Torah Reading 687 Haftarah 706
AHAREI MOT
After the death of two of Aaron's sons, who were struck down by God for attempting to enter the Holy of Holies, the High Priest is given strict instructions that the Sanctuary's most holy place may only be entered on Yom Kippur. The purification of the Sanctuary and the rituals of Yom Kippur - including the scapegoat and the personal and communal confessions - are enumerated. The entire Israelite nation was commanded to "afflict their souls" - to fast on Yom Kippur.
Rules are given prohibiting the random sacrifice of animals in any locale; they may only be offered on the Sanctuary's altar. To do otherwise was tantamount to idolatry. The consumption of any blood or of the flesh of an animal that was not slaughtered properly was also considered an abomination.
The Torah's standards of personal morality include sexual behavior: the excesses of both the Egyptian and Canaanite cultures were rejected, and prohibited marital unions were also spelled out.
K'DOSHIM
In scholarly circles the opening section of Kedoshim is called the Holiness Code. In it we are enjoined by God to strive for human holiness to parallel the divine holiness.
The commandments, through which holiness is expressed, may be divided into two groups: those that emphasize the human-divine relationship and those stressing interpersonal behavior. In the first category we find respect for one's parents, Shabbat, and the condemnation of idolatry and of a variety of other practices common to the Canaanite peoples, including tattooing.
With reference to our interaction with fellow human beings, we are enjoined to consider the poor and the stranger. Specific laws with regard to the poor, applicable to the farmer, are enumerated. Laws promulgated based on truth and justice are set forth: stealing, defrauding, slander, etc. are prohibited. Protection for all disadvantaged - not just the poor, but the deaf and the blind - is required. Not surprisingly, Judaism's Golden Rule, "Love Your Neighbor As Yourself," is found here, too.
The sidra concludes with the reminder that just as the heathen nations are to be punished for their ways, Israel will suffer a similar fate if these commandments are breached.
