| Torah Portion | Haftarah Portion(s) | B'rit Chadashah Portion(s) |
|---|
Leviticus 21.1–24.23 | Ezekiel 44.15-31 | Matthew 26.59-66 |
| | 1 Peter 2.4-10 |
| | |
| | |
Portion Outline
Torah
Leviticus 21:1 The Holiness of Priests
Leviticus 22:1 The Use of Holy Offerings
Leviticus 22:17 Acceptable Offerings
Leviticus 23:1 Appointed Festivals
Leviticus 23:3 The Sabbath, Passover, and Unleavened Bread
Leviticus 23:9 The Offering of First Fruits
Leviticus 23:15 The Festival of Weeks
Leviticus 23:23 The Festival of Trumpets
Leviticus 23:26 The Day of Atonement
Leviticus 23:33 The Festival of Booths
Leviticus 24:1 The Lamp
Leviticus 24:5 The Bread for the Tabernacle
Leviticus 24:10 Blasphemy and Its Punishment
Prophets
Eze 44:15 The Levitical Priests
B'rit Chadashah
Matthew 26.59, False testimonies against Yeshua
1 Peter 2.4, Yeshua is the chief cornerstone
Commentary
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Torah Portion Summary
The thirty-first reading from the Torah is called Emor, a title that comes from the first verse of the reading, which says, "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Speak (emor) to the priests, the sons of Aaron ...'" (Leviticus 21:1). Emor begins with special laws of sanctity, propriety and purity for the priesthood. Leviticus 23 provides an overview of the biblical calendar, a listing of the LORD's appointed times.
Haftarah Portion Summary
The prophet Ezekiel encourages the exiled Jewish people by foretelling the glory of the future Temple that will be built after the Final Redemption, during the 1,000 year Kingdom of Zion. Interestingly, the priests of the Millennial Temple are called benei Tzaddok, "sons of righteousness," who kept the charge of God's sanctuary when the Levites and the people of Israel went astray. It is these benei Tzaddok who shall come near to God to minister to Him during this time, whereas the Levites will be forbidden to enter the Holy Place. Moreover, since Yom Kippur has been fulfilled, each of these priests will dress and function as a High Priest unto the LORD, and the sacrificial system will be implemented so that Israel can commemorate the atoning sacrifice of Yeshua as their Savior and true King.
B'rit Chadashah Portion Summary
The Brit Chadashah passage comes from the Apostle Peter who states that the believer in the Mashiach Yeshua is made part of the living Temple of the LORD, made part of a holy priesthood in order to offer "spiritual sacrifices" acceptable to the LORD. The believer is now chosen by God to be am segulah - a treasured people - called out to proclaim the greatness of God who delivered him from darkness to light. Peter concludes by directly applying Hosea 2:23 to the Christian: "Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."
The Mashiach Yeshua is the Stone which was rejected but has become the Cornerstone (Psalm 118:22). Whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.