Parshas Emor: Pure and Simple

The Torah portion this week, Emor: Vayikra (Leviticus) 21:1-24:23, begins by enumerating special laws of purity required for the high priests who conduct the Temple rites and rituals. Disqualifying elements for priests are listed, as are unacceptable characteristics of animal sacrifices.

Practice Purity for God's Sake

Holiness and purity demonstrate our respect for HaShem and our devotion to Him. This emphasis on sacredness ranks very high in Judaism. So high, in fact, that when a Jew is compelled to choose between being killed or committing murder, idolatry, or sexually immoral acts, we must choose our own death.

Before Sinai, idolatry and murder were almost universally acceptable. After Sinai, allegiance to a Supreme Being, sanctification of God’s name, and respect for human life as made in God’s image radically challenged the prevailing norms.

In Parshas Emor, devoted faithfulness to God’s moral law in the midst of mayhem is quite a test for the newly freed Israelites. Some embrace it. some accept parts of it, and many reject it entirely. In the whole world today, it still appears that some people embrace God’s moral law, some accept parts of it, and many reject it entirely. 

Because the essence of Judaism revolves around the value and dignity of each human soul, the portion includes a stern warning against destroying innocent human life, “And if a man strikes down any human being he shall be put to death.” Leviticus 24:17. The Torah has no qualifiers. 'Any human being' includes those in the womb.

Character Cleansing

The portion goes on to look at Jewish festivals, and the need to observe them for spiritual refinement. During the seven weeks after Passover, known as the Counting of the Omer, we make a studied and mindful effort to prepare ourselves for the festival of Shavuos, a celebration of the miracle at Sinai when we received the Torah.

Just as our ancestors transitioned from a degraded pagan existence adopted in Egypt to an elevated consciousness of God’s presence after the Exodus, we identify and correct secular ideas and attitudes that contravene God's law. We study seven personality traits - Kindness(Chesed), Justice / Discipline(Gevurah), Harmony / Compassion(Tiferet), Endurance(Netzach), Humility(Hod), Bonding(Yesod), and Sovereignty / Leadership(Malchut).

Carefully applying these personality traits within the context of Torah-based principles, we can fulfill our obligation to respect God's law in our everyday thoughts, words, and actions. With this as our guide and with God’s assistance and mercy, we gain the insight, wisdom, and power to promote a culture of life though surrounded by a spiritually degraded culture of death in which human life is expendable and exploited for personal gain.

In our modern culture, destroying innocent life in the womb imposes few legal penalties; however, punishment for this appalling offense against God ultimately comes from a Heavenly court. Until then, the unrepentant perpetrator suffers an unavoidable spiritual death - an agonizing penalty, indeed. “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”            Ecclesiastes 12:14

In the Haftorah portion this week, Yechezkel (Ezekiel) 44:15–31, the prophet reprises many of the priestly guidelines as he foretells of the Third Holy Temple in Jerusalem that will be built when the people return to God. We pray our Israel Pro-Life Education Project with our Torah-based pro-life education and our Tikvat Rachel Healing Program helps that Third Temple become a reality.

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Cecily Routman

May there be abundant peace from Heaven, and good life upon us and upon all Israel. Amen.

Cecily Routman is the founder and president of the Jewish Pro-Life Foundation. She opposes abortion homicide in general and among Jews in particular and laments secular policy making in Israel that results in loss of Jewish life and delays the messianic redemption. Cecily envisions a Torah based holy Land of Israel and a world that respects the life of every human being from conception.

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