In this week’s portion, we look at the chapter of “Behar” – in which the children of Israel, still wandering through the desert, receive important commandments aimed at maintaining social order and concern for the weaker echelons of society.
In this Weeks Torah Portion, the Parshah begins with the statement: “You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your G‑d, am holy.” This is followed by dozens of mitzvot (divine commandments) through which the Jew sanctifies him- or herself and relates to the holiness of G‑d.
In this Weekly Portion following the deaths of Nadav and Avihu, G‑d warns against unauthorized entry “into the holy.” Only one person, the kohen gadol (“high priest”), may, but once a year, on Yom Kippur, enter the innermost chamber in the Sanctuary to offer the sacred ketoret to G‑d.
