Leviticus · Weekly Torah portion
Parashat Achrei Motאַחֲרֵי מוֹת
Torah reading
Leviticus 16:1-18:30
Haftarah
Amos 9:7-15
Sephardic: Ezekiel 22:1-16
What happens in Achrei Mot
After the death — achrei mot — of Aaron's sons, God prescribes the Yom Kippur service: once a year the High Priest enters the Holy of Holies, and two goats receive lots — one offered, one sent into the wilderness carrying the people's sins, the original 'scapegoat.' This is the Torah reading of Yom Kippur morning. The parsha continues with laws that guard life and holiness, including the principle that these commandments are given to live by.
Big themes
- Atonement and reset
- Carrying and releasing guilt
- Living by the mitzvot
If this is your bar or bat mitzvah portion
Yom Kippur's whole architecture comes from this parsha — a national day for admitting wrongs and starting over. The Torah assumes everyone, including the High Priest, needs atonement. Getting it wrong is human; owning it is the mitzvah.
Learning to chant Achrei Mot?
Ready 13 builds a verse-by-verse practice plan for this exact portion — chanted reference audio, karaoke highlighting, trope games, and a countdown that keeps the big day on track.
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