This is the text of the Parshat from this last week's Torah portion.  Many thanks to the Gershowitz family for their beautiful kiddush.

Parashat Emor (Lev 22:17 - 23:22)

In this middle triennial year, the reading begins with a (quite astounding) list of the disqualifying "blemishes" that would  disqualify an animal from being sacrificed (oh, gee, I can't be slaughtered on the altar? How sad for me... :-0 ), including being  castrated or neutered, having a limp or an eye disfigurement.

What is really interesting is comparing the list of animals that  cannot become sacrifices with the list of disfigurements that prevent  a kohen from officiating at sacrifices: it's almost the same list.  Regarding the disfigured kohen, though, we see that he retains the  same status as his fellow kohanim, eating from the sacrificial  animals just as they do.

The final section of our reading tells of the annual cycle of holidays.

It's horrible to think that the Torah, which we Jews are to hold in  such high esteem, singles out "bad looking people" and animals for  exclusion from  the sacrificial realm: The essence of shallowness  itself!  Can it really be "God's will" that those who were born  "pretty" have a distinct advantage over the rest of us, or does the  Torah *reflect* human prejudices rather than instilling them?

Or is it possible, I wonder, that the Torah is *specifically*  singling out the pretty people to do the sorts of dirty work that in  our day and age they are able to avoid? The officiating kohanim were  chosen by lottery from all the eligible kohanim. Even though it was  supposed to be a privilege to facilitate atonement and expiation for 
the Israelite people before God, I can imagine a number of current  movie stars balking at the required butchery training, the  memorization of language and ritual that was required, or even not  enjoying dismembering animals to cook upon the altar (isn't that why we pay Bobby Flay the big bucks?)

But if that good looking guy went through all those steps, learned  what he needed to learn, followed protocol without complaint, then I  just might admire such a person - not because of his looks but  despite them! Even the blemish-free people should have the same goals as do we all: to live a good life that reinforces loyalty to one's  people and allegiance to God from whom all goodness flows. Now THAT's  what I'm talkin' 'bout!

Rabbi David Bockman