Vayikra (Leviticus) 21:1-24:23
This
Torah portion once again sets out for us how a Set apart priesthood brings
creation into harmony with its Creator. This is accomplished by a dedicated
priesthood who prepare YHVH’s people for His “moedim/moadim” Appointments- “moed” -
Appointment (what is also called at other times “chaggim”-feasts. “Chag” – feast
except Yom haKippurim which is not a time of feast but of fasting and praying).
Yahshua
our High Priest who is sitting at the right hand of YHVH will soon return to
establish a righteous set apart priesthood and a Temple in Yerushalayim according
to the instructions of the Torah so that he can lead a righteous set apart
people into the presence of YHVH.
Blessing for the Torah:
Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-O’lam, asher
bachar banu m’kol ha-amim,
v’natan lanu eht Torah-to. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn
ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim , King of the Universe,
(Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim , King of the Universe,
you have selected us from among all the peoples, and
have given us your Torah.
Blessed are you, YHVH, giver of the Torah. Ameyn.)
Torah Readings:
1.
21:1-15
2.
21:16 – 22:16
3.
22:17-33
4.
23:1-22
5.
23:23-32
6.
23:33-44
7.
24:1-20
8.
Maftir: 24:21-23
Haftarah: Ezekiel 44:15-31- describes
the on -going ministry of the Levitical priests (Kohanim) during the
millennium.
Eze 44:15 “But the priests, the
Lĕwites, the sons of Tsaḏoq, who guarded the
duty of My set-apart place when the children of Yisra’ĕl went astray from Me,
they shall draw near to Me to serve Me, and shall stand before Me to bring to
Me the fat and the blood,” declares the Master יהוה.
Eze 44:16 “They
shall enter My set-apart place, and they shall draw near to My table to serve
Me, and they shall guard My charge. (These priests would prepare the offerings
for all the feasts of YHVH’s appointed times (Vayikra 23).
In verses 10-14 Ezekiel tells us that certain priest will
not allowed to minister to YHVH during this time (millennium) because they went
astray and led others astray.
Eze 44:12
“Because they attended to them before their idols and became a
stumbling-block of crookedness to the house of Yisra’ĕl, therefore I have
lifted My hand in an oath (Heb –declare an oracle, from root word to whisper)
against them,” declares the Master יהוה, “that they shall bear their crookedness,
Then some further instructions from verse 20:
Eze 44:20 “And
their heads they shall not shave, nor shall they let their hair grow long –
they shall keep their hair well trimmed.
Eze 44:21 “And no
priest is to drink wine when he comes into the inner court.
Eze 44:22 “And
they do not take as wife a widow or a divorced woman, but take maidens of the
seed of the house of Yisra’ĕl, or widows of priests.
Eze 44:23 “And
they are to teach My people the difference between the set-apart and the
profane, and make them know what is unclean and clean.
Eze 44:24 “And
they are to stand as judges in a dispute, and judge it according to My
right-rulings. And they are to guard My Torot and My laws in all My appointed
festivals, and set apart My Sabbaths.
Eze 44:25 “And
they are not to defile themselves by coming near a dead man. Only for a father
or mother, for a son or daughter, for a brother or unmarried sister they defile
themselves.
Eze 44:26 “And
after his cleansing, they count seven days for him,
Eze 44:27 and on
the day that he comes into the inner court of the set-apart place to attend in
the set-apart place, he brings his sin offering,” declares the Master יהוה.
Eze 44:28 “And it
shall be to them for an inheritance, I am their inheritance. And you give them
no possession in Yisra’ĕl – I am their possession.
Eze 44:29 “The
grain offering, and the sin offering, and the guilt offering they are to eat,
and all that is dedicated in Yisra’ĕl is theirs.
Aliyah Rishon 21:1-15
Lev 21:1 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Speak to the
priests, the sons of Aharon, and say to them: ‘No one is to be defiled for the
dead among his people,
Lev
21:2 except for his relatives who are
nearest to him: for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for
his daughter, and for his brother;
Lev
21:3 and for his maiden sister who is
near to him, who has had no husband – for her he is defiled.
Lev
21:4 ‘A leader does not defile himself
among his people, to profane himself;
Lev
21:5 they do not make any bald place on
their heads, and they do not shave the corner of their beard, and they do not
make a cutting in their flesh.
The pagan priests especially the sun worshippers who
worshipped the sun god “ra” had round
bald patches on their heads (much like some of the monks of the RCC) During the
Greek and Roman times men would often shave off all their body hair as this was
done among many practicing homosexuals of the time.
Lev
21:6 ‘They are set-apart to their Elohim
and do not profane the Name of their Elohim, for they bring the offerings of יהוה made by fire, and the bread of their Elohim, and shall be
set-apart.
The use of the word “emor” (say) instead of “diber” or
“speak” possibly refers to the nature of YHVH’s relationship with the priests.
These were a very special group of people who represented YHVH to the nation of
Yisrael and enjoyed a special intimacy with Him.
YHVH warns the priesthood not to be caught up with a
culture of death but to embrace life. Religious people are often in danger of
becoming too engrossed in matters relating to death – “what is going to happen
to you when you die?” should rather be “what is going to happen to you when you
live?” Death is just a transition to the “olam ha ba” the coming age. This
Torah portion speaks of the preparation we need in order to be worthy of the
coming age.
Stones Chumash comments on vs 1 “among his people”
(beamaiv) to mean that other Hebrews were to assume responsibility for the
burial of dead people so that it would not be necessary for the priests to do
so. However when the corpse is isolated with no one to care for it (met
mitzeva) then even the High priest was to stop everything in order to bury such
a deceased one.
Yahshua establishes this principle when he says:
Mat 8:21 And another of His taught ones said to Him,
“Master, first let me go and bury my father.”
Mat 8:22 But יהושע said to
him, “Follow Me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
It is possible that we have become deeply affected by a
culture of death. Today many seem infatuated by demonology and a theology of
death. It seems that the Ruach of YHVH still “whispers” to a remnant priesthood, “let the dead bury the dead.”
This of course does not mean that we in any way
disrespect our parents and not attend their funerals, it refers to a larger
issue that is associated with death.
Lev
21:7 ‘They do not take a woman who is a
whore or a defiled woman, and they do not take a woman put away from her
husband, for he is set-apart to his Elohim.
