This week's Torah portion, Parashat Emor, seems to suggest that God demands perfection, but on further examination calls us to accept ourselves - blemishes, imperfections, and all.
I study Torah because I'm fascinated by the stories of our people and enjoy studying the various interpretations. However, there are many disturbing passages. How do I come to terms with the challenging laws and narratives in this sacred text that I love so much? Emor features a set of laws that I find particularly challenging.
On the way home from school one day, my then five-year-old son asked me, "Mom, if nobody's perfect and all people are made in the image of God, doesn't that mean that God isn't perfect?" His question then, and even now, is not easy to answer.
This week’s Torah portion, Parashat Emor, contains a section that is read in the synagogue not only as we make our way through Leviticus, but on each of the three pilgrimage festivals:
The following story from the Talmud helps us reflect on Parashat Emor:
Elijah the prophet felt conflicted about his job that day. He just knew that it wouldn’t go well, so he tried everything to get away from it. “It’s been 12 years,” said God, “Genug! (enough!) We have to tell him he can come out.” Elijah disagreed. Bar Yochai made him nervous. So much power in such a temperamental vessel was just dangerous. Still, maybe God was right. Twelve years in a cave is a long time and maybe people really can change. Or maybe not.
Torah Commentary
Accepting Ourselves
Seeing Problematic Laws as a Vehicle to Modern Day Justice
Embracing Divine Imperfection
Jewish Ways of Marking Time
This week’s Torah portion, Parashat Emor, contains a section that is read in the synagogue not only as we make our way through Leviticus, but on each of the three pilgrimage festivals:
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