Parashat Behar-Bechukotai (Revised May 8, 2026) This week's double parashah, Behar and Bechuotai, bring to a close the book of Vayikra, a book the all-consuming focus of which is, undoubtably, KEDUSHAH, holiness. The last chapter is concerned largely with the kind of vows people make in dedicating something to the service of Hashem in the Mikdash. There are many laws regulating this seemingly noble motivation and its accompanying action, but my attention was taken this time around by the following law: "If (the devoted thing) is an animal of the kind from which an offering is brought to Hashem, any one which is given to Hashem shall be kodesh . One shall not exchange it ( lo yachalifenu ) nor shall one substitute for it ( yamir oto ), good for bad or bad for good; now if one DOES substitute for it, it will be that it and its substitute will be kodesh ." Vayikra 27:10-11 This mitzvah turns out to be very curious, because one is lashed for its intentional violation...
Acharei Mot-Kedoshim Review and updated April 2026 This week, we are grappling with another double parashah - Acharei Mot is wedded to Kedoshim this year. In fact, in the popular mind, the two are conjoined even when we don't read them together. People like to say the names of this week's parashah, together with the one which follows - Acharei Mot Kedoshim Emor - with the cynical wisdom that is born of experience: "After the death (of a person), say holy things". Indeed, it seems to be easier to envision holiness from the safe distance that death provides than it is to envision it in life. If you ask a child, "what do you want to be?", that child might answer, "I want to be BIG", or "I want to be FAMOUS", or "I want to be a FIREMAN". An adult, posed the same question, might answer, "I want to be HAPPY", "I want to be SUCCESSFUL", "I want to be RESPECTED", "I want to buy a Mercedes-Benz...