Emor - 1st Portion

Join me as we learn Humash for today, Sunday, Parshat Emor, the first Torah reading. Uh chapter 21, verse one. Last Torah reading we learned about the different prohibitions and positive commandments that one must observe for pertaining to relationships as well as the laws pertaining to being sanctified and holy. Today we continue into the laws pertaining to the restrictions and respect that the Kohanim have to have and who they're allowed to marry and the uniqueness and specialty of the Kohanim. Vayomer Hashem el Moshe, and God spoke to Moses. Emor el hakohanim. Speak, say to the descendants of Aaron, specifically the male descendants, benei Aaron, the children of Aaron. V'amarta aleihem, you will say to them, l'nefesh lo yitama ba'amav. To they may not ritually themselves on the account of touching a corpse amongst their people. What does this mean? Rashi explains. Emor el hakohanim. Emor v'amarta. Why does it say a double terminology? And he said to them, say to the Kohanim and then say to them. It says emor, say to the Kohanim, and say to them as follows. If you said say to them, then they have to say it. K'dei l'hazhir k'dei l'malek katan, that the older should warn the younger ones. Meaning that the older ones have to educate the younger generation that they should not become impure and the laws of purity and impurity. The Rebbe points out over here, if you look at the terminology that Rashi uses is l'hazhir, to warn. The word l'hazhir also comes from the word zar, to shine. That how does one educate the next generation and tell them about the laws of purity and impurity and how does one tell somebody that's younger than them, whether it may be in knowledge or in age, is l'hazhir, to make them shine in a positive way to bring them up and to show them their qualities and then they are more able and recept and ceptable to learning as well. B'nei Aaron, the sons of Aaron, yochal I would think chalalim, those that are unfit for the Kohanim, that means a form was born from an improper marriage. It was soon going to say that would apply to his well because he comes from the children of Aaron. Talmud lomar, therefore the verse says hakohi hanim, that they have to be acting Kohanim, only those that have the actual holiness of a Kohen, not those who are not considered Kohanim, though they may be born technically from that family. B'nei Aaron, the children of Aaron, af ba'alei mumim demashma, this comes to include even one who may have a blemish, meaning he may be unfit to working in the holy temple, but because he's allowed to eat from the special foods, therefore they have to be pure as well. B'nei Aaron, why does it say the sons of Aaron? V'lo ibnei Aaron, this is referring to the males, not the females. Lo yitamei ba'amav, b'eich ames nimtza b'sechumav, meaning that the Kohen is not allowed to become impure while this individual is still amongst his nation, meaning yotzei, which this inclu- excludes meis mitzvah, if a person's walking along the way and he sees a dead body that there's nobody there to bury it, which is called a meis mitzvah, there's nobody there to bury this individual, then a Kohen is allowed to impure himself to bury this individual. Who is a Kohen allowed to become tamei to? Who are they allowed to become impure to? Ki im l'she'eirei achiv, except for his closest non-blood relative, which would be his wife. L'immo, to his mother, u'l'aviv, to his father, u'l'vanav, and to his son, u'l'vito, and to his daughter, u'l'achiv, and to his brother. Rashi, ki im l'she'eirei, to his closest relative, she'eirei ein she'eirei ela ishto, when we talk about she'eirei, the word she'eirei means closest to him, which means his wife. Verse three, "Ulah choy say apsu laha crave a love." And a husband, uh and over here we're talking about for a a sister who is not married, a shalay hoy so e sh that has not been married, loy you tam out to her he's allowed to become uh impure for. So, over here this woman who has not been married still has sister and therefore for such a woman he's allowed to also impure by himself as well. How crave a larabi says a ruso this includes a woman who's been engaged even though she is engaged to an individual. However, she's not yet married to that person and not completely over to the domain of the husband. Therefore, he still has the ability to uh marry her to become impure to her. A shalay hoy so e sh la mish gov meaning to marriage that they were she was with another person not married to another individual. Loy you tam out to her she he can become impure. Not only is he allowed, but mitzvah it's an obligation that he should become impure in such cases. Verse four, "Loy you tam a bal ba am of." A husband must not defile himself and cause this temporary demotion lay a chali to cause himself to become demoted meaning to become uh lose his position of what he was before among his people. What does this mean? Rashi explains, "Loy you tam a bal ba am of la chali, loy you tam a lay e sh tape sulah." He