“Tetzeveh” The use of the
imperfect tense implies that this command has a future application as well.
These commands must be carefully observed as they were given to all the
generations of Yisrael – – a law forever to their generations (vs 21). Obviously we wait for the rebuilding of
the Temple in Yerushalayim for these commandments to once again be strictly
guarded and obeyed by a willing and waiting priesthood.
The Name of
Moshe.
Tetzaveh is the only Torah
portion in the book of Shemot
(Exodus) where the name of
Moshe is conspicuously left out. Why? The sages believe one of the reasons is
that this Torah portion normally falls on the week of the 7 th of Adar (the Twelve
month). This was the date believed to be the death and the birth of Moshe
rabbeinu (Moshe our rabbi)
It is also believed that Moshe’s
name is left out because Moshe asked YHVH in the next Torah portion to blot out
his name from the book of life (Shemot 32:32). The request came about because
YHVH wanted to bring a complete destruction upon Yisrael after the incident of
the golden calf.
So great was our rabbi Moshe
that he was willing to be cursed for the sake of his brethren. We see there was
another great sage called Shaul who had the same heart as Moshe rabbeinu.
Rom 9:3 For I
myself could have wished to be banished from Messiah for the sake of my
brothers, my relatives according to the flesh,
Rom 9:4 who are Yisra’ĕlites, whose is the adoption,
and the esteem, and the covenants, and the giving of the Torah, and the
worship, and the promises,
Rom 9:5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the
Messiah according to the flesh, who is over all, Elohim-blessed forever. Amĕn.
Exo 29:1 “And this is the task you shall do to them to
set them apart to serve Me as priests: Take one young bull and two rams,
perfect ones,
Exo 29:2 and unleavened bread, and unleavened cakes
mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil – make these of wheat
flour.
Exo 29:3 “And you shall put them in one basket and
bring them in the basket, along with the bull and the two rams.
Exo 29:4 “Then you shall bring Aharon and his sons to
the door of the Tent of Meeting, and wash them with water.
Exo 29:5 “And you shall take the garments, and shall
put on Aharon the long shirt, and the robe of the shoulder garment, and the
shoulder garment, and the breastplate, and shall gird him with the embroidered
band of the shoulder garment,
Exo 29:6 and shall put the turban on his head, and
shall put the set-apart sign of dedication on the turban,
Exo 29:7 and shall take the anointing oil, and pour it
on his head and anoint him.
Exo 29:8 “Then you shall bring his sons and put long
shirts on them,
Exo 29:9 and shall gird them with girdles – Aharon and
his sons – and put the turbans on them. And the priesthood shall be theirs for
an everlasting law. So you shall ordain Aharon and his sons.
Olive oil and the priestly garments have a
connection - The Hebrew word for "oil" is shemen, which is the
root of the Hebrew for "eight," shmoneh.
The High Priest had 8 different garments.
Those
vestments which were common to all priests, were:
• Michnasayim
(breeches)—linen pants reaching from the waist to the knees "to cover
their nakedness" (Exodus 28:42)
• Ketonet
(tunic)—made of pure linen, covering the entire body from the neck to the feet,
with sleeves reaching to the wrists. That of the High Priest was embroidered
(Exodus 28:39); those of the priests were plain (Exodus 28:40).
• Avnet
(sash)—that of the High Priest was of fine linen with "embroidered
work" in blue and purple and scarlet (Exodus 28:39, 39:29); those worn by
the priests were of white, twined linen.
• Mitznefet
(turban)—that of the High Priest was much larger than that of the priests and
wound so that it formed a broad, flat-topped turban; that for priests was wound
so that it formed a cone-shaped turban, called a migbahat. The tzitz, a golden
plate inscribed with the words: "Set- apartess unto YHWH" was
attached to the mitznefet.
The vestments that were unique to the High Priest
were:
• Me'il
("Robe of the Ephod")—a sleeveless, purple robe, the lower hem of
which was fringed with small golden bells alternating with pomegranate-shaped
tassels in blue, purple, and scarlet - tekhelet[10], argaman, tolaat shani.
• Ephod—a
richly embroidered vest or apron with two onyx-stones on the shoulders, on
which were engraved the names of the tribes of Israel – see BDB robe of approach-
bondservant.
• Choshen
(Breastplate)—with twelve gems, each engraved with the name of one of the
tribes; a pouch in which he probably carried the Urim and Thummim. It was fastened to the Ephod (gematria 358)
• Tzitz
(crown)—a gold plate inscribed with the words "Set Apart unto YHWH" which was attached to the
front of the Mitznefet, so that it rested on his forehead
Exo 29:10 “And you shall bring near the bull before the
Tent of Meeting, and Aharon and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of
the bull.
Exo 29:11 “And you shall slaughter the bull before יהוה, by the door
of the Tent of Meeting,
Exo 29:12 and take
some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your
finger, and pour all the blood beside the base of the altar.
Exo 29:13 “And you
shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, and the appendage on the
liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the
altar.
Exo 29:14 “But the
flesh of the bull, and its skin and its dung, you shall burn with fire outside
the camp. It is a sin offering.
Exo 29:15 “And
take one ram, and Aharon and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the
ram,
Exo 29:16 and you
shall slaughter the ram, and you shall take its blood and sprinkle it all
around on the altar.
Exo 29:17 “And cut
the ram in pieces, and wash its entrails and its legs, and place them upon its
pieces and on its head.
Exo 29:18 “And you
shall burn the entire ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to יהוה, it is a sweet fragrance, an offering made
by fire to יהוה.
Exo 29:19 “And you
shall take the second ram, and Aharon and his sons shall lay their hands on the
head of the ram,
Exo 29:20 and you
shall slaughter the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the tip of
the right ear of Aharon and on the tip of the right ear of his sons, on the
thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot, and sprinkle
the blood all around on the altar.
Exo 29:21 “And you
shall take some of the blood that is on the altar, and some of the anointing
oil, and sprinkle it on Aharon and on his garments, on his sons and on the
garments of his sons with him. And he and his garments shall be set-apart, and
his sons and the garments of his sons with him.
Exo 29:22 “And you
shall take the fat of the ram, and the fat tail, and the fat that covers the
entrails, and the appendage on the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat on
them, and the right thigh – it is for a ram of ordination –
Exo 29:23 and one
loaf of bread, and one cake made with oil, and one thin cake from the basket of
the unleavened bread that is before יהוה.
Exo 29:24 “And you
shall put all these in the hands of Aharon and in the hands of his sons, and
you shall wave them – a wave offering before יהוה.
Exo 29:25 “Then
you shall take them from their hands and burn them on the altar as a burnt
offering, as a sweet fragrance before יהוה. It is an
offering made by fire to יהוה.
Exo 29:26 “And you
shall take the breast of the ram of Aharon’s ordination and wave it – a wave
offering before יהוה, and it shall
be your portion.
Exo 29:27 “And
from the ram of ordination you shall set apart the breast of the wave offering
which is waved, and the thigh of the contribution which is raised, of that
which is for Aharon and of that which is for his sons.
Exo 29:28 “And it
shall be from the children of Yisra’ĕl for Aharon and his sons by a law
forever, for it is a contribution. And it is a contribution from the children
of Yisra’ĕl from their peace offerings – their contribution to יהוה.