Parashat Achrei Mot
אַחֲרֵי מוֹת · Leviticus 16:1 to 18:30, portion 6 of 10 in the book of Leviticus.
Next reading
Saturday 1 May 2027
24 Nisan 5787
In Israel and abroad
The year after
What happens in Achrei Mot
After the death of Aaron's two sons, God tells Aaron when and how he may enter the holy of holies. The portion sets out the Yom Kippur service: the two goats, one offered and one sent to Azazel in the wilderness, the incense and the atonement for the people, as a law for all time. It forbids offerings outside the Tabernacle and the eating of blood, and closes with the laws of forbidden relations.
וַיְדַבֵּר ה׳ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה אַחֲרֵי מוֹת שְׁנֵי בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן בְּקָרְבָתָם לִפְנֵי־ה׳ וַיָּמֻתוּ
“And the LORD spoke unto Moses, after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the LORD, and died;”
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Reading this Shabbat?
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Frequently asked questions
When is Parashat Achrei Mot read in 2027?+
On Shabbat 1 May 2027 (24 Nisan 5787), in Israel and in the Diaspora alike. The year after, it is read on 6 May 2028.
What is Parashat Achrei Mot about?+
After the death of Aaron's two sons, God tells Aaron when and how he may enter the holy of holies. The portion sets out the Yom Kippur service: the two goats, one offered and one sent to Azazel in the wilderness, the incense and the atonement for the people, as a law for all time. It forbids offerings outside the Tabernacle and the eating of blood, and closes with the laws of forbidden relations.
Why is Achrei Mot sometimes read together with Kedoshim?+
Most years have fewer free Shabbatot than portions: a festival that falls on Shabbat takes that Shabbat's reading, and a year without a second month of Adar is about four weeks shorter. So some neighbouring portions are read together, and Achrei Mot with Kedoshim is one of those pairs.