The mitzvot of Emor

That a common priest not become defiled with a dead body except for the relatives elucidated in Scripture

Negative · Leviticus 21:1

The kohanim were chosen for the service of God, as it says, they shall be holy to their God, so Scripture kept them away from the dead, whose impurity is the most severe of all. When the intelligent soul departs from the body only the matter remains, which in life also led the soul to sin, so it is fitting for the servants of God to keep away from it. Yet for close relatives it was permitted, for the ways of the Torah are ways of pleasantness, and it did not want to stop them from weeping over their dead and pouring out their hearts.

The commandment of the matter of the impurity of the priests for their relatives, and included in it is that each one in Israel should mourn for their six relatives the identity of which is well known

Positive · Leviticus 21:3

A person is moved by the deeds he does, so when the grief of a relative's death strikes him, the Torah obliges him to acts of mourning that fix his thoughts on what has happened to him. Through this he will reflect that God does not bring sorrow upon people for nothing, and he will be stirred to repentance and to mending his deeds. The mitzvah also uproots from our hearts the view of the deniers, who ascribe a person's death to mere chance, like the death of an animal.

That a priest who immersed that day not serve until his sun sets

Negative · Leviticus 21:6

The kohen is the emissary between Israel and their Father in heaven, and through his service and offerings a person finds favour before his Creator and his sin is atoned. So he must be entirely pure at the time of the service, and perhaps the remnant of impurity does not leave him until the sun sets. God alone knows when one who became impure is fit to return to His service, and He has told us that the time is at sunset.

That a priest not marry a licentious woman

Negative · Leviticus 21:7

The kohanim were chosen for the constant service of God, so it is fitting that they be holier and purer than the rest of the people in all their affairs, and above all in marriage, which is central to a person's life. A woman whose ways are not upright could turn his heart from his good path and his proper intent. Moreover, it brings a blemish and shame upon the kohen, for people talk about her past.

That a priest not marry a profaned woman

Negative · Leviticus 21:7

This prohibition stems from the same root as that of the licentious woman. The kohanim were chosen for the service of God and should be holier than the rest of the people, above all in choosing a wife, for a man's thoughts are always bound up with her. So the Torah forbade them a woman whose priestly sanctity has been impaired, so that their purity and dignity would not be harmed.

That a priest not marry a divorcee

Negative · Leviticus 21:7

This prohibition too stems from the root of the prohibition of the licentious woman. The kohanim, chosen for the constant service of God, must be holier and purer than the rest of the people, above all in their marriage, which is central to a person's life and occupies his thoughts. So the Torah was stricter with them than with the rest of the people in the choice of a wife.

The commandment of sanctifying the seed of Aharon

Positive · Leviticus 21:8

Honouring a master's servants is part of honouring the master, and when we honour the kohanim at all times, the glory and greatness of God are remembered and fixed in our hearts. And by the merit of this pure thought and good will His blessing will rest upon us, for He desires to bless His creatures.

That a high priest not enter the tent of a dead body

Negative · Leviticus 21:11

The kohanim, who do God's work constantly, should keep away from impurity, yet the Torah permitted an ordinary kohen to become impure for his relatives out of compassion, so that he could pour out his heart over them. The High Priest, set apart as holy of holies, has a soul so bound to the heights that he rises above ordinary human nature and the affairs of this world. So the Torah never permitted him to become impure, not even for his relatives.

That the high priest not become impure with any impurity

Negative · Leviticus 21:11

The reason is that of the preceding prohibition on the High Priest entering the tent of the dead, for the two prohibitions are one matter. The High Priest is set apart as holy of holies, his soul bound to God's service more than any person's, so the Torah keeps him away from every impurity of the dead, even of his own relatives.

The commandment of a high priest to marry a virgin maiden

Positive · Leviticus 21:13

The finest thing in a person is pure and clean thought, for the deeds of the body follow the thoughts. So it is fitting for the High Priest, the great servant, to cleave to a woman who has never set her mind on any man but him. And so the children God grants him from her will be pure and clean and fit for the holy service.

That a high priest not marry a widow

Negative · Leviticus 21:14

In marriage to a widow there may be divided thoughts, since the memory of her first husband may accompany the woman. The High Priest, of whom purer and more complete thought is required than of any person, should marry a woman whose heart is wholly given to him, and so a widow was forbidden to him.

That a high priest not have intercourse with a widow

Negative · Leviticus 21:15

The reason for this prohibition is that of the previous one, that the High Priest may not marry a widow. A bond with a widow may bring divided thoughts with it, and of one set apart as holy of holies pure and whole thought is required in all his affairs, above all in married life.

