incurred his fate to die in the wilderness from his conduct at the

Burning Bush The burning bush (or the unburnt bush) refers to an event recorded in the Jewish Torah (as also in the biblical Old Testament). It is described in the third chapter of the Book of Exodus as having occurred on Mount Horeb. According to the ...

, for there God tried for seven days to persuade Moses to go on his errand to Egypt, as says, “And Moses said to the Lord: ‘Oh Lord, I am not a man of words, neither yesterday, nor the day before, nor since you have spoken to your servant’” (which the Midrash interpreted to indicate seven days of conversation). And in the end, Moses told God in “Send, I pray, by the hand of him whom You will send.” God replied that God would keep this in store for Moses. Rabbi Berekiah in Rabbi Levi's name and Rabbi Helbo give different answers on when God repaid Moses. One said that all the seven days of the consecration of the priesthood in Moses functioned as High Priest, and he came to think that the office belonged to him. But in the end, God told Moses that the job was not his, but his brother's, as says, “And it came to pass on the eighth day, that Moses called Aaron.” The other taught that all the first seven days of Adar of the fortieth year, Moses beseeched God to enter the

Promised Land The Promised Land ( he, הארץ המובטחת, translit.: ''ha'aretz hamuvtakhat''; ar, أرض الميعاد, translit.: ''ard al-mi'ad; also known as "The Land of Milk and Honey"'') is the land which, according to the Tanakh (the Hebrew ...

, but in the end, God told him in “You shall not go over this Jordan.” A Baraita taught that in the Inauguration of the Tabernacle, Aaron removed himself for seven days and then officiated for one day. Throughout the seven days, Moses transmitted to Aaron the Torah's guidelines to train Aaron in the service. Following this example, in subsequent generations, the High Priest removed himself for seven days before

Yom Kippur Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day' ...

to officiate for one day. And two scholars of the disciples of Moses (thus excluding the

Sadducees The Sadducees (; he, צְדוּקִים, Ṣədūqīm) were a socio- religious sect of Jewish people who were active in Judea during the Second Temple period, from the second century BCE through the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. T ...

) transmitted the Torah's guidelines to the High Priest throughout the seven days to train him in the service. Rabbi Jacob bar Acha taught in the name of Rabbi Zorah that the command to Aaron in "at the door of the tent of meeting shall you abide day and night seven days, and keep the charge of the Lord," served as a source for the law of seven days of mourning for the death of a relative (, '' shivah''). Rabbi Jacob bar Acha interpreted Moses to tell Aaron that just as God observed seven days of mourning for the then-upcoming destruction of the world at the time of the Flood of Noah, so too Aaron would observe seven days of mourning for the upcoming death of his sons Nadab and Abihu. And we know that God observed seven days of mourning for the destruction of the world by the Flood from which says, "And it came to pass after the seven days, that the waters of the Flood were upon the earth." The Gemara asked whether one mourns before a death, as Jacob bar Acha appears to argue happened in these two cases. In reply, the Gemara distinguished between the mourning of God and people: People, who do not know what will happen until it happens, do not mourn until the deceased dies. But God, who knows what will happen in the future, mourned for the world before its destruction. The Gemara noted, however, that there are those who say that the seven days before the Flood were days of mourning for

Methuselah Methuselah () ( he, מְתוּשֶׁלַח ''Məṯūšélaḥ'', in pausa ''Məṯūšālaḥ'', "His death shall send" or "Man of the javelin" or "Death of Sword"; gr, Μαθουσάλας ''Mathousalas'') was a biblical patriarch and a f ...

(who died just before the Flood). Similarly, reading in that "it came to pass on the eighth day," a Midrash recounted how Moses told Aaron in "you shall not go out from the door of the tent of meeting seven days." The Midrash interpreted this to mean that Moses thereby told Aaron and his sons to observe the laws of mourning for seven days, before those laws would affect them. Moses told them in that they were to "keep the charge of the Lord," for so God had kept seven days of mourning before God brought the Flood, as reports, "And it came to pass after ''the seven days'', that the waters of the Flood were upon the earth." The Midrash deduced that God was mourning by noting that reports, "And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it ''grieved'' Him (, ''vayitatzeiv'') at His heart." And 2 Samuel uses the same word to express mourning when it says, "The king ''grieves'' (, ''ne'etzav'') for his son." After God told Moses in "And there I will meet with the children of Israel; and he Tabernacleshall be sanctified by My glory," Moses administered the service for seven days in fear, fearing that God would strike him down. And it was for that reason that Moses told Aaron to observe the laws of mourning. When Aaron asked Moses why, Moses replied (in the words of ) "so I am commanded." Then, as reported in God struck Nadab and Abihu instead. And thus in Moses told Aaron that he finally understood, "This is what the Lord meant when He said: ‘Through those near to Me I show Myself holy, and gain glory before all the people.'" Rabban Simeon bar Yochai taught that we learn in among many places in Scripture, that God showed respect to the elders. For reports that at the

Tent of Meeting According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle ( he, מִשְׁכַּן, mīškān, residence, dwelling place), also known as the Tent of the Congregation ( he, link=no, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ōhel mō‘ēḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), ...

, “Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel.” And in Messianic times it will also be so, as says: “For the Lord of Hosts will reign in Mount Zion, and in

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

, and before His elders shall be glory.” Jollain Aaron's first offering

Rav Assi of Hozna'ah deduced from the words, "And it came to pass in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month," in that the Tabernacle was erected on the first of Nisan. With reference to this, a Tanna taught that the first of Nisan took ten crowns of distinction by virtue of the ten momentous events that occurred on that day. The first of Nisan was: (1) the first day of the Creation, (2) the first day of the princes' offerings, (3) the first day for the priesthood to make the sacrificial offerings, (4) the first day for public sacrifice, (5) the first day for the descent of fire from Heaven, (6) the first for the priests' eating of sacred food in the sacred area, (7) the first for the dwelling of the Shechinah in Israel, (8) the first for the

Priestly Blessing The Priestly Blessing or priestly benediction, ( he, ברכת כהנים; translit. ''birkat kohanim''), also known in rabbinic literature as raising of the hands (Hebrew ''nesiat kapayim'') or rising to the platform (Hebrew ''aliyah ledukhan'') ...

of Israel, (9) the first for the prohibition of the

high place "High place", or "high places", (Hebrew במה ''bamah'' and plural במות ''bamot'' or ''bamoth'') in a biblical context always means "place(s) of worship". This rendering has etymological justification, as appears from the poetical use of the ...

s, and (10) the first of the months of the year. The Gemara read the words “Take you” (, ''kach lecha'') in to mean “Take from your own means” and thus to indicate that God required Aaron to bring the inaugural bull and ram from his own property and not from the community's assets.Babylonian Talmud Yoma 3a
in, e.g., ''Talmud Bavli'', elucidated by Abba Zvi Naiman, Michoel Weiner, Yosef Widroff, Moshe Zev Einhorn, Israel Schneider, and Zev Meisels, edited by Yisroel Simcha Schorr and Chaim Malinowitz (Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1998), volume 13, page 3a². The Gemara contrasted the language of “And he said to Aaron: ‘''Take you'' a bull-calf for a sin-offering,’” from the language of “And to the children of Israel you shall speak, saying: ‘''Take'' a he-goat for a sin-offering.’” The Gemara concluded from this difference that the words “take you” mean from your own resources. Book of Exodus Chapter 33-2 (Bible Illustrations by Sweet Media)

Book of Exodus Chapter 33-2 (Bible Illustrations by Sweet Media)

Rabbi Abahu thus distinguished Aaron's offering from his own resources in the Inauguration of the Tabernacle from the High Priest's ''communal'' offerings for Shavuot and Rosh Hashanah, and concluded that one cannot reason by analogy from the requirements for the Inauguration to those of Shavuot or Rosh Hashanah. Similarly, Rabbi Abba distinguished the bull and ''single'' ram that required Aaron to bring for the Inauguration of the Tabernacle from the bull and ''two'' rams that required the High Priest to bring on Shavuot, and thus the Gemara concluded that one cannot reason by analogy from the requirements for the Inauguration to those of Shavuot. A Midrash taught that required Aaron to bring “a bull ''calf'' for a sin-offering” to atone for the sin of the Golden Calf in . Rabbi Tanhum taught in the name of Rabbi Judan that the words "for today the Lord appears to you" in indicated that God's presence, the

Shekhinah Shekhinah, also spelled Shechinah ( Hebrew: שְׁכִינָה ''Šəḵīnā'', Tiberian: ''Šăḵīnā'') is the English transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning "dwelling" or "settling" and denotes the presence of God, as it were, in a pla ...

, did not come to abide in the Tabernacle all the seven days of consecration when Moses ministered in the office of High Priest, but the Shekhinah appeared when Aaron put on the High Priest's robes. Book of Genesis Chapter 18-1 (Bible Illustrations by Sweet Media)

Book of Genesis Chapter 18-1 (Bible Illustrations by Sweet Media)

Reading the words of "And

ake Ake (or Aké in Spanish orthography) is an archaeological site of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. It's located in the municipality of Tixkokob, in the Mexican state of Yucatán; 40 km (25 mi) east of Mérida, Yucatán. The name ...

an ox and a ram for peace-offerings . . . for today the Lord will appear to you," Rabbi Levi taught that God reasoned that if God would thus reveal God's Self to and bless a priest who sacrificed an ox and a ram for God's sake, how much more should God reveal God's Self to

Abraham Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Je ...

, who

circumcised Circumcision is a procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. Topic ...

himself for God's sake. Consequently, reports, "And the Lord appeared to him braham" Reading “And an ox and a ram for peace offerings . . . for today the Lord appears to you,” Rabbi Levi taught that God reasoned that if God would appear to and blessed a priest who offered a ram in God's name, how much more should God appear to and bless

Jacob Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. J ...

, whose features are engraved on God's throne. Thus says, “And God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him.” The Rabbis taught in a Baraita that because says with regard to a meal offering of first-fruits, “you shall . . . lay frankincense thereon; it is a meal-offering,” meant to include within the requirement for frankincense the meal-offering that required Aaron to offer on the eighth day of consecration. Book of Exodus Chapter 30-3 (Bible Illustrations by Sweet Media)

Book of Exodus Chapter 30-3 (Bible Illustrations by Sweet Media)

A Tanna recited before Rabbi Isaac bar Abba the words of “And he presented the burnt offering; and offered it according to the ordinance,” which refer to the obligatory burnt offering that required Aaron to bring on the eighth day of his consecration. The Tanna reasoned that by saying “according to the ordinance,” referred to the rules that applied to ''voluntary'' burnt offerings, and thus taught that those rules also applied to ''obligatory'' burnt offerings. The Tanna concluded that as required laying on of hands for voluntary burnt offerings, the law also required laying on of hands for obligatory burnt offerings. In the

Tosefta The Tosefta ( Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: תוספתא "supplement, addition") is a compilation of the Jewish oral law from the late 2nd century, the period of the Mishnah. Overview In many ways, the Tosefta acts as a supplement to the Mishnah ( ...

, Rabbi Simeon taught that wherever the Torah mentions a heifer without further specification, it means a one-year-old; and a “a calf and a lamb” are also one-year-olds, as specified in and “of the herd” means a two-year-old, as in “Take a calf of the herd for a purification offering and a ram for a burnt offering.” Reading “And Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people, and blessed them,” the

Sifra Sifra ( Aramaic: סִפְרָא) is the Halakhic midrash to the Book of Leviticus. It is frequently quoted in the Talmud, and the study of it followed that of the Mishnah. Like Leviticus itself, the midrash is occasionally called "Torat Kohanim ...

taught that Aaron gave the Priestly Blessing of Reading "And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting," the Sifra asked why Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle together. The Sifra taught that they did so that Moses might teach Aaron the right of offering the incense. Rabbi Judah taught that the same fire that descended from heaven settled on the earth, and did not again return to its former place in heaven, but it entered the Tabernacle. That fire came forth and devoured all the offerings that the Israelites brought in the wilderness, as does not say, "And there descended fire from heaven," but "And there came forth fire from before the Lord." This was the same fire that came forth and consumed the sons of Aaron, as says, "And there came forth fire from before the Lord." And that same fire came forth and consumed the company of

Korah Korah ( he, ''Qōraḥ''; ar, قارون ''Qārūn''), son of Izhar, is an individual who appears in the Book of Numbers of the Hebrew Bible and four different verses in the Quran, known for leading a rebellion against Moses. Some older Englis ...

, as says, "And fire came forth from the Lord." And the

Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer (also Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer; Aramaic: פרקי דרבי אליעזר, or פרקים דרבי אליעזר, Chapters of Rabbi Eliezer; abbreviated PdRE) is an aggadic-midrashic work on the Torah containing exegesis and re ...

taught that no person departs from this world until some of that fire, which rested among humanity, passes over that person, as says, "And the fire rested." Book of Leviticus Chapter 10-1 (Bible Illustrations by Sweet Media)

Leviticus chapter 10

According to the Sifra, Nadab and Abihu took their offering in in joy, for when they saw the new fire come from God, they went to add one act of love to another act of life. A Midrash noted that Scripture records the death of Nadab and Abihu in numerous places. This teaches that God grieved for Nadab and Abihu, for they were dear to God. And thus quotes God to say: "Through them who are near to Me I will be sanctified."Numbers Rabbah 2:23, in, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Numbers'', translated by Judah J. Slotki, volume 5. A Midrash taught that the strange fire was neither from the continual offering of the evening nor from the continual offering of the morning, but was ordinary secular fire. Similarly,

Rabbi Akiva Akiva ben Yosef (Mishnaic Hebrew: ''ʿĂqīvāʾ ben Yōsēf''; – 28 September 135 CE), also known as Rabbi Akiva (), was a leading Jewish scholar and sage, a '' tanna'' of the latter part of the first century and the beginning of the second c ...

taught that the fire they brought was the kind used in a double stove, and read to report that they "offered unholy fire before the Lord." Book of Leviticus Chapter 10-2 (Bible Illustrations by Sweet Media)

Book of Leviticus Chapter 10-2 (Bible Illustrations by Sweet Media)

The Gemara presented alternative views of how the fire devoured Nadab and Abihu in According to one view, their bodies were not burned because says, "they died before the Lord," teaching that it was like normal death (from within, without an outward effect on their body). And according to the other view, they were actually burned. The fire commenced from within, as in normal death (and then consumed their bodies). Abba Jose ben Dosetai taught that Nadab and Abihu died in when two streams of fire came forth from the Holy of Holies and divided into four streams, of which two flowed into the nose of one and two into the nose of the other, so that their breath was burned up, but their garments remained untouched (as implied in ).

