Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here  https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email [email protected]

This aliya contains more decrees from G-d:

A judge must judge justly. He may not show favoritism for a poor man, meaning he may not judge out of pity for him, thinking that if he rules in favor of the poor man the poor man will be able to get money without shame or resorting to dishonesty. A judge may also not know favoritism to a rich man, in being concerned over embarrassing him due to his prestige.

Rashi elaborates on the term "wrong" (עול) in reference to a judge in the text here and says that is is a short formed way for scripture to call such a person a wrongdoer, hateful, repulsive, banned and an abomination. He deduces this by referencing Dvarim 25:16 where עול is called תועבה (abomination), and Dvarim 7:26 which says that an abomination (תועבה) is called repulsive (שקץ) and banned (חרם).

It is forbidden to gossip. It is forbidden to neglect to save your fellow's life if you are able to (for example if he's drowning in a lake or being chased by an animal or robbers - you must try to save him).

Do not hold bad feelings against your fellow in your heart but rather confront him. But do not reprove him in public so as to embarrass him.

Do not take revenge - for example, if you ask to borrow something from someone and they say no, and then the following day that person asks you to borrow something, do not say no out of revenge.

Do not bear a grudge - for example, if you ask to borrow something from someone and they say no, and then the following day that person asks you to borrow something, do not say "sure I will lend it to you even though you didn't lend me something yesterday.".

You shall love your fellow as yourself. Rashi points out in his commentary here that Rabbi Akiva called this a "great principle in Torah".

G-d then gives a few laws which do not have an obvious "reason" to them, otherwise known as חוקים:

* You must not mate animals of different species together.

* You must not crossbreed plants in your field (כלאים)

* You may not have any clothing made out of a mixture of wool and linen (שעטנז)

Having Relations with a Canaanite Slave Woman who has been 1/2 Freed and Designated for Someone Else

This next law deals with a Canaanite slave who was owned by two Jewish partners, one of whom gave up his share of ownership, thus deeming her 1/2 Canaanite slave and 1/2 Jew (since a freed Caananite slave took on the status of a Jew).

Such a woman is very limited in terms of whom she is permitted to marry or have relations with since: A Caananite slave is not permitted to have relations with her because of her 1/2 Jewish (freed) side, and a regular Jewish man may not have relations with her due to her 1/2 Canaanite side (regular Jewish men were forbidden from having relations with Caananite slave women, however Jewish slaves were permitted to).

So the only person whom she is permitted to marry and have relations with is a Jewish slave since such a slave marries the free (Jewish) part of her and has relations with the slave side of her (since Jewish slaves were allowed to have relations with Canaanite slave women). A slave owner might designate a Jewish slave to a particular Canaanite slave woman.

The text here refers to such a woman who has indeed been designated to a Jewish slave, and has not been redeemed through money or granted freedom with documentation.

If such a woman has relations with a man other than the one she was designated for, the court must investigate the matter and make sure that she does not get charged with the death penalty as a married woman who committed adultery would. This is because her marriage was not a complete one since she has not been freed. Instead, she (but not the man) is liable for lashes. The man must offer a ram as a guilt offering for atonement. While guilt offerings are usually only offered in the case of unintentional sins, in this instance a guilt offering is required whether or not he was aware of her status when he had relations with her.

If however such a woman had been freed, this would deem her marriage as complete and thus in having relations with another man this would constitute adultery and both parties would be liable for the death penalty.

Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here  https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email [email protected]

G-d tells Moshe to relay the following section to the "entire assembly of the Israelite nation". This wording of including the entire assembly indicates that this was the only portion whereby the entire nation had to be present when Moshe relayed G-d's words. At other times, any individual had the option to not be present if they so wished. The reason this forthcoming portion had to be said to everyone is because it forms the basis for most of the essential aspects of Torah.

