Names of the Book
| English: | Leviticus |
| Hebrew: | ויקרא |
| Transliterated: | Vayikra ("And He called") |
| Other names: |
Who
| Wrote the book: | Moses |
| Are the key people: | Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abijah, Eleazar, Ithamar |
| Is it written to: | The people of Israel |
What
| Worship and the manner of worshiping of holy G-d (Leviticus 1:1-17:16) |
| Life and the manner of living a holy life (Leviticus 18:1-27:34) |
When
| Was it written: | c 1450-1410 BCE |
| Did the events occur: | c 1476 BCE |
| Was it canonized: | c 499-100 BCE |
| (see the Timeline of the Tanakh) | |
Where
| Was it written: | On the plains of Moab near Jericho (Deuteronomy 31:9) |
| Did the events occur: | Mt. Sinai |
Why
| Leviticus was written to inform us that: |
| G-d is Holy. |
| G-d requires sacrifice to be in His presence. |
| G-d requires a life of holiness from His people. |
Introduction
Leviticus is a book of narrative history and law. The book begins where Exodus concludes: Israel is at the foot of Mount Sinai, the glory of the Lord had just filled the newly constructed tabernacle, and nobody, not even Moses, can enter. G-d instructs Moses on the method by which the people can enter the tabernacle and draw near to the presence of the Living G-d. The Levitical priests are given responsibility to guide the nation in approaching and worshiping G-d. The key message is that G-d is holy and He requires His people to be holy. The book also shows that, while G-d has provided a means of cleansing and covering [atoning for] sin so that humanity can approach Him, the service of the Levitical priesthood cannot remove sin.
Scripture- Book Selection
| Chapter | Description |
| 1 | The LORD instructs Moses about how the Israelites can come to Him in the tent of meeting and describes the burnt offerings. |
| 2 | The LORD tells Moses the description and instructions for grain offerings and firstfruit offerings: unleavened with oil, salt, and frankincense. |
| 3 | The LORD provides Moses with instructions for the peace offerings of cattle, sheep, and goats. |
| 4 | The LORD describes the sin offerings for the priest, the assembly, rulers, and common people. |
| 5 | The LORD instructs Moses about trespass offerings. G-d also provides laws regarding oaths and touching unclean things. |
| 6 | The LORD informs Moses of the laws against theft, extortion, or deceit and the offerings for guilt when these occur. G-d provides instructions about burnt offering, guilt offerings, grain offerings, and the priest's anointing offerings. |
| 7 | The LORD instructs Moses of the laws regarding trespass, burnt, sin, peace, and wave offerings. G-d prohibits the Israelites from eating fat or blood. |
| 8 | Moses washes, clothes, anoints and consecrates Aaron and his sons over seven days. Sin offerings, burnt offerings, consecration offerings, and wave offerings are made. |
| 9 | The Levitical priests' consecration is concluded. All Israel is present as the concluding offerings are made, the glory of the LORD appears to Israel, and fire consumes the offerings. |
| 10 | Nadab and Abihu offer strange fire to the LORD and are consumed by fire from His presence. Moses warns the priests not to mourn and instructs them not to drink wine or strong drink. More offerings made by the priests. |
| 11 | The LORD tells Moses and Aaron which animals are clean and suitable for food. G-d tells them these food laws are matters of holiness and consecration to Him. |
| 12 | The LORD speaks to Moses about uncleanness associated with childbirth. He gives the laws regarding purification of the woman after she gives birth. |
| 13 | The LORD gives Moses and Aaron the laws regarding leprosy (tzara'at) on skin or clothing. |
| 14 | The LORD gives Moses the laws of cleansing a leper after he has been healed and the related offerings. The LORD gives Moses and Aaron the rules for identifying a house with leprosy (tzara'at) in the timbers, stones, or plaster, and the laws for cleansing the house after the leprosy in the house is healed. |
| 15 | The LORD speaks to Moses and Aaron regarding the laws of issues and discharges related to the human reproductive system. |
| 16 | The LORD speaks to Moses with the instructions for the clothing, sacrifices, and procedures for the annual atonement of the people of Israel and the atonement of the tabernacle and its furniture. G-d instructs Moses regarding the procedure for the scapegoat. |
| 17 | The LORD requires all sacrifices to be brought to the tent of meeting. Slaughter of animals for food (not sacrifice) is allowed to be made away from the tabernacle. The LORD reiterates the prohibition against eating blood. |
| 18 | The LORD declares His statutes regarding forbidden sexual relations between various relatives or persons. The LORD forbids both male homosexuality and female homosexuality. The LORD forbids bestiality. |
| 19 | The LORD commands Israel to be holy and provides laws to govern holy lives: sacrifice, honesty, practicing justice, proper sexual conduct, agriculture, diet, facial hair, and hospitality along with prohibitions against idolatry, slander, hatred, divination or consulting spirits, and tattoos. |
| 20 | The LORD tells Moses laws and penalties regarding idolatry with Molech, mediums and spiritists, improper respect, adultery, nakedness, and commandments to distinguish between clean and unclean, as well as other matters of holiness. |
| 21 | The LORD gives Moses laws for priests and the high priest regarding contact with dead people, hair or skin marks, marriage, and physical defects. |
| 22 | The LORD instructs Moses regarding the laws of clean & unclean, who can eat holy offerings, and describes acceptable offerings without defects. |
| 23 | The LORD tells Moses about His appointed times with the people of Israel and their related laws: the Sabbath, Passover, the Day of Atonement, as well as the Feasts of Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Ingathering, Trumpets, and Tabernacles. |
| 24 | The LORD provides Moses instruction regarding the menorah and the table of showbread. A man blasphemes G-d's name, curses Him, and is stoned to death as a result. G-d provides laws regarding killing or injury to animal or people. |
| 25 | The LORD gives Moses the laws regarding the seventh year Sabbath, the fiftieth year of jubilee, and laws regarding hospitality, and the laws governing the purchase or redemption of property and slaves. |
| 26 | The LORD instructs Moses of His laws regarding idols, Sabbaths, and the sanctuary. The LORD describes the blessings if Israel obeys Him and the curses if Israel disobeys Him. |
| 27 | The LORD provides Moses with the valuation and redemption of those things that are consecrated to Him: people, animals, houses, and land. |