Parashat Acharei Mot–Kedoshim is a double Torah portion filled with ritual and ethical instruction. Acharei Mot begins with an account of how the Yom Kippur service works, outlining the High Priest’s entry into the “Holy of Holies” and the rituals of atonement for the people of Israel. This portion is set in the aftermath of the death of Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu, whose unauthorized offering teaches the importance of approaching holiness correctly. The portion then continues with laws around sacrificial practices and a chapter outlining prohibited romantic relationships, emphasizing the importance of moral boundaries within a sacred community.

Kedoshim shifts from Yom Kippur to a vision of ethical holiness. What follows is known as the Holiness Code which are commandments concerning interpersonal behavior, from honest business dealings to reverence for the elderly, from protecting the vulnerable to loving your neighbor. Rather than separating ritual from ethics, the Torah places both side by side, calling us to live lives that reflect G-d’s holiness not only in sacred spaces but in everyday life and interactions.

In his commentary Love Is Not Enough, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks looks into one of the most well-known verses in this parashah: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). He identifies that while love is essential, it cannot be the basis of a moral society. For Rabbi Sacks, the complexity and brilliance of the Torah is not only its emotional ideals—it somehow molds love into law; it instructs that we go further than how we ‘feel’ and instead ensure our actual behavior is fair and  consistent. 

This is especially clear in the Torah’s repeated instructions to love the stranger. The “stranger” may be someone we don’t know, someone we do not totally understand, someone we are not typically inclined to feel compassion or fondness toward. Nevertheless, the Torah dictates that our moral obligation broadens to these lengths. How and why? All through the lawful and ethical framework that guides our  behavior, we are guided to  abstain from oppressing the stranger to , give to the poor, to judge ourselves  and others fairly, to be honest in our personal and business lives. Rabbi Sacks illuminates that these instructions are not reliant on feelings—they are the building blocks for ethical living even when our feelings waver.

In today’s world, where ethics are often reduced to our personal opinions or ever-changing social trends, these parshiot offer a lasting reminder: holiness thrives off of structure. The Torah reminds us not only to be caring, but to be fair; not only to be considerate, but to remain consistent. The aim isn’t just personal morality, but public responsibility and duty. As Rabbi Sacks wrote, “Without justice, love corrupts. And without love, justice deserts.”

Parashat Acharei Mot–Kedoshim commands us to pursue an elevated moral duty—one where love is held up by law, and where holiness is counted not only by what we believe, but by how we choose to behave and live our lives. This is how we build a society that is deserving of G-d’s presence. 

Shabbat Shalom,

Lili, Grade 11