is not allowed to um become impure to his wife who is not allowed to marry a coin. For example, a divorcee. Shahu ba chulu ba ba e da e may because if he would be with her it would be desecrating his children and that would not be allowed while he's with her. Came through to show mikra this is the simple interpretation of what it would explain what this means. Another explanation would be lawyer A man is not allowed to purify himself to his wife while she is still amongst his people, meaning that there are other people that can bury her. He it's not a maze mitzvah. And so which is relative that I say that he's allowed to become impure. That means the one that the marriage would cause him to be desecrating his what his his his Kohanim his priesthood. However, a woman who is allowed to marry that he is allowed to become impure even though there are other people to bury her. So bottom line over here what we're talking about in this verse is referring to a woman who she no longer can have a relationship with. By having a relationship with with this woman this would desecrate his priesthood. To such a kind of woman even though he's with her he is not allowed to become impure to her. Verse five. Now it tells us about the laws of mourning pertaining to the Kohanim as well. Like all other Jews they must not make a bold spot on their heads nor may they shave any edge of their five signs that we discussed in last week's Torah reading of where a person is not allowed to shave their beard. With sorrow men in their flesh they should not cut themselves they should not make any cuts. Though this mitzvah was already given to all the Jewish people over here Rashi tells us why the Torah repeats it again over here for the Kohanim. times people would pull their hair out when they hear the sad news about a person dying. So over here it's telling the Kohanim they're not allowed to do that as well. Rashi asks haven't all the Jews been told that they're not allowed to do this? We just read this in the Torah reading of Kedoshim. Ella official number of Israel because it says by the Jewish people as we're going to see later in the book of Deuteronomy. Le Bene Nachum don't cut between your eyes. Yo le ye chavel kol reish. I would think you What about on the rest of the head a person would be allowed? Tam u d'lemar therefore the Torah says over here beroshim on their head. Filamdi Yisrael bigorer u'bigzeira shava and the Jewish people learn from the law of the Kohanim in the in the way of a gzeira shava which is an inference of two verses having the same words. As it says here makan al kol reish the same way in this verse the Torah says clearly you're not allowed to pull out any hair from in the entire head. Af la halan so too when it says later on in the book of Deuteronomy that a Jew of any tribe is not allowed to do it. Also kol ushe ikra breish any part of the head. Mala halan al meis afkan al meis the same way over there it talks about pulling out your hair because of a dead person and because of the agony of the death passing of an individual. So too over here it's talking about over here as well when it comes to the referring to the agony of pulling out the hair by a dead person as well. As it kind of like they should not shave those five points of the beard. Af is she number of Israel because it says by the rest of the Jewish people sashes they should not destroy the sides of the beard. Yo I would think to be mal eating that if you picked out his beard with the tweezers or with other types of tools that pull out his beard ya ayev he would still be obligated because of shaving his beard. Lakach nemar therefore it says galachu that you should not shave. Al davar akari galuach that is only obligated that the law pertaining shaving the beard only applies to in a to a tool which is used for shaving. Yesh be ashchasa vezel tar that only in such a type of tool would be considered like a scissors or a shaver which that would be considered a destroying and that refers to only using a tool, a tire, which is a knife, a scissors, which is used for shaving. But, picking it up by another tool would not fall under the same category. We suddenly used to do sarotas. And they should not put cuts in their flesh. A fish and a baby seal because it says by the Jewish people as well as we just learned previously in the Torah reading of Kedoshim chapter 19, the said at lanev shul lanev shul lay sitnu, you should not put cuts into your flesh. That if a person puts five cuts in their flesh, they're only liable for one punishment of lashes. Tom with lame are therefore the Torah says in our case lay used to do sarotas. In our Torah reading it says do not put any type of blade, any cut, meaning al kol srito srita, on every single cut shate vezu, you say to he lidrish, this actual word, don't cut yourself any cut. The word sarotas is an extra word to tell us that kusha you lay lift the lay used to do who just could have said don't cut. Veni adesha you sarotas, of course I know you shouldn't be