That a priest with a blemish not serve in the Temple

Negative · Leviticus 21:17

People's deeds are received by onlookers according to the standing of the one who does them, and one who is fine in appearance and good in his deeds finds favour in all he does. So it is fitting that the emissary on whom atonement depends be whole and comely in every way, so that the people's thoughts will be drawn after him. And perhaps the wholeness of his form also hints at matters through whose contemplation the soul is purified, and a flaw in it could distract the one who contemplates.

That a priest with a transient blemish not serve

Negative · Leviticus 21:21

The reason is that of the previous prohibition on a kohen with a permanent blemish. The emissary on whom atonement depends must be whole in form at the time of his service, so that the people's thoughts are drawn after him and not distracted, and so even a passing blemish disqualifies him for as long as he has it.

That one with a blemish not enter the entire sanctuary

Negative · Leviticus 21:23

The mitzvah comes to magnify the honour and splendour of the House. The Temple is the place of perfection, so it is not fitting that one who has any defect should stand there. And when the stature of the House grows in our eyes, our hearts are stirred all the more to the fear of God and His service.

That an impure priest not serve

Negative · Leviticus 22:2

For the honour of the House and the stature of the service, anything unworthy of its loftiness and importance is kept away from it. And the stature of a person in a state of purity is known to every understanding mind, so it is not fitting that an impure kohen serve before God.

That an impure priest not eat priestly tithe

Negative · Leviticus 22:4

The mitzvah comes to magnify and make precious in every person's heart all that is holy. When holy food is eaten only in purity its loftiness is revealed, and by holding the holy things dear a person is stirred to the fear of God and His service.

That no foreigner eat priestly tithe

Negative · Leviticus 22:10

Here too the reason is to magnify the honour of what is holy in a person's heart. Part of the loftiness of terumah is that only the servants of God and their households eat it, and it is not shared with others, so that it is evident that it is a portion set apart for those who serve God.

That the boarder of a priest and the hired worker not eat priestly tithe

Negative · Leviticus 22:10

The root of this mitzvah is included in the prohibition on a non-kohen eating terumah. The kohen's resident worker and hired worker are not acquired by his money and are not part of his household, so they are considered strangers in this matter, and terumah is kept for the household of God's servant alone.

That an uncircumcised one not eat priestly tithe

Negative · Leviticus 22:10

One who is uncircumcised is considered a stranger, for he has not entered with Israel into the covenant of circumcision, which is a great thing. Keeping a stranger from terumah and keeping the impure from holy things share one root - to magnify and make precious in a person's heart all that is holy.

That a profaned woman not eat from the holy

Negative · Leviticus 22:12

Here too the root is to magnify the honour of the holy, which is to be eaten only by the servants of God and their households. A kohen's daughter whose priestly sanctity has been impaired, or who has married a man who is not a kohen, has left the priestly household, and so she is forbidden to eat of the holy things.

To not eat tevel

Negative · Leviticus 22:15

Tevel is produce from which the terumot and tithes have not yet been separated, so the holy portion is mixed within it. One who eats of it treats the holy as though it were ordinary, so this was forbidden, to magnify the honour of holy things in a person's heart and to fix reverence for them within him.

That we not consecrate animals with blemishes for the altar

Negative · Leviticus 22:20

Just as it is not fitting for one with a blemish to enter the sanctuary, the place of perfection, so it is not fitting to consecrate a blemished animal for the altar. The offering is meant to awaken a person's thoughts toward God, and the heart is stirred more by what is choice and whole than by what is inferior and flawed.

The commandment of the sacrifice being unblemished

Positive · Leviticus 22:21

Offerings come to awaken a person's thoughts and direct them toward God, for a person is moved by the deeds he does. So the offering should be without blemish, since the heart is not stirred by something inferior as it is by something choice and whole of its kind.

That we not place a blemish upon consecrated animals

Negative · Leviticus 22:21

One who inflicts a blemish on consecrated animals treats them with contempt. And when the honour of the Temple, its servants and its offerings grows precious in people's hearts, their hearts are stirred all the more to the fear of God and His service, so anything that brings contempt on the holy was forbidden.

That we not sprinkle blood of an animal with a blemish on the altar

Negative · Leviticus 22:22

This warning is of a piece with the prohibition on inflicting a blemish on consecrated animals. Offering a blemished animal on the altar is contempt for the holy, and when the honour of the Temple and its offerings grows precious in people's hearts, their hearts are stirred all the more to the service of God.