Lev
21:8 ‘And you shall set him apart, for
he brings the bread of your Elohim, he is set-apart to you. For I, יהוה, setting you apart, am set-apart.
Lev
21:9 ‘And when the daughter of any
priest profanes herself by whoring, she profanes her father. She is burned with
fire.
Lev
21:10 ‘And the high priest among his brothers,
on whose head the anointing oil was poured and who is ordained to wear the
garments, does not unbind his head nor tear his garments,
Lev
21:11 nor come near any dead body, nor
defile himself for his father or his mother,
Lev
21:12 nor go out of the set-apart place,
nor profane the set-apart place of his Elohim, for the sign of dedication of
the anointing oil of his Elohim is upon him. I am יהוה.
What does Moshiach mean? ‘Anointed one’. This verse clearly is linked to the King of Israel of who the Torah also shares the phrase “among…brothers” in describing him.
Why does the High Priest not attend to the dead (exception of met mitzeva)? I believe it is because the Messiah is about the Father’s business and the Father’s business is about LIFE and not death. In the case of the “met mitzeva” it may be about cleansing the land from innocent blood.
Lev
21:13 ‘And let him take a wife in her
maidenhood.
Lev
21:14 ‘A widow or one put away or a
defiled woman or a whore – these he does not take. But a maiden of his own
people he does take as a wife.
Lev
21:15 ‘And he does not profane his
offspring among his people, for I am יהוה, who sets him apart.’ ”
YHVH will appoint additional priests from the gentiles to
join these Levitical priests during the millennium.
Yeshayahu/Isa
66:21 “And from them (gentiles -see vs
20) too I shall take for priests – for Lĕwites,” declares יהוה.
Isa 66:22 “For as
the new heavens and the new earth that I make stand before Me,” declares יהוה, “so your seed and your name shall
stand.
Isa 66:23 “And it
shall be that from New Moon to New Moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh
shall come to worship before Me,” declares יהוה.
Isa 66:24 “And
they shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the men who have transgressed
against Me1. For their worm shall not die, and their fire not be
quenched. And they shall be repulsive to all flesh!” Footnote: 1See
24:6, 34:2-3, Ps. 110:6, Jer. 25:33.
The Second Writings (what we called New Testament) also
speak of this future priesthood:
Rev 20:6 Blessed and set-apart is the one having part in the
first resurrection. The second death possesses no authority over these, but they shall be priests of Elohim and of
Messiah, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
We get a small glimpse into the life during the millennium from the
prophet Yeshayahu/Is:
Isa 65:20 “No more is an infant from there going to
live but a few days, nor an old man who does not complete his days, for the
youth dies one hundred years old, but the sinner being one hundred years old
shall be lightly esteemed.
Aliyah
Sheni 21:16-22:16
Lev 21:16 And יהוה spoke to
Mosheh, saying,
Lev 21:17 “Speak
to Aharon, saying, ‘No man of your offspring throughout their generations, who
has any defect, is to draw near to bring the bread of his Elohim.
Lev 21:18 ‘For any
man who has a defect is not to draw near: a man blind or one lame or disfigured
or deformed,
Lev 21:19 a man
who has a broken foot or broken hand,
Lev 21:20 or is a
hunchback or a dwarf, or a man who has a defect in his eye, or eczema or scab,
or is a eunuch.
Lev 21:21 ‘No man
among the offspring of Aharon the priest, who has a defect, is to come near to
bring the offerings made by fire to יהוה – he has a defect, he does not come near to bring the bread of
his Elohim.
Heb word for “defect” is “moom” and implies having any
moral stain. Note these are the instructions regarding the High priest which is
a shadow and type of our High Priest, who ever lives to make intercession for
us.
Ivrim/Heb 7:25 Therefore He is
also able to save completely those who draw near to Elohim through Him, ever
living to make intercession for them.
Heb 7:26 For it was fitting that
we should have such a High Priest – kind, innocent, undefiled, having been
separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens,
Heb 7:27 who does not need, as
those high priests, to offer up slaughter offerings day by day, first
for His own sins and then for those of the people, for this He did once for all
when He offered up Himself.
Heb 7:28 For
the Torah appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the
oath which came after the Torah, appoints the Son having been perfected
forever.
Lev 21:22 ‘He does
eat the bread of his Elohim, both the most set-apart and the set-apart,
Lev 21:23 only, he
does not go near the veil or approach the altar, because he has a defect, lest
he profanes My set-apart places. For I am יהוה, who sets them apart.’ ”
Lev 21:24 Thus
Mosheh spoke to Aharon and his sons, and to all the children of Yisra’ĕl.
Lev 22:1 And יהוה spoke to
Mosheh, saying,
Lev 22:2 “Speak to
Aharon and his sons, that they separate themselves from the set-apart offerings
of the children of Yisra’ĕl, and that they do not profane My set-apart Name in
what they set apart to Me. I am יהוה.
Lev 22:3 “Say to
them, ‘Any man of all your offspring throughout your generations who draws near
the set-apart offerings which the children of Yisra’ĕl set apart to יהוה, while he has uncleanness upon him,
that being shall be cut off from before Me. I am יהוה.
Lev 22:4 ‘Any man
of the offspring of Aharon, who is a leper or has a discharge, does not eat the
set-apart offerings until he is clean. And whoever touches what is
rendered unclean by a corpse, or a man who has had an emission of semen,
Lev 22:5 or a man
who touches any creeping creature by which he would be made unclean, or any
being by whom he would become unclean, even any of his uncleanness;
Lev 22:6 the being
who has touched it shall be unclean until evening, and does not eat the
set-apart offerings, but shall bathe his body in water.
Lev 22:7 ‘And when
the sun goes down he shall be clean, and afterward eat the set-apart offerings,
because it is his food.
Lev 22:8 ‘He does
not eat that which dies or is torn by beasts, becoming unclean by it. I
am יהוה.
Lev 22:9 ‘And they
shall guard My Charge, lest they bear sin for it and die thereby, when they
profane it. I יהוה set them
apart.
Lev 22:10 ‘And no
stranger eats the set-apart offering. A sojourner with the priest, or a hired
servant, does not eat the set-apart offering.
Lev 22:11 ‘But
when the priest buys a being with his money, he does eat of it. And one who is
born in his house does eat his food.
