Parashat
32 - Behar – “on the mountain” Vayikra/Lev 25:1 – 26:2.
One of the
single most significant events of all time was the giving of the Torah.
The
coming of the “Moshiach” was the confirmation of this event.
Ivrim/Heb 10:7 “Then I said, ‘See, I come – in the roll of
the book (Torah) it has been written
concerning Me – to do Your desire, O Elohim.’ ”
The message of the Moshiach and the message of
Moshe is One and the same message.
In fact when Messiah returns, he will teach the
Torah from Mount Tzion in Yerushalayim to all nations.
Yeshayahu/Isa 2:2
And it shall be in the latter days that the mountain of the House of יהוה is established on the top of the
mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills. And all nations shall flow to
it.
Isa 2:3 And many peoples shall come and say, “Come,
and let us go up to the mountain of יהוה, to the House of the Elohim of Ya’aqov,
and let Him teach1 us His ways1, and let us walk in His
paths1, for out of Tsiyon comes forth the Torah1, and the
Word1 of יהוה from
Yerushalayim.” Footnote: 1His ways, His paths, the teaching
and the Word of יהוה are used
synonymously.
The sages note that Moshe has returned to Mount
Sinai to receive this very important instruction about the “shmittah’ and the
‘yovel” years. YHVH did not speak to Moshe from the Tabernacle but from Mount
Sinai regarding these instructions. It was like YHVH had something very
important to say and He wanted Moshe to hear it on Mount Sinai. The importance
of the words of these instructions is repeated in the last verse in the book of
Vayikra:
Vayiqra/Lev 27:34 These are the commands which יהוה commanded Mosheh for the children
of Yisra’ĕl on Mount Sinai.
Mount Tzion and Mount Sinai will always remain the two
pivotal centers for the proclamation of YHVH’s Truth to all nations and the
messages will never change or contradict each other. The Word and the Spirit will
always go together.
The message of this Torah portion clearly implies that
YHVH is the owner and creator of all things and we are merely the tenants who
are called to exercise faithful stewardship over His land and His people, and
when we obey these instructions we will truly begin to live in freedom.
Just as at Mt. Sinai the trumpet blast called the redeemed community
to receive the Torah (on the first Shavuot), so the trumpet blast of the
Jubilee Year also calls us back to our roots of freedom. During this time of
the counting of the Omer we are one again counting the 49 +1 days ( 50 days) to
the receiving of our freedom, the giving of the Torah as well as the receiving
of Ruach Ha Kodesh at Shavuot (Pentecost).
Ya’akov/James
1:25 But he that looked into the perfect
Torah, that of freedom,1 and continues in it, not becoming a hearer
that forgets, but a doer of work, this one shall be blessed in his doing of
the Torah. Footnote: 1See 2:12.
Yes/Isa 56:6 “Also the sons of the foreigner who join
themselves to יהוה, to serve Him, and to love the Name
of יהוה, to be His servants, all who guard
the Sabbath, and not profane it, and hold fast to My covenant –
Isa 56:7 them I
shall bring to My set-apart mountain, and let them rejoice in My house of
prayer. Their burnt offerings and their slaughterings are accepted on My altar,
for My house is called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”
Isa
56:8 The Master יהוה, who
gathers the outcasts of Yisra’ĕl, declares, “I gather still others to
him besides those who are gathered to him.”
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. 25:1-13
2. 25:14-18
3. 25:19-24
4. 25:25-28
5. 25:29-38
6. 25:39-46
7. 25:47-54
8. Maftir: 25:55 – 26:2
Haftarah: Jeremiah 32:6-27
Aliyah
Rishon 25:1-13
Lev 25:1 And יהוה spoke to
Mosheh on Mount Sinai, saying,
Lev 25:2 “Speak to
the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘When you come into the land which I
give you, then the land shall observe a Sabbath to יהוה.
These opening verses seem to imply that the first thing
that happens when Yisrael returns to the land, they enjoy a one year sabbatical
rest.
This seems to be the Hebraic way of doing things – first
we rest then we work - We normally
switch the order around. The sages teach us in this regard that our hearts
first rest before they beat. This shows us the importance of reflecting and
meditating before we start acting and doing.
