Weekly Sidra: Emor (Say)
Torah Portion: Leviticus / Vayikra / 21:1-24:23 
Haftorah: Yechezkel / 44:15 – 44:31

“But the levitical priests descended from Zadok, who maintained the service of My Sanctuary when the people of Israel went astray from Me — they shall approach Me to minister to Me; they shall stand before Me to offer Me fat and blood — declares the Lord God. They alone may enter My Sanctuary and they alone shall approach My table to minister to Me; and they shall keep My charge.” (Ezek. 44:15-16)

This week’s reading is all about the Laws concerning the Levitical priests. Some may say so what is the big deal about the priests? I mean, we no longer have the Temple. Even though we may want it, (May it be built speedily in our days), it is still not here. So why concern ourselves with the priesthood when it is essentially non-existant?

Or is it!! In the Besorah HaTovah (Good News) Kefa (Peter) states the following:

But you are a chosen people, the King’s cohanim (priests), a holy nation, a people for God to possess! Why? In order for you to declare the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; before, you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

We are reminded by Kefa that we are priests who are called to declare the praises of God. He is speaking to the non-Jews who have been “grafted” into the kingdom of God through the merit of our Rabbi Maran Yeshua. Kefa reminds them to “rid yourselves of all malice, of all deceit, hypocrisy and envy, and of all the ways there are of speaking against people.” (v 1)

This is a calling that is relevant to all of us today, (both Jews and non-Jews), that we need to behave in a manner that is consistent with our Rabbi. Therefore, we must live and behave as if we are priests in God’s kingdom.

So, while we wait for the revelation of Messiah and for the rebuilding of the Temple let us remember to live as though the coming of Yeshua is imminent. This week’s reading is God’s reminder of that lesson.