Bar Kappara Bar Kappara ( he, בר קפרא) was a rabbi of the late 2nd and early 3rd century CE, during the period between the ''tannaim'' and '' amoraim''. He was active in Caesarea in the Land of Israel, from around 180 to 220 CE. His name, meaning "So ...

said in the name of Rabbi Jeremiah ben Eleazar that Nadab and Abihu died (as reported in ) because of four things: (1) for drawing too near to the holy place, (2) for offering a sacrifice that they had not been commanded to offer, (3) for the strange fire that they brought in from the kitchen, and (4) for not having taken counsel from each other, as says "Each of them his censer," implying that each acted on his own initiative. Hoet Nadab and Abihu consumed by fire from the Lord

Hoet Nadab and Abihu consumed by fire from the Lord

Similarly, reading the words of "the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the Lord, and died,"

Rabbi Jose Jose ben Halafta or Yose ben Halafta (or Yose ben Halpetha) (Hebrew: רבי יוסי בן חלפתא; IPA: /ʁa'bi 'josi ben xa'lafta/) was a tanna of the fourth generation (2nd century CE). He is the fifth-most-frequently mentioned sage in the M ...

deduced that Aaron's sons died because they drew near to enter the Holy of Holies. Rabbi Mani of She'ab (in Galilee), Rabbi Joshua of Siknin (also in Galilee), and Rabbi Johanan all said in the name of Rabbi Levi that Nadab and Abihu died because of four things, in connection with each of which Scripture mentions death: (1) Because they had drunk wine, for in connection with drinking wine mentions death, saying, "Drink no wine nor strong drink . . . so that you do not die." (2) Because they lacked the prescribed number of garments (while officiating), for in connection with appropriate garments mentions death, saying, "And they he garmentsshall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons . . . so that they bear no iniquity and die." Nadab and Abihu lacked their robes (implied perhaps by the report of that they their bodies were carried out in their tunics), in connection with which mentions death, saying, "And it shall be upon Aaron to minister . . . so that he does not die." (3) Because they entered the Sanctuary without washing their hands and feet, for says, "So they shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they do not die," and says, "When they go into the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, so that they do not die." (4) Because they had no children, for in connection with not having children mentions death, saying, "And Nadab and Abihu died . . . and they had no children." Abba Hanin taught that it was because they had no wives, for says, "And he High Priest shallmake atonement for himself, and for his house," and "his house" implies that he had to have a wife. Similarly, Rabbi Levi taught that Nadab and Abihu died because they were arrogant. Many women remained unmarried waiting for them. Nadab and Abihu thought that because their father's brother (Moses) was king, their mother's brother ( Nachshon ben Aminadav) was a prince, their father (Aaron) was High Priest, and they were both Deputy High Priests, that no woman was worthy of them. Thus Rabbi Menahma taught in the name of Rabbi Joshua ben Nehemiah that

Psalm The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived f ...

applied to Nadab and Abihu when it says, "Fire devoured their young men," because (as the verse continues), "their virgins had no marriage-song." Jollain Death of Nadab and Abihu

Rabbi Eliezer (or some say Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob) taught that Nadab and Abihu died only because they gave a legal decision in the presence of their Master Moses. Even though reports that "fire came forth from before the Lord and consumed the burnt-offering and the fat on the altar," Nadab and Abihu deduced from the command of that "the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar" that the priests still had a religious duty to bring some ordinary fire to the altar, as well. According to the Sifra, some say that Nadab and Abihu died because earlier, when at Sinai they were walking behind Moses and Aaron, they remarked to each other how in a little while, the two old men would die, and they would head the congregation. And God said that we would see who would bury whom. A Midrash taught that when Nadab, Abihu, and the 70 elders ate and drank in God's Presence in they sealed their death warrant. The Midrash asked why in God directed Moses to gather 70 elders of Israel, when reported that there already were 70 elders of Israel. The Midrash deduced that when in the people murmured, speaking evil, and God sent fire to devour part of the camp, all those earlier 70 elders had been burned up. The Midrash continued that the earlier 70 elders were consumed like Nadab and Abihu, because they too acted frivolously when (as reported in ) they beheld God and inappropriately ate and drank. The Midrash taught that Nadab, Abihu, and the 70 elders deserved to die then, but because God so loved giving the Torah, God did not wish to create disturb that time. Merian Aaron's Sons, Nadab and Abihu, Destroyed by Fire

Merian Aaron's Sons, Nadab and Abihu, Destroyed by Fire

A Midrash taught that the death of Nadab and Abihu demonstrated the teaching of Rabbi

Joshua ben Levi Joshua ben Levi (Yehoshua ben Levi) was an amora, a scholar of the Talmud, who lived in the Land of Israel in the first half of the third century. He lived and taught in the city of Lod. He was an elder contemporary of Johanan bar Nappaha an ...

that prayer effects half atonement. At first (after the incident of the Golden Calf), God pronounced a decree against Aaron, as says, "The Lord was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed (, ''le-hashmid'') him." And Rabbi Joshua of Siknin taught in the name of Rabbi Levi that "destruction" (, ''hashmadah'') means extinction of offspring, as in which says, "And I destroyed (, ''va-ashmid'') his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath." When Moses prayed on Aaron's behalf, God annulled half the decree; two sons died, and two remained. Thus says, "And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Take Aaron and his sons'" (implying that they were to be saved from death). The Gemara interpreted the report in that the Tabernacle "shall be sanctified by My glory" to refer to the death of Nadab and Abihu. The Gemara taught that one should read not "My glory" (''bi-khevodi'') but "My honored ones" (''bi-khevuday''). The Gemara thus taught that God told Moses in that God would sanctify the Tabernacle through the death of Nadab and Abihu, but Moses did not comprehend God's meaning until Nadab and Abihu died in When Aaron's sons died, Moses told Aaron in that Aaron's sons died only so that God's glory might be sanctified through them. When Aaron thus perceived that his sons were God's honored ones, Aaron was silent, as reports, "And Aaron held his peace," and Aaron was rewarded for his silence. Tissot The Dead Bodies Carried Away

Similarly, a Midrash interpreted where Moses told Aaron, "This is what the Lord meant when He said: ‘Through those near to Me I show Myself holy, and gain glory before all the people.'" The Midrash taught that God told this to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, when in God said, "there I will meet with the children of Israel; and the Tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory." And after the death of Nadab and Abihu, Moses said to Aaron, "At the time that God told me, I thought that either you or I would be stricken, but now I know that they adab and Abihuare greater than you or me." Similarly, the Sifra taught that Moses sought to comfort Aaron, telling him that at Sinai, God told him that God would sanctify God's house through a great man. Moses had supposed that it would be either through Aaron or himself that the house would be sanctified. But Moses said that it turned out that Aaron's sons were greater and Moses and Aaron, for through them had the house been sanctified. Rabbi Akiva taught that because Aaron's cousins Mishael and Elzaphan attended to the remains of Nadab and Abihu (as reported in ), they became the "certain men" who reported "were unclean by the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep the Passover." But Rabbi Isaac replied that Mishael and Elzaphan could have cleansed themselves before the Passover. (Family tree from ) Book of Leviticus Chapter 10-3 (Bible Illustrations by Sweet Media)

Book of Leviticus Chapter 10-3 (Bible Illustrations by Sweet Media)

The Tosefta found in the account of that Mishael and Elzaphan "carried them in their tunics out of the camp" that even when God is angry at the righteous, God is mindful of their honor. And the Tosefta concluded that if when God is angry at the righteous, their treatment is such, then when God is disposed to be merciful, how much more so will God be mindful of their honor. Our Rabbis taught in a Baraita that when

Rabbi Ishmael Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha Nachmani (Hebrew: רבי ישמעאל בן אלישע), often known as Rabbi Yishmael and sometimes given the title "Ba'al HaBaraita" (Hebrew: בעל הברייתא), was a rabbi of the 1st and 2nd centuries (third gener ...

's sons died, Rabbi

Tarfon Rabbi Tarfon or Tarphon ( he, רבי טרפון, from the Greek Τρύφων ''Tryphon''), a Kohen, was a member of the third generation of the Mishnah sages, who lived in the period between the destruction of the Second Temple (70 CE) and the f ...

consoled him by noting that, as reports, upon the death of Nadab and Abihu, Moses ordered that "the whole house of Israel bewail the burning that the Lord has kindled." Rabbi Tarfon noted that Nadab and Abihu had performed only one good deed, as reports, "And the sons of Aaron presented the blood to him" (during the inaugural service of the Tabernacle). Rabbi Tarfon argued that if the Israelites universally mourned Nadab and Abihu, how much more was mourning due to Rabbi Ishmael's sons (who performed many good deeds). Scheits Death of Nadab and Abihu

Rabbi Simeon taught that Nadab and Abihu died only because they entered the Tent of Meeting drunk with wine. Rabbi Phinehas in the name of Rabbi Levi compared this conclusion to the case of a king who had a faithful attendant. When the king found the attendant standing at tavern entrances, the king beheaded the attendant and appointed another in his place. The king did not say why he killed the first attendant, except that he told the second attendant not to enter the doorway of taverns, and thus the king indicated that he put the first attendant to death for such a reason. And thus God's command to Aaron in to "drink no wine nor strong drink" indicates that Nadab and Abihu died precisely because of wine. Rabbi Levi taught that God gave the section of the Torah dealing with the drinking of wine by priests, in on the day that the Israelites set up the Tabernacle. Rabbi Rabbi Johanan said in the name of

Rabbi Bana'ah R. Bana'ah BANNAAH, BANNAY, BANNAYAH
jewishencyclopedia.com; Article

that the Torah was transmitted in separate scrolls, as says, "Then said I, 'Lo I am come, in the roll of the book it is written of me.'" Rabbi Simeon ben Lakish (Resh Lakish), however, said that the Torah was transmitted in its entirety, as "Take this book of the law." The Gemara reported that Rabbi Johanan interpreted "Take this book of the law," to refer to the time after the Torah had been joined together from its several parts. And the Gemara suggested that Resh Lakish interpreted "in a roll of the book written of me," to indicate that the whole Torah is called a "roll," as says, "And he said to me, 'What do you see?' And I answered, 'I see a flying roll.'" Or perhaps, the Gemara suggested, it is called "roll" for the reason given by Rabbi Levi, who said that God gave eight sections of the Torah, which Moses then wrote on separate rolls, on the day on which the Tabernacle was set up. They were: the section of the priests in the section of the Levites in (as the Levites were required for the service of song on that day), the section of the unclean (who would be required to keep the Passover in the second month) in the section of the sending of the unclean out of the camp (which also had to take place before the Tabernacle was set up) in the section of (dealing with Yom Kippur, which states was transmitted immediately after the death of Aaron's two sons), the section dealing with the drinking of wine by priests in the section of the lights of the menorah in , and the section of the red heifer in (which came into force as soon as the Tabernacle was set up). The Gemara read the term "strong drink" (, ''sheichar'') in to mean something that intoxicates. And the Gemara cited a Baraita that taught that if a priest ate preserved

figs The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world ...

from

Keilah Keilah (), meaning Citadel, was a city in the lowlands of Judah (). It is now a ruin, known as ''Kh. Qeila'', near the modern village of Qila, east of Beit Gubrin, and about west of Kharas.Amit (n.d.), p. 308 History The earliest historical ...

, or drank honey or milk (and thereby became disoriented), and then entered the Sanctuary (to perform the service), he was culpable. And the Gemara explained that the Sages ruled that

Kohanim Kohen ( he, , ''kōhēn'', , "priest", pl. , ''kōhănīm'', , "priests") is the Hebrew word for "priest", used in reference to the Aaronic priesthood, also called Aaronites or Aaronides. Levitical priests or ''kohanim'' are traditionally be ...

did not recite the Priestly Blessing at ''

Mincha Mincha ( he, מִנחַה, pronounced as ; sometimes spelled ''Minchah'' or ''Minḥa'') is the afternoon prayer service in Judaism. Etymology The name ''Mincha'', meaning "present", is derived from the meal offering that accompanied each sacri ...

h'' and ''

Ne'ila Ne'ila ( he, נעילה, lit=locking), the ''concluding service'', is a special Jewish prayer service that is held only on Yom Kippur. It is the time when final prayers of repentance are recited at the closing of Yom Kippur. Neilah marks the fifth ...

h'' prayer services out of concern that some of the Kohanim might be drunk at that time of day (and prohibited Kohanim from participating in services when intoxicated). But the Kohanim did say the Priestly Blessing at ''Minchah'' and ''Ne'ilah'' services on Yom Kippur and other fast days, because the Kohanim would not drink on those days. Rabbi Isaac noted that speaks of separating the Levites "to minister to odand to bless in od'sname" (and thus likens sacrificial service to blessing). From this, Rabbi Isaac deduced that as did not prohibit an officiating priest from eating the shells of grapes, a priest about to recite the Priestly Blessing could also eat the shells of grapes. A Baraita taught that both priests who were drunk with wine and those who let their hair grow long were liable to death. For says, "Drink no wine nor strong drink, you nor your sons with you, that you not die." And juxtaposes the prohibition of long hair with that of drunkenness. Thus, the Baraita concluded that just as a priest's drunkenness during service was punishable by death, so was his growing long hair. Thus, a Baraita taught that a common priest had to get his hair cut every 30 days, the High Priest every week on the eve of the Sabbath, and the king every day. A Baraita taught that the righteous are blessed, for not only do they acquire merit, but they bestow merit on their children and children's children to the end of all generations. The Baraita deduced from the words "that were left" used in to describe Aaron's remaining sons that those sons deserved to be burned like Nadab and Abihu, but Aaron's merit helped them avoid that fate. A Baraita reported that

Rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

taught that in conferring an honor, we start with the most important person, while in conferring a curse, we start with the least important. demonstrates that in conferring an honor, we start with the most important person, for when Moses instructed Aaron, Eleazar, and Ithamar that they should not conduct themselves as mourners, Moses spoke first to Aaron and only thereafter to Aaron's sons Eleazar and Ithamar. And demonstrates that in conferring a curse, we start with the least important, for God cursed the serpent first, and only thereafter cursed

Eve Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the ...

and then Adam. The Mishnah deduced from that the sacrificial portions, breast, and thigh of an individual's peace-offering required waving but not bringing near the Altar. A Baraita explained how the priests performed the waiving. A priest placed the sacrificial portions on the palm of his hand, the breast and thigh on top of the sacrificial portions, and whenever there was a bread offering, the bread on top of the breast and thigh.