It is in these times of rest that we learn the importance
of obedience and how to please YHVH in all our actions.
It is in these times we learn one of the most important
lessons in life – when to do and when not to do –
The concept of
“Shemittah” (resting the land every seventh year) implies that we withdraw from
the land.
The sages also believe that YHVH began His
creation of existence--including the creation of time—on a Yom Rishon (Sunday),
which is called the "First Day." The sages believe that there was a
primordial Shabbat which preceded creation--a Shabbat existing not in time but
in the mind of YHVH as a vision of a completed and perfected world.
Lev 25:3 ‘Six
years you sow your field, and six years you prune your vineyard, and gather in
its fruit,
Lev 25:4 but in
the seventh year the land is to have a Sabbath of rest, a Sabbath to יהוה. Do not sow your field and do not
prune your vineyard.
Lev 25:5 ‘Do not
reap what grows of its own of your harvest, and do not gather the grapes of your unpruned vine, for it is a year of
rest for the land.
“In verse 3 we read: "You shall sow your field six years, and you
shall prune your vineyard six years, and shall gather its produce."
"Produce", or "fruit" is "t'vua", of the root “bo”
(vet/bet, vav, alef), meaning to "come, come in or go in"; but also,
in another conjugation, to "bring". Thus, the term
"produce" does not convey the idea of something, which results
naturally from man's own productivity or effort, but rather it is that which
"comes" or is "brought" to him from an outside source. (In
other words we don’t cause fruit to grow)Some of the types of un-gathered harvest mentioned here include "unpruned vine” (v. 5, 11), called here "ee'nvey ("grapes of") nezire'cha". The latter term is rooted in the word "nazir" which is the Nazarite, whose restrictive vows included abstention from wine drinking or eating grapes. Why, then, are these grapes qualified by the term "nazir"? The connection is thought to be the Nazarite's hair, which was to be left uncut and unkempt, much like these grapes. This is reinforced by the first part of the verse, which speaks of "that which grows of itself". These two prohibitions (namely, "to reap that which grows of itself" and to "not gather the grapes of your unkempt vine") no doubt refer to harvesting for profit making”.
Perhaps one the most important reasons one took a Nazarite vow was because such a one did everything they could to follow and walk in the Torah but realized that in many areas of this walk they were of themselves unable to so. In desperation they “withdrew” from all forms of “self -effort” and cast themselves on the mercy of YHVH to do for them what they could not do for themselves. Somehow they wanted to rest in YHVH’s Ruach and allow Him to do for them what they could not do for themselves. They wanted the Word to have its full impact upon their lives without their interference.
The Hebrew words “Natzareth, netser and nazir” are significantly connected with our Messiah. He came from “Natzareth” which can mean “guarded,” he was also described as from the root (netzer) of David and he was a “nazir” he was like one who was separated.
Yochanan/Joh 5:19 Therefore יהושע responded and said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son is able to do none at all by Himself, but only that which He sees the Father doing, because whatever He does, the Son also likewise does.
Lev 25:6 ‘And the
Sabbath of the land shall be to you for food, for you and your servant, and for
your female servant and your hired servant, and for the stranger who sojourns
with you,
Lev 25:7 and for
your livestock and the beasts that are in your land. All its crops are for
food.
Lev 25:8 ‘And you
shall count seven Sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years. And
the time of the seven Sabbaths of years shall be to you forty-nine years.
Lev 25:9 ‘You
shall then sound a ram’s horn to pass through on the tenth day of the
seventh month, on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) cause a ram’s
horn to pass through all your land.
Lev 25:10 ‘And you
shall set the fiftieth year apart, and proclaim release throughout all
the land to all its inhabitants, it is a Jubilee for you. And each of
you shall return to his possession, and each of you return to his clan.
Lev 25:11 ‘The fiftieth
year is a Jubilee to you. Do not sow, nor reap what grows of its own, nor
gather from its unpruned vine.
Lev 25:12 ‘It is a
Jubilee, it is set-apart to you. Eat from the field its crops.
Lev 25:13 ‘In the
Year of this Jubilee let each one of you return to his possession.
