parshat Acharei Mot

Speaking last week about the weekly Torah portion, we noted that on Israel Independence Day, Yom HaAtzma'ut, we should thank G-d not only for the historic formation of the State of Israel in our generation, but also for the fact that Israel today is a Torah powerhouse, the likes of which we've never seen in any generation. The number of Torah students today is the largest ever, and the amount of hours spent studying Torah is the largest ever – all this mainly thanks to the State of Israel. The level of Torah study here in Israel is also the highest in the entire Jewish world. (We also stated that we must increase our in-depth Torah study, which is the most important part of our engagement with Torah.)

How are the High Priest and the Holy of Holies connected to modesty and loyalty to one's spouse?

In many places, the Torah forbids the consumption of blood. In the parsha of Acharei Mot, this prohibition of blood is mentioned. In Kedoshim there are nine references to blood, in the context of different prohibitions. This makes it appropriate to discuss the laws of preparing livers according to halacha.

The strangest and most dramatic element of the service on Yom Kippur, set out in Acharei Mot, was the ritual of the two goats, one offered as a sacrifice, the other sent away into the desert “to Azazel.”

In this week's Torah reading, why begin the description of the Avoda on Yom Kippur with telling us of the demise of the sons of Aaron?

Moses had to contend with both sides, inducing the Israelites to do teshuvah and God to exercise forgiveness. The good news is: there once was a Moses. what happens when there is no Moses?

Why does only the Land of Israel "regurgitate its inhabitants" who break Torah laws that are forbidden no matter where one lives?

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!