Rav Papa Rav Pappa ( he, רַב פַּפָּא) (c. 300 – died 375) was a Babylonian rabbi, of the fifth generation of amoraim. Biography He was a student of Rava and Abaye. After the death of his teachers he founded a school at Naresh, a city near ...

found authority for the Baraita's teaching in which states that they placed the bread on top of the thigh. And the Gemara noted that implies that the breast and thigh were on top of the offerings of fat. But the Gemara noted that says that the priest "shall bring the fat upon the breast."

Abaye Abaye ( he, אַבַּיֵי) was a rabbi of the Jewish Talmud who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the fourth generation. He was born about the close of the third century, and died 337 CE. Biography His father, Kaylil, was the brother ...

reconciled the verses by explaining that refers to the way that the priest brought the parts from the slaughtering place. The priest then turned them over and placed them into the hands of a second priest, who waived them. Noting further that says that "they put the fat upon the breasts," the Gemara deduced that this second priest then handed the parts over to a third priest, who burned them. The Gemara thus concluded that these verses taught that three priests were required for this part of the service, giving effect to the teaching of "In the multitude of people is the king's glory." Hebrew vav

The Gemara taught that the early scholars were called ''

sofer A sofer, sopher, sofer SeTaM, or sofer ST"M ( he, סופר סת״ם, "scribe"; plural of is , ; female: ) is a Jewish scribe who can transcribe Sifrei Kodesh (holy scrolls), tefillin (phylacteries), mezuzot (ST"M, , is an abbreviation of the ...

im'' (related to the original sense of its root ''safar'', "to count") because they used to count all the letters of the Torah (to ensure the correctness of the text). They used to say the '' vav'' () in ''gachon'', ("belly"), in marks the half-way point of the letters in the Torah. (And in a Torah Scroll, scribes write that ''vav'' () larger than the surrounding letters.) They used to say the words ''darosh darash'', ("diligently inquired"), in mark the half-way point of the words in the Torah. And they used to say marks the half-way point of the verses in the Torah. Rav Joseph asked whether the ''vav'' () in ''gachon'', ("belly"), in belonged to the first half or the second half of the Torah. (Rav Joseph presumed that the Torah contains an even number of letters.) The scholars replied that they could bring a Torah Scroll and count, for Rabbah bar bar Hanah said on a similar occasion that they did not stir from where they were until a Torah Scroll was brought and they counted. Rav Joseph replied that they (in Rabbah bar bar Hanah's time) were thoroughly versed in the proper defective and full spellings of words (that could be spelled in variant ways), but they (in Rav Joseph's time) were not. Similarly, Rav Joseph asked whether belongs to the first half or the second half of verses. Abaye replied that for verses, at least, we can bring a Scroll and count them. But Rav Joseph replied that even with verses, they could no longer be certain. For when Rav Aha bar Adda came (from the Land of Israel to Babylon), he said that in the West (in the Land of Israel), they divided into three verses. Nonetheless, the Rabbis taught in a Baraita that there are 5,888 verses in the Torah.Babylonian Talmud Kiddushin 30a
in, e.g., ''Talmud Bavli'', elucidated by David Fohrman, Dovid Kamenetsky, and Hersh Goldwurm, edited by Hersh Goldwurm (Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1992), volume 36, page 30a. (Note that others say the middle letter in our current Torah text is the '' aleph'' () in ''hu'', ("he"), in the middle two words are ''el yesod'', ("at the base of"), in the half-way point of the verses in the Torah is and there are 5,846 verses in the Torah text we have today.) The Sifra taught that the goat of the sin-offering about which Moses inquired in was the goat brought by Nachshon ben Aminadav, as reported in
16.
The Mishnah deduced from that those in the first stage of mourning (''onen''), prior to the burial of their dead, are prohibited from eating the meat of sacrifices. Similarly, the Mishnah derived from that a High Priest could offer sacrifices before he buried his dead, but he could not eat sacrificial meat. An ordinary priest in the early stages of mourning, however, could neither offer sacrifices nor eat sacrificial meat.Mishnah Horayot 3:5
in, e.g., ''The Mishnah: A New Translation'', translated by Jacob Neusner, page 695

in, e.g., ''Talmud Bavli'', elucidated by Avrohom Neuberger, Eliezer Herzka, Michoel Weiner, and Nasanel Kasnett, edited by Yisroel Simcha Schorr (Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 2002), volume 54, page 12b. Rava recounted a Baraita that taught that the rule of regarding one with skin disease, "the hair of his head shall be loose," also applied to a High Priest. The status of a High Priest throughout the year corresponded with that of any other person on a festival (with regard to mourning). For the Mishnah said the High Priest could bring sacrifices on the altar even before he had buried his dead, but he could not eat sacrificial meat. From this restriction of a High Priest, the Gemara inferred that the High Priest would deport himself as a person with skin disease during a festival. And the Gemara continued to teach that a mourner is forbidden to cut his hair, because since ordained for the sons of Aaron: "Let not the hair of your heads go loose" (after the death of their brothers Nadab and Abihu), we infer that cutting hair is forbidden for everybody else (during mourning), as well. A Midrash taught that when in "Moses diligently inquired iterally: inquiring, he inquiredfor the goat of the sin-offering," the language indicates that Moses made two inquiries: (1) If the priests had slaughtered the goat of the sin-offering, why had they not eaten it? And (2) If the priests were not going to eat it, why did they slaughter it? And immediately thereafter, reports that Moses "was angry with Eleazar and with Ithamar," and Midrash taught that through becoming angry, he forgot the law.

Rav Huna Rav Huna (Hebrew: רב הונא) was a Jewish Talmudist and Exilarch who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the second generation and head of the Academy of Sura; he was born about 216 (212 according to Gratz) and died in 296-297 (608 of ...

taught that this was one of three instances where Moses lost his temper and as a consequence forgot a law. (The other two instances were with regard to the Sabbath in and with regard to the purification of unclean metal utensils ) In this case (involving Nadab and Abihu), because of his anger, Moses forgot the law that those in the first stage of mourning (''onen''), prior to the burial of their dead, are prohibited from eating the meat of sacrifices. Aaron asked Moses whether he should eat consecrated food on the day that his sons died. Aaron argued that since the tithe (which is of lesser sanctity) is forbidden to be eaten by a bereaved person prior to the burial of his dead, how much more certainly must the meat of the sin-offering (which is more sacred) be prohibited to a bereaved person prior to the burial of his dead. Immediately after Moses heard Aaron's argument, he issued a proclamation to the Israelites, saying that he had made an error in regard to the law and Aaron his brother came and taught him. Eleazar and Ithamar had known the law, but kept their silence out of deference to Moses, and as a reward, God addressed them directly along with Moses and Aaron in When reports that "the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them," Rabbi Hiyya taught that the words "to them" referred to Eleazar and Ithamar. Similarly, Rabbi Nehemiah deduced from that Aaron's sin-offering was burned (and not eaten by the priests) because Aaron and his remaining sons (the priests) were in the early stages of mourning, and thus disqualified from eating sacrifices. A scholar who was studying with Rabbi Samuel bar Nachmani said in Rabbi

's name that the words, "and, behold, it was burnt," in taught that where a priest mistakenly brought the blood of an outer sin-offering into the Sanctuary within, the priests had to burn the remainder of the offering. Similarly, Rabbi

Jose the Galilean Jose the Galilean ( he, רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי, ''Rabbi Yose HaGelili''), d. 15 Av, was a Jewish sage who lived in the 1st and 2nd centuries CE. He was one of the Tannaim, the rabbis whose work was compiled in the Mishn ...

deduced from the words, "Behold, the blood of it was not brought into the Sanctuary within," in that if a priest took the sacrifice outside prescribed bounds or took its blood within the Sanctuary, the priests were required to burn the rest of the sacrifice. The Rabbis in a Baraita noted the three uses of the word "commanded" in and in connection with the sacrifices on the eighth day of the Inauguration of the Tabernacle, the day on which Nadab and Abihu died. The Rabbis taught that Moses said "as the Lord commanded" in to instruct that the priest were to eat the grain (''minchah'') offering, even though they were in the earliest stage of mourning. The Rabbis taught that Moses said "as I commanded" in in connection with the sin-offering (''chatat'') at the time that Nadab and Abihu died. And the Rabbis taught that Moses said "as the Lord commanded" in to enjoin Aaron and the priests to eat the peace-offering (''shelamim'') notwithstanding their mourning (and Aaron's correction of Moses in ), not just because Moses said so on his own authority, but because God had directed it. Tissot Moses

Samuel taught that the interpretation that Aaron should not have eaten the offering agreed with Rabbi Nehemiah while the other interpretation that Aaron should have eaten the offering agreed with Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Simeon. Rabbi Nehemiah argued that they burned the offering because the priests were in the first stages of mourning. Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Simeon maintained that they burned it because the offering had become defiled during the day, not because of bereavement. Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Simeon argued that if it was because of bereavement, they should have burned all three sin offerings brought that day. Alternatively, Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Simeon argued that the priest would have been fit to eat the sacrifices after sunset. Alternatively, Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Simeon argued that

Phinehas According to the Hebrew Bible, Phinehas or Phineas (; , ''Phinees'', ) was a priest during the Israelites’ Exodus journey. The grandson of Aaron and son of Eleazar, the High Priests (), he distinguished himself as a youth at Shittim with h ...

was then alive and not restricted by the law of mourning.Babylonian Talmud Zevachim 101a
in, e.g., ''Talmud Bavli'', elucidated by Israel Schneider, Yosef Widroff, Mendy Wachsman, Dovid Katz, Zev Meisels, and Feivel Wahl, edited by Yisroel Simcha Schorr and Chaim Malinowitz, volume 57, page 101a. According to Rabbi Nehemiah, this is how the exchange went: Moses asked Aaron why he had not eaten the sacrifice. Moses asked Aaron whether perhaps the blood of the sacrifice had entered the innermost sanctuary, but Aaron answered that its blood had not entered into the inner sanctuary. Moses asked Aaron whether perhaps the blood had passed outside the sanctuary courtyard, but Aaron replied that it had not. Moses asked Aaron whether perhaps the priests had offered it in bereavement, and thus disqualified the offering, but Aaron replied that his sons had not offered it, Aaron had. Thereupon Moses exclaimed that Aaron should certainly have eaten it, as Moses had commanded in that they should eat it in their bereavement. Aaron replied with and argued that perhaps what Moses had heard was that it was allowable for those in mourning to eat the special sacrifices for the Inauguration of the Tabernacle, but not the regular ongoing sacrifices. For if instructs that the tithe, which is of lesser holiness, cannot be eaten in mourning, how much more should that prohibition apply to sacrifices like the sin-offering that are more holy. When Moses heard that argument, he replied with that it was pleasing to him, and he admitted his error. Moses did not seek to excuse himself by saying that he had not heard the law from God, but admitted that he had heard it and forgot it. According to Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Simeon, this is how the exchange went: Moses asked Aaron why he had not eaten, suggesting the possibilities that the blood had entered the innermost sanctuary or passed outside the courtyard or been defiled by being offered by his sons, and Aaron said that it had not. Moses then asked whether perhaps Aaron had been negligent through his grief and allowed the sacrifice to become defiled, but Aaron exclaimed with that these events and even more could have befallen him, but Aaron would not show such disrespect to sacrifices. Thereupon Moses exclaimed that Aaron should certainly have eaten it, as Moses had commanded in Aaron argued from analogy to the tithe (as in Rabbi Nehemiah's version), and Moses accepted Aaron's argument. But Moses argued that the priests should have kept the sacrificial meat and eaten it in the evening. And to that Aaron replied that the meat had accidentally become defiled after the sacrifice.

Leviticus chapter 11

Tractate Chullin in the Mishnah, Tosefta, and Babylonian Talmud interpreted the laws of kashrut () in and Reading a Midrash taught that in 18 verses, Scripture places Moses and Aaron (the instruments of Israel's deliverance) on an equal footing (reporting that God spoke to both of them alike), and thus there are 18 benedictions in the '' Amidah''. A Midrash taught that Adam offered an ox as a sacrifice, anticipating the laws of clean animals in and Rav Hisda asked how Noah knew (before the giving of or ) which animals were clean and which were unclean. Rav Hisda explained that Noah led them past the Ark, and those that the Ark accepted (in multiples of seven) were certainly clean, and those that the Ark rejected were certainly unclean. Rabbi Abbahu cited "And they that went in, went in male and female," to show that they went in of their own accord (in their respective pairs, seven of the clean and two of the unclean). Rabbi Tanhum ben Hanilai compared the laws of kashrut to the case of a physician who went to visit two patients, one whom the physician judged would live, and the other whom the physician judged would die. To the one who would live, the physician gave orders about what to eat and what not to eat. On the other hand, the physician told the one who would die to eat whatever the patient wanted. Thus to the nations who were not destined for life in the

World To Come The world to come, age to come, heaven on Earth, and the Kingdom of God are eschatological phrases reflecting the belief that the current world or current age is flawed or cursed and will be replaced in the future by a better world, age, or ...

, God said in "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you." But to Israel, whom God intended for life in the World To Come, God said in "These are the living things which you may eat." Rav reasoned that since teaches that "Every word of God is pure," then the precepts of kashrut were given for the express purpose of purifying humanity. Reading "My ordinances (, ''mishpatai'') shall you do, and My statutes (, ''chukotai'') shall you keep," the Sifra distinguished "ordinances" (, ''mishpatim'') from "statutes" (, ''chukim''). The term "ordinances" (, ''mishpatim''), taught the Sifra, refers to rules that even had they not been written in the Torah, it would have been entirely logical to write them, like laws pertaining to theft, sexual immorality, idolatry, blasphemy and murder. The term "statutes" (, ''chukim''), taught the Sifra, refers to those rules that the impulse to do evil (, ''

yetzer hara In Judaism, ''yetzer hara'' ( he, יֵצֶר הַרַע ''yēṣer haraʿ'') is the congenital inclination to do evil, by violating the will of God. The term is drawn from the phrase "the imagination of the heart of man sevil" (, ''yetzer lev-ha ...

'') and the nations of the world try to undermine, like eating pork (prohibited by and ), wearing wool-linen mixtures (, ''

shatnez ''Shatnez'' (or ''shaatnez'', ; he, ) is cloth containing both wool and linen (linsey-woolsey), which Jewish law, derived from the Torah, prohibits wearing. The relevant biblical verses ( and ) prohibit wearing wool and linen fabrics in o ...

