Blessing of Torah.
Hebrew:
Baruch atah YHVH eloheinu melech
ha-olam, asher kideshanu b'mitzvotav, v'tzivanu la'asok b'divrei Torah.
V'ha'arev na YHVH eloheinu et divrei toratecha befinu uvfi amecha beit Yisrael.
V'niyeh anachnu v'tze'etze'einu v'tze'etza'ei amecha beit Yisrael kullanu yodei
sh'mecha v'lomdei toratecha lishmah. Baruch atah YHVH hamelamed Torah le'amo
Yisrael. Baruch atah YHVH Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher bachar banu mikol ha'amim
venatan lanu et torato. Baruch atah YHVH, notein haTorah.
English
translation: Blessed are You, YHVH
our Elohim, King of the universe, who has made us set apart through His
commandments and commanded us to actively study Torah. Please YHVH, our Elohim,
sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of all Your
people Israel. May we and our offspring, and the offspring of Your people, the
House of Israel, may we all, together, know Your Name and study Your Torah for
the sake of fulfilling Your desire. Blessed are You, YHVH, Who teaches Torah to
His people Israel. Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, Who
chose us from all the nations and gave us the Torah. Blessed are You, YHVH,
Giver of the Torah.
The
intention and purpose of this Torah portion is carefully stated in the last
three verses of the portion:
Lev 15:31 ‘Thus you shall separate the children of
Yisra’ĕl from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness when they
defile My Dwelling Place which is in their midst.
Lev 15:32 ‘This is the Torah for one who has a
discharge, and for him who emits semen and is unclean thereby,
Lev 15:33 and for her who is sick in her monthly
separation, and for one who has a discharge, either man or woman, and for him
who lies with an unclean woman.’ ”
It is clear that even
a Torah kept community is in need of continual cleansing. This can only be
possible through the ministry of a dedicated priesthood and a Temple altar.
Even the Apostolic
scriptures recognise the need for this cleansing.
Heb 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the
ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the defiled, sets apart for the cleansing of the
flesh, (present tense)
Heb 9:14 how much more shall (future tense) the blood of the Messiah, who through the
everlasting Spirit offered Himself unblemished to Elohim, cleanse(future tense) your conscience from
dead works to serve(present tense)
the living Elohim?
Heb 9:22 And, according to the Torah, almost all is
cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
The Ruach of YHVH has given us this week’s Torah instruction in the form
of a chiastic structure.
- Introduction (vs 1,2)
B. Abnormal male discharge (vs 2b-15)
C.
Normal male discharge (vs 15,17)
X. Marital
relations (vs18)
C. Normal female
discharge (vs 19-24)
B. Abnormal female
discharge (vs 25-30)
A. Summary (vs 31-33)
We
see the focus of the Torah portion is on marital purity. We can safely assume
this can also refer to a “bride without spot or wrinkle” waiting and preparing
for her soon coming Bridegroom.
Eph 5:24 But as the assembly is subject to Messiah, so
also let the wives be to their own husbands in every respect.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Messiah also
did love the assembly and gave Himself for it,
Eph 5:26 in order to set it apart and cleanse it with
the washing of water by the Word,1 Footnote: 1Rev.
19:8-9.
Eph 5:27 in order to present it to Himself a splendid
assembly, not having spot or wrinkle or
any of this sort, but that it might be set-apart and blameless.
Eph 5:28 In this way husbands ought to love their own
wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
Eph 5:29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but
feeds and cherishes it, as also the Master does the assembly.
Eph 5:30 Because we are members of His body, of His
flesh and of His bones.
Eph 5:31 “For this cause a man shall leave his father
and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
Eph 5:32 This secret is great, but I speak concerning
Messiah and the assembly.
Sadly the reality today is that believers
who desire to be part of the Bride of Messiah have been profoundly defiled by
false doctrines and disobedience to the Torah – the marriage covenant between
YHVH and Yisrael. Cleansing of water is not sufficient and an additional method
of cleansing is required as prescribed by the Torah. Many believers will deny
this and claim that the blood of Messiah is sufficient for their cleansing.
Yahshua clearly stated that not ONE word of the Torah would be done away with
while heaven and earth were still here and that anyone who taught someone to be
disobedient to the least of the commandments of Torah would be least in coming
kingdom age – Matt 5:17-19.
It
is a sobering thought and should cause deep reflection that Yahshua will not
return until there is a restoration of ALL things.
