Parashah Achrei Mot (after the death)
Vayikra (Lev) 16:1 - 18:30

 

 

 

READING1

Vayikra (Lev)
CHAPTER 16

 

1          YHWH spoke to Mosheh after the death of the two sons of Aharon who died when they approached YHWH.

2          YHWH said to Mosheh: "Tell your brother Aharon not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place (Qodesh Qadashiym) behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.

3          "This is how Aharon is to enter the sanctuary area: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

4          He is to put on the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments next to his body; he is to tie the linen sash around him and put on the linen turban. These are sacred garments; so he must bathe himself with water before he puts them on.

5          From the Israelite community (Edat Yisrael) he is to take two male goats for a sin offering (chatta’ah) and a ram for a burnt offering (owlah).

6          Aharon is to offer the bull for his own sin offering (chatta’ah) to make atonement for himself and his household.

7          Then he is to take the two goats and present them before YHWH at the entrance to the Tent of Appointment (Ohel Mow-ed).

8          He is to cast lots for the two goats-- one lot for YHWH and the other for the scapegoat.

9          Aharon shall bring the goat whose lot falls to YHWH and sacrifice it for a sin offering (chatta’ah).

10        But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before YHWH to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat.

11        Aharon shall bring the bull for his own sin offering (chatta’ah) to make atonement for himself and his household and he is to slaughter the bull for his own sin offering (chatta’ah).

12        He is to take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before YHWH and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense and take them behind the curtain.

13        He is to put the incense on the fire before YHWH and the smoke of the incense will conceal the atonement cover above the testimony, so that he will not die.

14        He is to take some of the bull's blood and with his finger sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the atonement cover.

15        He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the bull's blood: He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it.

16        In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place (Qodesh Qadashiym) because of the uncleanness and rebellion of B’nei Yisrael, whatever their sins have been. He is to do the same for the Tent of Appointment (Ohel Mow-ed), which is among them in the midst of their uncleanness.

17        No one is to be in the Tent of Appointment (Ohel Mow-ed) from the time Aharon goes in to make atonement in the Most Holy Place (Qodesh Qadashiym) until he comes out, having made atonement for himself, his household and the whole community of Israel (Kohl Edat B’nei Yisrael).

 

READING 2

 

18        Then he shall come out to the altar (miz-beach [miz-bay-ach]) that is before YHWH and make atonement for it. He shall take some of the bull's blood and some of the goat's blood and put it on all the horns of the altar.

19        He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and to consecrate it from the uncleanness of B’nei Yisrael.

20        When Aharon has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place (Qodesh Qadashiym), the Tent of Appointment (Ohel Mow-ed) and the altar (miz-beach [miz-bay-ach]), he shall bring forward the live goat.

21        He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of B’nei Yisrael, all their sins, he shall put them on the goat's head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task.

22        The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place and the man shall release it in the desert.

23        Then Aharon is to go into the Tent of Appointment (Ohel Mow-ed) and take off the linen garments he put on before he entered the Most Holy Place (Qodesh Qadashiym) and he is to leave them there.

24        He shall bathe himself with water in a holy (qodesh, set-apart) place and put on his regular garments. Then he shall come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people, to make atonement for himself and for the people.

 

READING 3

 

25        He shall also burn the fat of the sin offering (chatta’ah) on the altar (miz-beach [miz-bay-ach]).

26        The man who releases the goat as a scapegoat (azazel) must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water and afterward he may come into the camp.

27        The bull and the goat for the sin offerings (chatta’ah) whose blood was brought into the Most Holy Place (Qodesh Qadashiym) to make atonement must be taken outside the camp; their hides, flesh and dung are to be burned up.

28        The man who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water and afterward he may come into the camp.

29        This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work, whether native-born or an alien living among you,

30        because on this day atonement (caphar, covering) will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before YHWH, you will be clean from all your sins.

31        It is a Shabbat of rest and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance.

32        The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garments

33        and make atonement for the Most Holy Place (Qodesh Qadashiym), for the Tent of Appointment (Ohel Mow-ed) and the altar (miz-beach [miz-bay-ach])  and for the priests and all the people of the community (am ha qahal).

