Weekly Sidra: Achrei Mot-Kedoshim
Torah Portion: Vayikra / Leviticus 16:1-20:27  
Haftorah: Yechezkel / Ezekiel 20:2-20

I am HaShem your God; walk in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances, and do them;  and hallow My Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God. (Yehezkel 20:19-20)

This week we have another double Parashat reading.  Achrei Mot (after the death) deals with what HaShem told Moses when Aaron’s two sons died.  Kedoshim means Holy ones and discusses that we should be holy as HaShem is holy.

Reflecting on the Haftarah portion we can see the consequences of not following Torah and the Sabbath.  We see the sins of the father’s.

 “in that day I lifted up My hand unto them, to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had sought out for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the beauty of all lands; and I said unto them: Cast ye away every man the detestable things of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.  But they rebelled against Me, and would not hearken unto Me; they did not every man cast away the detestable things of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt; then I said I would pour out My fury upon them, to spend My anger upon them in the midst of the land of Egypt.” (Verses 6-8)

So I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. And I gave them My statutes, and taught them Mine ordinances, which if a man do, he shall live by them.  Moreover also I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctifies them. But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they walked not in My statutes, and they rejected Mine ordinances, which if a man do, he shall live by them, and My Sabbaths they greatly profaned; then I said I would pour out My fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them. (Verses 10-13)

HaShem states very plainly “I gave them My statutes, and taught them Mine ordinances, which if a man do, he shall live by them.  Moreover also I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctifies them. (Emphasis Mine)

The simple fact is that when we live according to Torah we have life.  The Sabbath is a sign between us and HaShem.  When we keep the Shabbat we are sanctified or made holy by HaShem.  Many people mistakenly believe that Jews keep the Torah for Salvation.  However, we do the commandments in order to be made holy by HaShem.

The opposite affect is that by not obeying the Torah we are on a path of sin which leads to death and it is this sinful path that causes us to be unholy before HaShem.