'', prohibited by and ), release from levirate marriage (, '' chalitzah'', mandated by ), purification of a person affected by skin disease (, '' metzora'', regulated in ), and the goat sent off into the wilderness (the " scapegoat," regulated in ). In regard to these, taught the Sifra, the Torah says simply that God legislated them and we have no right to raise doubts about them. Rabbi

Eleazar ben Azariah Eleazar ben Azariah ( he, אלעזר בן עזריה) was a 1st-century CE Jewish tanna, i.e. Mishnaic sage. He was of the second generation and a junior contemporary of Gamaliel II, Eliezer b. Hyrcanus, Joshua b. Hananiah, and Akiva. Bio ...

taught that people should not say that they do not want to wear a wool-linen mixture (, ''shatnez'', prohibited by and ), eat pork (prohibited by and ), or be intimate with forbidden partners (prohibited by and ), but rather should say that they would love to, but God has decreed that they not do so. For in God says, "I have separated you from the nations to be mine." So one should separate from transgression and accept the rule of Heaven.

said in the name of Rabbi Isaac that in the Time to Come, God will make a banquet for God's righteous servants, and whoever had not eaten meat from an animal that died other than through ritual slaughtering (, ''neveilah'', prohibited by ) in this world will have the privilege of enjoying it in the World To Come. This is indicated by which says, "And the fat of that which dies of itself (, ''neveilah'') and the fat of that which is torn by beasts (, ''tereifah''), may be used for any other service, but you shall not eat it," so that one might eat it in the Time to Come. (By one's present self-restraint one might merit to partake of the banquet in the Hereafter.) For this reason Moses admonished the Israelites in "This is the animal that you shall eat." Providing an exception to the laws of kashrut in and Rabin said in Rabbi Johanan's name that one may cure oneself with all forbidden things, except idolatry, incest, and murder. Mugil cephalus

A Midrash interpreted "The Lord lets loose the prisoners," to read, "The Lord permits the forbidden," and thus to teach that what God forbade in one case, God permitted in another. God forbade the abdominal fat of cattle (in ), but permitted it in the case of beasts. God forbade consuming the sciatic nerve in animals (in ) but permitted it in fowl. God forbade eating meat without ritual slaughter (in ) but permitted it for fish. Similarly, Rabbi Abba and Rabbi Jonathan in the name of Rabbi Levi taught that God permitted more things than God forbade. For example, God counterbalanced the prohibition of pork (in and ) by permitting mullet (which some say tastes like pork). Reading "''These'' are the living things that you may eat," the Sifra taught that the use of the word "these" indicates that Moses would hold up an animal and show the Israelites, and say to them, "This you may eat," and "This you may not eat." The Mishnah noted that the Torah states (in and ) the characteristics of domestic and wild animals (by which one can tell whether they are clean). The Mishnah noted that the Torah does not similarly state the characteristics of birds, but the sages taught that every bird that seizes its prey is unclean. Every bird that has an extra toe (a

hallux Toes are the digits (fingers) of the foot of a tetrapod. Animal species such as cats that walk on their toes are described as being '' digitigrade''. Humans, and other animals that walk on the soles of their feet, are described as being '' pl ...

), a

crop A crop is a plant that can be grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence. When the plants of the same kind are cultivated at one place on a large scale, it is called a crop. Most crops are cultivated in agriculture or hydropon ...

, and a

gizzard The gizzard, also referred to as the ventriculus, gastric mill, and gigerium, is an organ found in the digestive tract of some animals, including archosaurs (pterosaurs, crocodiles, alligators, dinosaurs, birds), earthworms, some gastropods, so ...

that can be peeled off is clean. Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Zadok taught that every bird that parts its toes (evenly) is unclean. The Mishnah taught that among

locust Locusts (derived from the Vulgar Latin ''locusta'', meaning grasshopper) are various species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. These insects are usually solitary, but under certain circumstanc ...

s, all that have four legs, four

wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is e ...

s, jointed legs (as in ), and wings covering the greater part of the body are clean. Rabbi Jose taught that it must also bear the name "locust." The Mishnah taught that among

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of ...

, all that have

fin A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foils that produce lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while traveling in water, air, or other fluids. Fin ...

s and

scales Scale or scales may refer to: Mathematics * Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points * Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original * Scale factor, a number w ...

are clean. Rabbi Judah said that it must have (at least) two scales and one fin (to be clean). The scales are those (thin discs) that are attached to the fish, and the fins are those (wings) by which it swims. Reading “Whatever . . . chews the cud, among the beasts, that may you eat,” the Tosefta taught that whatever chews the cud has no upper teeth. The Mishnah taught that

hunters Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

of wild animals, birds, and fish, who chanced upon animals that defined as unclean were allowed to sell them. Rabbi Judah taught that a person who chanced upon such animals by accident was allowed to buy or sell them, provided that the person did not make a regular trade of it. But the sages did not allow it. Rav Shaman bar Abba said in the name of Rav Idi bar Idi bar Gershom who said it in the name of Levi bar Perata who said it in the name of Rabbi Nahum who said it in the name of Rabbi Biraim who said it in the name of a certain old man named Rabbi Jacob that those of the Nasi's house taught that (cooking) a forbidden egg among 60 (permitted) eggs renders them all forbidden, (but cooking) a forbidden egg among 61 (permitted) eggs renders them all permitted. Rabbi Zera questioned the ruling, but the Gemara cited the definitive ruling: It was stated that Rabbi Helbo said in the name of Rav Huna that with regard to a (forbidden) egg (cooked with permitted ones), if there are 60 besides the (forbidden) one, they are (all) forbidden, but if there are 61 besides the (forbidden) one, they are permitted. Pig clipart 01

The Mishnah taught the general rule that wherever the flavor from a prohibited food yields benefit, it is prohibited, but wherever the flavor from a prohibited food does not yield benefit, it is permitted. For example, if (prohibited) vinegar fell into split beans (it is permitted). Reading "the swine, because it parts the hoof, and is cloven-footed, but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you," a Midrash compared the pig to the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...

. Just as the swine when reclining puts out its hooves as if to say, "See that I am clean," so too the Roman Empire boasted (of its virtues) as it committed violence and robbery under the guise of establishing justice. The Midrash compared the Roman Empire to a governor who put to death the thieves, adulterers, and sorcerers, and then leaned over to a counselor and said: "I myself did these three things in one night." Bee Drawing

The Gemara reported the Sages’ teaching that bees’ honey is permitted, because bees bring the nectar from the flowers into their body, but they do not excrete it from their body. The Gemara answered that Rav

Sheshet Rav Sheshet ( he, רב ששת) was a amora of the third generation of the Talmudic academies in Babylonia (then Asoristan, now Lower Mesopotamia, Iraq). His name is sometimes read Shishat or Bar Shishat. Biography He was a colleague of Rav Nach ...

taught (in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Jacob) that God permits honey as an exception to the principle that a substance that emerges from a non-kosher animal is non-kosher. For in a Baraita, Rabbi Jacob read the words of "Yet ''these'' may you eat of all winged creatures," and reasoned that the word "these" indicates that you may eat these, but you may not eat a non-kosher winged creature. The Gemara asked why this inference was necessary, as provides the prohibition against eating a non-kosher winged creature explicitly, saying, "All winged creatures that go upon all fours are a repugnance to you." Rather, the Gemara taught, one should understand the inference to mean that one may not eat a non-kosher winged creature, but one may eat that which a non-kosher winged creature discharges from its body — namely the honey of bees. Reading the Mishnah compared human blood to the blood of domestic animals in one respect, and to the blood of reptiles in another respect. The Mishnah noted that human blood is like the blood of animals in that it renders seeds susceptible to impurity (by virtue of ) and like the blood of reptiles in that one would not be liable to extirpation (, '' karet'') on account of consuming it. ( forbids consuming the blood of animals, but not the blood of reptiles.) The Gemara noted the paradox that mother’s milk is kosher even though it is a product of the mother’s blood, which is not kosher. In explanation, the Gemara quoted “Who can bring a pure thing out of an impure? Is it not the One?” For God can bring a pure thing, such as milk, out of an impure thing, such as blood. On the day when Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah displaced Rabban

Gamaliel II Rabban Gamaliel II (also spelled Gamliel; he, רבן גמליאל דיבנה; before -) was a rabbi from the second generation of tannaim. He was the first person to lead the Sanhedrin as '' nasi'' after the fall of the Second Temple in 70 CE. ...

as Principal of the School, Rabbi Akiva expounded on the words of "and every earthen vessel, into which any of them falls, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean." Rabbi Akiva noted that does not state "is unclean" but "will make others unclean." Rabbi Akiva deduced from this that a loaf that is unclean in the second degree (when, for example, the vessel becomes unclean first and then defiles the loaf in it), can make whatever it comes in contact with unclean in the third degree.

Rabbi Joshua Joshua ben Hananiah ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ ben Ḥánanyāh''; d. 131 CE), also known as Rabbi Yehoshua, was a leading tanna of the first half-century following the destruction of the Second Temple. He is the seventh-most-frequently mentioned sage i ...

asked who would remove the dust from the eyes of Rabban

Johanan ben Zakai :''See Yohanan for more rabbis by this name''. Yohanan ben Zakkai ( he, יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי, ''Yōḥānān ben Zakkaʾy''; 1st century CE), sometimes abbreviated as Ribaz () for Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai, was one of the Tan ...

(so that he might hear this wonderful proof), as Rabban Johanan ben Zakai said that another generation would pronounce clean a loaf that was unclean in the third degree on the ground that there is no text in the Torah according to which it would be unclean. Rabbi Joshua noted that Rabbi Akiva, the intellectual descendant of Rabban Johanan ben Zakai (as Rabbi Akiva was the pupil of Rabbi

Eliezer ben Hurcanus Eliezer ben Hurcanus or Hyrcanus ( he, אליעזר בן הורקנוס) was one of the most prominent Sages (tannaim) of the 1st and 2nd centuries in Judea, disciple of Rabban Yohanan ben ZakkaiAvot of Rabbi Natan 14:5 and colleague of Gamalie ...

, a disciple of Rabban Johanan ben Zakai), adduced a text in the Torah — — according to which such a loaf was unclean. The Mishnah taught that the wife of one who scrupulously observes tithes and purity laws (a ''chaver'') may lend a sieve and a sifter to the wife of one who is lax observing tithes and purity laws (an ''am ha-aretz''), and may sort, grind and sift with her. But once she wets the flour and thereby renders it subject to uncleanness under she may not touch it, as one may not assist transgressors. The Mishnah taught that this teaching was said only for the sake of peace. The Gemara reported that the Sages read the words of "Sanctify yourselves and you will be sanctified," to teach that people who sanctify themselves a little are sanctified and assisted greatly. If people sanctify themselves below, then they are sanctified above. If people sanctify themselves in this world, then they will be sanctified in the World To Come. Assorted bread

Rav Naḥman bar Isaac reported a Baraita: Rav Judah said that Rav said (or some say that it was taught in a Baraita) that the words of allude to steps one takes at a meal. "Sanctify yourselves” alludes to the first waters with which one washes one’s hands before a meal; "you shall be holy" alludes to the final waters with which one washes one’s hands after a meal and before reciting the

Grace after Meals Birkat Hamazon ( he, בִּרְכַּת הַמָּזוׂן, The Blessing of the Food), known in English as the Grace After Meals ( yi, ; translit. ''bentschen'' or "to bless", Yinglish: Bentsching), is a set of Hebrew blessings that Jewish ...

(, ''Birkat Hamazon''); "for I am holy" alludes to the oil that one spreads on one’s hands; and "I am the Lord your God" alludes to the Grace after Meals. The Gemara considered whether the words of "Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be sacred," which apply to avoiding the foods prohibited in could also teach that with regard to every act that the Torah prohibits, there is in addition a positive commandment of sanctity to avoid that act. The Gemara objected that if this were so, then every single prohibition in the entire Torah would contain both a positive commandment and a prohibition, and thus rejected this reasoning.

In medieval Jewish interpretation

The parashah is discussed in these

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

Jewish sources: Zohar

Leviticus chapter 9

The Zohar taught that directed Aaron to “take for yourself a bull calf for a sin offering” as an ordinance meant personally for Aaron to atone for the sin of the Golden Calf that he brought upon Israel. The Zohar taught that Aaron had to purge himself during the seven sacred days of and after that by means of the calf that directed. The Zohar observed that Aaron had to purge himself, for but for him the Golden Calf would not have emerged. Reading the words of Moses in "today the Lord will appear to you," Ibn Ezra taught that Moses referred to the fire that came forth from God.

Leviticus chapter 10

Baḥya ibn Paquda taught that because God shows special goodness to certain people, by which they have been singled out, for instance, to be a prophet, a leader of a nation, or a sage whose spirit God has awakened and endowed with wisdom, understanding, counsel, and similar qualities, such people are under an obligation of additional service of God. Baḥya taught that God will continue these gifts for those who perform that service in full measure, and will increase their power over these gifts and understanding of them, and reward those people in the world hereafter. But whoever among such people rebels against God, despite the beneficence that God has specially bestowed upon them, will fall from all these degrees, and God will hold them more strictly to account, as says, "This is it that the Lord spoke, saying, 'I will be sanctified in them that come near Me, and before all the people I will be glorified.'" ריהל ראלי

Leviticus chapter 11

Judah Halevi Judah Halevi (also Yehuda Halevi or ha-Levi; he, יהודה הלוי and Judah ben Shmuel Halevi ; ar, يهوذا اللاوي ''Yahuḏa al-Lāwī''; 1075 – 1141) was a Spanish Jewish physician, poet and philosopher. He was born in Spain, ...

expressed admiration for those who first divided the Torah's text into verses, equipped it with vowel signs, accents, and masoretic signs, and counted the letters so carefully that they found that the ''

gimel Gimel is the third letter of the Semitic abjads, including Phoenician Gīml , Hebrew Gimel , Aramaic Gāmal , Syriac Gāmal , and Arabic (in alphabetical order; fifth in spelling order). Its sound value in the original Phoenician and in all d ...

'' () in ''gachon'', ("belly"), in stands at the exact middle of the Torah. (Note, however, the Gemara's report, discussed in "classical rabbinic interpretation" above, that some said that the ''vav'' () in ''gachon'', , marks the half-way point of the Torah.)

In modern interpretation

The parashah is discussed in these modern sources: James Kugel cropped

Leviticus chapter 10

Professor James Kugel of Bar Ilan University reported that according to one theory, the Priestly source (often abbreviated P) invented Nadab and Abihu, giving them the names of the discredited King Jeroboam's sons, so that they could die in the newly inaugurated sanctuary (as noted in ) and thereby defile it through corpse contamination, so that God could then instruct Aaron in about how to purify the sanctuary through Yom Kippur. This theory posited that the Israelites had originally used Yom Kippur's purification procedure any time it was needed during the year, and thus it made sense to the narrative to have the sanctuary contaminated (in ) and then immediately purged (in ), but eventually, when the Israelites made sanctuary purgation an annual rite, the Priestly source inserted to list other potential sources of impurity that might require the sanctuary to be purged. Professor

Jacob Milgrom Jacob Milgrom (February 1, 1923 – June 5, 2010) was a prominent American Jewish Bible scholar and Conservative rabbi. Milgrom's major contribution to biblical research was in the field of cult and worship. Although he accepted the documentar ...

