Day 4 (Part 1): Leviticus 18:22-30 (Study Notes)
Double Parsha: Achrei Mot-Kedoshim
Day 4 (Part 1): Leviticus 18:22-30
(Leviticus 18:22-23)
Today’s portion opens with additional forms of forbidden relations set forth by Hashem to His holy people, the Jews.
The first two forbidden relations were mentioned together at the end of day 3’s study. These relations include the prohibition against male homosexual relations and the prohibition against having sexual relations with animals.
The prohibition against homosexual relations is the prohibition against the Pegan practices that led to the destruction of towns and cities such as Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19). If Hashem’s Jewish people practice such relations, He later warns that He will destroy Zion in like manner as He did Sodom—we see an example in miniature among the tribe of Benjamin in Judges 20-21.
Lot, Abraham’s nephew, chose to live in Sodom because the land was appealing to his eye. But, the impure homosexual nature of the inhabitants of Sodom soon called for the land’s destruction. Abraham had to plead with Hashem not to destroy the land for Lot’s sake. After much deliberation, Hashem said Abraham could rescue Lot and his family before the ordained destruction of Sodom.
After being rescued from Sodom, Lot and his two daughters had relations and birthed the fathers of the Moabites and the Ammonites—both of which would later form the pagan/idolatrous nations that would jeopardize Israel’s entrance into the promised land (Genesis 24:30-38; Numbers 25). Hashem calls His people to be separated from such practices so that holiness, and therefore blessings could reign.
This is because shalom with Hashem and blessings are only possible with the keeping of mitzvot. Deviating away from Torah and Hashem brings curses, devastation, and strife. None of these are Hashem’s ultimate plan nor purpose of creation. Instead, He desires a close relationship with all of His creation cultivated by care and sustained through love.
Thus, the prohibitions are commands that keep Hashem’s people on His righteous path so the loving relationship He desires can be cultivated.
The prohibition against relations with animal may seem foreign to us westerners, but the combination of man-beast begins is common among religious beliefs in places like Egypt and Greek mythology. Beastiality is largely legally prohibited globally, however the fact that Hashem had to put its prohibition into legal code tells us it was rampant and widespread at the time of the Torah’s writing. Some sources note that beastiality was more common among Babylonian Pegan religions where Abraham was called forth from.
(Leviticus 18:24)
Hashem commands that His Jewish people are to avoid defiling ourselves through the above-mentioned 17 prohibited relations because they are the types of relations that defiled the nations to which Hashem was sending His people.
(Leviticus 18:25)
We read that when previous idolatrous and pagan nations were in the land, Hashem had to call them to account for their iniquities. Because they defiled the holy land, Hashem caused the land to spew them out in order to cleanse the land of impurity. This cleansing would make room for the Jews to settle in their promised land.
If the Jews followed in the ways of the previous inhabitants, however, Hashem warns that the land would spew them out too. For Zion is the place of Hashem’s dwelling, Jerusalem is where He has written His name for eternity—the holy land must remain holy for the sake of Hashem’s glory.
We know that later, Jews did follow the practice of the idolatrous and pagan nations. Such defilement led to the exiles under Babylon and Assyria. When the 70 years of Babylonian exile were complete, Hashem brought His holy people back to the holy land. After reconstruction, many Jews went after the pagan ways of Rome and Greece, accepting new pagan gods as their own. This idolatry again defiled the land and led to the destruction of the second Temple and another forced exile of the Jews from our Holy land. In time, however Hashem promised to build a Third and final Temple.
In the days of its building, the holy Jewish people will indeed be made holy by the workings of Hashem, the teshuvah of His people, and an outpouring of Holy wisdom that will be fully understood and willingly followed by all on earth. Such mitzvot keeping will lead to unending shalom and blessings for all humanity, not only Jews.
(Leviticus 18:28-29)
Again Hashem provides the reason He commands His people to be holy: Because He is holy.
Hashem warns that anyone who turns to the ways of the wicked and defiles themselves or the holy land will be “cut off” from their fellow Jews—like the stones torn out from an afflicted house, or the piece of fabric torn out from the whole, Hashem does not threaten the destruction of the whole for the sins of the few. Rather, He will only punish the part that turns wicked while sparing the righteous remnant from generation to generation.
If or when a wicked person is cut off from their fellow whole, he or she is also cut off from Hashem and the promised blessings that are tied to the vows held in Torah. Because such people turn away from Torah, which is the Tree of Life, such people face the promised destruction that accompanies the paths of the wicked and the wayward. If a Jew does go astray, Hashem does promise to take them back if only they perform teshuvah and retake the yoke of Heaven and Torah. He is merciful to the humble who will take accountability for their actions and who chose to return to the right way.
Am Yisrael Chai!
Kimberly Davis