Torah Study Emor

Leviticus 21:1-4 Then Adonai said to Moses, “Speak to the kohanim, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: A kohen is not to allow himself to become unclean for the dead among his people, 2except for his relatives that are nearest to him—his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother, 3or his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband. For her he may allow himself to become unclean. 4But he is not to defile himself—a husband among his people—and so profane himself.

1. What relatives are listed that a Kohanim may bury?

his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother, or his virgin sister who is not married.

2. The sages teach that he can attend his wife’s funeral as well. and the site verse 21:2 as allowing it. Where in verse 2 is it stated?*

Except for the relatives that are closest to him. Rather, “except for the flesh that is closest to him”—his wife.

Michael Carasik, ed., Leviticus: Introduction and Commentary, trans. Michael Carasik, First edition, The Commentators’ Bible (Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society, 2009), 165.

The Hebrew word שְׁאֵר šeʾēr body, flesh and it can be generally used as close relative or closest relative. Genesis 2:24 “This is why a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife; and they become one flesh.”

3. Why is the Kohanim not allowed to attend any other funerals?

cannot come in contact or close proximity to a corpse, cannot purposefully defile himself, must be ready to serve HaShem first in life.

Leviticus 21:13-15 ““He shall take a wife in her virginity. A widow, or one divorced, or one who has been defiled as a prostitute, he is not to marry. He is to take a virgin from his own people as a wife, so as not to corrupt his offspring among his people. For I am Adonai who sanctifies him.””

4. What are the restrictions for a Kohen in regards to who could be his wife?

virgin, never married, never a harlot, his own people, and he must have a wife

5. How many wives was a Kohen allowed to take? *

He may marry only a woman who is a virgin. And only “a” woman, not two or more

Michael Carasik, ed., Leviticus: Introduction and Commentary, trans. Michael Carasik, First edition, The Commentators’ Bible (Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society, 2009), 169.

6. What does prostitute mean from a biblical stand point?*

Etymology The exact meaning of the Hebrew (זָנָה, zanah) and Greek (πόρνη, pornē) words are not entirely certain, as can be seen by their various biblical uses. For example, they could be interpreted as sexually inappropriate actions outside of marriage (of which adultery is a possibility).

Brenda Heyink, “Prostitution,” in The Lexham Bible Dictionary, ed. John D. Barry et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

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

7. Is this discriminatory against people with what might be described as defects?

8. Why must the priest with a “defect” be disqualified no less than four times, in vv. 17, 18, and twice in v. 21?

Leviticus 22:10-11 ““No layman is to eat from the holy offering. A foreigner living with the kohanim or a hired servant is not to eat from the holy offering. But if a kohen buys a slave purchased by his money, that one may eat from it. Also those born in his house may eat his food.”

9. Who is the foreigner living with the kohanim?

10 Why is the slave allowed to eat of the Holy offering but the layman, hired servant and foreigner is not?*

A person who is a priest’s property by purchase may eat of them. Even an animal that is his property may eat of them. This clearly demonstrates that the fact that a non-Jewish slave may eat of the sacred donations says nothing about his status. Au contraire—he can eat because he is the priest’s property, unlike a Jewish slave, who is merely bound to service (Gersonides).

Michael Carasik, ed., Leviticus: Introduction and Commentary, trans. Michael Carasik, First edition, The Commentators’ Bible (Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society, 2009), 174.

Leviticus 24:10-23 Details an episode of the son of an Israelite woman and Egyptian man. What is going on here? Midrash

Haftarah portion Ezekiel 44:15-31

Ezekiel 44:9-13 describes the Foreigner that is uncircumcised in heart and in flesh may enter Adonai’s Sanctuary not any foreigner who is among Bnei-Yisrael. The reason give is they caused the Levites to minister before their idols.

Ezekiel 44:14-15 ““Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of the House, for all its service and for all that will be done in it. So the Levitical kohanim, the sons of Zadok who kept charge of My Sanctuary when Bnei-Yisrael wandered from Me, will draw near to Me to minister to Me. They will stand before Me to offer Me the fat and the blood”—it is declaration of Adonai.”

11. Who is Zadok? What famous descendant(s) of his do we Know? *

• Zadok (ancestor of Ezra) — A descendant of Zadok the high priest and ancestor of Ezra.

• Zadok (father-in-law of Uzziah) — Father-in-law of Uzziah and grandfather of Jotham.

• Zadok (high priest) — One of the most influential high priests who served during the reign of David. The son of Ahitub.

• Zadok (ancestor of Jesus) — An ancestor of Jesus through Joseph.

Jeremy Thompson, ed., Lists of Biblical People, Places, Things, and Events (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2020).

12. We often say that many of these prophecies such as this one has been fulfilled and yet still have a part to be fulfilled again. Do you think that is true for this one? If so then what could its fulfillment look like?

Ezekiel 44:23-24 ““They will teach My people the difference between the holy and the common and explain to them the difference between the unclean and the clean. In a lawsuit, they will stand to judge, and judge in accordance with My ordinances. They will keep My laws and My statutes in all My moadim and keep My Shabbatot holy.”

13. What does it mean “They will teach My people the difference between the holy and the common and explain to them the difference between the unclean and the clean?”

They will teach Israel and those that choose to take on HaShem’s name on what is actually good from HaShem and his expectations and how to remain or become clean.

Basorah Portion Matthew 26:59-66

Matthew 26:59 “Now the ruling kohanim and all the Sanhedrin kept trying to get false testimony against Yeshua so they could put Him to death.”

14. Why did the ruling kohanim (Sadduccees) and all the Sanhedrin try to get FALSE testimony against Yeshua? Why not true testimony?

Yeshua did not do or say anything that could be considered against Torah.

15. The beginning of verse 63 has Yeshua remaining silent. What is the significance of this?

In Israelite cultre, especially at that time, it was allowed for a close relative or friend when asked about a charge that was leveied against someone else to remain silent and in the process accept the punishment that would be leveied on the other person.

16. What is the exact Blasphemy that Yeshua is charged with?

Claiming to be the Mashiach is not Blasphemy, Claiming to sit a tthe Right hand of power or HaShem is nto Blasphemy, the disciples argued over it openly in front of Yeshua. In all these cases Yeshua never actually claims to be anything they charge him with claiming to be.

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