Act 3:19 “Repent therefore and turn back, for the
blotting out of your sins, in order that times of refreshing might come from
the presence of the Master,
Act 3:20 and that He sends יהושע Messiah,
pre-appointed for you,
Act 3:21 whom
heaven needs to receive until the times of restoration of all matters,
of which Elohim spoke through the mouth of all His set-apart prophets since of
old.
Act 3:22 “For
Mosheh truly said to the fathers, ‘יהוה your Elohim
shall raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brothers. Him you shall hear
according to all matters, whatever He says to you.
Act 3:23 ‘And it
shall be that every being who does not hear that Prophet1 shall be
utterly destroyed from among the people.’ Footnote: 1Deut. 18:18-20.
Act 3:24 “And
likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Shemu’ĕl and those following,
have also announced these days.
Act 3:25 “You are
sons of the prophets, and of the covenant (Torah) which Elohim made with our
fathers, saying to Aḇraham, ‘And in your seed all the nations of the earth
shall be blessed.’
“The temple at Jerusalem is prophesied
to be rebuilt. The “measuring rod” and the “plummet” are associated with the
Two Witnesses (Revelation 11:1; Zechariah 4:10). Animal offerings will be
reinstituted. Having a temple without offerings is like having a home without a
table for food. The Two Witnesses will “restore all things” to Israel. The
“restoration” will be perfect, all of the Mosaic Law will be put back into
action. After 3½ years, the Beast (the Anti -Messiah) will call himself “God”
and cause the offerings to cease. But after another 3½ years, the true Messiah
will return. The Beast will be destroyed, and the work of the Two Witnesses
will finally see a proper fulfillment.”
Dan 9:27 “And he shall confirm a covenant with many
for one week. And in the middle of the week he shall put an end to slaughtering
and meal offering. And on the wing of abominations he shall lay waste, even
until the complete end and that which is decreed is poured out on the one who
lays waste1.” Footnote: 1Mt. 24:15.
It is possibly significant that as Phaorah (a type of
anti Messiah) was used in sending Yisraelites back to Yisrael, so in the end
times a type of anti Messiah could also be responsible for sending Yisraelites
back to Yisrael.
Jer 23:7 “Therefore, see, the days are coming,”
declares יהוה, “when they
shall say no more, ‘As יהוה lives who
brought up the children of Yisra’ĕl out of the land of Mitsrayim,’
Jer 23:8 but, ‘As יהוה lives who brought up and led the seed of
the house of Yisra’ĕl out of the land of the north and from all the lands where
I had driven them.’ And they shall dwell on their own soil.”
Jer 23:18 For who has stood in the counsel of יהוה, and has seen
and heard His word? Who has listened to His word and obeyed it?
Jer 23:19 See, a
storm of יהוה shall go forth in a rage, a whirling
storm! It whirls on the head of the wrong.
Jer 23:20 The
displeasure of יהוה shall not turn
back until He has done and established the purposes of His heart. In the latter
days you shall understand it perfectly.1 Footnote: 1See
30:24.
Monte Judah has some interesting insight into the events
of the last days.
“The temple mount is the "granddaddy" of all
prophetic subjects for the end of the ages. Yeshua focused on the prophecy of
the "Abomination of Desolation" spoken of by Daniel. The Abomination
of Desolation is a temple mount prophecy. Yeshua explained to His disciples
that there would be many general signs raising awareness of the end, but that
they should pay particular attention to the specific prophecy given by Daniel.
His counsel is also applicable to us today.
What exactly did Yeshua say that we should pay the
closest attention to? Answer: the setting up of the altar on the temple mount
and the activity of the daily sacrifice (see Matthew 24:15-16). According to
the prophecy, the sign of the start of the Great Tribulation is the cessation
(stopping) of the daily sacrifice. At the moment, there is no altar and no
daily sacrifice being performed on the temple mount. Therefore, the Great
Tribulation cannot begin until such an altar is established and performing the
daily sacrifice (morning and evening lambs), because prophecy says there will
be such an altar and service, just as it said Israel and Jerusalem must exist.
There is also a second component to the Abomination of Desolation prophecy. It
involves the antimessiah and false prophet. The antimessiah (called the beast
in Revelation) is a future world leader imitating the Messiah but serving the
Satan. The false prophet is a future religious leader who promotes the
following of the false messiah. An image (a statue of the beast) will be set up
on the temple mount by the false prophet. This will herald the antimessiah and
his involvement with the world in the days of the Great Tribulation.