Lev 22:12 ‘And
when a priest’s daughter is married to a stranger, she does not eat of the
set-apart offerings.
Lev 22:13 ‘But
when a priest’s daughter is a widow or put away, and has no child, and has
returned to her father’s house as in her youth, she does eat her father’s food,
but no stranger eats of it.
Lev 22:14 ‘And
when a man eats the set-apart offering by mistake, then he shall give a
set-apart offering to the priest, and add one-fifth to it.
Lev 22:15 ‘And let
the priests not profane the set-apart offerings of the children of
Yisra’ĕl, which they lift up to יהוה,
Lev 22:16 or allow
them to bear the crookedness of trespass when they eat their set-apart
offerings. For I am יהוה, who
sets them apart.’ ”
Aliyah Shlishi 22:17-33
Lev 22:17 And יהוה spoke to
Mosheh, saying,
Lev 22:18 “Speak
to Aharon and his sons, and to all the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them,
‘Any man of the house of Yisra’ĕl, or of the strangers in Yisra’ĕl, who brings
his offering for any of his vows or for any of his voluntary offerings, which
they bring to יהוה as a
burnt offering,
Lev 22:19 for your
acceptance, is a male, a perfect one from the cattle, from the sheep, or from
the goats.
Lev 22:20
‘Whatever has a defect, you do not bring, for it is not acceptable for
you.
Lev 22:21 ‘And
when a man brings a peace offering to יהוה, to complete a vow, or a voluntary
offering from the cattle or the sheep, it is to be perfect to be accepted, let
there be no defect in it.
Lev 22:22 ‘Those
blind or broken or having a cut, or have an ulcer or eczema or scabs, you do
not bring to יהוה, nor
make an offering by fire of them on the altar to יהוה.
Lev 22:23 ‘As for
a bull or a lamb that has any limb deformed or dwarfed you do prepare as a
voluntary offering, but for a vow it is not accepted.
Lev 22:24 ‘Do not
bring to יהוה what is bruised or crushed, or torn
or cut, nor do it in your land.
Lev 22:25 ‘And
from a son of a stranger’s hand you do not bring any of these as the bread of
your Elohim, for their corruption is in them, and defects are in them, they are
not acceptable for you.’ ”
Lev 22:26 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Lev 22:27 “When a
bull or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall be seven days with its mother. And
from the eighth day and thereafter it is acceptable as an offering made by fire
to יהוה.
Lev 22:28 “But do
not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day.
Lev 22:29 “And
when you bring a slaughtering of thanksgiving to יהוה, bring it for your acceptance.
Lev 22:30 “It is
eaten that same day, leave none of it till morning. I am יהוה.
Lev 22:31 “And you
shall guard My commands and do them. I am יהוה.
Lev 22:32 “And do
not profane My set-apart Name, and I shall be set-apart among the children of
Yisra’ĕl. I am יהוה, who sets you apart,
Lev 22:33 who
brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, to be your Elohim. I am יהוה.”
Aliyah Reviee 23:1-22 - The Appointments
from Pesach up to Shavuot (including the weekly Shabbat)
Note how these appointments were for ALL GENENRATIONS. (Repeated several
times)
Lev 23:1 And יהוה spoke to
Mosheh, saying,
Lev 23:2 “Speak to
the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘The appointed times (‘moadim’)
of יהוה, which you are to proclaim as set-apart gatherings,
My appointed times (here we see that YHVH called it His Appointed times
– As Christians who were severed from our Hebrew roots, we always used to
believe that these festivals belonged to the Jews and was only for them), are
these:
Lev 23:3 ‘Six days
work is to יהוה in all
your dwellings.
Lev 23:4 ‘These
are the appointed times of יהוה,
set-apart gatherings which you are to proclaim at their appointed times.
Lev 23:5 ‘In the
first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between the evenings, is the
Passover to יהוה.
Lev 23:6 ‘And on
the fifteenth day of this month is the Festival of Unleavened Bread to יהוה – seven days you eat unleavened
bread.
Lev 23:7 ‘On the
first day you have a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work.
Lev 23:8 ‘And you
shall bring an offering made by fire to יהוה for seven days. On the seventh day
is a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work.’ ”
Lev 23:9 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Lev 23:10 “Speak
to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and you shall say to them, ‘When you come into the
land which I give you, and shall reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf
of the first-fruits of your harvest to the priest. (The fact that this
passage is specifically directed to the time when Yisrael would enter the Land
must be given its full weight. It therefore has a clear collation with
Yehoshua/Joshua 5 and specifically with verse 10 and further, which seems inescapable.
It would appear that the story of Yisrael’s entrance into the Land is written
specifically to show their obedience to the prescriptions of Vayiqra/Lev 23.)
Lev 23:11 ‘And he
shall wave the sheaf before יהוה, for
your acceptance. On the morrow after the Sabbath the priest waves it.
(Two
main views on what Sabbath this is-weekly Sabbath or the Sabbath of Unleavened
bread? Pharisaic interpretation through all the ages is that it is the
“Sabbath” of the first day of Unleavened bread, the 15th of Aviv and
when you look at Yehoshua/Joshua 5 one can see how it makes sense. The Sadducee
view is that it speaks of the weekly Shabbat during Pesach week. This is where
scholars like Tim Hegg and others started to look at it in more depth. Him and
others show out that when you look at Yehoshua/Joshua 5 verse 10 and further we
see some very significant obedience to the commands in Lev 23. Yisrael camped
at Gilgal and obeyed YHVH fully by circumcising all the males. In this covenant
ceremony they prepared themselves for the feast of the covenant, Pesach. Then
in Gilgal on the desert planes of Yericho they celebrated the Pesach meal as
the Torah prescribed here in Vay/Lev 23 on the end of the 14th day
going over into the 15th day of Aviv which was the First day of
Unleavened bread and to be a Day of rest (Sabbath). So no ordinary work was
done on the 15th of Aviv (the Festival “Day of rest/Sabbath” and
they rested and thus must have entered the Land on the next day, the 16th
of Aviv, the “day after the Passover” using the same construction as the phrase
in Vay/Lev 23: 15. This use of Pesach/Passover to refer not only to the lamb
that was offered but to the festival as a whole including Chag HaMatzot (Feast
of Unleavened bread) is already hinted at in Dev/Deu 16:1 where the expression
“perform or “do” (asihtah) the Passover to YHVH” suggests more than the “offer”
(lamb) the pesach (see also the in depth study on Pesach on the right hand side
of our Blog to see the meaning and use of the word ‘Pesach”). Since the eating
of the Pesach meal overlaps into the 15th of the month, the “day
following the Passover” is easily seen to be the 16th of Aviv. Here
is where Lev 23:14 becomes crucial for the Pharisaic interpretation. (Tim Hegg)
Lev 23:12 ‘And on that
day when you wave the sheaf, you shall prepare a male lamb a year
old, a perfect one, as a burnt offering to יהוה,
Lev 23:13 and its grain
offering: two-tenths of an ĕphah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering
made by fire to יהוה, a sweet
fragrance, and its drink offering: one-fourth of a hin of wine.
