Acharei Mot
אחרי מותThe Yom Kippur Service
38 translated essays · 40 total
In this parsha
Acharei Mot begins after the death of Aharon's two sons with the Yom Kippur service: the Kohen Gadol enters the Holy of Holies with incense and the blood of offerings, and the two goats, one offered to God and one sent into the wilderness bearing the people's sins, bring atonement for the sanctuary and the nation. The Torah then forbids offering sacrifices outside the Mishkan and eating blood, requiring that spilled blood be covered. It closes with the prohibited relationships and a warning against the corrupt practices of Egypt and Canaan that defile the Land.
Themes
- Living through the mitzvos
- Mitzvos as endless ascent
- Restraint and boundaries reveal holiness
- Mitzvos rebuild the form of man
- The inner point sanctifying every deed
- Deed before revelation
Must-read teachings
- 1Mitzvos as endless ascent in life and wisdomOn the pasuk "you shall keep, to walk in them" (Vayikra 18:4): Rashi explains, not to take leave of them, etc. Rashi reads "to walk in them" as a warning not to "exempt" or detach oneself from the mitzvos — they are meant to be a constant p…תרמ"ד
- 2Deed before revelation: na'aseh before nishmaIn the Midrash: "Like the deeds of the land of Mitzrayim… [you shall not do]" (Vayikra 18:3). The parsha warns Bnei Yisrael not to follow the practices of Egypt and Canaan; the Midrash draws on Shir HaShirim to explain Israel's distinctiven…תרמ"ז
- 3The inner point that sanctifies every deed"Like the practice of the land of Mitzrayim... and like the practice of the land of Canaan... you shall not do, and in their statutes you shall not walk; My ordinances you shall do... which a man shall do and live by them" (Vayikra 18:3-5).…תרל"ה
- 4Mitzvos as the lamp that rectifies the bodyOn the pasuk: "Like the practice of the land of Egypt… and you shall keep My statutes (chukosai)… which a man shall do and live by them…" (Vayikra 18:3-5). The Sefas Emes opens with the verses contrasting the corrupt practices of Egypt with…תרמ"ט
- 5Restraint and boundaries reveal holinessIn the Midrash: "Like a rose among the thorns" (Shir HaShirim 2:2) — a parable of a king who had an orchard, and it grew thorns, and he found in it a single cluster [of grapes]; he said, "For its sake let the orchard be saved," etc. The Mid…תרמ"ח
- 6Stripping concealment to reveal light"Like the deeds of the land of Mitzrayim… you shall not do, and like the deeds of the land of Canaan… you shall not do… and you shall keep [My statutes]… which a man shall do and live by them, I am Hashem" (Vayikra 18:3-5). The Sefas Emes o…תרנ"א
- 7Two covenants of speech and milah as lifeOn the pasuk, "I am Hashem your God; like the deeds of the land of Mitzrayim… and like the deeds of the land of Canaan… you shall not do… I am Hashem your God" (Vayikra 18:2-4). The Sefas Emes notes that the parsha of the forbidden relation…תרנ"ד
- 8Dying for Torah brings inner lifeOn the verse, "Like the practice of the land of Mitzrayim… [you shall not do]," until, "which a person shall do and live by them." The Sefas Emes begins from the Torah's command to keep its mitzvos, which a person is to "do and live by them…תרנ"ד
All essays on Acharei Mot
תרל"ב(1871)
- 1Mitzvos as acceptance of Hashem's kingship and source of lifeIn Rashi and the Midrash: "You accepted My kingship, accept My decrees, etc." Rashi and the Midrash teach that since Bnei Yisrael accepted Hashem's sovereignty (at Sinai, "I am Hashem"), they must now accept His decrees — His mitzvos. And l…
- 2The true reward is bittul to Hashem"Which a man shall do, and live by them" (Vayikra 18:5). The Sefas Emes opens with the pasuk that promises "vachai bahem" — that one lives through the mitzvos — which he will interpret as a description of the true reward of a mitzvah. Altho…
- 3Acharei Mot תרל"בWhen performing any mitzvah there are 2 different drives and reasons to do it 1) The reason why HaShem commanded us to do them, and 2) fulfilling the will of HaShem who commanded us to do the mitzvot. The Sfas Emes proves that it is really …
- 4Acharei Mot תרל"בRashi on the pasuk (Vayikra 18:2) “I am HaShem your G-d, whose Kingship you accepted, now accept my decrees” So too (we find that the concept of acceptance of the yoke of Heaven as primary importance) In the Gemara (Brachos 13a) (Discussing…
תרלב(1871)
תרל"ה(1874)
- 1The inner point that sanctifies every deed"Like the practice of the land of Mitzrayim... and like the practice of the land of Canaan... you shall not do, and in their statutes you shall not walk; My ordinances you shall do... which a man shall do and live by them" (Vayikra 18:3-5).…
- 2Olam shanah nefesh hinge on manIn the Mishnah (Avos 1:14): "If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And when I am for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?" The Sefas Emes brings Hillel's well-known three-part teaching as the basis for his exposition. The explanat…
- 3Acharei Mot תרל"הThe actions of the Egyptian and the Canaanites you shall not do, and you shall not follow their laws, rather do my commandments by which you shall live etc.” (The Pasuk (Vayikra 18:3-5) warns us of the immorality of the Egyptians and the Ka…
תרל"ו(1875)
תרל"ח(1877)
- 2Sanctifying mundane action like a roseOn the pasuk "like the deeds of the land of Egypt," etc. The Sefas Emes examines the verse warning Bnei Yisrael not to act like the people of Egypt and Canaan. It does not write "the deeds" but "like the deeds." The Torah's precise wording …
