Parshat Emor offers us an opportunity to examine speech: Emor means speech, and occurs 3x in the first verse. We'll explore this related to the spiritual implication of counting of the Omer and the story of a blasphemer who curses God. It is unclear whether the blasphemer cursed God, or cursed another who used the name of God, or actually pronounced God's name. The power of speech is one that is expounded upon time after time in the Torah. It is with words that the Eternal created the world and as such, are taken very seriously.
Summary:
- Laws of the kohanim and the Kohein Gadol are enumerated regarding those for living and those related to the Temple / Mishkan service.
- There is a reiteration regarding physical deformities: Kohanim with physical deformities may not serve in the Mishkan, nor can those with physical defects bring offerings.
- Additional laws for offerings: A newborn calf, lamb or kid must be with its mother for 7 days before being eligible for an offering; one may not slaughter an animal and its offspring on the same day.
- The festivals of the Jewish calendar are explained again: Shabbat, the Pesach offering on 14th of Nisan; the 7-day Pesach festival beginning on the 15th of Nisan; the bringing of the Omer offering from the first barley harvest on the 2nd day of Pesach, and the commencement, on that day, of the 49-day Counting of the Omer, culminating in the festival of Shavuot on day 50; a “remembrance of shofar blowing” on 1st of Tishrei; a solemn fast day on 10th of Tishrei; the Sukkot festival—dwelling in booths for 7 days and the “Four Kinds”—beginning on 15th Tishrei; and the immediately following holiday of the “8th day” of Sukkot ~Shemini Atzeret.
- The lighting of the menorah with the Ner Tamid is described, along with the 12 loaves of bread (lechem hapanim) placed every week on the tables.
- The parsha ends with the story of the man who blasphemes God. --------------------------------------------------------------
It is an honor to God and the Torah when one who devotes themselves to its study is likewise is devoted to behaving ethically and kindly to their peers. To the extent that such refinement is lacking, the study of Torah is disparaged, and this is a disgrace to the name of God who expects us to be holy, humane, uplifted human beings through its study. ~Mesillat Yesharim, Chapter 11.
(א) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יהוה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֱמֹ֥ר אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֑ן וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם לְנֶ֥פֶשׁ לֹֽא־יִטַּמָּ֖א בְּעַמָּֽיו׃
(1) יהוה said to Moses: Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: None shall defile himself for any [dead] person among his kin,
(ב) דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם מוֹעֲדֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־תִּקְרְא֥וּ אֹתָ֖ם מִקְרָאֵ֣י קֹ֑דֶשׁ אֵ֥לֶּה הֵ֖ם מוֹעֲדָֽי׃
(2) Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: These are My fixed times, the fixed times of יהוה, which you shall proclaim as sacred occasions.
The festivals are “callings of holiness” (mikra’ei kodesh), in the sense that each is a landmark in time at which we are empowered to call forth the particular holiness or spiritual quality embedded within it. On the first Passover, for example, G‑d granted us the gift of freedom. On the first Shavuot, He gave us the Torah; on Rosh Hashanah, G‑d became king of the universe; on Yom Kippur, we received the gift of teshuvah; and so on. But freedom, wisdom, awe, joy, peace, and the other Divine gifts granted in the course of our history are constant needs of the soul; they are the spiritual nutrients that sustain her in her journey through life. G‑d embedded these qualities within the very substance of time, and set “appointed times” at which they can be accessed. Each year, when we arrive at the juncture of time where a particular spiritual quality has been embedded, we are granted the ability to access it once again.