, formerly of the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

, noted that sets forth some of the few laws (along with and ) reserved for the Priests alone, while most of Leviticus is addressed to all the Israelite people. Professor Samuel Balentine of

Union Presbyterian Seminary Union Presbyterian Seminary is a Presbyterian seminary in Richmond, Virginia. It also has a non-residential campus in Charlotte, North Carolina and an online blended learning program. History As a result of efforts undertaken together by the S ...

explained God’s instruction in for priests to "drink no wine nor strong drink" as a caution "against using stimulants to induce, enhance, or influence their encounter with God." Balentine described the admonition of to "put difference between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean" as Leviticus’s "most fundamental prerequisite for priests and their congregants."

Leviticus chapter 11

Professor Robert A. Oden, formerly of

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...

, argued that the reason for the Priestly laws of kashrut in was the integrity of creation and what the world's created order looked like. Those things that cohere with the comprehensiveness of the created cosmology are deemed good. Israël Finkelstein-2007

Kugel reported that the Israeli archaeologist Israel Finkelstein found no pig bones in hilltop sites starting in the Iron I period (roughly 1200–1000 BCE) and continuing through Iron II, while before that, in

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...

sites, pig bones abounded. Kugel deduced from Finkelstein's data that the new hilltop residents were fundamentally different from both their predecessors in the highlands and the city Canaanites — either because they were a different ethnic group, or because they had adopted a different way of life, for ideological or other reasons. Kugel inferred from Finkelstein's findings that these highlanders shared some ideology (if only a food taboo), like modern-day Jews and Muslims. Kugel concluded that the discontinuities between their way of life and that of the Canaanite city dwellers and earlier highland settlers supported the idea that the settlers were not exurbanites. Noting that limits the mammals that qualify for the Jewish table to those that chew the cud and show split hoofs, Milgrom observed that these requirements effectively prohibit people from eating the flesh of the entire animal kingdom, except for three domestic plant-eaters — cattle, sheep, and goats. Milgrom argued that the Bible’s system of dietary laws was thus meant to tame the killer instinct in humans through a system of restrictions allowing humans to satiate their lust for animal flesh but not become dehumanized in the process. Milgrom posited that the basic rules are these: (1) The law severely limited the choice of animal food. (2) Only those who can qualify by their skill and piety can kill the animals — skill in employing a slaughtering technique that renders death painless, and piety in being aware of the Divine sanction that has permitted such slaughter. (3) The few permitted animals, when ritually slaughtered, are still not allowed for consumption until their blood is drained. Balentine argued that God’s admonition in "sanctify yourselves and be holy; for I am holy," explained "why Israel must not defile itself by eating forbidden animals," for as God distinguished between animal species in creation, human "distinguishing between clean and unclean animals is an act of faith that mirrors God’s work in establishing and sustaining the ‘very good’ design of creation." Professor Mary Douglas, formerly of

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

, and

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

, suggested that animals that prohibits represent the vulnerable — blind worms, vulnerable scaleless fish, and ceaselessly laboring ants — which parallel human beggars, orphans, and widows. Douglas argued that directs people not to prey on them, as "Holiness is incompatible with predatory behavior." Similarly, Balentine argued that Leviticus stipulates that "only the animals that reflect the normal characteristics of their kind are edible," while those that do not possess these characteristics "are disadvantaged, because they lack the means for survival that are common to their species." Interpreting the laws of kashrut in and in 1997, the

Committee on Jewish Law and Standards The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards is the central authority on halakha (Jewish law and tradition) within Conservative Judaism; it is one of the most active and widely known committees on the Conservative movement's Rabbinical Assembly. With ...

of Conservative Judaism held that it is possible for a genetic sequence to be adapted from a non-kosher species and implanted in a new strain of a kosher foodstuff — for example, for a gene for swine growth hormone to be introduced into a potato to induce larger growth, or for a gene from an insect to be introduced into a tomato plant to give it unusual qualities of pest resistance — and that new strain to be kosher. Similarly, in the late 1990s, the

Central Conference of American Rabbis The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), founded in 1889 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the principal organization of Reform rabbis in the United States and Canada. The CCAR is the largest and oldest rabbinical organization in the world. I ...

of Reform Judaism ruled that it is a good thing for a Jew who observes kashrut to participate in a medical experiment involving a pork byproduct.

Commandments

According to

Sefer ha-Chinuch ''Sefer ha-Chinuch'' ( he, ספר החינוך, "Book of Education") is a Jewish rabbinic text which systematically discusses the 613 commandments of the Torah. It was published anonymously in 13th-century Spain. History The work's enumeration of ...

, there are 6 positive and 11 negative commandments in the parashah: *A Kohen must not enter the

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

with long hair. *A Kohen must not enter the Temple with torn clothes. *A Kohen must not leave the Temple during service. *A Kohen must not enter the Temple intoxicated. *To examine the signs of animals to distinguish between kosher and non-kosher. *Not to eat non-kosher animals *To examine the signs of fish to distinguish between kosher and non-kosher *Not to eat non-kosher fish *Not to eat non-kosher

fowl Fowl are birds belonging to one of two biological orders, namely the gamefowl or landfowl (Galliformes) and the waterfowl (Anseriformes). Anatomical and molecular similarities suggest these two groups are close evolutionary relatives; together ...

*To examine the signs of locusts to distinguish between kosher and non-kosher *To observe the laws of impurity caused by the eight insects *To observe the laws of impurity concerning liquid and solid foods *To observe the laws of impurity caused by a dead beast *Not to eat non-kosher creatures that crawl on land *Not to eat

worm Worms are many different distantly related bilateral animals that typically have a long cylindrical tube-like body, no limbs, and no eyes (though not always). Worms vary in size from microscopic to over in length for marine polychaete wo ...

s found in fruit *Not to eat creatures that live in water other than fish *Not to eat non-kosher maggots

Haftarah

In general

The

haftarah The ''haftara'' or (in Ashkenazic pronunciation) ''haftorah'' (alt. ''haftarah, haphtara'', he, הפטרה) "parting," "taking leave", (plural form: ''haftarot'' or ''haftoros'') is a series of selections from the books of ''Nevi'im'' ("Pro ...

for the parashah is: *for

Ashkenazi Jews Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...

: *for

Sephardi Jews Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), pt, Judeus sefa ...

Summary

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

gathered together all the chosen men of Israel — 30,000 in all — and went to retrieve the Ark of the Covenant from Baale-judah. They brought the Ark out of the house of Abinadab and set it on a new cart. Abinadab's sons

Uzzah According to the Tanakh, עזה, Uzzah or Uzza, meaning "Her Strength", was an Israelite whose death is associated with touching the Ark of the Covenant. The account of Uzzah appears in two places in scripture: 2 Samuel 6:3-8 and 1 Chronicles 1 ...

and

Ahio Ahio - brotherly. # One of the sons of Beriah (biblical figure) (1 Chr. 8:14). # One of the sons of Jehiel the Gibeonite (1 Chr. 8:31; 9:37). # One of the other sons of Abinadab, father of Eleazar. While his brother Uzzah went by the side of the ...

drove the cart, with Ahio going before the Ark. David and the Israelites played with all manner of instruments — harps, psalteries,

timbrel The timbrel or tabret (also known as the tof of the ancient Hebrews, the deff of Islam, the adufe of the Moors of Spain) was the principal percussion instrument of the ancient Israelites. It resembled either a frame drum or a modern tambourine ...

s, sistra, and cymbals. When they came to the threshing-floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah put out his hand to the Ark. In anger, God smote Uzzah for his error, and Uzzah died by the Ark. Displeased and afraid, David questioned how the Ark could come to him. So David took the Ark to the house of

Obed-Edom Obed-Edom is a biblical name which in Hebrew means "servant of Edom," and which appears in the books of 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Chronicles. The relationship between these passages has been the subject of scholarly discussions which express uncertain ...

the Gittite and left it there for three months, during which time God blessed Obed-Edom and his house. When David heard that God had blessed Obed-Edom because of the Ark, David brought the Ark to

with joy. When those who bore the Ark had gone six paces, they sacrificed an ox and a fatling. The Israelites brought up the Ark with shouting and the sound of the horn, and David danced with all his might girded with a linen ephod. As the Ark came into the city,

Michal Michal (; he, מיכל , gr, Μιχάλ) was, according to the first Book of Samuel, a princess of the United Kingdom of Israel; the younger daughter of King Saul, she was the first wife of David (), who later became king, first of Judah, ...

the daughter of

Saul Saul (; he, , ; , ; ) was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the first monarch of the United Kingdom of Israel. His reign, traditionally placed in the late 11th century BCE, supposedly marked the transition of Israel and Judah from a scattered t ...

looked out the window and saw David leaping and dancing, and she despised him in her heart. Schnorr von Carolsfeld Bibel in Bildern 1860 100

They set the Ark in a tent that David pitched for it, David offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and David blessed the people in the name of the Lord. David distributed a sweet cake of bread to all the people of Israel, and the people departed to their houses. (The Haftarah ends at this point for Sephardi Jews, but continues for Ashkenazi Jews.) David's Love for God's House

When David returned to bless his household, Michal came out to meet him with scorn, taunting him for uncovering himself before his servants' handmaids. David retorted to Michal that he danced before the God who had chosen him over her father, and that he would be viler than that. Michal never had children thereafter. God gave David rest from his enemies, and David asked Nathan the prophet why David should dwell in a house of cedar, while the Ark dwelt within curtains. At first Nathan told David to do what was in his heart, but that same night God directed Nathan to tell David not to build God a house, for God had not dwelt in a house since the day that God had brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, but had abided in a tent and in a tabernacle. God directed Nathan to tell David that God took David from following sheep to be a prince over Israel, God had been with David wherever he went, and God would make David a great name. God would provide a place for the Israelites at rest from their enemies, God would make David into a dynasty, and when David died, God would see that David's son would build a house for God's name. God would be to David's son a father, and he would be to God a son; if he strayed, God would chasten him, but God's mercy would not depart from him. David's kingdom would be established forever. And Nathan told David everything in his vision.

Connection to the parashah

Both the parashah and the haftarah report efforts to consecrate the holy space followed by tragic incidents connected with inappropriate proximity to the holy space. In the parashah, Moses consecrated the Tabernacle, the home of the Ark of the Covenant, while in the haftarah, David set out to bring the Ark to Jerusalem. Then in the parashah, God killed Nadab and Abihu "when they drew near" to the Ark, while in the haftarah, God killed

when he "put forth his hand to the Ark." Ezekiel

On Shabbat Parah

When the parashah coincides with Shabbat Parah (the special Sabbath prior to Passover), the haftarah is: *for Ashkenazi Jews: *for Sephardi Jews: On Shabbat Parah, the Sabbath of the red heifer, Jews read which describes the rites of purification using the red heifer (''parah adumah''). Similarly, the haftarah in Ezekiel 36 also describes purification. In both the special reading and the haftarah in Ezekiel 36, sprinkled water cleansed the Israelites.

On Shabbat Machar Chodesh

When the parashah coincides with Shabbat Machar Chodesh (as it did in 2015), the haftarah is

Notes

, 3rd–1st Centruty BCE. In ''The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: Volume 2: Expansions of the "Old Testament" and Legends, Wisdom and Philosophical Literature, Prayers, Psalms, and Odes, Fragments of Lost Judeo-Hellenistic works''. Edited by James H. Charlesworth, pages 7, 22–23. New York: Anchor Bible, 1985. . *

''Allegorical Interpretation'', book 2:
15:57–58, 26:104–05

47:139–48:141, 49:144, 50:147

30:131–35

32:126–27, 35:140–41

12:64–69

49:238–40, 51:249–51

11:59, 28:157

2:9:67

8:33

18:105–06, 20:110, 21:113–22:118, 36:191. Alexandria, early 1st Century C.E. In, e.g., ''The Works of Philo: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition''. Translated by Charles Duke Yonge, pages 44, 49, 66–67, 185, 218–19, 259, 296, 298, 326, 335, 392, 571, 626–27, 635. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1993. . * 1 Corinthians Circa 53–57. (abrogating kashrut). *

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

1st century. (abrogating kashrut). *

Mark Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * F ...

Circa 66–70. (abrogating kashrut). *

, '' Antiquities of the Jews'' 3:8:6–7; 8:8:4. Circa 93–94. In, e.g., ''The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition''. Translated by

William Whiston William Whiston (9 December 166722 August 1752) was an English theologian, historian, natural philosopher, and mathematician, a leading figure in the popularisation of the ideas of Isaac Newton. He is now probably best known for helping to inst ...

, pages 92, 229. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1987. . *

Acts The Acts of the Apostles ( grc-koi, Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων, ''Práxeis Apostólōn''; la, Actūs Apostolōrum) is the fifth book of the New Testament; it tells of the founding of the Christian Church and the spread of its message ...

28.
2nd century. (abrogating kashrut).

Classical rabbinic

Sheviit 5:97:4Bikkurim 2:711Pesachim 8:8Sotah 5:2Avodah Zarah 5:2Horayot 3:5Menachot 5:6Chullin 1:1–12:5.
Land of Israel, circa 200 C.E. In, e.g., ''The Mishnah: A New Translation''. Translated by

Jacob Neusner Jacob Neusner (July 28, 1932 – October 8, 2016) was an American academic scholar of Judaism. He was named as one of the most published authors in history, having written or edited more than 900 books. Life and career Neusner was born in Hartfor ...

, pages 81, 84, 171–72, 246, 455, 670, 695, 743, 765–87. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988. . *

Berakhot 4:17
Demai 2:7; Sotah 5:13; Zevachim 8:25; Shehitat Chullin 1:1–10:16; Parah 1:5. Land of Israel, circa 250 C.E. In, e.g., ''The Tosefta: Translated from the Hebrew, with a New Introduction''. Translated by Jacob Neusner, volume 1, pages 26, 85, 853; volume 2, pages 1347, 1371–1405, 1746. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 2002. . *

99:1–121:2:13. Land of Israel, 4th Century C.E. In, e.g., ''Sifra: An Analytical Translation''. Translated by Jacob Neusner, volume 2, pages 121–229. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1988. . *

Jerusalem Talmud The Jerusalem Talmud ( he, תַּלְמוּד יְרוּשַׁלְמִי, translit=Talmud Yerushalmi, often for short), also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud of the Land of Israel, is a collection of rabbinic notes on the second-century ...

