When you Choose Shabbat, you choose to learn that every Shabbat is different and special. This week I learned about Parashat Emor (אֱמֹר), the 31st weekly Torah portion in the annual cycle of Torah readings.
According to Wikipedia, Emor (אֱמֹר), Leviticus 21:1 through 24:23, contains 6,106 Hebrew letters, 1,614 words, 124 verses and makes up 215 lines of the Torah scroll, giving it the distinction of having the most verses of any reading in the Book of Leviticus. This is not to be confused with Vayikra, title holder for the most letters and words in Leviticus.
Parashat Emor describes the purity rules for priests, recounts the holy days, describes the preparations for the lights and bread in the sanctuary and tells the story of a blasphemer and his punishment.
Rabbi Michael D Klein of Temple Torat Emet offers his insights on this week’s Torah reading, Emor for Shabbat May 17, 2025 aka 26 Iyar 5785:
“Yesterday, the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, we celebrated Lag B’Omer. In Israel, Lag B’Omer is traditionally celebrated, especially in Sefat, with picnics, bonfires, and song. Our Chazzan, Javier Smolarz, is currently in Israel with a group of Hispanic Rabbis and Cantors, on a mission of bringing hope and song to those families of soldiers, survivors, and families of hostages of the October 7, 2023 attack.
For all of us, who are being inundated with daily accounts of anti-Semitic and anti-Israel verbal and physical attacks worldwide, we must find the time to have moments of contemplation and resolve. If possible, we must visit Israel and bring hope to our fellow Jews who are on the frontlines repelling daily attacks and let them know that we are unified and mobilized throughout the world against the onslaught of those throughout the world who are enemies of Hashem.
Likewise, in this week’s Sedra, Emor, we are commanded to count the Omer. We traveled 49 days from Mitzrayim to Choreb and each day was significant because it brought us further from slavery and closer to freedom and receiving the Aseret Hadibrot on Mt. Sinai. Each day of our existence, for however many years we are granted, we should make each day significant by doing another of the 613 Mitzvot enumerated to Moses and given to us on Shavuot.
We must elevate ourselves to be deemed worthy to receive the Holy Laws with which we have been blessed by G-d to receive. We must, however, not just keep the Laws for our own personal use. We must teach them and share them with the rest of the world which is in such dire need of guidance. This is the mission that the Hispanic Chazzanim and Rabbis are fulfilling. May their deeds and songs emanate to heaven and be received with love by Hashem. We look forward to Chazzan Smolarz return to share with us the highlights of his mission.
Questions for discussion:
- What is meant by “Leket” ? Why is this Mitzvah included in the observance of the 3 Shalosh Regalim holidays?
- Why are the Kohanim specifically told whom they may marry?
- Why are we specifically prohibited from offering a Kosher animal and its offspring on the same day?
- Why is there a specific Torah reading for each day of Chol Hamoed Sukkot but only one reading for all six days of Chol Hamoed Pesach?
Rabbi Michael D. Klein attended Yeshiva College of South Florida and served as Torah Reader, Hebrew teacher, Chazzan and spiritual leader of various synagogues throughout South Florida. In January 2015 he became Ritual Director, Bnai/Bnot Mitzvah instructor and 7th grade Hebrew instructor for Temple Torat Emet of Boynton Beach. In October 2019 he was accepted into an accelerated track and received his smicha from Yeshiva Adath Wolkowisk and has been the Rabbinic leadership of Temple Torat Emet since August 2020. In September of 2022 he was appointed Rabbinic and Spiritual Advisor of the Florida Region of FJMC.
Choose Shabbat; choose to celebrate, to light candles, sing songs and learn a little Torah.
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