Lev 23:14 ‘And you
do not eat bread or roasted grain or fresh grain until the same day
that you have brought an offering to your Elohim – a law forever throughout
your generations in all your dwellings.
(Until the sheaf is waved before
YHVH (verse 11), that is until the first fruits are offered, none of the new
growth of that year’s harvest could be eaten. The grain used for the matzot
(unleavened bread) required to be eaten with the Pesach offering (Shemot/Ex
12:8) was made from the previous year’s harvest. In the case of the Yisraleites
as they first entered the Land they were prohibited from eating any of
the harvest of the Land until the sheaf had been presented to the Priest for
the waving before YHVH. (Lev 23:10-14). So when we look at Yehoshua/Joshua 5 it
is clear: they ate from the produce of the Land the day following the
Pesach/Passover which we could establish was the 16th of
Aviv. (“morrow after the Pesach” – “Pesach” in this case as in the First
day of Unleavened Bread (15th of Aviv) which is a day of rest from
normal work and “morrow after” is thus the 16th of Aviv). Tim Hegg
says further that this is emphasized by the phrase “on that very day” to show
the clear fulfillment of the prescriptions of Lev 23. “You do not eat
bread or roasted grain or fresh grain “ Hegg says that here in
verse 14 the Hebrew word for bread (lechem) does not mean leavened bread as
opposed to “unleavened bread” (matzah). The basic meaning of ‘lechem’ is ‘grain
for making bread’ (cf. Is 29:28; 36:17). In the context of verse 14 this is
surely the meaning here as well. There is more to be said but the final term
for ‘new grain or fresh’ grain’s meaning here is a reference to the harvesting
of the NEW crop. The point is thus made clear from the combination of these
terms: NO grain from the year’s new crop could be used for food UNTIL the sheaf
of the first fruit had been waved before YHVH. Thus the clear example from
Yehoshua 5:10 and further of Yisrael as she entered into the
Land must have been pivotal in the understanding of the Pharisaic understanding of this text
in Lev 23:14.
Lev 23:15 ‘And
from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the
sheaf of the wave offering, (Insert:
Since the Yehoshua/Joshua narrative specifically states that the people ate
unleavened cakes and parched grain from the produce of the Land on the “morrow
after the Pesach” (the “Pesach” meaning the 15th of Aviv in this
case as we have already seen and the “morrow after” meaning the 16th
of Aviv which was the day after the Sabbath of the 15th of Aviv)
they surely must have offered the Omer in advance of their eating according to
the instruction of Lev 23: 11 and 14. The fact that Yehoshua 5:12 states that
the Manna ceased the following day showed that Elohim approved of their
eating the produce of the Land, for the
Land was now to sustain the people rather than the manna. Equally significant
is the fact that the text in Yehoshua 5 stated the “day after the Pesach” and
not the “day after the Shabbat”. The Sadducees interpretation is that the sheaf
had to be waved after the “weekly Shabbat” during Pesach week)
you shall
count for yourselves: seven completed Sabbaths.
(Some scholars of Torah of
which Tim Hegg is one, show out to us that the word Sabbaths in this case can
also be translated as “weeks”. They also show out that it makes sense that
seven weeks can be called “seven completed weeks” whereas to speak of seven “completed”
Sabbaths is strange. Hegg shows out that in the First Century the Hebrew word
“Shabbat” was also taken to mean “week”. If “Sabbaths” in this text means
“weeks” then the adjective “complete” have meaning. One could not imagine an
incomplete weekly Sabbath, but one could surely understood an incomplete week,
that is, a period of time less than the full 7 days prescribed for a week.)
Lev 23:16 ‘Until
the morrow after the seventh Sabbath (or
week if understood like mentioned) you count fifty days, then you shall
bring a new grain offering to יהוה.
Lev 23:17 ‘Bring
from your dwellings for a wave offering two loaves of bread, of
two-tenths of an ĕphah of fine flour they are, baked with leaven, first-fruits
to יהוה.
Lev 23:18 ‘And
besides the bread, you shall bring seven lambs a year old, perfect ones, and
one young bull and two rams. They are a burnt offering to יהוה, with their grain offering and
their drink offerings, an offering made by fire for a sweet fragrance to יהוה.
Lev 23:19 ‘And you
shall offer one male goat as a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old, as
a peace offering.
Lev 23:20 ‘And the
priest shall wave them, besides the bread of the first-fruits, as a wave
offering before יהוה, besides
the two lambs. They are set-apart to יהוה for the priest.
Lev 23:21 ‘And on
this same day you shall proclaim a set-apart gathering for yourselves, you do
no servile work on it – a law forever in all your dwellings throughout your
generations.
Lev 23:22 ‘And
when you reap the harvest of your land do not completely reap the corners of
your field when you reap, and do not gather any gleaning from your harvest.
Leave them for the poor and for the stranger. I am יהוה your Elohim.’ ”
Aliyah Chamishi 23:23-32 – Feasts from Yom Teruah up to
Yom Kippur
Aliyah Shishi 23:33-44 – Feasts from Sukkot up to Shemeni
Atzaret.
Mo’eydim (can also be written in transliteration as “moedim” (Festivals) – Again I’m using the notes from Ariel Lyman as it gives a good oversight with which we are in agreement. We have just edited a bit on the Yom Teruah (the Day of the great awakening blast). We prefer naming this Feast in the first place according to the name that Torah names it and not mainly Rosh HaShannah. We added here and there in the notes for more clarification. If you want to study the Festivals/Appointments more in depth, you can look under “Pages” on the Right hand side of this Blog (our Beit El Blog) and there you will find a separate more in depth study on each Appointment/Feast- also the two non Torah commanded “Day of gladness”- festivals called Purim and Channukah. The most easily recognized feature of our parashah this week is the listing of the Mikra’ey Kodesh, that is, the Set apart Convocations/Meetings.