: Peah 12b; Kilayim 69a; Sheviit 55b; Terumot 1b, 73a, 88a, 100a, 101a; Maasrot 41a; Orlah 34a; Bikkurim 12b; Shabbat 13a, 78b; Eruvin 10b; Pesachim 13b, 24a, 62b–63b; Yoma 3b; Taanit 20b; Megillah 15a, 29a; Moed Katan 17a; Chagigah 8a, 23a; Nazir 23a, 27b; Sotah 23b, 26a, 36a; Gittin 11a; Bava Kamma 30a; Sanhedrin 46b, 72b.

Tiberias Tiberias ( ; he, טְבֶרְיָה, ; ar, طبريا, Ṭabariyyā) is an Israeli city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. A major Jewish center during Late Antiquity, it has been considered since the 16th century one of Judaism's F ...

, Land of Israel, circa 400 CE. Reprinted in, e.g., ''Talmud Yerushalmi''. Edited by Chaim Malinowitz, Yisroel Simcha Schorr, and Mordechai Marcus, volumes 3, 5, 6b–9, 12–13, 16, 18–19, 21, 25–28, 34–37, 39, 41, 45. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 2006–2018. And in, e.g., ''The Jerusalem Talmud: A Translation and Commentary''. Edited by Jacob Neusner and translated by Jacob Neusner, Tzvee Zahavy, B. Barry Levy, and Edward Goldman. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 2009. . *

Leviticus Rabbah Leviticus Rabbah, Vayikrah Rabbah, or Wayiqra Rabbah is a homiletic midrash to the Biblical book of Leviticus (''Vayikrah'' in Hebrew). It is referred to by Nathan ben Jehiel (c. 1035–1106) in his ''Arukh'' as well as by Rashi (1040–1105) ...

1:8; 2:10; 10:4; 11:1–14:1; 20:4–5, 8–10; 26:1. Land of Israel, 5th Century. In, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Leviticus''. Translated by

and Maurice Simon, volume 4, pages 12, 29, 125, 135–79, 257–62, 325. London: Soncino Press, 1939. . First page of the first tractate of the Talmud (Daf Beis of Maseches Brachos)

First page of the first tractate of the Talmud (Daf Beis of Maseches Brachos)

*Babylonian

Berakhot 53bShabbat 12a27a63b–64a83b–84a87b90b95b107a123b125a136a–bEruvin 13b28a63a87b104bPesachim 14a16a18a–b20b23a–b24b49b67b82b–83a91bYoma 2b–4a5b21b39a53a73b76b–77a80a–b87aSukkah 25bBeitzah 6b19a20aRosh Hashanah 16bTaanit 15b17b26bMegillah 9b10b18aMoed Katan 2a13a–b14b–15b19b24a28bChagigah 11a19a22b24a26bYevamot 20bGittin 60a–b61b–62a68bKiddushin 30a59b80aMakkot 3b11a13a16bShevuot 5a7a9b–10b14b18b23a36bZevachim 3a–b10b17b25b28a34a55a60a61b69b82a–b99b100b–01b105a115bMenachot 23a29a39b59a61a62a70b93b96b101bChullin 2a–142aBekhorot 6a–7b9b15b16a38a45b51aKeritot 4b13b15b21a22aMeilah 16a–17bTamid 33b
Babylonia, 6th Century. In, e.g., ''Talmud Bavli''. Edited by Yisroel Simcha Schorr, Chaim Malinowitz, and Mordechai Marcus, 72 volumes. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 2006. Ibn Gabirol

Medieval

Saadia Gaon Saʻadiah ben Yosef Gaon ( ar, سعيد بن يوسف الفيومي ''Saʻīd bin Yūsuf al-Fayyūmi''; he, סַעֲדְיָה בֶּן יוֹסֵף אַלְפַיּוּמִי גָּאוֹן ''Saʿăḏyāh ben Yōsēf al-Fayyūmī Gāʾōn''; ...

. '' The Book of Beliefs and Opinions'', 10:15. Baghdad, Babylonia, 933. Translated by Samuel Rosenblatt, page 396. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1948. . * Solomon ibn Gabirol. ''A Crown for the King''
35:470.

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, 11th Century. Translated by David R. Slavitt, pages 62–63. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. . Rashi woodcut cropped

Rashi Shlomo Yitzchaki ( he, רבי שלמה יצחקי; la, Salomon Isaacides; french: Salomon de Troyes, 22 February 1040 – 13 July 1105), today generally known by the acronym Rashi (see below), was a medieval French rabbi and author of a compre ...

. ''Commentary''
Leviticus 9–11.
Troyes,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, late 11th Century. In, e.g., Rashi. ''The Torah: With Rashi's Commentary Translated, Annotated, and Elucidated''. Translated and annotated by Yisrael Isser Zvi Herczeg, volume 3, pages 93–134. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1994. . *

Rashbam Samuel ben Meir (Troyes, c. 1085 – c. 1158), after his death known as "Rashbam", a Hebrew acronym for RAbbi SHmuel Ben Meir, was a leading French Tosafist and grandson of Shlomo Yitzhaki, "Rashi". Biography He was born in the vicinity of Tro ...

. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Troyes, early 12th century. In, e.g., ''Rashbam's Commentary on Leviticus and Numbers: An Annotated Translation''. Edited and translated by Martin I. Lockshin, pages 47–68. Providence: Brown Judaic Studies, 2001. . *

. ''

Kuzari The ''Kuzari'', full title ''Book of Refutation and Proof on Behalf of the Despised Religion'' ( ar, كتاب الحجة والدليل في نصرة الدين الذليل: ''Kitâb al-ḥujja wa'l-dalîl fi naṣr al-dîn al-dhalîl''), also k ...

''. part 3, ¶ 31. Toledo, Spain, 1130–1140. In, e.g., Jehuda Halevi. ''Kuzari: An Argument for the Faith of Israel.'' Introduction by Henry Slonimsky, page 165. New York: Schocken, 1964. . * Abraham ibn Ezra. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Mid-12th century. In, e.g., ''Ibn Ezra's Commentary on the Pentateuch: Leviticus (Va-yikra)''. Translated and annotated by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver, volume 3, pages 56–84. New York: Menorah Publishing Company, 2004. . Maimonides bas-relief in the U

Maimonides Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Tora ...

. ''

Mishneh Torah The ''Mishneh Torah'' ( he, מִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה, , repetition of the Torah), also known as ''Sefer Yad ha-Hazaka'' ( he, ספר יד החזקה, , book of the strong hand, label=none), is a code of Rabbinic Jewish religious law ('' ...

''
''Hilchot Tum'at Ochalin (The Laws of the Impurity of Foods)'', chapter 16, ¶ 12.
Egypt, circa 1170–1180. In, e.g., ''Mishneh Torah: Sefer Taharah: The Book of Purity''. Translated by Eliyahu Touger, volume 2, pages 294–95. New York: Moznaim Publishing, 2009. . *Maimonides. ''

Guide for the Perplexed ''The Guide for the Perplexed'' ( ar, دلالة الحائرين, Dalālat al-ḥā'irīn, ; he, מורה נבוכים, Moreh Nevukhim) is a work of Jewish theology by Maimonides. It seeks to reconcile Aristotelianism with Rabbinical Jewish th ...

''
1:37

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...

, Egypt, 1190. In, e.g., Moses Maimonides. ''The Guide for the Perplexed''. Translated by

Michael Friedländer Michael Friedländer (29 April 1833 – 10 December 1910) was an Orientalist and principal of Jews' College, London. He is best known for his English translation of Maimonides' '' Guide to the Perplexed'', which was the most popular such transla ...

, pages 53, 364, 367–68, 370. New York:

Dover Publications Dover Publications, also known as Dover Books, is an American book publisher founded in 1941 by Hayward and Blanche Cirker. It primarily reissues books that are out of print from their original publishers. These are often, but not always, book ...

, 1956. .

Hezekiah ben Manoah Hezekiah ben Manoah, or Hezekiah bar Manoah, was a French rabbi and Bible commentator of the 13th century. He is generally known by the title of his commentary, Chizkuni ( he, חזקוני). In memory of his father, who lost his right hand through ...

. ''Hizkuni''. France, circa 1240. In, e.g., Chizkiyahu ben Manoach. ''Chizkuni: Torah Commentary''. Translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk, volume 3, pages 694–712. Jerusalem: Ktav Publishers, 2013. . * Nachmanides. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Jerusalem, circa 1270. In, e.g., ''Ramban (Nachmanides): Commentary on the Torah.'' Translated by Charles B. Chavel, volume 3, pages 102–55. New York: Shilo Publishing House, 1974. . * Zohar 1:54a, 73b, 167b; 2:11b, 26b, 67a, 124b, 193a, 219b; 3:24b, 31b, 33a, 35a–42a, 127a, 190b. Spain, late 13th Century. *

Bahya ben Asher Bahya ben Asher ibn Halawa (, 1255–1340) was a rabbi and scholar of Judaism, best known as a commentator on the Hebrew Bible. He is one of two scholars now referred to as Rabbeinu Behaye, the other being philosopher Bahya ibn Paquda. Biogra ...

. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Spain, early 14th century. In, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbeinu Bachya: Torah Commentary by Rabbi Bachya ben Asher''. Translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk, volume 5, pages 1572–620. Jerusalem: Lambda Publishers, 2003. . *

Jacob ben Asher Jacob ben Asher (c. 1269 - c. 1343), also known as Ba'al ha-Turim as well as Rabbi Yaakov ben Raash (Rabbeinu Asher), was an influential Medieval rabbinic authority. He is often referred to as the Ba'al ha-Turim ("Master of the Columns"), after ...

(Baal Ha-Turim). ''Commentary on the Torah''. Early 14th century. In, e.g., ''Baal Haturim Chumash: Vayikra/Leviticus''. Translated by Eliyahu Touger, edited, elucidated, and annotated by Avie Gold, volume 3, pages 1079–111. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 2000. . *Jacob ben Asher. ''Perush Al ha-Torah''. Early 14th century. In, e.g., Yaakov ben Asher. ''Tur on the Torah''. Translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk, volume 3, pages 827–51. Jerusalem: Lambda Publishers, 2005. . * Isaac ben Moses Arama. ''Akedat Yizhak (The Binding of Isaac)''. Late 15th century. In, e.g., Yitzchak Arama. ''Akeydat Yitzchak: Commentary of Rabbi Yitzchak Arama on the Torah''. Translated and condensed by Eliyahu Munk, volume 2, pages 567–77. New York, Lambda Publishers, 2001. .

Modern

Isaac Abravanel Isaac ben Judah Abarbanel ( he, יצחק בן יהודה אברבנאל;‎ 1437–1508), commonly referred to as Abarbanel (), also spelled Abravanel, Avravanel, or Abrabanel, was a Portuguese Jewish statesman, philosopher, Bible commentator ...

. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Italy, between 1492–1509. In, e.g., ''Abarbanel: Selected Commentaries on the Torah: Volume 3: Vayikra/Leviticus''. Translated and annotated by Israel Lazar, pages 81–105. Brooklyn: CreateSpace, 2015. . *

Obadiah ben Jacob Sforno Ovadia ben Jacob Sforno (Obadja Sforno, Hebrew: עובדיה ספורנו) was an Italian rabbi, Biblical commentator, philosopher and physician. A member of the Sforno family, he was born in Cesena about 1475 and died in Bologna in 1550. Bio ...

. ''Commentary on the Torah''.

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...

, 1567. In, e.g., ''Sforno: Commentary on the Torah''. Translation and explanatory notes by Raphael Pelcovitz, pages 526–37. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1997. . *

Moshe Alshich Moshe Alshich he, משה אלשיך, also spelled Alshech, (1508–1593), known as the ''Alshich Hakadosh (the Holy)'', was a prominent rabbi, preacher, and biblical commentator in the latter part of the sixteenth century. The Alshich was born ...

. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Safed, circa 1593. In, e.g., Moshe Alshich. ''Midrash of Rabbi Moshe Alshich on the Torah''. Translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk, volume 2, pages 643–59. New York, Lambda Publishers, 2000. . *Avraham Yehoshua Heschel. ''Commentaries on the Torah''. Cracow, Poland, mid 17th century. Compiled as ''Chanukat HaTorah''. Edited by Chanoch Henoch Erzohn. Piotrkow, Poland, 1900. In Avraham Yehoshua Heschel. ''Chanukas HaTorah: Mystical Insights of Rav Avraham Yehoshua Heschel on Chumash''. Translated by Avraham Peretz Friedman, pages 211–18.

Southfield, Michigan Southfield is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 76,618. As a northern suburb of Detroit, Southfield shares part of its southern border with Detroit. The city was original ...

: Targum Press/ Feldheim Publishers, 2004. . *

Shabbethai Bass Shabbethai ben Joseph Bass (1641–1718) ( he, שבתי בן יוסף; also known by the family-name Strom), born at Kalisz, was the founder of Jewish bibliography, and author of the ''Siftei Chachamim'' supercommentary on Rashi's commentary on the ...

. ''Sifsei Chachamim''. Amsterdam, 1680. In, e.g., ''Sefer Vayikro: From the Five Books of the Torah: Chumash: Targum Okelos: Rashi: Sifsei Chachamim: Yalkut: Haftaros'', translated by Avrohom Y. Davis, pages 140–210.

Lakewood Township, New Jersey Lakewood Township is the most populous township in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A rapidly growing community as of the 2020 U.S. census, the township had a total population of 135,158 representing an increase of 41,415 (+45.5 ...

: Metsudah Publications, 2012. *

Chaim ibn Attar Chaim ibn Attar or Ḥayyim ben Moshe ibn Attar ( ar, حاييم بن موشي بن عطار, he, חיים בן משה בן עטר; b. - 7 July 1743) also known as the Or ha-Ḥayyim after his popular commentary on the Torah, was a Talmudist ...

. ''Ohr ha-Chaim''. Venice, 1742. In Chayim ben Attar. ''Or Hachayim: Commentary on the Torah''. Translated by Eliyahu Munk, volume 3, pages 1019–56. Brooklyn: Lambda Publishers, 1999. . *Yitzchak Magriso. ''

Me'am Lo'ez ''Me'am Lo'ez'' ( he, מעם לועז), initiated by Rabbi Yaakov Culi in 1730, is a widely studied commentary on the Tanakh written in Judaeo-Spanish. It is perhaps the best known publication in that language. History ''Me'Am Lo'ez'' marked on ...

''.

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...

