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Parashat Kedoshim - פָּרָשַׁת קְדשִׁים
Kedoshim (“Holy”) opens by instructing the Israelites to be holy. It details dozens of laws regulating all aspects of life, including observing Shabbat, loving one’s neighbor, and leaving portions of a field for the poor. It ends by detailing punishments for certain types of idolatry and sexual misconduct.
Torah Portion: Leviticus 19:1-20:27
Parashat Kedoshim is the 30th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Next read on May 8th, 2027 / 1 Iyyar 5787
- Annual Reading
Read Annually
1:
19:1 - 19:14· 14 p’sukim
2:
19:15 - 19:22· 8 p’sukim
3:
19:23 - 19:32· 10 p’sukim
4:
19:33 - 19:37· 5 p’sukim
5:
20:1 - 20:7· 7 p’sukim
6:
20:8 - 20:22· 15 p’sukim
7:
20:23 - 20:27· 5 p’sukim
Maftir:
20:25 - 20:27· 3 p’sukim
Haftarah for Sephardim:
Ezekiel 20:2 - 20:20· 19 p’sukim
Haftarah for Ashkenazim:
Ezekiel 22:1 - 22:19· 19 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 1
Read Together in 2026/5786
Achrei Mot and Kedoshim are read together for Triennial Year 1.
- Triennial Year 2
May 8th, 2027
1:
19:1 - 19:4· 4 p’sukim
2:
19:5 - 19:10· 6 p’sukim
3:
19:11 - 19:14· 4 p’sukim
4:
19:15 - 19:18· 4 p’sukim
5:
19:19 - 19:22· 4 p’sukim
6:
19:23 - 19:32· 10 p’sukim
7:
19:33 - 19:37· 5 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 3
Read Together in 2028/5788
Achrei Mot and Kedoshim are read together for Triennial Year 3.
About Parashat Parashat Kedoshim
Kedoshim is the heart of what scholars call the "Holiness Code" (Leviticus 17-26), and its defining move is to fuse holiness with ethics: sanctity is achieved not through ritual alone but through the righteous treatment of other people. The opening charge, "You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy," frames the dozens of mitzvot that follow as concrete expressions of that ideal. Many of its commands read as practical social justice, demanding honest weights and measures, impartial judgment that favors neither rich nor poor, prompt payment of workers, care for the poor and the resident stranger, and the prohibition of slander, vengeance, and grudge-bearing. Several of its phrasings deliberately echo the Ten Commandments, presenting holiness as something lived out in everyday business, family, and communal life.
The Haftarah
Because Kedoshim is usually paired with the preceding portion Acharei Mot and only read on its own in some years, the haftarah customs vary by rite and calendar. In most Ashkenazi communities the reading is Amos 9:7-15, which answers Kedoshim's theme that God set Israel apart to be holy: Amos warns that chosenness brings heightened accountability rather than exemption from judgment ("Are you not like the Ethiopians to Me, O Israel?"). In most Sephardi communities the haftarah is Ezekiel 20:2-20, in which God arraigns Israel for its abominations and recalls the divine laws "by which a person shall live," echoing the parashah's call to live by God's statutes. Note that some calendars (such as Hebcal and Wikipedia) list Ezekiel 22:1-19 as the Ashkenazi reading, so the exact selection can depend on your community's custom.
Notable passages and verses
Kedoshim contains one of the most famous verses in the entire Torah, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord" (Leviticus 19:18). Rabbi Akiva called this "a great principle of the Torah," and the teaching of Hillel, that this is the whole Torah and "the rest is commentary," is traditionally tied to it. The portion pairs that command with the closely related charge to love the resident stranger as yourself (Leviticus 19:34) and the ethical demand "You shall not stand idly by the blood of your fellow" (Leviticus 19:16). The name "Kedoshim" means "Holy [ones]," drawn from the opening command in Leviticus 19:2, and the section is the centerpiece of the "Holiness Code," a term coined by the scholar August Klostermann in 1877.
Frequently asked questions
What is Parashat Kedoshim about?
Kedoshim (Leviticus 19:1-20:27) opens with the command "You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy" and then lays out dozens of mitzvot that make holiness practical and ethical. It covers reverence for parents, Shabbat, the ban on idolatry, leaving the corners of the field and gleanings for the poor, honest weights and measures, just judgment, and the prohibition of slander, vengeance, and grudges, culminating in the call to love your neighbor as yourself. Its closing chapter sets out penalties for idolatry and sexual transgressions and reaffirms that Israel is set apart to be holy. With TropeTrainer you can hear and practice this reading with its trope so you can learn it by ear and chant it confidently.
What is the haftarah for Kedoshim?
When Kedoshim is read on its own, the haftarah in most Ashkenazi communities is Amos 9:7-15, while in most Sephardi communities it is Ezekiel 20:2-20; some calendars instead list Ezekiel 22:1-19 for Ashkenazim, so check your community's custom. Because Kedoshim is most often paired with Acharei Mot, the combined portion typically takes Acharei Mot's haftarah. Both haftarah selections reinforce the parashah's message that holiness and obedience to God's law, not status alone, are what set Israel apart. TropeTrainer lets you hear and practice the haftarah reading with trope so you can prepare for the bimah.
What are the main themes of Kedoshim?
The central theme of Kedoshim is that holiness is expressed through ethics and social justice, not ritual alone, summed up in the command to love your neighbor as yourself. The portion repeatedly links the call to be holy with honest dealing, fair treatment of workers and the poor, care for the stranger, impartial justice, and refraining from slander and vengeance. It presents these everyday interpersonal duties as the very substance of being a holy people. You can hear and practice this reading with its trope on TropeTrainer to learn the chant along with the text.
Why is "love your neighbor as yourself" in Kedoshim so important?
Leviticus 19:18, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord," appears in Kedoshim and is one of Judaism's most cited ethical teachings. Rabbi Akiva called it a great principle of the Torah, and it is traditionally linked to Hillel's saying that this is the whole Torah and the rest is commentary. Kedoshim broadens the principle by also commanding love for the resident stranger and forbidding standing idly by the blood of one's fellow. TropeTrainer lets you hear and practice this reading with trope so you can chant these verses yourself.
Where to go next
Open a sample Torah reading with full Hebrew text, trope marks, and audio to see how TropeTrainer works.
See the complete list of weekly parashot with links to every reading and detail page.
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