Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L
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Kohanim Who Serve When It's Not Their Watch. Some Forbidden Idolatrous Practices.
Kohanim Who Serve When It's Not Their Watch.
Moshe now relates that a Kohen may offer his own sacrifices at any time he chooses, even not during his shift. Another reading of the text suggests that when Kohanim come to Jerusalem for the holiday pilgrimages that they are allowed to offer sacrifices and perform their Temple duties even though it is not their designated watch.
Kohanim who travel to Jerusalem as pilgrims for the holidays receive a portion of the hides of the Festival burnt offerings and the flesh of the he-goats of the Festival sin offerings however they do not receive a portion of other offerings unrelated to the Festivals if it is not their designated watch.
Moshe warns the Israelites that when they live in Israel they are not to mimic the depraved actions of the other nations that had lived there. They are however allowed to learn about these customs so as to know how depraved they are and to teach their children not to behave in those ways.
Some Forbidden Idolatrous Practices.
Scripture now details a few specific types of idolatrous practices which they must stay away from:
Worship of Molech - This involved passing one's children between two bonfires that one makes
Soothsaying - This involved holding a rod in one's hand and consulting with it regarding what to do or not do.
Divining - Rabbi Akiva understood this to mean decreeing certain times as being more auspicious than others for certain ventures. The sages however said that this relates to deceiving others through optical illusions.
Interpreting omens - i.e. taking different things as "signs". Rashi gives the examples of: bread falling from one's mouth, a deer crossing one's path or a stick falling from one's hand
Sorcery
Charming - this is the practice of collecting snakes, scorpions or other creatures.
"Pithom" Sorcery - This is where the sorcerer raises a dead spirit who then speaks from the sorcerer's armpit.
"Yido'a" Sorcery - This is where the sorcerer puts a bone of a yido'a (a type of animal) into their mouth and the bone speaks on its own.
Necromancy - This is someone who consults with the dead by raising the spirit on his male organ or consulting with a skull.
Anyone who performs any of these actions is considered to be an abomination to G-d and it was because of these abominable acts that G-d pushed out the other nations from the land of Israel.
Rather to be with G-d and "His Portion", we are to conduct ourselves with simplicity and dependence upon G-d. We are not to try to figure out the future but rather accept what is with simplicity.
Shoftim, 4th Aliya