, 1753. In Yitzchak Magriso. ''The Torah Anthology: MeAm Lo'ez''. Translated by

Aryeh Kaplan Aryeh Moshe Eliyahu Kaplan ( he, אריה משה אליהו קפלן; October 23, 1934 – January 28, 1983) was an American Orthodox rabbi, author, and translator, best known for his Living Torah edition of the Torah. He became well known as ...

, volume 11, pages 187–274. New York: Moznaim Publishing, 1989. . *

Nachman of Breslov Nachman of Breslov ( he, רַבִּי נַחְמָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב ''Rabbī'' ''Naḥmān mīBreslev''), also known as Reb Nachman of Bratslav, Reb Nachman Breslover ( yi, רבי נחמן ברעסלאווער ''Rebe Nakhmen Breslover'' ...

. ''Teachings''.

Bratslav Bratslav ( uk, Брацлав; pl, Bracław; yi, בראָצלעוו, ''Brotslev'', today also pronounced Breslev or '' Breslov'' as the name of a Hasidic group, which originated from this town) is an urban-type settlement in Ukraine, located i ...

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

, before 1811. In ''Rebbe Nachman's Torah: Breslov Insights into the Weekly Torah Reading: Exodus-Leviticus''. Compiled by Chaim Kramer, edited by Y. Hall, pages 321–36. Jerusalem:

Breslov Research Institute Breslov Research Institute is a publisher of classic and contemporary Breslov texts in English. Established in 1979, BRI has produced the first English translation of all the works of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov (1772–1810) and selected works of Re ...

, 2011. .

*''

Word of Wisdom The "Word of Wisdom" is the common name of an 1833 section of the Doctrine and Covenants, a book considered by many churches within the Latter Day Saint movement to be a sacred text. The section defines beliefs regarding certain drugs, nutritious ...

'' 1833. Codified as '' Doctrine and Covenants'
section 89.
In, e.g., Stephen E. Robinson and H. Dean Garrett. ''A Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants, Volume Three''. Section 89.

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...

: Deseret Book, 2004. . (

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into severa ...

dietary laws). *

Samson Raphael Hirsch Samson Raphael Hirsch (; June 20, 1808 – December 31, 1888) was a German Orthodox rabbi best known as the intellectual founder of the '' Torah im Derech Eretz'' school of contemporary Orthodox Judaism. Occasionally termed ''neo-Orthodoxy'', hi ...

. ''Horeb: A Philosophy of Jewish Laws and Observances''. Translated by Isidore Grunfeld, pages 47–50, 211, 314–31, 338, 574, 582–86. London: Soncino Press, 1962. Reprinted 2002 . Originally published as ''Horeb, Versuche über Jissroel's Pflichten in der Zerstreuung''.

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, 1837.

Samuel David Luzzatto Samuel David Luzzatto ( he, שמואל דוד לוצאטו, ; 22 August 1800 – 30 September 1865), also known by the Hebrew acronym Shadal (), was an Italian Jewish scholar, poet, and a member of the Wissenschaft des Judentums movement. Early ...

(Shadal). ''Commentary on the Torah.''

Padua Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...

, 1871. In, e.g., Samuel David Luzzatto. ''Torah Commentary''. Translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk, volume 3, pages 924–33. New York: Lambda Publishers, 2012. . *

Union of American Hebrew Congregations The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) until 2003, founded in 1873 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the congregational arm of Reform Judaism in North America. The other two arms established b ...

.
The Pittsburgh Platform.
' Pittsburgh, 1885. ("We hold that all such Mosaic and rabbinical laws as regulate diet . . . originated in ages and under the influence of ideas entirely foreign to our present mental and spiritual state. They fail to impress the modern Jew with a spirit of priestly holiness; their observance in our days is apt rather to obstruct than to further modern spiritual elevation.") Abraham Isaac Kook 1924

Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter ( he, יהודה אריה ליב אלתר, 15 April 1847 – 11 January 1905), also known by the title of his main work, the ''Sfas Emes'' (Ashkenazic Pronunciation) or ''Sefat Emet'' (Modern Hebrew), was a Hasidic rabbi ...

. ''Sefat Emet''.

Góra Kalwaria Góra Kalwaria (; " Calvary Mountain", yi, גער, ''Ger'') is a town on the Vistula River in the Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It is situated approximately southeast of Warsaw and has a population of around 12,109 (as of 2019). ...

(Ger),

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

, up to 1905. Excerpted in ''The Language of Truth: The Torah Commentary of Sefat Emet''. Translated and interpreted by

Arthur Green Arthur Green ( he, אברהם יצחק גרין, born March 21, 1941) is an American scholar of Jewish mysticism and Neo-Hasidic theologian. He was a founding dean of the non-denominational rabbinical program at Hebrew College in Boston, where he ...

, pages 159–65. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1998. . Reprinted 2012. . * Louis Ginzberg. ''Legends of the Jews''
volume 3, pages 179–92.

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

: Jewish Publication Society, 1911. *

Abraham Isaac Kook Abraham Isaac Kook (; 7 September 1865 – 1 September 1935), known as Rav Kook, and also known by the acronym HaRaAYaH (), was an Orthodox rabbi, and the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of British Mandatory Palestine. He is considered to be one ...

. ''The Moral Principles''. Early 20th Century. In ''Abraham Isaac Kook: the Lights of Penitence, the Moral Principles, Lights of Holiness, Essays, Letters, and Poems''. Translated by Ben Zion Bokser, page 140.

Mahwah, New Jersey Mahwah is the northernmost and largest municipality by geographic area () in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population of the township was 25,487, a decline of 403 from the 25,890 counted in the ...

: Paulist Press 1978. . Hermann Cohen

*G. Deutsch
"Kosher Kitchen in Military Camps."
In ''Yearbook of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, Vol. 28'', pages 124–127.

, 1918. *

Hermann Cohen Hermann Cohen (4 July 1842 – 4 April 1918) was a German Jewish philosopher, one of the founders of the Marburg school of neo-Kantianism, and he is often held to be "probably the most important Jewish philosopher of the nineteenth century ...

. ''Religion of Reason: Out of the Sources of Judaism''. Translated with an introduction by Simon Kaplan; introductory essays by Leo Strauss, pages 103, 110, 205. New York: Ungar, 1972. Reprinted

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

: Scholars Press, 1995. . Originally published as ''Religion der Vernunft aus den Quellen des Judentums''.

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...

: Gustav Fock, 1919. *Alexander Alan Steinbach. ''Sabbath Queen: Fifty-four Bible Talks to the Young Based on Each Portion of the Pentateuch'', pages 81–84. New York: Behrman's Jewish Book House, 1936. Thomas Mann 1937

Thomas Mann Paul Thomas Mann ( , ; ; 6 June 1875 – 12 August 1955) was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and the 1929 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. His highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novell ...

. ''

Joseph and His Brothers ''Joseph and His Brothers'' (''Joseph und seine Brüder'') is a four-part novel by Thomas Mann, written over the course of 16 years. Mann retells the familiar stories of Genesis, from Jacob to Joseph (chapters 27–50), setting it in the hi ...

''. Translated by John E. Woods, pages 256–57, 348. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. . Originally published as ''Joseph und seine Brüder''. Stockholm: Bermann-Fischer Verlag, 1943. *Ernest Wiesenberg. "Related Prohibitions: Swine Breeding and the Study of Greek." ''

Hebrew Union College Annual The ''Hebrew Union College Annual'' (HUCA) is an annual peer-reviewed academic journal in the field of Jewish studies. It was established in 1924 and is published by the Hebrew Union College. The editors-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also kn ...

'', volume 27 (1956): pages 213–33. * Mary Douglas. "The Abominations of Leviticus." In ''Purity and Danger: An Analysis of the Concepts of Pollution and Taboo'', pages 41–57. New York: Routledge, 1966. . *Joe Green. ''The Jewish Vegetarian Tradition''. South Africa: 1969. *Seymour E. Freedman. ''The Book of Kashruth: A Treasury of Kosher Facts and Frauds''. Bloch Publishing Company, 1970. . *Noah J. Cohen. ''Tsa'ar Ba'ale Hayim — The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Its Bases, Development, and Legislation in Hebrew Literature''. New York: Feldheim, 1976. *J.C.H. Laughlin. "The ‘Strange Fire' of Nadab and Abihu." ''

Journal of Biblical Literature The ''Journal of Biblical Literature'' (''JBL'') is one of three academic journals published by the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL). First published in 1881, ''JBL'' is the flagship journal of the field. ''JBL'' is published quarterly and incl ...

'', volume 95 (1976): pages 559–65. RALportrait2

* Aaron Lichtenstein
“Holocaust Homily and Response.”
''Hebrew Studies'', volume 19 (1978): page 82. * Gordon J. Wenham. ''The Book of Leviticus'', pages 145–85.

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979. . *Samuel H. Dresner, Seymour Siegel, and David M. Pollock. ''The Jewish Dietary Laws''. United Synagogue, New York, 1980. . *Alfred Cohen. "Vegetarianism from a Jewish Perspective." ''

Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society The ''Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society'' is a semiannual Orthodox Jewish academic journal published by the Rabbi Jacob Joseph School and edited by Alfred Cohen. As its title implies, it is devoted to the interface between ''halakha'' (' ...

'', volume 1 (number 2) (fall 1981). *Louis A. Berman. ''Vegetarianism and the Jewish Tradition''. New York: Ktav, 1982. . *Elijah J. Schochet. ''Animal Life in Jewish Tradition: Attitudes and Relationships''. New York : Ktav, 1984. *Victor (Avigdor) Hurowitz
“The Priestly Account of Building the Tabernacle.”
'' Journal of the American Oriental Society'', volume 105 (number 1) (January–March 1985): pages 21–30. * J. David Bleich. "Vegetarianism and Judaism." ''Tradition'', volume 23 (number 1) (Summer, 1987). * Pinchas H. Peli. ''Torah Today: A Renewed Encounter with Scripture'', pages 115–19. Washington, D.C.: B'nai B'rith Books, 1987. . *Baruch A. Levine. ''The JPS Torah Commentary: Leviticus: The Traditional Hebrew Text with the New JPS Translation'', pages 55–72, 243–48. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1989. . *

. "Ethics and Ritual: The Foundations of the Biblical Dietary Laws." In ''Religion and Law: Biblical, Jewish, and Islamic Perspectives'', pages 159–91. Edited by E.B. Firmage.

Winona Lake, Indiana Winona Lake is a town in Wayne Township, Kosciusko County, in the U.S. state of Indiana, and the major suburb of Warsaw. The population was 4,908 at the 2010 census. Geography Winona Lake is located at (41.220818, -85.817118). It is now contig ...

: Eisenbrauns, 1989. . *

Yochanan Zweig Rabbi Yochanan Zweig is the Rosh Yeshiva of Talmudic University of Florida / Yeshiva V'Kollel Beis Moshe Chaim of Miami Beach. Under his auspices is also a high school and elementary school, both located in Miami Beach. Biography Rabbi Zweig was ...

“The Dedication of the Tabernacle.”
'' Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought'', volume 25 (number 1) (fall 1989): pages 11–16. * Harvey J. Fields. ''A Torah Commentary for Our Times: Volume II: Exodus and Leviticus'', pages 111–19. New York: UAHC Press, 1991. . *

Roberta Kalechofsky Roberta Kalechofsky (born May 11, 1931 – April 5, 2022) was an American writer, feminist and animal rights activist, focusing on the issue of animal rights within Judaism and the promotion of vegetarianism within the Jewish community. She was t ...

. ''Judaism and Animal Rights: Classical and Contemporary Responses''. Marblehead, Massachusetts: Micah Publications, 1992. . *Jacob Milgrom. "Food and Faith: The Ethical Foundations of the Biblical Diet Laws: The Bible has worked out a system of restrictions whereby humans may satiate their lust for animal flesh and not be dehumanized. These laws teach reverence for life." ''

Bible Review ''Biblical Archaeology Review'' is a magazine appearing wikt:quarterly, every three months and sometimes referred to as ''BAR'' that seeks to connect the academic study of archaeology to a broad general audience seeking to understand the world of t ...

'', volume 8 (number 6) (December 1992). *Mary Douglas
"The Forbidden Animals in Leviticus."
''

Journal for the Study of the Old Testament The ''Journal for the Study of the Old Testament'' (JSOT) is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering the field of Biblical studies. The editors-in-chief are David Shepherd (Trinity College Dublin) and Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer ( Örebro School of Theol ...

'', volume 18 (number 59) (1993): pages 3–23. *Victor Avigdor Hurowitz
“Review Essay: Ancient Israelite Cult in History, Tradition, and Interpretation.”
'' AJS Review'', volume 19 (number 2) (1994): pages 213–36. * Walter C. Kaiser Jr., " The Book of Leviticus," in ''The New Interpreter's Bible'', volume 1, pages 1063–83. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994. . *Judith S. Antonelli. "Food and Sanctification." In ''In the Image of God: A Feminist Commentary on the Torah'', pages 257–63. Northvale, New Jersey:

Jason Aronson Jason Aronson was an American publisher of books in the field of psychotherapy. Topics dealt with in these books include child therapy, family therapy, couple therapy, object relations therapy, play therapy, depression, eating disorders, pe ...

, 1995. . *Roberta Kalechofsky. ''A Boy, A Chicken, and The Lion of Judea — How Ari Became a Vegetarian''.

Marblehead, Massachusetts Marblehead is a coastal New England town in Essex County, Massachusetts, along the North Shore. Its population was 20,441 at the 2020 census. The town lies on a small peninsula that extends into the northern part of Massachusetts Bay. Attache ...

: Micah Publications, 1995. . *''Rabbis and Vegetarianism: An Evolving Tradition''. Edited by Roberta Kalechofsky. Marblehead, Massachusetts: Micah Publications, 1995. . * Ellen Frankel. ''The Five Books of Miriam: A Woman's Commentary on the Torah'', pages 159–62. New York:

G. P. Putnam's Sons G. P. Putnam's Sons is an American book publisher based in New York City, New York. Since 1996, it has been an imprint of the Penguin Group. History The company began as Wiley & Putnam with the 1838 partnership between George Palmer Putnam and J ...

, 1996. . *Erhard S. Gerstenberger. ''Leviticus: A Commentary'', pages 96–146.

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

Westminster John Knox Westminster John Knox Press is an American publisher of Christian books located in Louisville, Kentucky and is part of Presbyterian Publishing Corporation The Presbyterian Publishing Corporation is a religious corporation, which is the publish ...

Press, 1996. . Gunther Plaut cropped

* W. Gunther Plaut. ''The Haftarah Commentary'', pages 254–67. New York: UAHC Press, 1996. . *Sorel Goldberg Loeb and Barbara Binder Kadden. ''Teaching Torah: A Treasury of Insights and Activities'', pages 177–82.