- 3All-inclusive mitzvos as bundles of avodahIn the Midrash: "With this shall Aharon come [into the Kodesh]" (Vayikra 16:3) — "by stratagems shall you wage your war" (Mishlei 24:6) — a "bundle" (chavilah) of mitzvos, etc. The Sefas Emes cites the Midrash that links Aharon's entry into…
- 4Korban binds creation to its root through bittulAnd in the Midrash, regarding shechutei chutz (slaughtering offerings outside [the Sanctuary]): "And the advantage of a land is in everything (b'kol)," etc. — even things that appear superfluous, etc. The Midrash, discussing the prohibition…
תרל"ט(1878)
תרמ"א(1880)
תרמ"ב(1881)
- 1Refining character before receiving the Torah"Like the practice of the land of Mitzrayim… do not do; and My statutes you shall perform, etc." (Vayikra 18:3-4). The parsha opens by warning Bnei Yisrael not to imitate the corrupt practices of Mitzrayim and Canaan, and to keep Hashem's m…
- 2Living Through Mitzvos Without DeathOn the pasuk "which a person shall do and live by them" (Vayikra 18:5). The Sefas Emes examines the Torah's promise that one who performs the mitzvos will "live by them," and the various ways the commentators understand that "life." Rashi w…
תרמ"ד(1883)
תרמ"ז(1886)
- 1Deed before revelation: na'aseh before nishmaIn the Midrash: "Like the deeds of the land of Mitzrayim… [you shall not do]" (Vayikra 18:3). The parsha warns Bnei Yisrael not to follow the practices of Egypt and Canaan; the Midrash draws on Shir HaShirim to explain Israel's distinctiven…
- 2Torah as the source of true lifeAnd from the mouth of my grandfather and teacher, of blessed memory, I heard regarding "which a man shall do and live by them" (Vayikra 18:5): that a person should place the essence of his vitality (chiyus) in Torah and mitzvos. These are h…
- 3Endless ascent in overcoming the yetzerIn the Midrash on the passage "I am Hashem…": three who prevailed over their yetzer and had [a letter] of His Name, may He be blessed, added to them; and three over whom their yetzer prevailed, and they swore [by His Name in vain]… see ther…
תרמ"ח(1887)
- 1Restraint and boundaries reveal holinessIn the Midrash: "Like a rose among the thorns" (Shir HaShirim 2:2) — a parable of a king who had an orchard, and it grew thorns, and he found in it a single cluster [of grapes]; he said, "For its sake let the orchard be saved," etc. The Mid…
- 2Holiness of the Land and its trialsIt is taught in the Toras Kohanim: From where do we know that the very settling of Bnei Yisrael in the Land was what caused it to them? As it is written, "to which I am bringing you there." The Sifra derives from the wording of the verse th…
תרמ"ט(1888)
תרנ"א(1890)
תרנ"ג(1892)
תרנ"ד(1893)
- 1Trust as the heart of true prayerIn the Midrash on "With this Aharon shall come" (Vayikra 16:3): The Midrash on the avodah of Yom Kippur opens by drawing a connection between Aharon's entry to the holiest place and the theme of trust. "Hashem is my light and my salvation" …
- 2Dying for Torah brings inner lifeOn the verse, "Like the practice of the land of Mitzrayim… [you shall not do]," until, "which a person shall do and live by them." The Sefas Emes begins from the Torah's command to keep its mitzvos, which a person is to "do and live by them…
- 4Two covenants of speech and milah as lifeOn the pasuk, "I am Hashem your God; like the deeds of the land of Mitzrayim… and like the deeds of the land of Canaan… you shall not do… I am Hashem your God" (Vayikra 18:2-4). The Sefas Emes notes that the parsha of the forbidden relation…
תרנ"ח(1897)
תרנ"ט(1898)
תר"ס(1899)
- 1Mighty warriors holy amid corruptionOn the pasuk, "Like the practice of the land of Mitzrayim… you shall not do" (Vayikra 18:3); and in the Midrash, "like a rose among the thorns" (Shir HaShirim 2:2) — it is hard for its owner to pluck it. Bnei Yisrael are likened to a rose s…
- 2Mitzvos that sanctify the whole day"My ordinances you shall perform... to walk in them" (Vayikra 18:4). The Sefas Emes begins from the passuk's phrase "to walk in them," which implies an ongoing movement within the mitzvos, not merely a single act of performance. And afterwa…
תרס"א(1900)
- 1The unchangeable holy point in every JewOn the passage, "I am Hashem your God; like the deeds of the land of Egypt…" — and in the Midrash, "like a rose among the thorns" — just as a rose among the thorns is difficult for its owner to pluck, so was the Exodus from Egypt difficult……
- 2Drawing Divinity through doing and refrainingIt is written twice: "I am Hashem your God" (Vayikra 18:2,4). The Torah repeats "Ani Hashem Elokeichem" at the opening of the parsha of arayos, and the Sefas Emes asks what the two statements add. That one draws down the power of Elokus (Di…
- 3Mitzvos draw the neshamah's life into the bodyAnd it is written: "which a person shall do and live by them." The Sefas Emes begins with the pasuk about the mitzvos, "and live by them," which he will explain as drawing life into the body. For the mitzvos draw vitality (chiyus) into the …
תרס"ד(1903)
- 1Yom Kippur's atonement radiating through the year"And let him not come at all times into the holy place" (Vayikra 16:2). The verse warns that the Kohen Gadol may not enter the innermost holy place at any time he wishes, but only on Yom Kippur. The Sefas Emes will draw from this a teaching…
- 2Fixed avodah rooted in the eternalIn the Midrash on "and to the entrance of the Ohel Moed he did not bring it" (Vayikra 17:4): this is what is written, "and the advantage of the land is in everything" (Koheles 5:8) — see the whole Midrash there. The Sefas Emes links the ver…