May 02, 2026 – Emor (Say!) – Parshat 31

• Torah: Leviticus 21:1-24:23
• Haftara: Ezekiel 44:15-31
• Brit Chadasha: Matthew 26:59-66; 26:64

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֱמֹ֥ר אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֑ן וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם לְנֶ֥פֶשׁ לֹֽא־יִטַּמָּ֖א בְּעַמָּֽיו׃

Vayomer Adonay el-Moshe emor el-hakohanim beney Aharon ve’amarta alehem lenefesh lo-yitama be’amav.

The LORD said to Moses: Say to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and tell them: None shall defile himself for any [dead] person among his kin,

In our Torah Portion this week In Vayikra (Leviticus) 23:1-44 Adonai gives the calendar of His appointed times and convocations to all Israel. These are His mo’edim (appointed times) he has made with His people to meet with them. Hashem also identifies them as His mik-raw (rehearsals), convocations. These mo’edim are all designed to reveal Mashiach and show the plan of redemption and future glory to His faithful Kalah (bride), the ones who come to fellowship with Him alone. Each rehearsal is preparation for the grand wedding of the Katan (bridegroom) to His Kalah (bride). We who are called in love look forward to the rehearsals, and practice every step with Simchat (Joy).

The first of the Mo’edim is the Shabbat rest, One of the commandments given at Sanai, G-d sets Shabbat above all His other festivals by giving a direct commandment concerning it. Shabbat rest is a rehearsal for the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, and when we join together each week we look forward to that event coming to fulfillment.

Vayikra 23 lists each rehearsal in order after the Shabbat,

Pesach (Passover) – Deliverance thru a innocent Lamb, Mashiach.

Chag Hamotzi (Unleavened Bread) the removal, death, and burial of sin, Cleansing.

Yom Ha Bikkurim (First fruits/Waving of the Omer) Resurrection Life in and thru Mashiach Yeshua. From that to the counting of the Omer up to

Shavout (Pentecost – 50) Giving of the Torah, Gift of the Spirit.

Yom Teruah (Rosh Hashanna) Day of blowing the Shofar announcing Mashiach’s coming.

Yom Kippur (Day of Judgment) shuvah and repentance lead to Robes of white, complete redemption.

Sukkot (Tabernacles) Dwelling of G-d with man – Millennial Reign.

Shemini Atzeret (The 8th day) The eternal Kingdom – New heavens and earth.

G-d says repeatedly of his appointed times “It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.” He desires that we keep rehearsing until all have been accomplished. Yeshua Ha’mashiach fulfilled all the spring feasts perfectly, as we do them we “do them in remembrance” of Him. Yeshua said of Himself “I have not come to abolish the Law (statutes) but to fulfil them, in the same way He did not do away with the mo’edim so as we keep the Law and the statutes, all of them, we do it all in “remembrance” of Him.

As we rehearse the fall feasts we do so with excitement for the coming day when all things will be completed thru our Mashiach Yeshua. Then, throughout eternity, all will be done in remembrance and celebration, and all will Emor – “Hallelujah! Salvation, power, and glory belong to our God: (Revelation 19:1b) 

Shalom Mish’pachah from Beth Hallel Lodi