This week's portion begins with the physical requirements for the priesthood, as well as the sacrificial animals: both must be free from blemishes. It moves on to basic laws of the Sabbath and holidays.

The portion ens with the laws on dealing with blasphemy, and then the basic civil code of restitution for personal injury damages -- the value of an eye for an eye, the value of a tooth for a tooth, and so on.

It might seem odd that the Torah is so exacting about physical perfection. After all, isn't the role of the priest, and the animal, a spiritual one? Why must both be free of physical deformities?

Furthermore, isn't that unfair? We cannot help it is we are born with imperfections, or suffer accidents. The Torah seems to be excluding people who may have suffered through no fault of their own.

A friend once told me that the essence of the left-wing vision for the world is radical equality -- which leads to tyranny; and that the essence of the right-wing vision is excellence -- which can be cruel.

The Torah rejects the idea of radical equality. It says that some people simply will be born into certain roles, and that some people will be excluded, and that there is nothing we can do about it.

But it also includes the idea that in a different context, we really are all equal. The laws of blasphemy apply to all. The laws of restitution apply to all. We are equal before the law, always.

This week happens to coincide with Pesach Sheni -- the second Passover, when people who were ritually impure the month before can offer up their Passover sacrifices. It is a "make-up" day.

The "cruelty" of exacting standards for the Passover service excluded them. But they still have the same obligations as everyone else -- and they will have an opportunity to worship, too, in their own way.

https://www.chabad.org/parshah/torahreading.asp?aid=2492749&jewish=Emor-Torah-Reading.htm&p=complete