Dear Congregation Kehillah and Friends,
Parashat Emor contains the 'festival calendar' of the Jewish people. You might be surprised to learn which of our holidays and festivals are mentioned in the Torah, along with the names by which they were originally known:
the weekly Shabbat;
the bringing of the Passover offering on 14 Nisan;
the seven-day Passover starting on 15 Nisan;
the Omer offering from the first barley harvest on the second day of Passover and the commencement, that day, of the 49-day counting of the Omer, culminating in the festival of Shavuot on the 50th day;
a day of remembrance marked by shofar blasts on 1 Tishrei*;
a solemn fast day on 10 Tishrei**;
Sukkot, during which we are to "dwell in huts for seven days and take the Four Kinds"*** beginning on 15 Tishrei;
and a holiday immediately following (the '8th day' of Sukkot) = Shemini Atzeret.
Instruction is offered as to the purpose and observance of these special days along commanding the kohanim/priests to replace the 12 loaves of showbread each week that sat on a special table in the sanctuary.
* Rosh Hashanah
** Yom Kippur
*** Lulav (containing the willow, palm and myrtle branches) and Etrog (the citron)
