Kedoshim

קְדֹשִׁים

Leviticus 19:1 – 20:27

The Laws

(This Parsha contains many of the laws given to Moses.)

HaShem said to Moses, telling him to tell the people of Israel:

You must be holy since I am HaShem your G-d and I am holy.

Every person must respect his mother and father, and keep Shabbat. I am HaShem, your G-d.

Do not worship false gods. Do not make gods for yourselves out of metal. I am HaShem your G-d.

When you offer a peace sacrifice to HaShem you must do it of your own free will. You can eat it on the day you offer it and on the next day, but not on the third day. On the third day it is unclean and must be burned in fire. If a person eats it on the third day he will be cut off (spiritually) from the people.

When you harvest do not harvest the ends of your fields, and do not pick up fallen fruit or stalks. Also, do not pick individual grapes or unformed grape bunches. All of these are left for the poor and the stranger. I am HaShem your G-d.

Do not steal.

Do not deny a rightful claim.

Do not lie to one another.

Do not swear a lie on my name, doing so would desecrate (make unclean) my name. I am HaShem.

Do not unjustly withhold that which is due to your neighbor. (This means that if you owe someone something, you have to give it to them unless there is a legal reason not to.)

Do not let a worker’s wages stay with you overnight until morning. (This means to pay people on time… not even waiting one day.)

Do not curse even the deaf. (This means you shouldn’t curse anyone, whether they can hear you or not.)

Do not place a stumbling block in front of the blind. (This means both physically blind people and people who do not understand. Do not trick people.) You must fear HaShem. I am your G-d.

Do not pervert justice. Do not give special attention to the poor or show respect to the great. Judge your people fairly. (Because of this law, the poor and the rich were made to dress the same way in a court of law so that they could not be judged by their level in society, but by their actions.)

Do not spread gossip.

Do not stand by while your neighbor is in danger. I am HaShem.

Do not hate your brother in your heart (This applies to your family and all Jews.)

You must not bear a sin because of your neighbor (This means that you must try to set him straight, but also that you may not do so in public.)

You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.

Keep my decrees:

Do not crossbreed livestock with other species.

Do not plant your fields with mixed species of seeds.

Do not wear clothing that contains a forbidden mixture of fabrics.

If a man has relations with a married slave, she is to be punished and he is to bring a ram as a sacrifice. Since she has not been freed they will not be put to death.

When you come to Israel and plant any fruit trees, you may not eat the fruit for the first 3 years. The fruit of the 4th year is holy and should be brought to the temple as an offering, and the fruit from the 5th year forward may be eaten. I am HaShem your G-d.

Do not eat blood.

Do not act on the basis of omens. (like black cats.)

Do not act on the basis of lucky and unlucky times. (Like Friday the 13th.)

Do not cut off the hair on the sides of your head.

Do not shave off the edges of your beard.

Do not make gashes on your skin.

Do not make tattoo marks on your skin. I am HaShem.

Do not allow your daughter to have relations outside of marriage.

Keep my Shabbat and respect my sanctuary (temple.) I am HaShem.

Do not turn to mediums, or seek out oracles. They will make you unclean. I am HaShem your G-d. (This commandment has to do with any attempt to find out the future.)v

When a convert comes to the land, do not hurt his feelings. The foreigner who converts must be treated exactly in the same way a native-born Jew is treated. You must love him as you love yourself because you were foreigners in Egypt. I am HaShem your G-d.

Do not falsify measures, in length height weight or volume. You must have an honest scale, honest weights, and an honest measuring cup for dry and wet goods.

I am HaShem your G-d who took you out of Egypt. Keep my laws safe, and follow them. I am HaShem. HaShem spoke to Moses, telling him to tell the Jews: If any person gives his children to Molekh, he must be put to death by stoning. I will direct my anger at that person. If the local people ignore the fact that he has made himself unclean by giving his children to Molekh, I will turn my anger against him and his family. I will cut him off from the people along with those who follow him and give themselves to Molekh.

If a person turns to mediums and oracles, I will turn my anger against him and cut him off (spiritually) from his people. You must be holy for I am HaShem your G-d. Keep my laws safe and follow them because I am HaShem and I am making you holy. Any person who curses his parents must be put to death by stoning.

If a man commits adultery with a married woman the two must be stoned to death. Anyone who breaks the laws pertaining to relations in any of the ways mentioned in last week’s Parsha, will be stoned to death.

Keep my laws safe and follow them, because I am giving you this land. If you make yourselves unclean the land will kick you out.

 

Ezekiel 44.15-31

This week’s Parsha talks about the laws that HaShem has put down as a moral code for us to follow.

In this week’s Haftara Ezekiel says that because of the wickedness of Israel, the people will be scattered. But he will not destroy the people of Israel. They will have to work to re-inherit the land.

 

• Thirtieth of 54 Sedras in the Torah
• Written on 109 lines in the Sefer Torah
• 64 P’sukim (verses)
• 868 words
• 3,229 letters