The Feasts of YHVH are just that: "FEASTS OF YHVH"! They are not man's feasts; they are not Israel's feasts. Is Israel the caretaker? Yes. The owner? No. The student should carefully read Lev 23:1-3. And we shall see, the feaste were meant to serve as daily (offerings), monthly (Rosh Chodesh) and yearly (the annual appointments) of our identity and purpose, in the historical plans that YHVH has for all of mankind. The Torah teaches us that they are the "rehearsals of messianic redemption". In other words, it beautifully portrays the seven thousand year plan that YHVH has for us in this world. Properly understood, they tell the story of the BIRTH and LIFE, ATONING WORK, DEATH, RESURRECTION, PROMISE OF POWER, ASSURANCE of DEDICATION, PROMISE OF RETURN and PROMISE OF ETERNAL ABIDING of the MESSIAH YESHUA in relation to all genuine followers. Surely it is in the mind of YHVH for his children to have and intimate knowledge of these aspects of His Son's ministry! Yet, for nearly two thousand years, our appreciation of these feasts, within historic Christian circles, has remained marginal at best and non-existent at worst.
Below are brief themes and spiritual concepts of the seven mikra’ey kodesh, plus Shabbat, which the Torah has for us:
The weekly Shabbat (Sabbath)-resting in Messiah; resting from work
Along with the fact that it is a memorial from Creation, the Sabbath day is also an identification of HaSham's authority. Only HE could set a day apart as "set apart" (holy) (read Ber/Gen 2:1-3) Only He could set apart a day as an eternal memorial of his uniqueness. no other created being has this authority. This includes man. This includes religious institutions. When we attempt to override this authority, we undermine the very character, identification and nature of YHVH. Once we find ourselves playing ELOHIM, it is then that we are in serious trouble.
Pesach (Passover)- redemption, salvation, deliverance, freedom
The weekly Shabbat notwithstanding, Pesach is the beginning of the scriptural feasts of Vayikra/Lev chapter 23. The actual feast known as "Pesach" spans three separate, yet inextricably-linked feasts: Pesach, observed on the 14th of the Scriptural month of Aviv (since Babylonian exile also known as Nisan by the Jews), ha Matzot (Unleavened Bread) observed on the 15th of Aviv (and further 6 more days-seven altogether) and Omer Reisheet (First Sheaf) observed the day after the Sabbath of HaMatzot.
YHVH declared Passover (Pesach) to be a permanent celebration for all eternity (Ex/Shemot 12:2.6.13-14). Historically, Passover (Pesach) celebrates YHVH's deliverance of the children of Israel from bondage in Egypt (Mitsrayim), where they were slaves to the Egyptians (Ex/Shemot 2:23-24; 6:5-8; 13:3;14).
The spiritual application that YHVH wants us to understand is this: Egypt (Mitsrayim) is a type of the world and the world's system. Its ruler, Pharaoh, was a type of satan (Ha satan). The bondage people are in when they live according to the ways of the world's system is sin (Yochanan/John 8:34).
Historically, the children of Israel were delivered from bondage in Mistsrayim/Egypt by putting the blood of the lamb upon the doorposts of their houses (Shemot 12:2,6,13). Spiritually, this is a picture of the Messiah Yeshua and how those who believe in Him are delivered from the bondages of sin and the rule of satan in their lives. Yeshua is the Lamb if Elohim (Yochanan/John 1:29). Yeshua is also our Pesach (Passover) - the offering. (I Cor 5:7). Those who follow Yeshua are the house of YHVH (Hebr 3:6; IPeter (Kefa) 2:5). The doorposts are our hearts. It is only through trusting by faith (emmunah) in the shed blood of Yeshua, our Passover (Pesach), that we are free from the bondage of sin (Gal 4:3-5;9; 5:1; 2Pet 2:19). This is because the blood of Yeshua redeems us from sin. (Vayikra/Lev 17:11; Ephes 1:7; Col 1:14, 1Pet 1:18-19, I John 1:7; Rev 1:5).
Chag HaMatzot (Unleavened Bread) – set-apartness (sanctification)
The festival known as HaMatzot follows immediately after Pesach. The 14th of the Scriptural month Aviv/Nisan, is Pesach (when the pesach lambs were slaughtered (for us the day to prepare our Pesach Seder meal and elements for the Pesach Seder that takes place at the end of the 14th Aviv going over into the 15th of Aviv); the 15th is the start of HaMatzot and this first day of HaMatzot is a Sabbath day (day of rest). As the Torah so clearly instructed the offspring of Avraham, all bread eaten during this observance (7 days) as to be matzah (unleavened). "Therefore cleanse out the old leaven, so that you are a new lump, as you are unleavened. For also Messiah our Passover was offered for us. So then let us observe the festival, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of evil and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (I Cor 5:7,8). Here we learn that chametz (leaven) was interpreted by Rabbi Shaul (Paul) as a type of sin. The leaven of sin, like its culinary counterpart, has the capacity to work its way into the complete dough of our lives, expanding and rising until the whole "loaf" is permeated with sin. This is why, with the guidance of the Ruach within us, we need to remove all of the leaven from ourselves.
Omer Resheet (First Sheaf)-set-apartness (sanctification, deliverance
Baruch A. Levine in his commentary to Leviticus by the Jewish Publication Society (JPS) outlines the logistics of this part of chapter twenty three for us:
In this section, two offerings taken from the new crop are prescribed: "Omer" and "bikkurim". The first, "omer", it the offering of a "sheaf" of new barley. As originally intended, the priest was to offer it on the morrow of the first Sabbath subsequent to the seven day festival. New grain could not be eaten until this offering was made.
Beginning on the day of this offering, a period of counting is initiated. Seven full "sabbaths" or weeks, are counted off. On the fiftieth day, the second offering of meal of new wheat, baked into leavened loaves, is offered in the Set apart place as bikkurim- "first fruits". It consists of grain, furnished by the Israelite settlements. That day is a set apart assembly on which work is forbidden.
