You only have to read the name of the Torah portion to quickly see how to find meaning in this week’s parashah. The portion is Emor, from Leviticus 21:1-24:23. “Emor” means “speak.” It is a simple command, but also a profound invitation. Judaism does not live only in thought or belief; it comes alive when it is spoken and embodied in the world.
To speak is to make something real. Words transmit values across generations and shape our community and our response to the world. In Emor, speech becomes the bridge between the sacred and the everyday. It is through words that holiness enters our lives.
We see this most clearly in the rhythm of Jewish time. On Shabbat, we speak holiness into being through Kiddush and other blessings. On holidays, we retell our story—whether at the Passover seder, hearing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, or blessing the Chanukah candles. These are not passive rituals; they are acts that come from our mouths that affirm our identity.
But Emor challenges us to go further. If Judaism is only something we say in the synagogue or at the holiday table, it remains limited. The deeper call is to let our words and actions align every day. The way we speak to others with kindness, integrity, and sometimes with courage, becomes our way of living our lives through Torah. Our actions add to that to help make the world a better place. All of this is with compassion, justice, and dignity.
From a Reform Jewish perspective, this idea carries a powerful message of personal ethical responsibility. We are not only inheritors of tradition; we are its modern interpreters and its voices. Each of us chooses how to “speak” Judaism into the world through the way we celebrate, the values we uphold, and the respect we show to others, including those who believe differently than we do.
“Emor”—speak. Let your Judaism be heard not only in prayers, but in the way you show up in the world. Through your words and your actions, you continue the story, bringing holiness into every day.
Shabbat Shalom,
Cantor Michael Shochet