So G-d begins and says that the Israelites should be "holy" since G-d is "Holy". Rashi deduces that this is a hint to abstaining from sins related to sexual immorality (including incest, adultery and being intimate with a woman who is in a state of menstrual impurity). Rashi comes to this conclusion based on the fact that wherever scripture warns against something to do with sexual immorality, this is juxtaposed with a mention of "holiness". For examples, see Rashi to this section in our parsha (Vayikra 19:2).

Reverence for Parents and Keeping the Sabbath

G-d then says that everyone* must revere one's mother and father** and keep the Sabbath.

*Side note: Scripture here uses the word איש (literally "man") although this commandment applies to both men and women. Rashi explains that this is because men have a greater responsibility in this regard since women are not always under their own dominion. For example a woman might be married to a man whom her respect for must supersede that which she has for her parents.

**Side note: Mother is written before father here, in contrast to the commandment to honor one's parents where father is written first (as part of the 10 commandments - see Shmos 20:12 and Dvarim 5:16). This is because reverence for a son towards his father is more natural than towards a mother and honor towards a mother is more natural (since she wins him over with sweet words (Kiddushin 30b-31a)) than towards a father.

The reason why keeping the Sabbath is juxtaposed here next to having reverence for one's parents is to stipulate that the law to revere one's father does not apply if he tells you to break the laws of the Sabbath or any other Torah laws.

Rashi lists a few examples of what reverence for parents is vs. honoring parents:

Reverence:

* Not sitting in a parent's place

* If a parent is expected to speak, not to speak in their stead

* Not to contradict one's parent

Honoring:

* Feeding and giving drink to a parent

* Dressing and putting shoes on parents

* Escorting a parent in and out

Idol Worship

G-d then warns the Israelites against worshiping false G-ds. Rashi points out the play on words with the word הָ֣אֱלִילִ֔ם which is related to the word אל which simply translates to mean a "god", i.e a false god, but also spells (albeit with different voweling) "not", meaning that these deities are not real. Rashi then makes note that the progression in this verse is such that first they are called simply "gods" (אלילים) and then referred to as "molten gods". Rashi explains that this is a warning that the Israelites should not worship these "nothing" gods, lest they turn them into "something" by virtue of their worship (i.e. into "molten" gods).

Not only are they not allowed to worship these idols and construct them for themselves, they may not construct these idols for anyone else, nor have someone construct an idol for them.

Sacrificial Offerings

Sacrifices must be offered with intention (i.e if a person performs an aspect of a sacrificial offering unintentionally (eg. he waves a knife and it happens to cut the throat of an animal designated as an offering), the offering is not valid.

Also, sacrifices must be eaten on the day that they are slaughtered, and one must have the intention to eat it on that day whilst slaughtering it. Whatever is left over the next day must be burnt on the altar. If a person has the intention while slaughtering the offering for some of it to be leftover after it's fixed time, but then ends up eating it during the right time, it is called Pigul. If a person actually eats it outside of it's fixed time, it is called Notar.

If while slaughtering this animal for the sacrifice he has the intention to eat it outside of the prescribed location, this is "abominable" ("pigul") and this sacrifice will not be accepted.

The punishment for eating a sacrifice outside of its fixed time (Notar) is excommunication. While merely having the intention to eat it outside of its fixed time (Pigul) or outside of its designated area is also forbidden, doing so does not result in excommunication.

Peah

G-d then gives instructions regarding harvesting. He says that when reaping ones harvest, one must abstain from reaping the corners of the field. These corners should be left for poor people. One should not designate these corners as such ahead of time, but rather they should be left at the end of reaping. If one does designate these ahead of time, those designated areas must be left for the poor however one must leave aside additional corners as well.

If while harvesting one's field one or two gleanings fall away, these must be left for poor people. If three gleanings fall away together however, these are not to be considered gleanings and the owner of the land may gather them.

