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goats, sheep. Sin offerings, guilt
offerings. Rule of thumb: don't do it.
If you do it, and you're sorry, burn a
sheep.

the jubilee year, and for land owner-
ship and money-lending. Blessings
and curses offered, plus a few more
(can ya guess?) rules!

Mill, Leviticus 6.1 8:36
More offerings. Installation of the
priests, accompanied by still more
offerings — rams, bulls, etc.

Bemidbar, Numbers 1:1 4:20
A census of the 2.5 million fighting
men of Israel (all from a family of 70
who had moved to Egypt a mere 210
years earlier — clearly a people that
has fulfilled the "fruitful and multi-
ply" commandment).

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Exodus 12:21 51 *
Flashback: Recounting the exodus.

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Deuteronomy 14:22 16:17
Special preview: tithing; money-lend-
ing; slave-holding; rules for festivals.

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Shemini, Leviticus 9:1 11:47
Finally, the day arrives to inaugurate
the new tabernacle. But tragedy
strikes: Aaron's oldest sons, Nadab
and Abihu, offer up their own
improvised sacrifice. God is not
amused, and strikes them dead. The
rewards of special high priestly status
clearly carry a special responsibility.
Right after this,-God spells out
the kosher laws. The reason given is
not to avoid disease or lower your
cholesterol count, but holiness:
Kosher food leads to holiness, and
eating treife dulls the capacity for
holiness.

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system of higher and lower courts of
law.
The big moment arrives: God, for
the first and only time, reveals
Himself to the entire nation of Israel
at Mount Sinai, an event that later
couldn't be denied by anyone. He
delivers the Ten Commandments.

This parsha describes the attire and
duties of the special class of priests,
Aaron's descendants, the Kohanim,
who will perform the temple rituals.

Ki Tisa, Exodus 30:11 34:35
The first major census and the first
Jewish tax! Everyone must contribute
a half-shekel, to count the people,
Mishpatim, Exodus 21:1 24:18
and for upkeep of the tabernacle, one
Rules aplenty: regarding keeping
of the first exercises in national unity.
slaves, injuring a parent, kidnapping,
While Moses is on Mount Sinai
murder, cursing, oxen, stealing, plus
receiving the commandments (Rule
holes in the ground: if my ox falls in
#1: don't make idols), the people
your hole, you have to pay for the
worship a golden calf. Moses per-
ox.
•
suades God not to destroy the entire
Rules for doing honest business, as nation, but loses his temper when he
well as for killing witches. All of
sees the idolatry and smashes the
these are considered just as sacred as
tablets.
the Top Ten.
Moses calls for those who are on
God's side to kill the main offenders
Terumah, Exodus 25:1 27:19
— about 3,000 of them. God gives
God gives Moses extremely detailed
Moses a second set of tablets.
blueprints for the tabernacle, the
altar and the famous ark of the
Vayakheh Exodus 35:1-38:20 and
covenant. Some suggest the level of
Pekudey Exodus 38:21-40:38
detail was to keep corrupt priests
Building the tabernacle, ark, table,
from later collecting donations to
lamp, incense altar.
"improve" an unimprovable temple.
Clever, eh?
Vayikra/Leviticus
Vayikra, Leviticus 1:1-5:26
Tetsaveh, Exodus 27:20 30:10
Offerings of cattle, birds, grain,

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Tazria, Leviticus 12:1-13:59 and
Metsora, Leviticus 14:1-15:33
All you ever wanted to know about
cleanliness: laws on diseases, includ-
ing leprosy, and on the ritual cleanli-
ness of men and women, still in
practice today.

Acharey Mot, Leviticus 16.1-18:30
and Kedoshim, Leviticus 19:1-20:27
More rules: for atonement (Yom
Kippur is created) and sacrifice,
and for conjugal relations. Rule
of thumb: one man, one
woman. Also, the Golden Rule
appears: "You shall love your
fellow as yourself."

Emor, Leviticus 21:1 24:23
Rules for priestly holiness, and
for annual feasts. Finally, a very
graphic illustration of the penal-
ty for blasphemy: God orders
that the sinner be taken out and
stoned to death.

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Behar, Leviticus 25:1-26:2 and
Bechukotay Leviticus 26:3-
27:34
Rules for the sabbatical year and

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Naso, Numbers 4:21 7•89
Tune in here to see how to redeem
sin and appease jealousy, plus get a
bonus blessing, still in use today:
"May God bless and keep you; May
God's face shine and be gracious to
you ..."

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Beha'alotecha, Numbers 8:1 12:16
Once again the people complain to
Moses (for lack of meat to eat); and
once again God provides (this time
with enough literally to make
them sick). Also, God tells Moses to
create a "Sanhedrin," or court, of 70
wise elders to help him rule.
Aaron and Miriam complain jeal-
ously against Moses, the brother
obviously favored by God. God set-
tles the matter by declaring that
Moses stands even above the
prophets, and smites Miriam with
leprosy for a week.

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Shlach, Numbers 13:1 15:41
One year into their journey, the trib-
al leaders bring back frightened
reports from their scouting mission
to Canaan ("We were like grasshop-
pers" compared to their enemies); the
people yet again lose faith in God,

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