a cut. But, it's coming to tell me that every single cut that a person may do in his flesh because this is the ways of the Emirates he would liable be of lashes and is considered an abrogation and another negative commandment. Verse six. Kedoshim you lay lay kem, they must be holy to their God. Veli halo shem lay kem, they should not desecrate the name of God. Kish ishi ashem lay kem lay kem lay makriv lay you kadesh because they offer up the fire offerings to ashem and the food of their God, and therefore they must be a state of holiness. Rashi kedoshim you, al kor kektishum based in bekach, meaning that the Kohanim have this responsibility that even if the Kohanim don't want to behave in this level of holiness, they are forced by this level of holiness because they were born into this level of holiness and they have and because they're bringing the holy sacrifices, they have to be in the state of holiness. Verse seven. These are now the people that they are allowed to marry. A the Kohanim must marry a woman who has who is not allowed to marry a woman who has acted Zoyna like a prostitute. Or V'Chalala, one was demoted because since she was not allowed to be married to a Kohen for whatever reason. They they're not allowed to take. V'isha Grusha mi'isha, as well as he's not allowed to marry a woman who was divorced from another man. Layikachu lo, he should not take. Ki Kodesh hu la'Hashem, cuz he is holy to Hashem. Verse seven. Zoyna, a prostitute. What does it mean a prostitute? She nilva'la b'ilu Yisrael asur la. A woman who has been with another Jewish man who he was she was not allowed to be with. K'Goyim, like Chayvei K'risus, all the different ones that we mentioned in the previous Torah reading, that if they were with one of these people who they would be liable of K'risus, which means that they would have a premature death with any of these punishments. Oy l'Natin, oy l'Mamzer. Or if she was with a Natin or a Mamzer, which any of these cases that we mentioned previously, which those people are somebody which came from the Anusim were from the descendants of the Kohanim who tried to deceive Yeshua, as well as a Mamzer is born from an a prohibited relationship from a extramarital relationship, that as well those are those people are not allowed to marry because of only a negative law, meaning that not an obligation of K'risus. There's two different types of negative commandments, which we mentioned in the previous Torah reading in Parshas Kedoshim, there are certain negative commandments that the punishment is lashes, and there's certain negative commandments that the punishment is K'risus, which is a premature death. When we talk about a woman who is prohibited to a Kohen, though it when we talk about the both of them would make her prohibited for the cohen, not only one, which is karis, but even one, which would be malkus lashes as well, would make her considered a prostitute, which would not allow her to marry a cohen. If she had a relationship with any of those mentioned, then she would not love to be married to a cohen. What is considered a chalala? Chalala, we gave the translation demoted. Why were they demoted? She nailed them in a For example, the child who was born from a cohen who married a divorcee, a daughter of a widow that was married to a cohen gadol, or a daughter from a divorcee that was married to a cohen, or she was the or a woman that was demoted from being in the priesthood and because the woman herself was she was married to a person who she was not allowed to be married to. For example, um they then become demoted, and this is so let's say a widow who was married to a cohen gadol, even after her husband dies, she is not allowed to marry a regular cohen as well. Verse 8, vikidashti, they must be holy, you must sanctify them. Because since the bread of God they bring is a sacrifice, kadish y'all they should be holy to you. Kadish and kadish I am the one that makes them sanctified. Vikidashti, meaning this is commanded to all the Jewish people. This is referring to a cohen that the best in us is an obligation to force them to be holy. So, for example, if a cohen was to marry somebody who he was not allowed to, and he does not want to divorce her, they have the right to punish him until he actually divorces the woman that he's not allowed to be married Kadishia you have to be true no you have to treat the cohen with respect with holiness with he is the first one as we know he is the first one to get the tower reading that they should be the first one to start things as well he is the one that we honor to give the blessing at all time even by a meal as well. Verse 9 each kind of case this is what happens if a cohen's daughter becomes desecrated on the account of adultery. As a VR he because she is desecrating her father's holiness. But each she said if she must be burnt in fire. He say this nice. The word he say he can also mean to begin but if you hear it doesn't mean for to begin but because she is the molding herself. Are