The very word “emor” for which this parsha is named, and which appears twice in the parsha, is unusual. The opening verse says ויאמר ה׳ אל משה לאמר אמר אל הכהנים בני אהרן ואמרת אליהם לנפש לא יטמא ...

Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its ...

Parshat Emor begins with the following possuk [Vayikra 21’ 1’]: "...GOD said to Moses: Say to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: None shall defile himself for any [dead] person among his ...

This portion is read during the days of the Counting of the Omer, when Judaism emphasizes mutual respect and love between people as preparation for receiving the Torah on the festival of Shavuot.

Parashat Emor begins with a list of responsibilities devolving on the kohanim, the descendants of Aaron who served in the Temple. Most of the list concerns cases relating to two opposing areas: death ...

Joshua Krug earned a B.A. with Honors and Distinction from Yale, an MDiv from Harvard, and a PhD from NYU. He sits at the intersection of vision and implementation in Jewish education, with experience ...

I am continuously struck by the importance of continuity in Judaism. With every Kiddush recited over a Passover cup of wine, and every Shema recited at bedtime, we declare our dedication to the Jewish ...

“God told Moses, ‘Speak to the kohanim, the descendants of Aaron. Let no [kohen] defile himself [by contact] with a dead soul among his people.” (Lev. 21:1) Why are kohanim not allowed to come in ...