As explained by Levine the Hebrew word for “sheaf” is “omer”. The omer
counting leads to the well-known event called “Shavuot,” or Pentecost, as it is
more widely recognized by many Christians. To wit, we must understand from
this passage that the days from Pesach to HaMatzah to Omer Reisheet to
Shavuot are inextricably linked. A biblical principal worth remembering, which
carries significant truth down to this very day, is that the “first” always belongs
to HaShem.
Today, tradition still blinds us to the unchanging Truth of YHVH’s Word—a Truth
that should not be compromised! The world is watching us believers. They are
observing whether or not we will make a difference between the clean and
unclean, the holy and the profane, life and death! HaShem did not tell ‘Am Isra'el
to “gather” on Omer Reisheet—the day after the Shabbat—which, according to the Sadducees, is Sunday itself!—in order to separate his truth from the error of
paganism (remember sun worship has existed since the days of Bavel). I believe
that the people of the TaNaKH set the biblical example NOT to gather on that
special Sunday during the Passover Week for a true heavenly reason. Why have
we failed to grasp this truth?
Surely Yeshua was raised from death to life on that morning following the
Sabbath! Surely he is the “firstfruits from the dead!” He is the first person to be
raised unto a resurrection of incorruptible flesh! Although our flesh still houses
sin, his flesh was sinless before his death on the execution stake; his
resurrection demonstrates for us genuine believers what a resurrected body will
be made like—raised to life everlasting! Why then do we continue to confuse this
wonderful truth with our man-made traditions? Isn't it time we start
demonstrating his holiness by the very days that we gather together on?
The “first” always belongs to HaShem. Why are we sharing it with paganism? (Sunday worship). Counting the Omer is about counting towards our freedom, we count the 50 Jynilees that take us into the Messianic age (50 generations of 120 years=6000 years) AND WE START COUNTING THESE DAYS OF THE OMER ON THE 16th OF AVIV-THE DAY AFTER THE SHABBAT OF CHAG HA MATZOT (15th Aviv)
Shavuot (Pentecost) – the giving of the Torah, the giving of the Ruach
HaKodesh, firstfruits, ecclesiology
The Hebrew word for week is “shavuah,” its plural is “shavu’ot.” Both of these
words come from the root word for “seven.” This is where the festival gets its
name. Shavu'ot is the annual counting of seven weeks of days, hence forty-nine
days. This yearly count is listed in the Torah as a mitzvah, a command from
HaShem himself. The name “Pentecost,” from the Greek word “pentekoste,”
means “fifty days,” as the Torah instructed Am Yisra’el (the people of Isra’el) to
add the final day after the seventh week.
Historically, the rabbis figure the giving of the Ten Words (wrongfully called the 10 commandments) that represented the whole of the Torah at Mount Sinai to have
occurred on this day, that is, in the third month after Am Yisra’el came out of
Egypt. Actually, the exact date of this familiar encounter, recorded for us in the
book of Exodus, is not explicitly stated; the chronological evidence is convincing,
however.
We know that it was the Torah, the very same teachings that we have today, that
was inscribed upon the stone tablets that day. We also know that this same
Torah is to be inscribed upon our hearts as we serve Yeshua, to the glory of
HaShem the Father. How do we get the Torah into our hearts? The Spirit of the
Holy One makes real the fact that Yeshua the Messiah, in obedience to the
Father, emptied himself on our behalf, and became as sin, that we might,
consequently, become the righteousness of the Father! In other words, because
the Ruach HaKodesh makes the effectual, sacrificial death of Messiah, a living
reality in our hearts, we are now free to walk in newness of life! This act of faith
on our part brings about the inscription of the Torah upon our hearts! To be sure,
the Torah says that HaShem himself does this (Ezekiel 36:26, 27; Jeremiah
31:33)! We are free to pursue the Torah of Truth without condemnation (Romans 8:1)! This new identity in Messiah is the righteous relationship that our Heavenly
Abba intended for us all along. The details surrounding that eventful Shavu'ot in
Yerushalayim now serve to remind us of this present reality.
Yom Teruah (Day of the great awakening blast - also Feast of Trumpets) – eschatology
With the coming of the fall part of the year, comes the final series of festivals, as
detailed in our theme passage (verses1, 2) of Leviticus 23. In rabbinical thinking,
these last festivals are known as the “season of t’shuvah,” the season of our
repentance. The biblical name for this festival is called Yom Teruah, meaning
“Day of the Awakening (trumpet) Blast.” If you have a Jewish calendar which is the Rabbinical fixed calendar that Hillel developed since the Diaspora, then you will see that they call this day mainly 'Rosh HaShanah'. This name literally means “Head of the Year,” from the Hebrew words “rosh,” meaning “head” or “beginning,” and “shanah” meaning “year.” It gained this title when the rabbis created the civil calendar to be used by all Jews living in the Land of Isra’el. It eventually became the standard for all
Jews everywhere. A religious calendar (starting with the month of Aviv as the first month according to Shemot/Ex 12) was already in effect when this change took place. Rather than replace the religious one, the rabbis simple adjusted it, making the beginning of the months Tishrei (the Babylonian name for the Seventh month since exile in Baylon), instead of Aviv which is the First month since Shemot/Ex 12 (also called Nissan since Babylonian exile).
As Messianic believers we do not agree with making Tishrei (7th Scriptural month), the beginning of months and year, because YHVH decided in Shemot 12 that the 'beginning of months of your year' will from then on be the month of the Aviv (Nisan). "Yom Teruah" up to Yom HaKippurim, is according to Torah the time where the YEARS since creation are counted (Sabbatical and Jubilee years- announced on Yom HaKippurim) and therefore it is in order though to speak of Yom Teruah as the "Civil new year" or "Rosh HaShannaH" if you will, in this sense only, but we believe that "Rosh HaShanah" cannot be the main name for this Appointment/Festival. It is an extra name. Yom Teruah has also been given a few other descriptive names by Judaism which is quite significant and meaningful (you can read about it in our article on Yom Teruah under the "Pages" section of our Blog (Beit El). The month of Aviv is the religious or Spiritual New Year and the beginning of months sine Shemot/Ex 12.
