A Message from Rabbi Bellows

May 11, 2025 /13 Iyar 5785 

Dear Beth Am Friends,

This week’s Torah portion, Emor, contains two major themes: the special laws for the kohanim (priests) and the Jewish calendar, particularly the festivals. One of the striking lessons from this portion is how holiness is expressed through both who we are and how we mark time.

The kohanim are called to live lives of heightened holiness, with guidelines around mourning, marriage, and service. But holiness isn’t reserved for priests alone—Emor also teaches us how the entire people of Israel sanctify time through the observance of Shabbat and the festivals of Sukkot, Pesach, Shavuot, as well as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and the counting of the Omer—the Torah lays out a rhythm of sacred time that reminds us that every season carries spiritual potential.

As we move through our busy lives, Emor invites us to consider: How do we sanctify our time? Do we pause for rest, reflection, and celebration? The word “Emor” means ‘speak,’ do we speak in ways that uplift others, helping us connect to one another, our community, and the world around us?

Holiness isn’t distant or abstract. It lives in the choices we make, the time we honor, and the words we share.

May we experience the sacred in each day.

Rabbi Lisa Bellows