Parashah Emor (Lev 21–24): Be Holy—Guard the Name, Keep the Mo’edim

Parashah Emor Comments 2024

“In the beginning, G-d” (Genesis 1:1). Before anything was, He was there. G-d is HaMakom: “The Place.” What this means is that G-d is not in a place—He is the Place, and everything is in Him. In Hebrew prayer books, He is called “The Source of All Creation,” “The Creator of the Universe.”

Even Yeshua HaMashiach surrenders his authority to HaShem once the Messiah has prepared the world for His return.

Therefore, everything and everyone is holy in the sight of HaShem because He created it. This means that we are to treat all things and all people with respect since G-d (or G-d’s holiness or His Spirit) is in them. God is, in the final analysis, virtually unknowable. But He has chosen to reveal Himself to us to the extent of our human ability to comprehend Him. And although the Talmud is not as authoritative as the Bible, it does hold truths about HaShem’s being, His separateness, and His distinctiveness.

In a discussion about Jacob’s ladder in the Talmud, the rabbis say:

Priestly Holiness and Boundaries (Leviticus 21–22)

Parashah Emor, in Leviticus 21 and 22, describes how G-d sees holiness and how we are to understand it. Priests are to avoid defilement. They are not allowed to be near the dead except close relatives. Priests are prohibited from behaving like pagan priests; they are not to make bald spots on their heads, mar the edges of their beards, or purposely cut themselves, lest they profane themselves and their office. The priest is only permitted to marry a virgin or the widow of a priest; marrying a divorced woman or a prostitute results in his defilement.

The High Priest’s hair is to be well-groomed. He is not to purposely tear his clothing or be in the presence of any dead body, including his parents. When performing his priestly duties, he is not to leave the sanctuary. If he marries a prohibited woman, he disqualifies his descendants from inheriting the High Priesthood.

No one with a defect is to be allowed into the sanctuary for priestly service, and no sacrifice with a defective animal is allowed either. Any priest knowingly offering an unclean or defective sacrifice will see it rejected, and he incurs guilt of the gravest kind. No unclean person may offer sacrifices until ritually cleansed. A priest who allows anything that defiles G-d’s sanctuary, or causes another priest to become unclean, incurs severe punishment. Only priests or their dependents may eat holy food. Anyone who unintentionally eats this food must restore it to the priest and add 20%.

Appointed Times and the Bread of the Presence (Leviticus 23–24)

In Chapter 23, G-d provides instruction regarding His appointed times: the Sabbath and the seven “Feasts of the Lord.” Chapter 24 speaks of Lechem HaPanim (literally “the Bread of the Face” or “the Bread of the Presence” of G-d), first mentioned in Exodus 25:30. This chapter also states the penalty for profaning the Name of G-d.

Sanctifying the Name

In summary, these chapters are about the holiness of G-d, and the impugning of that holiness. It is also about how we are to see His holiness, emulate it, and pass it on. The more we incorporate what we comprehend about His holiness into our lives, the more we avoid profaning G-d. Although we are not G-d and cannot become G-d, the Almighty created us in His image.

The more we strive to imitate what He teaches us about Himself, the more we can know what it is like to be like Him in ways possible for us. This brings G-d, who is Spirit, into the physical world:

To proceed in any way other than the holy path which the Holy One of Israel has directed, commanded, and instructed is to impair our Father’s reputation, our reputation as His followers, and to hinder His self-revelation. When people see those who claim Messiah acting unholy, they will ask: Why follow them and their Lord?

A Parable of Sons

To illustrate, First Fruits of Zion shares this story: a king had two sons—one wise, one wicked. The wicked son abused the people; they said, “Is this how the king raises his son?” But the wise son treated people with honor; they said, “What a fine king to raise such a son.” Our conduct reflects on our King.

Doers, Not Hearers Only

If we truly seek His truth, we must take responsibility for what He reveals—learning, living, and teaching it. We are reflections of the Source of all Eternity; each of us has a calling to seek out and accept our divine assignments, amplifying His glory.

One way we keep His Name holy is by sharing and teaching G-d’s ways.

I have learned this repeatedly in preparing teachings over the last 15 years: the one who carries the torch for others lights his own path.

G-d is the Place. He breathed into us the spark of life. If He is truly in our hearts, we must demonstrate it in all we do. When we stay silent, resisting promptings to speak of Him, we drift toward a secular life. We are also commanded:

Imitating the Master

Perhaps we teach best by embodying what we learned. In Yeshua, we see the divine qualities that can be humanly comprehended and practiced. Follow Yeshua and you will reach the right place. Part of His first coming is to manifest the qualities of God so that we can manifest them to others. He healed the sick, raised the dead, opened blind eyes, and overturned tables of corruption.

Equipped for a Confused Age

If you are ready to fulfill your role as one called by G-d but don’t know where to start, here are simple steps:

• Read the Bible—all of it, not just the New Testament.
• Keep it simple; don’t try to fill a thimble with a shovel.
• Speak from the heart.
• Pray and invite the Spirit of G-d to use you and your words.
• Be sensitive to opportunities HaShem places on your path—consider every encounter a test.
• Strive for perfection: in G-d’s eyes, you are “perfect” when you do your best. Do not bring Him less than your best.

If you follow these, you will be in G-d’s will. His will brings deep peace, glorifies Him, and provokes others to ask about the hope within you—so that you can point them to the Messiah and His Father.

May G-d’s Spirit use these words to bless those who hear and apply them—separating wheat from chaff, clean from unclean, good from evil, holy from profane.

Amen!