That we not slaughter an animal with a blemish for the sake of a sacrifice

Negative · Leviticus 22:22

This prohibition too comes to guard the honour of the offerings and the Temple. Slaughtering a blemished animal as an offering treats the holy with contempt, and the offering, meant to awaken a person's heart toward God, must be whole and choice.

That we not incinerate the entrails of animals with blemishes

Negative · Leviticus 22:22

The reason is that of the other prohibitions on offering a blemished animal. Burning parts of a blemished animal on the altar is contempt for the holy and for the altar, and the Torah wants the honour of the Temple and its offerings to grow precious in a person's heart and stir him to the service of God.

Not to castrate one of all of the species

Negative · Leviticus 22:24

God created His world in utmost perfection and willed that living creatures be fruitful and multiply so that the species would endure, for death constantly diminishes them. So one who destroys the power of reproduction shows in his soul as if he despises the Creator's work and desires the ruin of His good world.

Not to sacrifice a sacrifice that is one with a blemish from the hand of the stranger

Negative · Leviticus 22:25

The root of the mitzvah is the honour of the House, as in the prohibition on inflicting a blemish on consecrated animals. A blemished offering is contempt for the holy even when it comes from the hand of a gentile, so it is not accepted, that the honour of the Temple and its offerings may remain precious in every person's heart.

The commandment of a sacrifice that it be from eight days and above

Positive · Leviticus 22:27

A person is moved by his deeds, so he was commanded that the deeds by which he sets his path right be as complete as possible. Part of an offering's completeness is that it be at least eight days old, for before that the young animal is fit for nothing, and no one desires it as food, as merchandise or as a gift.

To not slaughter a beast and its child on one day

Negative · Leviticus 22:28

The mitzvah teaches that God's providence over the kinds of animals is over the species as a whole, and by it the species endure forever and do not come to an end. So we were barred from cutting down the tree together with its branches, as a hint of this. Moreover, the mitzvah fixes the trait of compassion in our souls and distances cruelty, for although we were permitted to eat animals, we were forbidden to slaughter a mother and its young on one day.

That we not do anything through which the name of the Heavens is profaned among people

Negative · Leviticus 22:32

Man was created only to serve his Creator, so he must take care that nothing he does diminishes the honour of God in people's eyes. One who casts off God's mitzvot in public, or sins only to provoke, profanes the name of Heaven - the very opposite of the purpose for which he was created. And even a distinguished person must beware of any act that looks to the many unworthy of him, for people learn from his deeds.

The commandment of sanctification of the Name

Positive · Leviticus 22:32

Man was created only to serve his Creator, and a servant who is not ready to give himself for his master's service is not a good servant. People give their lives for masters of flesh and blood - how much more is it fitting to give one's life for the mitzvot of the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.

The commandment of resting on the first day of Pesach

Positive · Leviticus 23:7

The mitzvah is meant so that on the festival we reflect on the miracle done for us on it, and praise and glorify in our hearts God who performed miracles for us at that time. A person busy with his work has no leisure to think about anything, so the Torah commanded us to rest on this day.

To not do work on the first day of Pesach

Negative · Leviticus 23:7

Resting from work is meant so that Israel remember the great miracles God did for them and their fathers, speak of them and tell them to their children and grandchildren. Were work permitted, everyone would turn to his business and the honour of the festival would be forgotten. Moreover, through the rest the people gather in synagogues and houses of study to hear words of Torah, which is why Moses instituted that on each festival its own matters be expounded.

The commandment of the additional sacrifices all of the seven days of Pesach

Positive · Leviticus 23:8

A person is moved by his deeds, for his thought cleaves to something only through action. So God commanded us to perform a special act in honour of the day, so that through it we set our hearts on the greatness and holiness of the day, and on the miracles and kindnesses God bestowed on us at this time.

The commandment of resting on the seventh day of Pesach

Positive · Leviticus 23:8

Resting on the seventh day of Pesach, as on the first, is meant so that we are free of worldly business and can reflect on the miracles God did for us at this time. A person busy with his work has no leisure to think of this, and on a day of rest the people gathers to hear words of Torah and to tell its children of God's wonders.

To not do work on the seventh day of Pesach

Negative · Leviticus 23:8

The root of this mitzvah is that of the prohibition of work on the first day of Pesach. When a person rests from his business he is free to remember the great miracles God did for our fathers and to tell them to his children, whereas were work permitted, everyone would turn to his business and the honour of the festival would be forgotten.