Vinyards

If a person owns a vineyard, he is to leave alone any grapes which do not lean on ther clusters or hang down from other clusters as well as any grapes which fall off of the clusters while the grapes are being picked. These are to be left for poor people.

G-d warns that anyone who refrains from keeping these commandments with regards to poor people will pay with their life.

Other prohibitions

One is forbidden from stealing money*, one may not falsely deny a claim. one may not lie and one may not swear falsely in the name** of G-d.

*Side note: This prohibition differs from the "don't steal" of the 10 commandments which refers to stealing people (i.e. kidnapping), which, like the other 10 commandments, is liable for the death penalty. This is not the penalty for stealing money.

Rashi explains that the reason why these three prohibitions are listed together is because transgressing one will lead to the other. I.e. if a person steals money, this will lead them to false denial of a claim, which will in tern lead them to lie and then to swear falsely.

**Side note: The 10 commandment already warned against saying G-d's name in vain, however one might think that this would only apply to the Tetragrammaton, which is considered the "special" name of G-d. The warning here clarifies that one may not swear falsely by any name of G-d.

One may not withhold wages of a hired worker.

If a worker is hired to work during the day, an employer has the entire night to pay them. If he is hired to work during the night, the employer has the whole day after to pay them. Torah wanted to give the employer enough time to find money to pay his worker(s).

One may not curse any person who is alive*.

*Side note: Scripture specifies that one may not curse a "deaf person" person, however Rashi extrapolates this to mean anyone who is alive, as a deaf person has the redeeming quality of being alive.

One may not put a stumbling block in front of a "blind person". Not someone who is literally blind, but meaning one may not give a person advice that is not advantageous to them but will be for you. Rashi brings down an example from Toras Kohaniom that one may not tell a person to sell their field and buy a donkey instead and then buy their field off of them.

A person's inner intentions are not always apparent on the outside to others, so a person must keep fear of G-d in mind in regards to this commandment of not putting a stumbling block in front of someone since G-d sees a person's inner thoughts.

Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here  https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email [email protected]

A man is forbidden from having sexual relations with (AKA “uncovering their “nakedness”) with the following people (this prohibition applies to both men and women):

* One’s father’s wife

* One’s mother (even if she is not married to one’s father)

* A woman who was once married to one’s father but no longer is (i.e. she died or they got divorced)

* One’s sister born from one’s father and/or mother, even if not legitimate

* One’s daughter that was conceived from a woman one raped

* One’s granddaughter

* One’s stepdaughter

* (The prohibition involving one’s own daughter is not stated explicitly here but is derived from a Gzerah Shava in the gemara (Yevamot 3a)

* One’s sister (unless she was born from a Canaanite slave woman or non Jew*

* One’s aunt (both one’s father and mother’s sister)

* One’s paternal uncle’s wife**

* One’s daughter in law***

* One’s sister in law

* One may not marry a woman and then subsequently marry that woman’s daughter or granddaughter.****

* One may not marry two sisters so long as they are both alive*****

* One may not be intimate with a woman while she is in a state of menstrual impurity.

* Another man’s wife

*Side note: Sexual prohibitions only apply to people who Jews can marry (even if the person in question is forbidden from marrying them) Marriage can never apply to a Jewish man and a Canaanite slave woman or a non Jew.

**Side note: This is according to Rashi. Other opinions hold that this is a prohibition against a man being intimate with his paternal uncle.

***Side note: This does not include a woman one’s son raped, a woman who he had relations with without being married to her, or a Canaanite or non Jewish woman he had relations with.

****Side note: If however a man has non marital relations with a woman by raping her or otherwise, he is permitted to marry this woman’s daughter so long as it was not conceived through him.

*****Side note: Even if he marries one woman and then divorces her, he may still not marry her sister so long as the first woman is alive.

