Aharei mot – Kedoshim (Leviticus 16:1 – 20:27)

This weekly reading is titled “After the Death” and begins with a reference to the death of Nadav and Avihu, two sons of Aharon. They were burned alive by a celestial fire in the course of a divine service. One commentary on the possible causes of their death points to love—spontaneous and sincere love—that got them carried away. The reading continues with a set of procedures required for the divine service that cost Nadav and Avihu their lives. This service is none other than that of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the Judaic calendar.

The following reading is titled “Kedoshim,” meaning “holy.” It is often (as this year) read together with the preceding one. It begins with a demand that appears prima facie unrealistic: “Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, the Eternal, your God, am holy” (19:2). How can an entire community be holy, let alone holy like God?

The ceremony of Yom Kippur sketches a way forward. Its centerpiece is the admission of wrongdoing. It is........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)