The special mitzvot of each festival are the tools with which we “call forth the holiness” of the day: eating matzah on Passover unearths the gift of freedom, sounding the shofar on Rosh Hashanah calls forth its quality of awe, and so on with all “the appointed times of G‑d.” ~The Chassidic Masters
(י) דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם כִּֽי־תָבֹ֣אוּ אֶל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִי֙ נֹתֵ֣ן לָכֶ֔ם וּקְצַרְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־קְצִירָ֑הּ וַהֲבֵאתֶ֥ם אֶת־עֹ֛מֶר רֵאשִׁ֥ית קְצִירְכֶ֖ם אֶל־הַכֹּהֵֽן׃ (יא) וְהֵנִ֧יף אֶת־הָעֹ֛מֶר לִפְנֵ֥י יהוה לִֽרְצֹנְכֶ֑ם מִֽמׇּחֳרַת֙ הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת יְנִיפֶ֖נּוּ הַכֹּהֵֽן׃ (יב) וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֕ם בְּי֥וֹם הֲנִֽיפְכֶ֖ם אֶת־הָעֹ֑מֶר כֶּ֣בֶשׂ תָּמִ֧ים בֶּן־שְׁנָת֛וֹ לְעֹלָ֖ה לַיהוה׃ (יג) וּמִנְחָתוֹ֩ שְׁנֵ֨י עֶשְׂרֹנִ֜ים סֹ֣לֶת בְּלוּלָ֥ה בַשֶּׁ֛מֶן אִשֶּׁ֥ה לַיהוה רֵ֣יחַ נִיחֹ֑חַ וְנִסְכֹּ֥ה יַ֖יִן רְבִיעִ֥ת הַהִֽין׃ (יד) וְלֶ֩חֶם֩ וְקָלִ֨י וְכַרְמֶ֜ל לֹ֣א תֹֽאכְל֗וּ עַד־עֶ֙צֶם֙ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה עַ֚ד הֲבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם אֶת־קׇרְבַּ֖ן אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם חֻקַּ֤ת עוֹלָם֙ לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם בְּכֹ֖ל מֹשְׁבֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃ {ס}
(10) Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: When you enter the land that I am giving to you and you reap its harvest, you shall bring the first sheaf [Omer] of your harvest to the priest. (11) He shall elevate the sheaf before יהוה for acceptance in your behalf; the priest shall elevate it on the day after the sabbath. (12) On the day that you elevate the sheaf, you shall offer as a burnt offering to יהוה a lamb of the first year without blemish. (13) The meal offering with it shall be two-tenths of a measure of choice flour with oil mixed in, an offering by fire of pleasing odor to יהוה; and the libation with it shall be of wine, a quarter of a hin. (14) Until that very day, until you have brought the offering of your God, you shall eat no bread or parched grain or fresh ears; it is a law for all time throughout the ages in all your settlements.
(טו) וּסְפַרְתֶּ֤ם לָכֶם֙ מִמׇּחֳרַ֣ת הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת מִיּוֹם֙ הֲבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם אֶת־עֹ֖מֶר הַתְּנוּפָ֑ה שֶׁ֥בַע שַׁבָּת֖וֹת תְּמִימֹ֥ת תִּהְיֶֽינָה׃
(15) And from the day on which you bring the sheaf of elevation offering—the day after the sabbath—you shall count off seven weeks. They must be complete:
The Omer is 1/10th of an epha, equal to about 2.5 liters [described in Exodus]
The Arizal...teaches that God takes away or hides [the] awesome light revealed on the first day of Pesach, and each individual must now through the process of Sefirat HaOmer create the proper vessels to hold such an exalted light. If one does the proper spiritual work during this time period they will merit through their own efforts to experience the light again on Shavuot. ~Rabbi Trugman, Ohr Chadash
(י) וַיֵּצֵא֙ בֶּן־אִשָּׁ֣ה יִשְׂרְאֵלִ֔ית וְהוּא֙ בֶּן־אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י בְּת֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּנָּצוּ֙ בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה בֶּ֚ן הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִ֔ית וְאִ֖ישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִֽי׃ (יא) וַ֠יִּקֹּ֠ב בֶּן־הָֽאִשָּׁ֨ה הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִ֤ית אֶת־הַשֵּׁם֙ וַיְקַלֵּ֔ל וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ אֹת֖וֹ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וְשֵׁ֥ם אִמּ֛וֹ שְׁלֹמִ֥ית בַּת־דִּבְרִ֖י לְמַטֵּה־דָֽן׃ (יב) וַיַּנִּיחֻ֖הוּ בַּמִּשְׁמָ֑ר לִפְרֹ֥שׁ לָהֶ֖ם עַל־פִּ֥י יהוה׃ {פ}
(10) There came out among the Israelites a man whose mother was Israelite and whose father was Egyptian. And a fight broke out in the camp between that half-Israelite and a certain Israelite. (11) The son of the Israelite woman pronounced the Name in blasphemy, and he was brought to Moses—now his mother’s name was Shelomith daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan— (12) and he was placed in custody, until the decision of יהוה should be made clear to them.
ויקב. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ "וּפָרֵשׁ", שֶׁנָּקַב שֵׁם הַמְיֻחָד וְגִדֵּף, וְהוּא שֵׁם הַמְפֹרָשׁ שֶׁשָּׁמַע מִסִּינַי (ספרא):
ויקב — Translate this as the Targum does: ופרש “and he pronounced”, thus ויקב … ויקלל means that he uttered the Tetragrammaton and by so doing blasphemed. It was the “Proper Name” which he had heard on Mount Sinai (cf. Sifra, Emor, Section 14 2 and Jeremiah Targ.).
