Acharei Mot
Leviticus 16:1 – 18:30
Following the death of Nadav and Avihu, God prescribes the Yom Kippur service — the only day the High Priest enters the Holy of Holies, making atonement for himself, his household, and all of Israel. The scapegoat (sa'ir la'azazel) carries the sins of the nation into the wilderness. The parasha then prohibits the consumption of blood and the offering of sacrifices outside the Tabernacle, and concludes with the laws of forbidden sexual relationships, warning that the land itself will expel a nation that defiles it.
Key figures
- Aaron — High Priest who enters the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur
- Moses — Transmits the Yom Kippur laws and the sexual prohibitions to Israel
- Nadav and Avihu — Their death is the occasion for the Yom Kippur laws — 'after the death of the two sons of Aaron'
Famous verses
- 16:30 For on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins before Hashem you shall be cleansed.
- 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life.
- 18:5 You shall keep My statutes and My ordinances, which a person shall do — and shall live by them; I am Hashem.
Haftarah: {'ref': 'Amos 9:7-15', 'connection': 'Amos warns that chosenness is no immunity — God holds Israel accountable for the very defilements Acharei Mot prohibits, yet promises ultimate restoration: the fallen booth of David will be raised again.'}
Total gematria 322,917 is divisible by 7, the number of completion.