Prohibition Against Molech Worship

This aliya ends with G-d prohibiting against handing over one’s child to a priest of Molech to perform the ceremony of worshiping Molech. Molech was a pagan deity who was worshipped by setting up two bonfires and having one’s child walk between them. It is of Rashi’s opinion that the prohibition here is the giving of the child to the priest and not the actual passing through the fire ceremony.

Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here  https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email [email protected]

Sexual Transgressions Cont’d and Their Consequences

The chumash lists two more forbidden sexual acts:

* A man may not be intimate with another man in a way that a man usually is with a woman. Scripture refers to this as an “abonimation”

* Neither a man nor a woman may be intimate with an animal. Scripture calls this a “perversion”.

G-d warns the Israelites not to become impure with any of these listed acts and says that this is how the other nations which G-d is sending away from the Israelites became impure. He elaborates that when the land of Israel became impure as such, it vomited out its inhabitants and warns the Israelites to not behave in such a way that the land would so vomit them out.

Rashi likens the land of Israel to a king’s son who has a delicate constitution and cannot digest anything repugnant.

G-d warns that anyone, both man and woman who transgres any of these prohibitions will be cut off from the nation. Scripture specifies that the punishment is equal for both man and woman since one might have thought that it wouldn’t be since the intimate act is physically different for men than women.

G-d says that the Israelites should see to it that their courts of justice enforce these laws.

He concludes this section by saying that He is only their G-d on condition that they abide by these laws.

Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here  https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email [email protected]

Some Stipulations Regarding Sacrifices

G-d instructs Moshe to warn the Israelites* against offering up any sacrifices outside of the temple grounds. This prohibition includes valid sacrifices as well as offerings which have become disqualified for having been slaughtered outside of the temple grounds (see yesterday's post).

*Side note: In this section, every time Israelites are mentioned, the text adds that converts to Judaism are included as well. For simplicity, I will omit this clause about converts in this summary.

Anyone who disobeys this, will be punished with dying prematurely and having his children die* as well.

*Side note: According to Tosfos (and most commentators hold that Rashi agreed with this view) this refers exclusively to young children, however the Be'er BaSadeh understands that it includes adult children.

Any Israelite who consumes any blood (not only blood from sacrifices - which is blood which brings atonement), will be cut off from the Israelite nation. This prohibition applies equally to minors as well as adults.

G-d explains that reason why it is forbidden to consume blood is because "the soul of the flesh is in the blood", meaning to say that the life force of any living creature is dependent on its blood. It is for this reason that blood has been designated for the sacrifices so that the blood of the animal will atone for the person who is offering the sacrifice's soul.

Any Israelite who traps* an animal or bird which is kosher to eat, must pour out its blood and cover it with earth.

*Side note: According to Toras Kohanim 11:2 and Chullin 84a, this wording of "trapped" is used, even though it includes domestic animals which don't really need to be trapped like geese or chickens, to teach that meat should not be consumed too habitually/be too readily attainable. I.e. it must be "trapped".

If a person eats meat which falls under the category of Neveila (a kosher animal* which died on its own - not through schita) or Treifa (which died from a mortal defect) becomes impure* and must immerse himself and his clothing and then that evening he shall become pure.

*Side note: The categories of Neveila and Treifa only apply to kosher animals. Non kosher animals are not categorized as such.

**Side note: This impurity is transferred through the throat while the animal is being eaten, not through touch or through the mouth or while in the stomach. This is why a person can purify themselves from it after it has been swallowed even if some of it still remains in his stomach.

If a person refrains from immersing himself and his clothing before eating from sacrificial meat (i.e that which is "holy") or entering into the Temple while in this impure state, they are punished. For not immersing himself, he is punished with kares (excommunication) and for not immersing his clothes he is punished with lashes.

Prohibitions Against Sexual Immorality

G-d anticipates that abiding by the prohibitions against sexual immorality will not always be easy for the Israelites and He foresees that in the time of Ezra for example, the Jewish men will marry non Jewish women (Ezra 9:12, 10-:2-3, 11-2). Thus before outlining what these laws are, he tells Moshe to remind the Israelites that this G-d that is giving these laws is their G-d, the very same one that they agreed to obey at Mount Sinai.