Yom Teruah (Day of the great awakening blast) is a call to return to set apartness in order to be ready for Yeshua’s return! YHVH is in the business of calling men back to Himself. In order to get man to realize his fallen spiritual state he sometimes needs reminders. The Torah says of itself, in Psalm 19:11, that by its words “your servant is warned.” Warned of what? Of the impending doom that is to befall all of the evil of mankind and the deeds that he does. Within this warning is a message of mercy; the time to repent is now! Turn to YHVH with your whole heart, cry out for his mercy, beg for his forgiveness in pardoning your sin, and receive his atonement! With the sound of the last trumpet, Yahshua will return!
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) – atonement, forgiveness, blood sacrifices
With the arrival of Yom Kippur, comes a central aspect of our relationship with
our Set apart Elohim, the Eternal One: atonement. Why is atonement so important to HaShem?
Apparently, ever since the incident in the Garden of Eden, mankind has carried
within himself the sinful propensity of that first act of disobedience, and
consequently, the sinful results as well. Our sin nature is in direct conflict with the
set apart (holy) nature of HaShem. As a result, we cannot fathom approaching him without
first making some sort of restitution, which would satisfy HaShem’s righteous
requirement. His nature demands that there be atonement for sin, for indeed, sin
cannot exist in his sight.
In an attempt to continue explain the matter, we need to understand the plans
and purposes of HaShem as expressed in the whole of the Torah. From our
vantage point and using twenty-first century hindsight, it makes perfect sense to
send the Messiah to atone for our sinful nature. After all, if YHVH left things in the
hands of mankind, each individual man would have to atone for his own personal
sins and consequently every man would eventually have to die for such a
payment. But what does the Torah say?
"Here is how it works: it was through one individual that sin entered
into the world, and through sin, death; and in this way death passed
through to the whole human race, inasmuch as everyone sinned."
(Romans 5:12)
With the entrance of sin came the punishment for sin–death. So we see that
HaShem is perfectly righteous when he says that the wages for our sin is death;
every man does deserve to die. But here is where the mercy of HaShem comes
in! He has lovingly provided a means by which mankind can redeem himself. In
the period of the TaNaKH (what we wrongfully called the Old Testament),
the sacrificial system was that means! Even though it
only served to cleanse the flesh, it was authentically Elohim’s solution. No Hebrew
living in that time period was able to circumvent this system, and remain officially
within the community. To answer the question posed above, if we take HaShem
seriously, then we will accept his provision–no matter what means, or how
inadequate that provision may seem! This is our first lesson in "Torah
logic."
This brings us to the current situation facing every man and woman and child,
Jew or non-Jew, living today: "Since the sacrificial system used in the TaNaKH
did not bring the participant to the goal of attaining positional righteousness, what
was his means of attaining positional righteousness then and what is his means
of gaining such atonement today?"
The modern rabbis would have us to believe that the three ways by which we
appease HaShem today are "T’shuvah" (repentance), "T’fillah" (prayer), and
"Tzedekah" (righteous acts). To be sure, all of these principles are found in the
teachings of the Torah! And each and every one of them has valid merit. For our
Elohim is highly interested in our repentance from sin, and he is very supportive of
a prayer time, and he is enthusiastic of our righteous acts done in his name!
But what does Torah say?
"For the life of the creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you
on the altar to make atonement for yourselves; for it is the blood that
makes atonement because of the life." (Leviticus 17:11)
According to the book of Hebrews, the sacrifices of Dah-vid’s day could cleanse
the flesh, but not the conscience, that is to say, I understand Hebrews to be
teaching that only the eternal blood of a Sinless Offering (Sacrifice) can regenerate the
mind of an individual. By comparison, the blood of bulls and goats focused on
the external:
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer
sprinkling the unclean, set apart to the purifying of the flesh: How
much more shall the blood of Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit
offered himself without spot to Elohim, purge your conscience from
dead works to serve the living Elohim? (Hebrews 9:13, 14)
Moreover, the writer of Hebrews makes his point explicit in this additional
passage:
The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not
the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same
sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who
draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being
offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all,
and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those
sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible
for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (Hebrews 10:1-4,
NIV).
Let us add that it is also impossible to
enter into the presence of YHVH with physical or fleshly defilement. We must
never ever underestimate the power of the sacrificial system that is going to
return at the beginning of the Millennium when the temple will be rebuilt in
Yerushalayim.
The "Old Testament" saints were not "saved" by a different system than the one
in which we rely on. If they were, then this would suggest that there were really
two separate ways unto righteousness—a theory, which we know, cannot be
true. Hegg’s conclusion is fitting for our study:
The older idea that “atonement” was only a “temporary fix” for sins for
those who lived in the time before the coming of our Messiah must be
abandoned. The idea of atonement as portrayed in the Scriptures
encompasses both a temporal aspect as well as an eternal one.
To be sure, Yeshua himself stated emphatically that he was THE way, and that
NO man can come unto the Father except through HIM.
The offerings, performed with a genuine heart of repentance,
afforded real-life forgiveness, but only to the purification of the flesh!
However, the mortal blood of the animals in and of themselves—and
by themselves—could not even take away sin; only the eternal blood
of the Perfect Sacrifice—to which the animals pointed—could purify
both flesh and being (soul).
Thus, the blood of the animals “washed, wiped clean” the Set apart Place where YHVH
“manifestly dwelt.” The objective faith of the individual still remained dependent
upon Elohim’s Promised Word to Come, namely Yeshua himself, yet his obedience
was demonstrated by adherence to explicit Torah commands where sacrifices
were concerned. What is more, the salvation of the eternal soul/being of an individual
was always dependent upon a circumcised heart, exactly as it is today.
Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles/Ingathering) – worship, praise, redemption,
eschatology, thanksgiving, celebrating the harvest of righteousness in our lives
“Just what exactly is a “sukkot” (say “soo-coat”) anyway?” Well, this is the
plural form of the Hebrew word translated as “booth,” “tabernacle,” “tent,” or “hut.”
Its singular is “sukkah,” and, based on the command to dwell in temporary
booths for seven days (verses 42, 43), we can see why the Feast is called by this
name.
Here in Leviticus chapter 23, HaShem instructs the people to build sukkot in
memory of the temporary dwelling places that they had while wandering in the
desert. But the most important temporary dwelling place during that period was
still the Tabernacle. To be sure, according to past history, once the people built
a Tabernacle for HaShem, he indeed did come to “dwell among his people” as
he said he would, and they did behold his Sh’khinah (manifest Esteem of Elohim)!