As we review the beginning of 2014, we can see the
following: there is a strong and growing movement within Israel to rebuild the
temple with an operational full altar. The materials for the construction of
the altar are in Jerusalem awaiting shipment to the temple mount. The vessels
and furnishings for the temple are being constructed. Some are even on display
in Jerusalem for visitors to see.
If 2014 is to be the start of the Great
Tribulation, then there must be an operating altar with the daily sacrifice
right now (the February/March timeframe). But there is none. So, we can safely
conclude that this winter is NOT the year the Great Tribulation begins.” End
quote.
The Temple Institute:
“The
altar is the very heart of the Holy Temple, for all of the Divine service is
centered around it: all of the daily and additional offerings, as well as the
individual and congregational sacrifices. All of the major ceremonies in the
Temple also take place in the vicinity of the altar: the Passover sacrifice,
the bringing of the firstfruits on Shavuot, and even the rejoicing with the
lulav branches on Sukkot all take place around the altar.
A Precise Location, From the Beginning
of Time
The
exact location of the altar is extremely precise, and has been established
since time immemorial. The altar built by King David and King Solomon in the
days of the First Temple, as well as the one built later in the era of the
Second Temple, were both erected on the very same place: for this was the very
place from which Adam, the first man, was created. The sages stated: "Man
was created from the very spot which atones for him" (B'reishith Rabbah
14:6). Later, it was at this spot on Mount Moriah that Abraham bound Isaac upon
the altar that he had built. Through that action, Abraham declared that this
would be the place of God's Temple for all time.”
Just a word of warning: the rebuilding of the Temple in Yerushalyim is also
an extremely important focus of Free
Masonry – We must not be deceived by coming events. Only those who can
clearly discern the prophetic patterns of Torah will survive in the last days.
Here
is a quote so you see how truth can be used by the enemy: "Of all the
objects which constitute the Masonic
science of symbolism, the most important, the most cherished, by the Mason, and
by far the most significant, is the Temple of Jerusalem. The spiritualizing of
the Temple is the first, the most prominent and the most pervading, of all
symbols of Freemasonry ... Take from Freemasonry its dependence on the Temple;
leave out of its ritual all references to that sacred edifice, and to the
legends and traditions connected with it, and the system itself would at once
decay and die ... " ["Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry", by Albert
Mackey, MD, 33º and Charles T. McClenachan, 33º, Revised Edition, by Edward L.
Hawkins, 30º and William J. Hughan, 32º, Volume II, M-Z, published by The
Masonic History Company, Chicago, New York, London, 1873, A.G. Mackey, 1927, by
the Masonic History Company.]” End quote.
Our Torah portion begins:
- Lev 15:1 And יהוה
spoke to Mosheh and to Aharon, saying,
Lev 15:2 “Speak to
the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘When any man has a discharge from
his flesh, his discharge is unclean.
B. Lev
15:3 ‘And this is his uncleanness in
regard to his discharge; whether his flesh runs with his discharge, or his flesh is stopped up by his discharge,
it is his uncleanness.
Lev 15:4 ‘Any bed
becomes unclean on which he who has the discharge lies, and any object on which
he sits becomes unclean.
Lev 15:5 ‘And
anyone who touches his bed has to wash his garments, and shall bathe in water,
and be unclean until evening.
Lev 15:6 ‘And he
who sits on any object on which he who has the discharge sat, has to wash his
garments, and shall bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.
Lev 15:7 ‘And he
who touches the flesh of him who has the discharge has to wash his garments,
and shall bathe in water, and shall be unclean until evening.
Lev 15:8 ‘And when
he who has the discharge spits on him who is clean, then he shall wash his
garments, and shall bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.
Lev 15:9 ‘Any
saddle on which he who has the discharge rides becomes unclean.
Lev 15:10 ‘And
whoever touches any of that which was under him is unclean until evening. And
he who is carrying them up has to wash his garments, and shall bathe in water,
and be unclean until evening.
Lev 15:11 ‘And
anyone whom he who has the discharge touches without rinsing his hands in
water, shall wash his garments and bathe in water, and be unclean until
evening.
Lev 15:12 ‘And the
earthen vessel which he who has the discharge touches has to be broken, and
every wooden vessel has to be rinsed in water.
Lev 15:13 ‘And
when he who has a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count
for himself seven days for his cleansing, and shall wash his garments, and
shall bathe his flesh in running water, and be clean.