G-d warns the Israelites against acting like the Egyptians* who they used to live amongst, or the Canaanites**, to whom they are going. He also warns them against following their "statutes". Rashi quotes two commentaries regarding what is meant by these "statutes". Rashi understands these "statutes" to mean the entertainment venues of the time (i.e theaters and stadiums) but he also quotes Rabbi Meir's understanding that "statutes" in this instance means the "ways of the Amorites", which includes different superstitious practices.

*Side note: The Egyptians were the most debased of all cultures at that time. And the Egyptians who lived near the Israelites (in Goshen) were the most debased of them all. These Egyptians immersed themselves in pagan cults in the hopes that these pagan deities would keep the Israelites enslaved.

**Side note: Once the Israelites conquered Canaan, it was this nation of Canaanites who were the most debased in this way of pagan practices. These Canaanites hoped that their practices would repel the Israelite invasion.

G-d says that the Israelites must obey both those laws which are common sense (משפּטים - literally "judgements") and those which don't make "sense" (חוקים - literally "decrees") and thus the evil inclination might have more sway in getting a person to disregard them. Rashi gives the prohibitions against eating pork and wearing shatnez as examples of these. And just as a person is never free from keeping these commandments, one is never free from studying them - i.e. one cannot say, "OK great now I've learned about Judaism, I will now go learn about other types of wisdom from other nations."

If a person observes and studies these judgements and decrees (including all of their details which are not written explicitly in scripture), he will merit eternal life in the World to Come.

Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here  https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email [email protected]

Where to Slaughter Animal Offerings

G-d now instructs Moshe regarding where animals for offerings must be slaughtered.

G-d says that any Israelite man who slaughters an ox, sheep or goat that was designated as an offering outside of the grounds of the Mishkan (or Beis HaMikdash) rather than having brought it to the entrance of the Ohel Moed, it is as if he shed the blood of a human, in so far as he becomes liable for death.

These offerings which the Israelites habitually had slaughtered outside of the Mishkan's premises (and which the text refer to as "sacrifices to demons") should from now on instead be brought to the entrance of the Ohel Moed and given to a Kohen. And the Kohen is then to throw the blood upon the altar at the entrance of the Ohel Moed.

Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here  https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email [email protected]

Aaron is then to move eastward, in the direction of the entrance of the Mishkan, till he gets to the golden altar (which is still situated within the Mishkan, unlike the copper altar which was in the Courtyard outside of the Mishkan). Once there, he is to mix the blood of the bull and he-goat together, and place it on the horns of this altar all around, beginning with the north eastern corner of the altar.

He is then to sprinkle this blood with his finger seven times on top of it. This shall purify it from past impurities and sanctify it for the future.

After all of this, he is to bring the live he-goat (i.e the one for which he drew the lot "for Azazel") and he is to lean his two hands on its head and confess all of the the Israelites faults and sins and place them on the head of the goat and the he-goat shall bear all of these sins and Aaron is to send the goat into the desert with a man who had been pre-designated for this task.

The chumash now describes how Aaron is then to enter the Ohel Moed and remove the linen garments he was wearing when he entered the Mishkan and store them away there forever, never to be used again even on future Yom Kippurs. This is not placed in the correct chronological order (though the rest of the ceremony was written as such).

It actually occurred after the Kohen Gadol preformed his ceremony and the people's burnt offerings and after burning the sacrificial parts of the bull and he goat, all of which he did outside of the Holy of Holies while wearing the golden garments and which is described after this.

So before offering up his own and the people's burnt offering, Aaron is to immerse in the mikvah*.

