Talmud Bavli Sotah on a Congregation Full of Kohanim

"Adda said in the name of Rabbi Simlai: In a synagogue whose attendance consists entirely of Kohanim, they all ascend the platform to recite the Blessing. One must wonder about Rabbi Simlai's statement: To whom, then, is their Blessing addressed, if there is no one else present among the congregation to receive the Blessing?"

-- Talmud Bavli, Sotah 38b

Talmud Bavli Ta'anit on Reading Scriptural Sections on Offerings to Atone for Sins

"Abraham said: Master of the Universe! Perhaps Israel will sin before You and You will do to them as You did to the generation of the Flood and the generation of the Dispersion. God answered him: No! Abraham said before God: Let me know by what means shall Israel atone for their sins and thereby be saved from destruction. God answered Abraham: 'Bring Me three calves and three goats...' (Genesis 15:9).

"Abraham said before God: Master of the Universe! That is fine for the times when the Holy Temple will be in existence, but in the times when the Holy Temple will not be in existence, what will be with them? God answered Abraham: I have already established for them the Scriptural section of offerings. Whenever they read from them before Me, I will consider it as if they had brought offerings before Me, and I will forgive them of all their sins."

-- Talmud Bavli, Ta'anit 27b


This teaches that there is something significant about reciting the sections of Torah that describe the priestly rituals. The way the Torah works is that it is a vibrationally coded instruction manual. The word "sacrifice" comes from a root meaning "to be made close to", in other words, the sacrifices are the means by which we can be made close to God. The sacrifices are not meant to be carried out physically, but instead through speech, as it is the vibrational effects of the sounds of the words that are significant. Thus, the morning prayer service contains several readings of the Torah passages detailing the rituals of the Kohanim.

Midrash Rabbah Shemot on God's Inseparability from the Torah

"Is there any acquisition in which the seller himself is sold along with the acquired item? The Holy One, blessed is He, said to Israel, 'I sold you my Torah, and as it were, I Myself was sold along with it', as it is stated, 'And let them take for Me a portion' (Exodus 25:2).

"This can be illustrated by a parable. It can be compared to a king who had an only daughter. One of the other kings came and took her as a wife. Subsequently, he sought to return to his land and to take his wife with him. The father-in-law king said to him, 'My daughter whom I have given you is an only daughter, thus I am unable to part from her. But I am equally unable to tell you, Do not take her to your land. Rather, do this favor for me: Any place that you go, prepare a room for me so that I may dwell near you. For I am unable to leave my daughter.

"So too, did the Holy One, blessed is He, say to Israel, 'I have given you the Torah. I am unable to part from it, but I am also unable to tell you, Do not take it. Rather, do this favor for Me: Any place that you go, prepare a house for Me that I may dwell therein.' As it is stated, 'They shall make for me a Sanctuary, so that I may dwell among them' (Exodus 25:8)."

-- Midrash Rabbah Shemot, 33.1

Talmud Bavli Avodah Zarah on Reciting Verses of Torah and Talmud

"And Rava said: A person should always recite, even if he forgets, and even if he does not understand what he is saying."

-- Talmud Bavli, Avodah Zarah 19a


That is, he should read the verses of Torah and Talmud out loud in the original Hebrew. This teaches that there is great merit for those who learn to speak the Holy Languages.