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

: A.R.E. Publishing, 1997. . *Roberta Kalechofsky. ''Vegetarian Judaism: A Guide for Everyone''. Marblehead, Massachusetts: Micah Publications, 1998. . *Jacob Milgrom. ''Leviticus 1–16'', volume 3, pages 569–742. New York: Anchor Bible, 1998. . *Mary Douglas. "Land Animals, Pure and Impure" and "Other Living Beings." In ''Leviticus as Literature'', pages 134–75.

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

: Oxford University Press, 1999. . *Susan Freeman. ''Teaching Jewish Virtues: Sacred Sources and Arts Activities'', pages 149–64. Springfield, New Jersey: A.R.E. Publishing, 1999. . (). *Frank H. Gorman Jr. "Leviticus." In ''The HarperCollins Bible Commentary''. Edited by James L. Mays, pages 154–56. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, revised edition, 2000. . *Ilene Schneider. "Kashrut, Food, and Women." In ''The Women's Torah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Torah Portions''. Edited by

Elyse Goldstein Elyse Goldstein is a Canadian Reform rabbi. She is the first woman to be elected as president of the interdenominational Toronto Board of Rabbis and president of the Reform Rabbis of Greater Toronto. Early life and education Goldstein was born ...

, pages 196–201.

Woodstock, Vermont Woodstock is the shire town (county seat) of Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 3,005. It includes the villages of Woodstock, South Woodstock, Taftsville, and West Woodstock. History Cha ...

Jewish Lights Publishing Jewish Lights Publishing is a publishing company. Founded in 1990 by Stuart Matlins in Woodstock, Vermont, the company publishes works for children and adults that come from a Judaic perspective, yet provide wisdom to readers of any spiritual bac ...

, 2000. . * Richard H. Schwartz. ''Judaism and Vegetarianism''. New York: Lantern, 2001. . *Samuel E. Balentine. ''Leviticus: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching'', pages 69–70, 80–100. Louisville: John Knox Press, 2002. *Lainie Blum Cogan and Judy Weiss. ''Teaching Haftarah: Background, Insights, and Strategies'', pages 81–90. Denver: A.R.E. Publishing, 2002. . *

Michael Fishbane Michael A. Fishbane (born 1943) is an American scholar of Judaism and rabbinic literature. Formerly at Brandeis University, he is currently Professor Emeritus of Jewish Studies at the Divinity School, University of Chicago. Fishbane (Ph.D., Brande ...

. ''The JPS Bible Commentary: Haftarot'', pages 161–68. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2002. .

*Pinchus Presworsky. ''Birds of the Torah''. Brooklyn: Silver Graphics, 2002. . * Elie Wiesel. "Nadab and Abihu: A Story of Fire and Silence." In ''Wise Men and Their Tales: Portraits of Biblical, Talmudic, and Hasidic Masters'', pages 68–81. New York: Schocken, 2003. . * Robert Alter. ''The Five Books of Moses: A Translation with Commentary'', pages 576–88. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2004. . *Aaron Gross, Richard H. Schwartz,

, and Jay Levine
''A Case for Jewish Vegetarianism''.
Norfolk, Virginia:

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; , stylized as PeTA) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. PETA reports that PETA entities hav ...

, 2004. *Jacob Milgrom. ''Leviticus: A Book of Ritual and Ethics: A Continental Commentary'', pages 88–121. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004. . *Baruch J. Schwartz. "Leviticus." In ''The Jewish Study Bible''. Edited by

Adele Berlin Adele Berlin (born May 23, 1943 in Philadelphia) is an American biblical scholar and Hebraist. Before her retirement, she was Robert H. Smith Professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Maryland. Berlin is best known for 1994 work ''Poet ...

and

Marc Zvi Brettler Marc Brettler (Marc Zvi Brettler) is an American biblical scholar, and the Bernice and Morton Lerner Professor in Judaic Studies at Duke University. He earned his B.A., M.A., and PhD from Brandeis University, where he previously served as Dora Gold ...

, pages 224–32. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. . *Julie Wolkoff. "Haftarat Shimini: II Samuel 6:1–7:17." In ''The Women's Haftarah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Haftarah Portions, the 5 Megillot & Special Shabbatot''. Edited by Elyse Goldstein, pages 121–24. Woodstock, Vermont: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2004. . *Antony Cothey
“Ethics and Holiness in the Theology of Leviticus.”
''Journal for the Study of the Old Testament'', volume 30 (number 2) (December 2005): pages 131–51. *''Professors on the Parashah: Studies on the Weekly Torah Reading'' Edited by Leib Moscovitz, pages 168–74. Jerusalem: Urim Publications, 2005. . *Bernard J. Bamberger. "Leviticus." In ''The Torah: A Modern Commentary: Revised Edition''. Edited by W. Gunther Plaut; revised edition edited by David E.S. Stern, pages 705–33. New York:

Union for Reform Judaism The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) until 2003, founded in 1873 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the congregational arm of Reform Judaism in North America. The other two arms establishe ...

, 2006. . *Calum Carmichael. ''Illuminating Leviticus: A Study of Its Laws and Institutions in the Light of Biblical Narratives''.

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006. . *Suzanne A. Brody. "A Detailed List." In ''Dancing in the White Spaces: The Yearly Torah Cycle and More Poems'', page 87.

Shelbyville, Kentucky Shelbyville is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Shelby County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 14,045 at the 2010 census. History Early history The town of Shelbyville was established in October 1792 at the first m ...

: Wasteland Press, 2007. . * David C. Kraemer. ''Jewish Eating and Identity Through the Ages''. New York: Routledge, 2007. . * James L. Kugel. ''How To Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now'', pages 289–90, 303, 327–28, 541, 660. New York: Free Press, 2007. . *Christophe Nihan. ''From Priestly Torah to Pentateuch: A Study in the Composition of the Book of Leviticus''. Coronet Books, 2007. . *James W. Watts. ''Ritual and Rhetoric in Leviticus: From Sacrifice to Scripture''. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007. . *Nathan MacDonald. ''What Did the Ancient Israelites Eat? Diet in Biblical Times''.

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...

: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2008. . *Naphtali S. Meshel. "Food for Thought: Systems of Categorization in Leviticus 11." ''

Harvard Theological Review The ''Harvard Theological Review'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal established in 1908 and published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Harvard Divinity School. It covers a wide spectrum of fields in theological and re ...

'', volume 101 (number 2) (April 2008): pages 203–29. *''The Torah: A Women's Commentary''. Edited by

Tamara Cohn Eskenazi Tamara Cohn Eskenazi is The Effie Wise Ochs Professor of Biblical Literature and History at the Reform Jewish seminary Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. She was the first woman hired by the Hebrew Union College-Jewi ...

and Andrea L. Weiss, pages 615–36. New York: URJ Press, 2008. . *Roy E. Gane. "Leviticus." In ''Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary''. Edited by John H. Walton, volume 1, pages 298–301.

Zondervan Zondervan is an international Christian media and publishing company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Zondervan is a founding member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA). They are a part of HarperCollins Christian Publ ...

, 2009. . *

Reuven Hammer Reuven Hammer (June 30, 1933 – August 12, 2019) was an American-Israeli Conservative rabbi, scholar of Jewish liturgy, author and lecturer who was born in New York. He was a founder of the "Masorti" (Conservative) movement in Israel and a presid ...

. ''Entering Torah: Prefaces to the Weekly Torah Portion'', pages 153–57. New York: Gefen Publishing House, 2009. . *Tamar Kamionkowski. "Nadav and Avihu and Dietary Laws: A Case of Action and Reaction: Parashat Shemini (leviticus 9:1–11:47)". In''Torah Queeries: Weekly Commentaries on the Hebrew Bible''. Edited by Gregg Drinkwater, Joshua Lesser, and David Shneer; foreword by

Judith Plaskow Judith Plaskow (born March 14, 1947) is an American theologian, author, and activist known for being the first Jewish feminist theologian. After earning her doctorate at Yale University, she taught at Manhattan College for thirty-two years before ...

, pages 135–39. New York:

New York University Press New York University Press (or NYU Press) is a university press that is part of New York University. History NYU Press was founded in 1916 by the then chancellor of NYU, Elmer Ellsworth Brown. Directors * Arthur Huntington Nason, 1916–1 ...

, 2009. . *

“Eating Jewishly.”
New York, 2009. (resolution adopted by the URJ). *Mark Leuchter
“The Politics of Ritual Rhetoric: A Proposed Sociopolitical Context for the Redaction of Leviticus 1–16.”
''

Vetus Testamentum ''Vetus Testamentum'' is a quarterly academic journal covering various aspects of the Old Testament. It is published by Brill Publishers Brill Academic Publishers (known as E. J. Brill, Koninklijke Brill, Brill ()) is a Dutch international ...

'', volume 60 (number 3) (2010): pages 345–65. *Jeffrey Stackert. "Leviticus." In ''The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha: An Ecumenical Study Bible''. Edited by Michael D. Coogan, Marc Z. Brettler, Carol A. Newsom, and

Pheme Perkins Pheme Perkins (born 1945 in Louisville, Kentucky) is a Professor of Theology at Boston College, where she has been teaching since 1972. She is a nationally recognized expert on the Greco-Roman cultural setting of early Christianity, as well as the P ...

, pages 154–58. New York: Oxford University Press, Revised 4th Edition 2010. . *Pinchus Presworsky. ''Animals of the Torah''. Sys Marketing Inc., 2011. . Shmuel Herzfeld at House of Representatives cropped

Shmuel Herzfeld at House of Representatives cropped

Jonathan Haidt Jonathan David Haidt (; born October 19, 1963) is an American social psychologist and author. He is the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University Stern School of Business. His main areas of study are the psychology of ...

. ''The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion'', pages 13, 103, 325 note 22, 337 note 16. New York: Pantheon, 2012. . (kashrut). *

Shmuel Herzfeld Shmuel Herzfeld (born October 9, 1974) is an American Modern Orthodox rabbi. He previously served as the Senior Rabbi of Ohev Sholom - The National Synagogue in Washington, D.C. He is a teacher, lecturer, activist, and author. Early life and ...

. "Don't Dwell on It." In ''Fifty-Four Pick Up: Fifteen-Minute Inspirational Torah Lessons'', pages 151–55. Jerusalem:

Gefen Publishing House Gefen Publishing House (הוצאת גפן) is an English language publishing firm located in Jerusalem, which also has a department in New York City. History Gefen was founded in 1981 by Murray and Hana Greenfield. Its CEO is Ilan Greenfield, ...

, 2012. . *Tracy M. Lemos
“Where There Is Dirt, Is There System? Revisiting Biblical Purity Constructions.”
''Journal for the Study of the Old Testament'', volume 37 (number 3) (March 2013): pages 265–94. Sirjonathansacks

Jonathan Sacks Jonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks ( he, יונתן הנרי זקס, translit=Yona'tan Henry Zaks; 8 March 19487 November 2020) was an English Orthodox rabbi, philosopher, theologian, and author. Sacks served as the Chief Rabbi of the United ...

. ''Covenant & Conversation: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible: Leviticus: The Book of Holiness'', pages 133–61. Jerusalem: Maggid Books, 2015. . *Annette Yoshiko Reed
"From Sacrifice to the Slaughterhouse: Ancient and Modern Approaches to Meat, Animals, and Civilization."
(2015). *Jonathan Sacks. ''Lessons in Leadership: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible'', pages 135–39. New Milford, Connecticut: Maggid Books, 2015. . *Jonathan Sacks. ''Essays on Ethics: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible'', pages 165–69. New Milford, Connecticut: Maggid Books, 2016. . *James Michaels
“Strange Fire of Substance Abuse.”
''

Washington Jewish Week ''Washington Jewish Week'' (''WJW'') is an independent community weekly newspaper whose logo reads, "Serving the nation's capital and the greater Washington Jewish community since 1930."

''. (April 19, 2017): page 34. *Kenneth Seeskin. ''Thinking about the Torah: A Philosopher Reads the Bible'', pages 113–33. Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 2016. . * Shai Held. ''The Heart of Torah, Volume 2: Essays on the Weekly Torah Portion: Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy'', pages 26–36. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2017. . *Steven Levy and Sarah Levy. ''The JPS Rashi Discussion Torah Commentary'', pages 83–85. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2017. . *Laura Reiley
“Doctrine and Diet: Shalt Thou Eat an Impossible Burger?”
''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...

''. September 12, 2019, pages A1, A18.

External links

Texts

Masoretic text and 1917 JPS translationHear the parashah chanted

Commentaries

Academy for Jewish Religion, CaliforniaAcademy for Jewish Religion, New YorkAkhlah: The Jewish Children's Learning NetworkAleph Beta AcademyAmerican Jewish University — Ziegler School of Rabbinic StudiesAscent of SafedBar-Ilan UniversityChabad.orgeparsha.comG-dcastJewish Theological SeminaryLearningTorahMechon HadarMyJewishLearning.comOhr SameachOzTorah, Torah from AustraliaOz Ve Shalom — Netivot ShalomPardes from JerusalemProfessor James L. KugelProfessor Michael CarasikRabbi Dov LinzerRabbi Jonathan SacksRabbiShimon.comRabbi Shmuel HerzfeldReconstructionist JudaismShiur.comTheTorah.comTorah from DixieTorah.orgTorahVort.comUnion for Reform JudaismUnited Synagogue of Conservative JudaismYeshivat Chovevei TorahYeshiva University
{{Weekly Torah Portions Weekly Torah readings in Adar Weekly Torah readings in Nisan Weekly Torah readings from Leviticus

Readings

First reading — Leviticus 9:1–16

Second reading — Leviticus 9:17–23

Third reading — Leviticus 9:24–10:11

Fourth reading — Leviticus 10:12–15

Fifth reading — Leviticus 10:16–20

Sixth reading — Leviticus 11:1–32

Seventh reading — Leviticus 11:33–47

Readings according to the triennial cycle

In inner-Biblical interpretation

Leviticus chapter 9

Leviticus chapter 10

Leviticus chapter 11

In early nonrabbinic interpretation

Leviticus chapter 10

Leviticus chapter 11

In classical rabbinic interpretation

Leviticus chapter 9

Leviticus chapter 10

Leviticus chapter 11

In medieval Jewish interpretation

Leviticus chapter 9

Leviticus chapter 10

Leviticus chapter 11

In modern interpretation

Leviticus chapter 10

Leviticus chapter 11

Commandments

Haftarah

In general

Summary

Connection to the parashah

On Shabbat Parah

On Shabbat Machar Chodesh

Notes

Further reading

Biblical

Early nonrabbinic

Classical rabbinic

Medieval

Modern

External links

Texts

Commentaries