Parasha Kedoshim (קדושים) — Vayikra 19:1 – 20:27. Read on Shabbat, May 8, 2027.
Summary of Parasha Kedoshim
G-d tells Moshe to address the entire assembly: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” There follows a series of commandments touching every area of life. Each person must revere his mother and his father and keep the Shabbatot; it is forbidden to turn to idols. At harvest time, the corner of the field and the gleanings are left for the poor and the stranger, as are the forgotten clusters of the vineyard. It is forbidden to steal, to lie, to swear falsely, to withhold a day laborer’s wages until the next morning, to curse the deaf and to place a stumbling block before the blind. The judge must judge righteously, neither favoring the poor nor honoring the mighty. One must not spread gossip, nor stand idly by when danger threatens one’s fellow, nor hate one’s brother in one’s heart; and one must rebuke him rather than bear sin because of him. The Torah forbids taking revenge and bearing a grudge, and proclaims: “You shall love your fellow as yourself.” Also included are the laws of forbidden mixtures and of the fruit of the first three years, respect for the elderly, love of the stranger and the requirement of just weights and measures. The following chapter sets out the penalties for the worship of Molech, for sorcery and for forbidden unions, and calls for distinguishing between the pure and the impure.
The Themes
- Being holy in everyday life
- Loving one’s fellow as oneself
- Honesty in business
Rav Raphaël Benizri’s Lectures on Kedoshim
There are no lectures by the Rav on this parasha yet. Find all available lectures on the Weekly Parasha page.
A Question for the Shabbat Table
What does “love your fellow as yourself” mean in concrete terms, in the course of our week?
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Summary by the Pensées Juives editorial team. The Rav’s teachings are found in his lectures, linked above.