parshat Kedoshim

Sanctity requires separation, as sanctity does not come to a person naturally. This is the essence of Judaism, whose goal is to, on the one hand, reach great heights, but on the other, does not deny the true situation.

A well known Rabbinic adage emerges from the succession of the next 3 Torah portions: Acharei Mot, Kedoshim, Emor – “after their death, they say Holy!” That is, as soon as you are gone, they talk about how holy you were! But there is yet another spin we can give to this phrase by slightly moving the comma: After the death of the righteous, speak!

I transplanted a cherry tree in order to sell the wood I see that many cherries have grown on the tree. Are they prohibited as orlah? A sabra tree plantad as a natural border fence for his property, and placed a sign telling people not to help themselves to the fruit. Is there an orlah prohibition on the fruit? If I plant trees for wood, do I need to keep track of which year I plant the tree, due to orlah concerns?

One question which has challenged Judaism throughout the ages is why do we need so many commandments to fulfill our obligation to be good, kind, and faithful?

Becoming holy means putting up fences, which ostensibly makes someone less free. While the Torah writes that “Hashem descended onto Har Sinai,” that was only 10 handbreadths above the mountain

A Shiur by Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed for the weekly portion "Acharei Mot- Kedoshim".

A Shiur by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks for the weekly portion "Acharei Mot-Kedoshim"