BS”D

QUESTIONS FOR PARSHAT EMOR 5775 by Rabbi Edward Davis I. From the Text

1. For which relatives does a Kohen contaminate himself? (21:2,3)

2. Who may a regular Kohen not marry? (21:7)

3. A Kohen with a physical blemish may not perform the service, but may he eat sacrificial meat? (21:22)

4. Name the 5 Biblical holidays in calendar order? (23)

5. What is the Biblical date assigned to Shavuot? (23:21)

II. From Rashi

6. A Kohen marries a divorcée. Is the marriage binding as a marriage and may he defile himself to bury her? (21:4)

7. A Kohen marries a divorcée and they have a son. May the son duchen? Eat Terumah? Contaminate himself with contact with the dead? (21:15)

8. Under what conditions may a Kohen’s daughter eat Terumah? (22:12)

9. Why does the Torah begin the discussion on Yom Tov with mentioning Shabbat? (23:2)

10. Why did the blasphemer curse God? (end of Rashi on 24:10)

III. From the Midrash

11. A Kohen went on a long distance trip. Word came back that he died, enabling his wife to re-marry. He returns! Can she receive a Get from her current husband and return to her first husband, the Kohen? (Sifra, Chizkuni on 21:7)

12. Three cases of a Mitzvah to count. In one case, we all count. In case two, just the Beit Din. In case #3, a woman counts. What are the 3 cases? And who says a Brachah?

13. What are the 5 afflictions of Yom Kippur? (Targum Yonatan 23:27)

IV. From the Haftorah : Ezekiel

14. Whom may the regular Kohen not marry, in Messianic times?

V. Relationships a) Aharon – Calev b) Nachshon – Aharon c) Lavan – Yitzchak d) Aharon – Yitro e) Avraham – Moav

ANSWERS FOR PARSHAT EMOR 5775

1. Father, Mother, Son, Daughter, Wife, Brother, and never-married Sister.

2. A Kohen may not marry a harlot (i.e. a woman who lived with someone she is not permitted to marry), a divorcée, (and a convert.)

3. Yes.

4. Pesach, Shavuot, Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot.

5. The 50th day of the Omer is Shavuot.

6. The marriage is binding, and he is not permitted to contaminate himself for her.

7. The son may not duchen; may not eat Terumah; and may contaminate himself to the dead.

8. If she is single, or married to a Kohen, or divorced/widowed with no children.

9. To teach us that one who desecrates Yom Tov is as if he desecrated Shabbat; if he observes Yom Tov, it is as if he observes Shabbat.

10. His father was Egyptian; his mother was Jewish, of the tribe of Dan. He wanted to dwell among the tribe of Dan and was denied.

11. She may return to her husband!

12. Everyone counts Sefirat HaOmer with a Brachah. The Beit Din counts the years of Shemittah to Yovel with a Brachah. A woman counts her 7 preparatory days before going to the Mikvah, without a Brachah.

13. No eating/drinking, bathing, anointing with oil, marital relations, or wearing leather shoes.

14. He may not marry a divorcée, and nor a widow. He may marry a widow of a Kohen though.

Relationships a) Brothers-in-law b) Brothers-in-law c) Brothers-in-law d) Mechutanim (Midrashically, Elazar married one of Yitro’s daughters) e) (Great) Uncle Avraham