But Yochanan gave us an even deeper understanding of this “Tabernacle”:
“The Word became a human being and lived with us, and we saw his
Sh’khinah….” (1:14)
This immediately brings to memory the indwelling, manifested-Esteem present in
the earthly Tabernacle. But the Tabernacle had long since been replaced by a
more permanent Temple structure. Moreover, the Sh’khinah of HaShem is
reported to have been displayed fully in the person of Yeshua (Colossians 2:9)!
The Feast of Sukkot is a set apart convocation that speaks of corporate involvement.
Is there still some future “dwelling with men” that HaShem is waiting for? What
does our prophetic Scripture (from Jeremiah) for this point say? “I will be their
Elohim, and they will be my people” (31:33). So YHVH our Elohim is consistent in his intentions.
Where is his sukkah today? Romans 11:25, 26 begins to hint of a future time
when all Isra’el shall know the salvation of their Elohim, once and for all (“Baruch
HaShem! May that day come soon!”). Tied up within that future redemption, is
the concept that HaShem started with way back in the days of the TaNaKH: “I
[will] dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8, KJV). From the
prophetic book of Revelation, we learn that there will be a day, when the final
plan of HaShem will be fully realized among men. Chapter twenty-one, verse 3, "And I heard a loud voice from the heaven saying, “See, the Booth of Elohim is with men, and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and Elohim Himself shall be with them and be their Elohim"
Shemeni Atzeret (not Ariel's notes)
This one day Festival called Shemeni Atzeret has sadly been neglected in the Messianic circles and has great significance in YHVH's plan for our redemption. This is a connected yet separate and distinct day from the seventh day of Sukkot (Sukkot's seventh day is called Hoshanna Rabbah) and the whole seven days of Sukkot (See our more in-depth notes). This day, Shemeni Atzaret- the Eighth Day that comes after the seven days of Sukkot) points us to the grand opening and entrance into eternity - The "Eigth Day" that will come at the end of the Thousand year reign of Messiah (the Millennial reign of Messiah that will take place on the "Seventh day") will be a new beginning with the Renewed heavens and the Renewed earth and the Renewed Yerushalayim on the "Eighth day" and yet it will lead us back to the Edenic state that we were destined to once again enter into. This is well described in the book of Yahudah (Jude):
Jud 1:24 And to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you blameless before the presence of His esteem with exceeding joy,
Jud 1:25 to the only wise Elohim, our Saviour, be esteem and greatness and might and authority, both now and forever. Amĕn.
See also ICor 15 and Rev 21
Aliyah Sheviee 24:1-23
Lev 24:1 And יהוה spoke to
Mosheh, saying,
Lev 24:2 “Command
the children of Yisra’ĕl that they bring to you clear oil of pressed olives for
the light, to make the lamps burn continually.
Lev 24:3 “Outside
the veil of the Witness, in the Tent of Meeting, Aharon is to arrange it from
evening until morning before יהוה
continually – a law forever throughout your generations.
Lev 24:4 “He is to
arrange the lamps on the clean gold lampstand before יהוה continually.
Lev 24:5 “And you
shall take fine flour and bake twelve cakes with it, two-tenths of an ĕphah
in each cake.
Lev 24:6 “And you
shall set them in two rows, six in a row, on the clean table before יהוה.
Lev 24:7 “And you
shall put clear frankincense on each row, and it shall be on the bread as a
remembrance portion, an offering made by fire to יהוה.
Lev 24:8 “On every
Sabbath he is to arrange it before יהוה continually, from the children of
Yisra’ĕl – an everlasting covenant.
Lev 24:9 “And it
shall be for Aharon and his sons, and they shall eat it in the set-apart place,
because it is most set-apart to him from the offerings of יהוה made by fire – an everlasting law.”
The priest were to enjoy this very special meal of
intimacy with YHVH. The oil for the lamps speaks of the ministry and gifts of
the Ruach Ha Kodesh. We see that the people were to bring this oil and so we
understand that they were not just passive bystanders but also active
participants in the ministry of the priests.
Lev 24:10 And the
son of an Yisra’ĕlite woman, whose father was a Mitsrite, went out among the
children of Yisra’ĕl. And the Yisra’ĕlite woman’s son and a man of Yisra’ĕl
strove in the camp.
Lev 24:11 And the
Yisra’ĕlite woman’s son blasphemed the Name, and cursed. So they brought him to
Mosheh. Now his mother’s name was Shelomith the daughter of Divri, of the tribe
of Dan.
Lev 24:12 And they
put him in under guard, that it might be declared to them at the mouth of יהוה.
Lev 24:13 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Lev 24:14 “Bring
the one who has cursed outside the camp, and all those who heard him shall lay
their hands on his head, and all the congregation shall stone him.
Lev 24:15 “And
speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘Anyone who curses his Elohim shall
bear his sin.
Lev 24:16 ‘And he
who blasphemes the Name of יהוה shall
certainly be put to death, and all the congregation certainly stone him, the
stranger as well as the native. When he blasphemes the Name, he is put to
death.
Lev 24:17 ‘And he
who smites the life from any man shall certainly be put to death.
Lev 24:18 ‘And he
who smites a beast repays it, body for body.
Lev 24:19 ‘And
when a man inflicts a blemish upon his neighbour, as he has done so it is done
to him:
Lev 24:20
‘Fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he inflicts a
blemish upon him, so it is done to him.
Lev 24:21 ‘And he
who smites a beast repays it, and he who smites a man to death is put to
death.
Lev 24:22 ‘You are
to have one right-ruling, for the stranger and for the native, for I am יהוה your Elohim.’ ”
Lev 24:23 And
Mosheh spoke to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and they brought the one who
cursed outside the camp, and stoned him with stones. And the children of
Yisra’ĕl did as יהוה commanded Mosheh.
This blasphemy or evil speaking could possibly have to do
with speaking evil of the duties of the priests and the set apart appointments
of YHVH. We today must beware that we don’t scoff and take lightly YHVH’s
choice of priest and appointments which He has chosen.
We are also reminded again that if we cause damage to
someone we must be prepared to offset that damage as best we can as to
alleviate the pain and suffering we have caused.
Finally we are very clearly reminded once again in vs 22
that there is only ONE Torah for both the natural as well as the in grafted
branches of the olive tree.
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 YHVH, 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, Yahveh 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.