you days news through adultery? She about to bow the meaning that she had a connection to a husband and now she has extramarital affair Zanza she went to be with somebody else I mean it is in soon whether she was she was engaged or while she was married. There's a debate amongst the rabbis about what kind of situation this is talking about if this is specifically by an engaged woman or a married woman when they would she would get the punishment of Sreifa we know there are four different capital punishment that best than an act Sreifa being one of the harshest this would apply to a woman who is a cohen coil she would give her a even though there's a debate whether the punishment will be exacted upon a engaged or married however everybody will agree that this does not apply to an unmarried woman as well. As a VR her father she is desecrating she desecrated and embarrassed his honor I mean my love cuz they say about this cohen she yellow cursed is the person who brought up such a child. Cursed is the person who gave birth to such a child. Verse 10. Now we continue with the laws pertaining to the high priest, the Cohen Gadol. The Cohen Gadol, the Cohen who has been elevated amongst his brothers. Take out who is anointed with him the anointing oil. Filled upon him that he should be the one to wear he was installed to wear the great clothing. His hair shall he let his garment his here he does not leave uncut. He must not leave his hair uncut. And he must not rend his garments for the 30 days of mourning. Rashi. Verse 10. He should not let his hair grow because of the morning. What is considered having your hair grow? Not cutting his hair for more than 30 days. Verse 11. While all the other ones were allowed to become impure to their immediate family, the Cohen Gadol and to any dead body he is not allowed to come or mother he is not allowed to become ritually impure. Verse 11. He's not even allowed to walk into a tent where there's a dead body. This comes to tell us that even if there's a cord around, if there's 3.5 oz of blood of a dead body, that that would also make everything in the place when the wherever that may be that impure as well. Here the Torah is telling us that the only person that a a priest is allowed that the high priest the Cohen Gadol is allowed to become impure, too. It's only a mess If he's the only one walking on the road and he sees a dead body and there's nobody else to bury that person, then the Cohen Gadol is allowed to become impure to dead to bury that person. However, to his immediate family, he is not allowed to become impure. Verse 12, he's not allowed to leave the sanctuary. He should not desecrate the God's sanctuary because he is wearing the crown of God's anointing oil on him, a love on him, and I am God. This is not referring to that he's never allowed to leave the holy temple that he has to stay there at all time. Of course, he's allowed to go every night. He goes home to his family. This is referring to when it comes to a time of a funeral that he doesn't leave the holy temple to follow the funeral. He doesn't follow the funeral. He doesn't go to the funeral. From here we learned as well that generally there are the laws of an onen. That a Cohen who on the date of passing of somebody of his family, he doesn't serve in the holy temple. However, a Cohen Gadol does not have the laws of a onen that he has to continue serving in the holy temple and acting as he did as every single day. Over here he's telling us that he will not desecrate, meaning the very fact that the Torah tells us that he has to continue doing the avodah, he has to continue serving in the holy temple even on the day of somebody of his immediate family passing, tells us that a Cohen who does work while he is an onen, while somebody of his immediate family has passed, has desecrated and therefore makes the sacrifices that he's done invalid. Also, who is he allowed to marry? Only a woman who is a virgin. Verse 14. Almanah Grushah a widow or divorcee, we have a lot or demoted woman, Zena or prostitute as Italy any of these women he is not allowed to marry came the soul of me I'm of you guys sure. You may only take a virgin as a wife. Rashi the Halala demoted Chanel the mix of the key owner even a woman who was born from an invalid relationship meaning from either a coin who married a divorcee or a coin God who married a widow such a child he is not allowed to marry and into that family. Verse 15 the lawyer Halal Zari by mouth he will then not cause his offsprings to be demoted Kenya Hashem Akasha because I am the God who sanctifies him. Rashi the lawyer Halal Zari However, if he did marry somebody who is not allowed to an invalid individual Zari a man of Halal Medina Kadisha Kuna the child that is born from this inappropriate marriage and relationship is considered a Halal an invalid child a demoted child who then is not allowed to act and or marry into the coin family and is considered demoted. This concludes the first Torah reading of Parshas Emor.