Lev 15:14 ‘And on
the eighth day he takes for himself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and
shall come before יהוה, to the door
of the Tent of Meeting, and shall give them to the priest.
Lev 15:15 ‘And the
priest shall prepare them, the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt
offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him before יהוה because of his discharge.
Vs2b-15 is about an abnormal male discharge. According to
some commentaries, this could have been caused by a sexually transmitted
disease such as gonorrhea.
Midrash:
We note also that because of the private nature of the
discharge, one had to determine by oneself the nature and seriousness of the
discharge.
Sexually transmitted diseases can cause infertility – see
vs 3 “blocked” or “stopped up.” These diseases can even cause insanity if not
treated as is the case with syphilis.
This reminds us of the importance of receiving the pure
seed of the Word of YHVH.
1Pe 1:23 having
been born again – not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible – through the
living Word of Elohim, which remains forever,
Today these physical
symptoms have spiritual applications in the community of believers.
Many are not receiving
the seed of the Word because of doctrinal defilement – others are virtually
“insane” by virtue of continual defiling indoctrination.
Only those who have
received the incorruptible word will be able to survive in the last days. This
incorruptible seed can be compared to the Torah of YHVH as seen and taught by
Yashua and his talmadim.
We note that the
normal discharges are cleansed by water – mikva.
The abnormal
discharges require and offering brought to the priest.
C. Lev
15:16 ‘And when a man has an emission of
semen, then he shall wash all his flesh in water, and be unclean until evening.
Lev 15:17 ‘And any
garment and any leather on which there is semen, shall also be washed with
water, and be unclean until evening.
X. Lev 15:18
‘And when a woman lies with a man, and there is an emission of semen,
they both shall bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.
C. A
woman in “Niddah”: Lev 15:19 ‘And when a woman has a discharge, and the
discharge from her flesh is blood, she has to be in her separation for seven days. And whoever touches her is
unclean until evening.
Lev 15:20 ‘And
whatever she lies on during her separation is unclean. And whatever she sits on
is unclean.
Lev 15:21 ‘And
anyone who touches her bed has to wash his garments, and shall bathe in water,
and be unclean until evening.
Lev 15:22 ‘And
whoever touches any object that she sat on has to wash his garments, and shall
bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.
Lev 15:23 ‘And if
it is on the bed or on any object on which she sits, when he touches it, he is
unclean until evening.
Lev 15:24 ‘And if
any man lies with her at all, and her monthly flow is on him, he shall be
unclean seven days. And any bed he lies on is unclean.
B. Lev 15:25 ‘And when a woman has a
discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her monthly
separation, or when she discharges beyond her usual time of monthly separation,
all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her monthly
separation. She is unclean.
Lev 15:26 ‘Any bed
on which she lies all the days of her discharge is to her as the bed of her
monthly separation. And whatever she sits on is unclean, as the uncleanness of
her monthly separation.
Lev 15:27 ‘And
anyone who touches them is unclean, and shall wash his garments, and shall
bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.
Lev 15:28 ‘But if
she is cleansed of her discharge, then she shall count for herself seven days,
and after that she is clean.
Lev 15:29 ‘And on
the eighth day she takes for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and
shall bring them to the priest, to the door of the Tent of Meeting.
Lev 15:30 ‘And the
priest shall prepare the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt
offering, and the priest shall make atonement for her before יהוה for the discharge of her uncleanness.
Midrash:
There may be many reasons why a woman would continue to
bleed. This state could remind us that something is wrong both physically and
possibly spiritually and it needs to be healed so that the “seed” can be
received and life can be produced.
A. Summary:
Lev 15:31 ‘Thus you shall separate the
children of Yisra’ĕl from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness
when they defile My Dwelling Place which is in their midst.
Lev 15:32 ‘This is
the Torah for one who has a discharge, and for him who emits semen and is
unclean thereby,
Lev 15:33 and for
her who is sick in her monthly separation, and for one who has a discharge,
either man or woman, and for him who lies with an unclean woman.’ ”
Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu,
Melech ha-‘Olam, asher natan lanu Toraht-emet, v’chay-yeh o’lam nata-b’tochenu.
Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Blessed are you Yahweh, our Elohim, King of the
Universe, you have given us your Torah of truth, and have planted everlasting
life within our midst. Blessed are you, YHVH giver of the Torah – Ameyn
Please
note these notes are under construction and are subject to correction and are
in no way a final authority on any subject.