*Side note: The first time he immersed that day (i.e. for his first change of clothing) was not specific to Yom Kipper as he usually immersed daily. Thus it occurred in an unconsecrated area on the roof of the Gate of Water which was one of the gates of the Courtyard. The four subsequent immersions were done in a consecrated area called the House of the Parvah which was a building on the grounds of the Bies HaMikdash. The gemara (Yoma 35a) describes how this area was named after a Persian sorcerer named Parvah who had such a strong desire to observe the Kohen Gadol do his Yom Kippur ceremony that he dug a tunnel into the Beis Hamikdash. Upon discovering this, the Kohanim killed him, however they named the area after him in memory of his albeit misplaced spiritual desire.

The chronological sequence of events for the Kohen Gadol's entire Yom Kipper ceremony was:

* The morning Tamid sacrifice - in golden garments

* Sprinkling the blood of the bull and he-goat inside of the Holy of Holies and the incense ceremony with the coals in the pan - in the linen garments

* Offering his own ram, the Israelites' ram and some other sacrifices of the day - in golden garments

* Removal of the spoon and pan (which had caused the incense to go up) from the Holy of Holies - in the linen garments

* The rest of the sacrifices of the day: the afternoon Tamid and the incense burning in the heichal on the inner altar - in golden garments.

Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here  https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email [email protected]

This parsha deals with G-d giving instructions to Moshe which Moshe is to relay to Aaron regarding the sanctity of the Mishkan. It starts off with mentioning the death of Aaron's sons Nadav and Avihu who died for not adhering to the guidelines regarding the Mishan's sanctity.

Rashi explains the reason for this reminder by giving a parable of two doctors who come to treat a patient. The first doctor tells the patient to avoid eating cold food and lying in a damp cold place. The second doctor tells the patient to avoid eating cold food and lying a damp cold place so that he won't die like Mr. X died. It is obvious to see how the second doctor's words will be more effective in making sure that the patient follows the instructions.

So G-d tells Moshe to warn Aaron that he is only to enter the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur with a cloud of incense, as G-d's schina is revealed in that place. And if he enters into the Holy of Holies when he is not supposed to, he will die.

When Aaron does enter the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur, he is to enter with a bull and a young male cattle for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.

Rather than wearing his usual eight high priestly garments which are laced with gold, he is to wear the more simple four garments of a regular priest, all made out of linen. This is because the gold in his regular garments is reminiscent of the sin of the golden calf, and a "prosecutor doesn't become a defense attorney", i.e. on Yom Kippur he is coming to ask for forgiveness for the Jewish people so it would not be befitting for him to wear something that would recall their sins.

The four linen garments are (see earlier in the chumash for more details on these): The Kutones (tunic), Michnasaim (pants), Avnet (belt) and Mitznefes (cap). These garments were not bought by Aaron but rather were purchased from money which had been donated to the Mishkan and set aside for this. Aaron was welcome to donate to this fund if he wanted to so more expensive garments could be made for him.

On Yom Kippur, the Kohen Gadol had to change his clothes five times, as there were some parts of the ceremony he performed outside of the Holy of Holies, and for those he donned his regular gold high priestly garments. Before each changing of clothing, he would immerse in a mikvah and would sanctify his hands and feet at the kiyor twice each time - once after removing whichever garments he had been wearing and then again after putting on the new ones.

Aaron is to take two he goats as a sin offering and one ram as a burnt offering from the Israelites. He should also bring his own bull that he had reserved for a sin offering (mentioned above) to offer for himself and his family as an atonement. This bull he did pay for out of his own funds.

Aaron is then to take the two he-goats and place them at the entrance of the Ohel Moed ("before G-d"), one to his right and one to his left. He is then to pick lots out of a box - one with his right hand and one with his left hand. One lot is to say "To G-d" and the other is to say "To Azazel". Whichever lot came out with his right hand goes to the goat on his right and the other to the goat on his left.

When Aaron draws the lot that says "to G-d" on it, Aaron is to place the lot on the goat and declare that this goat is a sin offering "to G-d".

