Leviticus-Chapter-20
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Remember the following truth from our
beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO
THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER SHALL
YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim -
Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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With Rabbi,
Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction:
Leviticus Chapter 20 serves as the judicial enforcement of the holiness code. While previous chapters outlined the prohibitions, this chapter establishes the gravity of those laws by detailing the consequences for their violation. It moves from the realm of ritual instruction to the realm of communal responsibility, emphasizing that the sanctity of the nation is preserved not only by individual obedience but by the active rejection of practices that defile the land and the people.
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Let us read Leviticus
Chapter 20, verses 1 to 27: (JPS-1917 version of
the Torah). Below this chapter you will find my
commentary on same.
1 “And יְהוָה - the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 ‘Moreover, thou shalt say to the children of Israel: Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death; the people of the land shall stone him with stones. 3 I also will set My face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people, because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile My sanctuary, and to profane My holy name. 4 And if the people of the land do at all hide their eyes from that man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and put him not to death; 5 then I will set My face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go astray after him, to go astray after Molech, from among their people. 6 And the soul that turneth unto the ghosts, and unto the familiar spirits, to go astray after them, I will even set My face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people. 7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for I am יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloheichem (God). 8 And keep ye My statutes, and do them: I am יְהוָה - the LORD who sanctify you. 9 For whatsoever man there be that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him. 10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. 11 And the man that lieth with his father’s wife, he hath uncovered his father’s nakedness both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. 12 And if a man lie with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death; they have wrought corruption; their blood shall be upon them. 13 And if a man lie with mankind, as with womankind, both of them have committed abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. 14 And if a man take with his wife also her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you. 15 And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death; and ye shall slay the beast. 16 And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. 17 And if a man shall take his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness: it is a shameful thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people: he hath uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity. 18 And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness he hath made naked her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood both of them shall be cut off from among their people. 19 And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister, nor of thy father’s sister; for he hath made naked his near kin; they shall bear their iniquity. 20 And if a man shall lie with his uncle’s wife, he hath uncovered his uncle’s nakedness they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless. 21 And if a man shall take his brother’s wife, it is impurity: he hath uncovered his brother’s nakedness; they shall be childless. 22 Ye shall therefore keep all My statutes, and all Mine ordinances, and do them, that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, vomit you not out. 23 And ye shall not walk in the customs of the nation, which I am casting out before you; for they did all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. 24 But I have said unto you: ‘Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey’. I am יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloheichem, who have set you apart from the peoples. 25 Ye shall therefore separate between the clean beast and the unclean, and between the unclean fowl and the clean; and ye shall not make your souls detestable by beast, or by fowl, or by any thing wherewith the ground teemeth, which I have set apart for you to hold unclean. 26 And ye shall be holy unto Me; for I am יְהוָה - the LORD am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples, that ye should be Mine. 27 A man also or a woman that divineth by a ghost or a familiar spirit, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones; their blood shall be upon them’”.
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Commentary on Leviticus Chapter 20:
Verses
1-5:
(The Rejection of Molech and Idolatry). The chapter opens with a
severe warning against the worship of Molech. This
form of idolatry, involving the passing of seed to a foreign god, is treated as
a direct profanation of the Divine Name. The text places the burden of justice
on the “people of the land”, warning that if the community turns a blind eye to
such spiritual betrayal, the Creator Himself will set His face against that
individual and their family.
Verses
6-8:
(Sanctity Against the Occult). The prohibition against seeking out mediums and wizards
reinforces the requirement for
Verse 9: (The Foundation of Family
Honour). The severe penalty for one who curses their
father or mother underscores the foundational importance of the family unit. In
the Torah’s framework, honoring parents is inextricably linked to honoring the
Creator. A breakdown in parental respect is viewed as a breakdown in the very
structure of the holy society.
Verses
10-21: (The Preservation of Sexual Integrity). This extensive section
details the penalties for various forbidden unions, including adultery and
incestuous relationships. By prescribing strict consequences, the Torah
demonstrates that these acts are not merely private matters but are “abominations”
and “confusions” that threaten the moral fabric of the community. These laws
ensure that the lines of inheritance and family sanctity remain clear and
unpolluted.
Verses
22-26: (The Purpose of Distinction). The Torah reiterates the connection between moral
conduct and the right to remain in the land. The Israelites are warned that if
they follow the “customs of the nation” which were cast out before them, the
land itself will “vomit” them out. The call to be holy is rooted in the fact
that the LORD has “set you apart from the peoples”. This separation is both a
privilege and a rigorous requirement for national survival.
Verse 27: (The Final Warning on
Sorcery). The chapter concludes by returning to the theme of the occult. By
prescribing a specific judicial penalty for those who practice mediumship or wizardry, the Law ensures that the spiritual
environment of
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My Closing Message:
Leviticus
20 reminds us that holiness is a high calling that requires vigilance and
accountability. It teaches that a society is defined by what it tolerates and
what it rejects. By establishing these boundaries, the Torah protects the
nation from the moral decay that consumed the civilizations around them. It serves
as a reminder that to be a “peculiar treasure” unto the Almighty, the people
must maintain a standard of conduct that mirrors the purity of the One who
brought them out of
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