Torah Commentary

God enumerates the rewards for keeping the commandments and the punishments for violating them; the laws of tithes are then listed.

The rabbinic understanding of commerce laws in Behar focuses on ensuring that consumers have access to market information.

God tells Moses to instruct the people in the laws of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years, as well as how to relate to those in the community who become impoverished.

God tells Moses to give the people a series of ethical and ritual laws instructing them in how to be holy.

Despite their focus on life, priests are permitted to attend to their closest relatives in death.

God gives Moses a series of laws specific to the priests; God then instructs Moses to tell the people about the festivals in addition to laws of blasphemy and murder.

We can achieve redemption only when striving for unity, holiness, and justice.

The environmental destruction intended as a punishment for failing to observe the sabbatical year raises contemporary questions of how to prevent environmental devastation.

The prohibition against worshiping idols includes falsely attributing to ourselves power over land.

Two interpretations of a word illustrate different understandings of punishments listed in Parashat Bechukotai.