34        This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of B’nei Yisrael.  And it was done, as YHWH commanded Moshe.

 

 

Chapter 17

 

1          YHWH said to Moshe,

2          Speak to Aharon and his sons and to all B’nei Yisrael and say to them: This is what YHWH has commanded:

3          Any man of the house of Yisrael who slaughters an ox, a lamb or a goat in the camp or outside of it

4          instead of bringing it to the entrance to the Tent of Appointment (Ohel Mow-ed)  to present it as an offering to YHWH in front of the tabernacle (Mishkan) of YHWH, that man shall be considered guilty of bloodshed for he has shed blood and must be cut off from the midst of his people.

5          This is so B’nei Yisrael will bring to YHWH the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to YHWH, at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings.

6          The priest is to sprinkle the blood against the altar (miz-be-ach) of YHWH at the entrance to the Tent of Appointment (Ohel Mow-ed) and burn the fat (cheleb) as an aroma pleasing to YHWH.

7          They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols to whom they prostitute themselves. This is to be a lasting ordinance for them and for the generations to come.

 

READING   5

 

8          Say to them: 'Any one of the house of Yisrael or any alien living among them who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice

9          and does not bring it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting (Ohel Mow-ed) to sacrifice it to YHWH, must be cut off from his people.

10        Any one of the house of Yisrael or any alien living among them who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people.

11        The life of a creature is in the blood and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar. It is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.

12        Therefore I say to B’nei Yisrael, None of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living among you eat blood.

13        Any one of the house of Yisrael or any alien living among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth, because the life of every creature is its blood.

14        That is why I have said to B’nei Yisrael, You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood and anyone who eats it must be cut off.

15        Anyone, whether native-born or alien, who eats anything found dead or torn by wild animals must wash his clothes and bathe with water and he will be ceremonially unclean till evening and then he will be clean.

16        But if he does not wash his clothes and bathe himself, he will be held responsible.

CHAPTER 18:1-30

1          YHWH said to Mosheh,

2          Speak to B’nei Yisrael and say to them: I am YHWH Eloheykhem.

3          You must not do as they do in Egypt (Mitzrayim), where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan (Kena-an), where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices.

4          You must obey My laws and be careful to follow My decrees. I am YHWH Eloheykem.

5          Keep My decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am YHWH.

READING 6

6          No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am YHWH.

7          Do not dishonor your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother and you do not have relations with her.

8          Do not have sexual relations with your father's wife for that would dishonor your father.

9          Do not have sexual relations with your sister (full or half sister) both your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere.

10        Do not have sexual relations with your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter for that would dishonor you.

11        Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father's wife, born to your father for she is your sister.

12        Do not have sexual relations with your father's sister for she is your father's close relative.

13        Do not have sexual relations with your mother's sister, because she is your mother's close relative.

14        Do not dishonor your father's brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations for she is your aunt.

15        Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son's wife so you do not have relations with her.

16        Do not have sexual relations with your brother's wife because that would dishonor your brother.

17        Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. Do not have sexual relations with either her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter; they are her close relatives. That is wickedness.

18        Do not take your wife's sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living.

19        Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period.

20        Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife and defile yourself with her.

21        Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech , for you must not profane the name of Eloheykha. I am YHWH.

 

(4432  Molek-Molech = "king"; the god of the Ammonites and Phoenicians to whom some Israelites sacrificed their infants in the valley of Hinnom )

 

 

READING 7

 

22        Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman for that is a disgusting, detestable abomination.

23        Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile your self with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it for that is a perversion.

24        Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled.

25        Even the land was defiled so I punished it for its sin and the land vomited out its inhabitants.

26        But you must keep My decrees and My laws. The native-born and the aliens living among you must not do any of these detestable things,

27        for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled.

28        And if you defile the land, it will spew you out as it spewed out the nations that were before you.

29        Everyone who does any of these detestable things must be cut off from their people.
30        Keep My requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile your selves with them. I am YHWH Eloheykha

 

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