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In this week’s Torah portion, Emor (speak), we see how the cohanim (priests) are supposed to look and behave as representatives of God on earth.
Torah Portion Emor: Leviticus 21:1 – 24:23
Questions and Topics in this Discussion:
- The Reform Movement and Women’s Roles in Leadership and Temple Service
- Appearance of the Cohanim
- Contact with the Dead
- Who Can Cohanim Marry?
- The Prostitute, the Defiled Woman, and the Divorcee
- The Greater Restrictions of the Cohen Gadol (High Priest)
- The Blasphemer
Other Teachings Mentioned In This Podcast
Niddah Beards Marriage Oral Torah Series
This Week’s Haftarah

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Thank you!
4 comments
Nikola
May 9, 2020 at 10:02 pmHi Yoel,
thank you for your insightful podcasts and articles.
I have one question regarding this week’s Torah portion – In Leviticus 23:15-16, it is said:
“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:
you must count until the day after the seventh week—fifty days; then you shall bring an offering of new grain to the LORD.” (JPS)
Most other versions translate “Shabat” only as “sabbath(s)”, or only as “week(s)”. How did the mainstream rabbinic interpretation come to be that word “Shabat” means “week” here? Is there any other place in the Tanakh where word “Shabat” means “week”?
Yoel Halevi
May 10, 2020 at 1:37 pmSee my teachings on Shavuot, the Omer and the feasts. These are three teachings I made which deal directly with your question.
Nikola
May 10, 2020 at 4:56 pmWill do. Thank you!
Yoel Halevi
May 10, 2020 at 1:43 pmI have several teachings on the site on this subject.