Regarding the goat for which Aaron drew the lot "for Azazel", it is to be taken standing and alive, and then sent off to Azazel in the wilderness to its death and thus serve as an atonement.

Aaron is then to bring his own personal bull as a sin offering on behalf of himself and the other Kohanim (who are considered his family) and slaughter it. This atones the Kohanim of any time they might have entered the Beit Hamikdash property or eaten of an offering (i.e. something "holy") while in a state of impurity.

Aaron is then to take a shovelful of fiery coals from on top of the outer altar as well as a cupped handful of the most finely ground spices (it would be reground on Erev Yom Kippur) for the incense and bring these behind the Curtain in the Holy of Holies.

He is then to place the incense on the coals in the fire pan which was on the altar so that the smoke would cover the ark cover that is on top of the Tablets. If he does not perform this ceremony in this fashion, he was liable for death.

He is then to take some of the blood from the bull and using his finger, sprinkle it once above the ark cover, and then seven times below the ark cover (so no blood actually touched the ark cover).

He is then to slaughter the nation's sin offering (which was the he-goat which had come up with the lot saying "to G-d") and bring its blood behind the Curtain and sprinkle it in the same way as he did with the bull. This goat brings atonement to the people for the same sins that the bull brought atonement to the kohanim, namely being in the Mishkan or eating food or offerings while in a state of impurity - weather this was willful or unintentional.

Aaron is then to do this same sprinkling of both the bull and the he-goat on the outside of the Paroches (the curtain separating the Holy of Holies and the rest of the Mishkan, i.e. on the side facing the Mishkan - not into the Holy of Holies) - one sprinkle above it and seven below it.

No one shall be in the Ohel Moed while the Kohen is doing this ceremony and atoning for himself, his "household" (i.e his family and the other Kohanim) and the nation as a whole.

Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here  https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email [email protected]

The Rest of the Yom Kippur Service

The Kohen is then to burn the appropriate parts of the bull and he-goat which were brought as sin offerings (see yesterday's post for more info) on the outer altar. Animal offerings* were not allowed to be sacrificed on the inner altar (although their blood was sprinkled on the inner altar - see yesterday's post).

*Side note: This is according to Rashi's interpretation who includes all animal offerings in what is called "burnt offerings" in Shmos 30:9, which forbids "burnt and meal offerings" from being sacrificed on the inner altar.

The person who was designated to send the other he-goat to Azazel (see yesterday's post for more info) is to immerse himself and his clothing in the mikva and only then may he enter the camp.

Someone is then to take the two sin offerings (the bull and the he-goat) outside of the camp and burn their hides, flesh and waste.

The one who burns these should then immerse himself and his clothing in the mikvah and only after may he enter the camp.

G-d at this point in the chumash establishes the holiday of Yom Kippur. He descrees that from then on eternally, the 10th day of the seventh month (i.e the 10th of Tishrei) the Israelites should "afflict themselves" and not do work, a "Sabbath" of complete rest. As this will be the day that G-d will atone and cleanse them from all their sins.

This atonement is only complete so long as there as a Kohen Gadol to perform all of the duties which Aaron was given at that time. If appropriate, the succeeding Kohen Gadol should be the son of the previous Kohen Gadol.

And from that day forward, the Israelites commemorated this day as such, at that time with Aaron serving as Kohen Gadol, wearing the special garments not for his own glory but selflessly for the service of the day.

Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here  https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email [email protected]

On the eight day, after experiencing seven clean days from which she has no more discharge, the woman who was a Zivah must bring two turtledoves or two young doves to the Kohen at the entrance of the Ohel Moed. The Kohen is then to designate one of the birds as a sin offering and one as burnt offering and she will be atoned through these offerings.

G-d says that the Israelites must be separated when they are impure. And if anyone enters the Mishkan while in a state of impurity they are liable for Kares (excommunication), which is a spiritual "death".