The commandment of the sacrifice of the omer of barley

Positive · Leviticus 23:10

The mitzvah is meant so that we reflect on the great kindness God does for His creatures in renewing grain for their sustenance year by year. So it is fitting that we offer some of it to Him before we benefit from it, and when our deeds make us worthy of blessing, our grain will be blessed. The omer comes on the second day of Pesach and not the first, so as not to mix one joy with another, for the first day is set apart to remember the going out from slavery to freedom.

To not eat from the new grain before the end of the sixteenth of Nissan

Negative · Leviticus 23:14

Grain is people's main food, so it is fitting to offer a sacrifice of it to God who gave it, before His creatures benefit from it. This resembles what the sages said, that one who enjoys this world without a blessing is as if he misused holy property, and all this is so that we make ourselves worthy of receiving His good.

To not eat roasted grain from the new grain until that day

Negative · Leviticus 23:14

This mitzvah is entirely like the prohibition on eating the new grain before the omer is offered. It is fitting to offer to God from the grain, a person's main food, before enjoying it in any form, even roasted, so that we recall His kindness and become worthy of receiving His good.

To not eat fresh grain from the new grain until that day

Negative · Leviticus 23:14

This mitzvah too shares the root of the prohibition on eating the new grain before the omer. Before a person enjoys the grain, even as fresh roasted ears, it is fitting that he offer of it to God who gave it, so as to acknowledge His kindness and make himself fit for blessing.

The commandment of counting the omer

Positive · Leviticus 23:15

The Torah is the essence of Israel, and for its sake they were redeemed from Egypt, to receive it at Sinai - this was their ultimate good, greater than freedom itself. So we were commanded to count from the day after the first day of Pesach until the day the Torah was given, to show in our souls our great longing for that yearned-for day, like a servant who counts the days until he goes free. That is why we count the days that have passed and not those that remain, for this is how the strong desire to reach the day is shown.

The commandment of the sacrifice of the new meal offering from wheat on the day of Shavuot

Positive · Leviticus 23:16

As with the omer, here too we offer to God from the new grain so that we remember His kindness before benefiting from it. The omer offering comes as barley flour, while the two loaves come from wheat as loaves of bread, for wheat is human food, and it is fitting to prepare it in the form in which a person enjoys it and is nourished by it. And the more choice and well prepared the offering, the more a person's heart is stirred by it.

The commandment of resting from work on the day of Shavuot

Positive · Leviticus 23:21

Resting on a festival is meant so that we are free of worldly business and remember the good God did for us at this time, and tell it to our children. Through the rest the people gather in synagogues and houses of study to hear words of Torah, whereas were work permitted, everyone would turn to his business and the honour of the festival would be forgotten.

To not do work on the day of the holiday of Shavuot

Negative · Leviticus 23:15

The root of this festival is hinted at in the mitzvah of counting the omer. The Torah is the essence of Israel, and for its sake they were redeemed from Egypt, and this day, on which the Torah was given, is the yearned-for day toward which we count from Pesach. So it is fitting to rest on it from all work, so that we are free for the honour of the day and the joy of the Torah.

The commandment of resting on the day of Rosh Hashanah

Positive · Leviticus 23:24

As on the other festivals, resting from work is meant to free the heart, for a person busy with his labour has no room to think about the meaning of the day. And Rosh Hashanah is the Day of Judgment, on which God reviews the deeds of all His creatures, so it is fitting to stand on it free of every occupation and give our minds to our deeds.

To not do work on the first day of Tishrei

Negative · Leviticus 23:24

It is of God's kindness to His creatures that He reviews their deeds one day every year, so that sins do not pile up until the world, Heaven forbid, deserves destruction, and while they are few He inclines toward kindness. So this day is the very preservation of the world, and it is fitting to make it a festival, and since it is the Day of Judgment it is fitting to stand on it in greater awe than on any other festival. And the teruah, a broken sound, hints that each person should break his evil inclination and regret his deeds.

The commandment of the additional sacrifice on the day of Rosh Hashanah

Positive · Leviticus 23:24

A person is shaped by his actions, for his thought attaches to a matter only through a deed. Therefore the Torah commanded a special offering for the sake of the day on Rosh Hashanah, so that through the deed we would set our hearts on the greatness and holiness of the day.

The commandment of the fast on the tenth day of Tishrei

Positive · Leviticus 23:27

It is of God's kindness that He set one day a year for atonement of sins together with repentance. Eating, drinking and the other pleasures of the body draw the physical self after desire and distract the soul from seeking the truth, and it is not fitting to come to judgment before the Master with a heavy and confused soul. Therefore on this honoured day we let the soul prevail over the body, so that it will be worthy to receive its atonement.