The Israelites knew that cursing God was a sin, but did not know if it was a capital crime, so they brought him to Moses. His mother’s nickname was Shelomit bat Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. She was known by this name because she was excessively talkative (dibri), habitually inquiring after the welfare (shalom) of everyone she met. The Torah refers to her by her nickname in order to indicate that the reason the Egyptian was drawn to violate specifically her was because of her immodest talkativeness, which drew undue attention to her. It mentions the name of her tribe in order to indicate that improper behavior dishonors not only those who behave improperly but their parents and tribe, as well, just as proper behavior honors not only those who behave properly but their parents and tribe, as well—as seen by the mention of the artisan Oholiav’s descent from the same tribe of Dan.~Kehot Chumash
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One can add lustre to someone's name; this is another way of "making" such a person. This is the very reverse of what a רשע, evil person, does by this wickedness. Such a person is described as נקב השם, having pierced or perforated the Shem, name of G–d, as we know from Leviticus 24,11. We have learned [from this] when the Torah says, ויקוב בן האשה הישראלית את השם ויקלל "The son of the Israelite woman made a hole in the name (of G–d) by cursing it." Cursing G–d is tantamount to perforating His image. ~Shenei Luchot Haberit, Torah Ohr 14 ---------------------------------------
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai discusses the consequences of lashon hara (evil speech), teaching that it is as severe as the three cardinal sins of idolatry, sexual immorality, and murder. Talmud, Tractate Shabbat 33a
(יב) וַיַּנִּיחֻ֖הוּ בַּמִּשְׁמָ֑ר לִפְרֹ֥שׁ לָהֶ֖ם עַל־פִּ֥י יהוה׃ {פ} (יג) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יהוה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (יד) הוֹצֵ֣א אֶת־הַֽמְקַלֵּ֗ל אֶל־מִחוּץ֙ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וְסָמְכ֧וּ כׇֽל־הַשֹּׁמְעִ֛ים אֶת־יְדֵיהֶ֖ם עַל־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ וְרָגְמ֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ כׇּל־הָעֵדָֽה׃ (טו) וְאֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל תְּדַבֵּ֣ר לֵאמֹ֑ר אִ֥ישׁ אִ֛ישׁ כִּֽי־יְקַלֵּ֥ל אֱלֹהָ֖יו וְנָשָׂ֥א חֶטְאֽוֹ׃ (טז) וְנֹקֵ֤ב שֵׁם־יהוה מ֣וֹת יוּמָ֔ת רָג֥וֹם יִרְגְּמוּ־ב֖וֹ כׇּל־הָעֵדָ֑ה כַּגֵּר֙ כָּֽאֶזְרָ֔ח בְּנׇקְבוֹ־שֵׁ֖ם יוּמָֽת׃
(12) and he was placed in custody, until the decision of יהוה should be made clear to them. (13) And יהוה spoke to Moses, saying: (14) Take the blasphemer outside the camp; and let all who were within hearing lay their hands upon his head, and let the community leadership stone him. (15) And to the Israelite people speak thus: Anyone who blasphemes God shall bear the guilt; (16) and one who also pronounces the name יהוה shall be put to death. The community leadership shall stone that person; stranger or citizen—having thus pronounced the Name—shall be put to death.
It may be that the story of the blasphemer is brought here because Leviticus has been about the sanctity of time, person, and place. The Torah now turns to sanctity of speech. Just as special care must be taken in entering the house of God, so must the same care be taken about using the name of God. The priests had already been warned: “Do not profane My holy name, that I may be sanctified in the midst of the Children of Israel. I am the Lord who sanctify you” (Lev. 22:32). The story of the blasphemer tells us that the same applies to ordinary Israelites, “whether foreigner or native-born.” The reason the law is told by way of a story may simply be because that is how it happened. Moses and the Israelites learned the law because of an incident that occurred. Holiness, Leviticus tells from chapter 19 onward, is not only the special preserve of an elite, the priests. It belongs to the people as a whole, for they are “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Not only are there holy times and holy places that must be honoured and not abused. So there are holy words. Language itself can sometimes be sacred.... An offence against God eventually leads to assaults against humans. Spiritual sins lead to physical crimes. Once boundaries are disrespected, a process has begun that leads, not immediately but ultimately, to civilisational breakdown.
As Rav Soloveitchik would often say, based on Rambam’s statement to this effect (Hilkhot Shmita v’Yovel 13:13), any person who devotes themselves to the Jewish community, raising the bar for our religious, moral, and spiritual standards, carries within them an element of the Kedushat Kohanim, the priests who not only served in the Temple, but who took the sanctity within the Beit Hamikdash and carried outward to the entire Jewish people. ~Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander
(כג) שֹׁמֵ֣ר פִּ֭יו וּלְשׁוֹנ֑וֹ שֹׁמֵ֖ר מִצָּר֣וֹת נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃
(23) He who guards his mouth and tongue Guards himself from trouble.