Parshat Acharei Mot - Kedoshim: The Weekly Parsha Story Illustrated by AI

Hello dear children. Today we will learn about the Torah portions akare mo and kadoshim which contain important instructions and commandments that teach us how to live good and holy lives. God speaks to Moshe after the death of Auron's two sons Nadav and Avihu who died when they brought unauthorized fire into the tabernacle. Fire that God had not commanded. It was a great tragedy for Auron's family and for all the Jewish people. Nadav and Avihu were young kohani, young priests, and they decided to enter the holy of holies and offer incense in their own way, not according to God's exact instructions. They thought they were doing something good. But the holiest place requires strict adherence to the rules. When they offered the unauthorized fire, a flame came out from before God and consumed them. That is why God now explains exactly how and when it is permitted to enter the holiest place so that such a tragedy will not happen again. God warns Aaron and commands him not to enter the holy of holies whenever he wishes. There is only one day a year when it is permitted to enter there. Yum Kapor. Wow. Such a holy place that even the high priest can enter it only once a year. In this week's portion, God explains in great detail the service of Yam Kapor. It is a magnificent and moving ceremony intended to purify the Jewish people from all their sins. Before Yamipur, Auron, the high priest underos special preparations. He must be completely pure because he is about to enter the holiest place on earth. He immerses in a mikvah, a ritual purification bath, and replaces his golden garments with simple white clothing. The white garments symbolize purity and humility because before God everyone is equal, even the high priest. On this special day, Auron brings many offerings. He brings a bull as a sin offering for himself and for all the priests. He must atone for himself first before he can atone for the Jewish nation. And then comes the fascinating moment. The high priest takes two goats that look almost identical. He conducts a special lottery. One goat is chosen by Lot for God and the other is chosen for Aazelle, the scapegoat. The goat that is chosen for God is offered as a sin offering for the entire Jewish nation. But what happens with the second goat here takes place one of the most fascinating events in the Torah. The high priest approaches the second goat, places both his hands on its head, and confesses aloud. Please God, your people, the house of Israel, have sinned, transgressed, and rebelled before you. Then the goat is handed over to a special person who was chosen in advance. The man takes the goat to the edge of a cliff, and from there he sends it off as atonement for the Jewish people. This goat is called the scapegoat for Aazelle. In this way, the Jewish people are purified from all their sins. When the man who escorted the goat returns to the camp, he must immerse in water and wash his clothes before re-entering the camp. After the high priest completed this special service, he would wash his body again, put on his splendid golden garments, and offer burnt offerings to God, one for himself and one for the people. On Yum Kipur, the Jewish people are required to fast and refrain from any work. It is a day of soulsearching, repentance, and purification. A day when the entire nation is cleansed of its sins and begins a new chapter. Later on in the portion, God commands the people not to offer sacrifices wherever they please, but only in the tabernacle. God also warns the Jewish people not to consume the blood of animals. No person among you shall eat blood. That's why to this day, we are careful to salt the meat in order to remove all the blood before eating it. The portion now moves on to detail a long list of forbidden marriages. The Torah warns that it is forbidden to marry certain close relatives. These laws are intended to preserve the family as a sacred and healthy framework. God warns the Jewish people not to follow the ways of the Egyptians and the Canaanites who behaved immorally, but rather to follow the unique path that God sets for them. Now comes the second and special part of the weekly portion. Ketoshim. It opens with a truly remarkable call. You shall be holy for I, the Lord your God, am holy. What an inspiring call. God is calling us to be holy, to be elevated and sanctified. What does it mean to be holy? It doesn't mean disconnecting from the world or doing strange things. Holiness means behaving in a special moral and good way. being different and unique in our conduct. How do we do that? The Torah portion gives us a long and detailed list of commandments that help us be holy in our daily lives. The portion begins with two fundamental commandments. Honoring one's parents and observing Shabbat. These two commandments connect us to previous generations and to the creator of the world. Honoring parents is not just about obeying them, but also about caring for them, helping them, speaking to them respectfully, and not being ashamed of them. And observing Shabbat is not just about rest, but a holy day on which we disconnect from work and creation in order to connect with God and our family. Now, the Torah details a series of commandments that relate to interpersonal relationships. It is forbidden to steal, lie, or deceive anyone. It is forbidden to take advantage of vulnerable people or to take things that do not belong to us. Workers and employees must be paid on time and their wages must not be delayed. It is forbidden to curse a deaf person who cannot hear the curse. And it is forbidden to mislead a blind person in something they do not understand. Judges must be fair and must not favor wealthy or important people. Everyone is equal under the laws of the Torah. It is forbidden to gossip or speak slander about others. We are obligated to help a person who is in danger. It is forbidden to hold hatred in your heart. If someone has hurt you, it is better to speak to them about it respectfully than to harbor hatred inside. Then comes one of the most beautiful and important commandments in the Torah. Love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. Love your fellow as you love yourself. Rabbi Aka said that this is a great principle in the Torah from which many other commandments derive. If we truly love others as ourselves, we won't want to hurt them, steal from them, deceive them, or speak badly about them. Hel the Elder summed up the entire Torah in one sentence. What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. The Torah also teaches us to care for the poor and the vulnerable, and it details several special commandments. When harvesting a field, one must leave a corner for the poor. This is called PEA. If stalks fall during the harvest, they are not to be collected. They remain for the poor and are called le. When harvesting grapes, if individual grapes fall, they are called peret. Or if small clusters fall, they are called oolot. These belong to the poor. These commandments allow the poor to gather food from the fields themselves without feeling like they are receiving charity. It is a special way to care for the vulnerable while preserving their dignity. God also teaches us to respect the elderly. You shall rise before a venerable person and respect the elderly, and you shall fear your God. I am the Lord. One must stand before an elderly person and honor them. But what do we do when the Torah commands us to fulfill a commandment that requires self-sacrifice? What are we to do then? We'll tell you about that in the next episode.