The commandment of the additional sacrifice of Yom Kippur

Positive · Leviticus 23:27

As with the other additional offerings, a person is shaped by his actions and his thought attaches to a matter through a deed. Therefore the Torah added a special offering for the sake of the day on Yom Kippur, so that through the deed we would set our hearts on the holiness of the day and on the great good God bestows on us in it.

To not do work on the tenth of Tishrei

Negative · Leviticus 23:27

On Yom Kippur we cease from all work so that we are not preoccupied with anything, and turn all our thoughts to asking pardon and forgiveness from the Master of all. This is the day set aside for the forgiveness of sins since the world was created, and one who is busy with his work cannot give his heart to it.

To not eat and drink on Yom Kippur

Negative · Leviticus 23:29

Food and drink draw the body after desire and darken the soul, and one who comes to judgment before God ought to come with a clear soul. Therefore on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement and repentance, we refrain from eating and drinking, so that the soul prevails over the physical and is ready to receive its atonement.

The commandment of resting from work on Yom Kippur

Positive · Leviticus 23:32

In the plain sense, the rest on Yom Kippur comes so that we are not preoccupied with any business, and place our whole intention on seeking pardon and forgiveness. This is the day God set apart for the atonement of sins from the day the world was created, and it is fitting that we devote our whole heart to it.

The commandment of resting on the first day of the holiday of Sukkot

Positive · Leviticus 23:35

Resting from work on a festival is meant to leave us free to remember the miracles God did for our fathers, to speak of them and to tell them to our children. Were work permitted, everyone would turn to his own affairs and the honour of the festival would be forgotten. Moreover, through the rest the people gather in the synagogues and houses of study to hear words of Torah and learn the laws of the festival.

To not do work on the first day of the holiday of Sukkot

Negative · Leviticus 23:34

The root of the prohibition of work on Sukkot is the same as for the other festivals. When a person is free of worldly affairs he can reflect on the meaning of the festival and praise God for the good He has done for us, whereas one who is busy with his work has no room to think about anything.

The commandment of the additional sacrifice on each day of the seven days of Sukkot

Positive · Leviticus 23:36

As with all the additional offerings, a person is shaped by his actions, and so we were commanded to do a special deed for the sake of the festival, to stir ourselves to set our hearts on its greatness and on the good God has done for us in it. And the sages said that the bulls, whose number grows smaller from day to day, hint that by the merit of this mitzvah the enemies of Israel will grow fewer.

The commandment of resting from work on the eighth day of Sukkot

Positive · Leviticus 23:36

The rest on Shemini Atzeret is like the rest of the other pilgrim festivals, so that we are free of our affairs to reflect on the meaning of the festival and thank God for the good He has done for us. And this day is a festival in its own right, not merely the close of Sukkot.

The commandment of the additional sacrifice on the eighth day of Sukkot, which is called Shemini Atseret

Positive · Leviticus 23:36

Shemini Atzeret is a festival in its own right, and so it has an additional offering of its own. And as with the other additional offerings, a special deed for the sake of the day awakens the heart to its holiness, for a person is shaped by his actions and his thought attaches to a matter through a deed.

To not do work on the day of the holiday of Shemini Atseret

Negative · Leviticus 23:36

The prohibition of work is the same on all the festivals, so that we are free for the meaning of the day. Shemini Atzeret is so called because it is the end of the festivals, and the sages compared it to a king who said to his children, stay with me one more day, for your parting is hard for me. Therefore it is a festival in its own right, wholly devoted to God.

The commandment of taking the lulav

Positive · Leviticus 23:40

A person is shaped by his actions, and so God gave us mitzvot that keep him occupied with good. The days of the festival are days of the joy of the harvest, and joy can carry a person away and make him forget the fear of God, so we were commanded to hold in our hands gladdening species that remind us that all our joy is for His sake. Moreover, the four species resemble the chief organs of a person - the etrog the heart, the lulav the spine, the myrtle the eyes and the willow the lips - to hint that he should serve his Creator with his whole body and fear Him even in the time of joy.

The commandment of sitting in a sukkah

Positive · Leviticus 23:42

The verse itself states the reason - that we remember the great miracles God did for our fathers in the wilderness, when He sheltered them with the clouds of glory so that the sun would not harm them by day nor the cold by night. Some explain that they made actual huts for themselves. And by remembering His wonders we will be careful with His mitzvot and become worthy to receive His goodness, for God desires to do good.