Emor

דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־כּל־עֲדַ֧ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֥ אֲלֵהֶ֖ם קְדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּהְי֑וּ כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃
Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them:
You shall be holy, for I, the ETERNAL your God, am holy.

– Leviticus 19:2 Kedoshim

Parashat Emor calls us into the sacred rhythm of Jewish life. In this portion, we move from laws of holiness for the priests into one of the most beloved passages in Torah: the listing of the mo’adim, the sacred festivals and appointed times. Shabbat, Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot are not simply dates on a calendar; they are invitations to sanctify time itself.

What is striking is that in the middle of the festival laws, the Torah inserts the command to leave the corners of the field for the poor. This teaches that true holiness is not found only in prayer or ritual, but in how we care for one another. Sacred days lose some of their meaning if they do not awaken sacred responsibility

L’Shalom,

Cantor Paula Baruch