We need to consider the agricultural impact of leaving
the lands fallow for one year as was the case with the “shmittah” and two years
as was the case with the “yovel” or year of jubilee. (Why two years by the
Yovel year? The 49th year will also be the Shmittah year of the 7th year of the 49year cycle and
thus the 49th year will be a Shabbat year and then the 50th
year will be the “yovel” year of rest). In both cases one would only be able to
harvest a crop after two years (Shmitta) and three years (Yovel) respectively. It
served as a reminder that only YHVH could sustain these “missing harvests” due
to the absence of sowing the lands (see vs 21) .
This serves as one of the greatest lessons to teach us
that there are certain things in this life that we will never be able to
accomplish without His help and intercession.
Some of the modern Jewish scholars believe that the year
5768 was a “shmittah” year. That would imply that the 2014 would be the
following “shmittah”. According to forecasts given by “nasa” some interesting
lunar activity will occur in the year 2014.
It is said that four lunar eclipses will occur on:
Pesach/Passover, April 15,
2014
Sukkot/The Feast of Tabernacles, October 8, 2014
Pesach/Passover, April 4, 2015 and
Sukkot/The Feast of Tabernacles, September 28, 2015
Sukkot/The Feast of Tabernacles, October 8, 2014
Pesach/Passover, April 4, 2015 and
Sukkot/The Feast of Tabernacles, September 28, 2015
Aliyah
Sheni 25:14-18
Lev 25:14 ‘And when you sell whatever to your neighbour
or buy from the hand of your neighbour, do not exploit one another.
Lev 25:15 ‘According to the number of years after the
Jubilee you buy from your neighbour, and according to the number of years of
crops he sells to you.
Lev 25:16 ‘According to the greater number of years you
increase its price, and according to the fewer number of years you diminish its
price, because he sells to you according to the number of the years of the
crops.
Lev 25:17 ‘And do not oppress one another, but you
shall fear your Elohim. For I am יהוה your Elohim.
Lev 25:18 ‘And you
shall do My laws and guard My right-rulings, and shall do them. And you shall
dwell in the land in safety,
Every 48th year (48 is the gematria of “yovel”
or jubilee) you have two years vacation and now not only are your debts written
off but your lost inheritance and ancestral property is returned to you if you
had lost it through some failed commercial venture and misfortune.
Yahshua came to proclaim the year of Jubilee.
Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Master יהוה is upon Me, because יהוה has anointed Me to bring good news
to the meek. He has sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim release
to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound,
Isa 61:2 to
proclaim the acceptable year of יהוה
Many believe Messiah will return during a year of Jubilee
on the day of Yom Kippur.
Aliyah Shlishi 25:19-24
Lev 25:19 ‘and the land shall yield its fruit, and you
shall eat to satisfaction, and shall dwell there in safety.
Lev 25:20 ‘And since you might say, “What do we eat in
the seventh year, since we do not sow nor gather in our crops?”
Lev 25:21 ‘Therefore I have
commanded My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth the
crop for three years.
Lev 25:22 ‘And you shall sow in
the eighth year, and eat of the old crop until the ninth year. Eat of the old
until its crop comes in.
Lev 25:23 ‘And the land is not to
be sold beyond reclaim, for the land is Mine, for you are sojourners and
settlers with Me.
Lev 25:24 ‘And provide for a redemption for the land,
in all the land of your possession.
Aliyah Reviee 25:25-28
Lev 25:25 ‘When your brother becomes poor, and has sold some of his possession, and his redeemer, a close relative comes to
redeem it, then he shall redeem
what his brother sold.
The Hebrew implies that the brother himself may have been sold. This
once again reminds us that there were consequences to our actions. Debt was
only written off during a Jubilee, until such a time YOU REMAINED ACCOUNTABLE
FOR MAKING BAD DECISIONS, and could be redeemed by some kind relative,
otherwise you had to pay back your debt even if it meant selling yourself to
your creditors. Today we simply declare ourselves insolvent and start again.
Every person would experience at least one Jubilee in their lives. So
each person would have at least one chance to start all over again.
Lev 25:26 ‘And when the man has no one to redeem it,
but he himself becomes able to redeem it,
Lev 25:27 then let him count the years since its sale,
and return the remainder to the man to whom he sold it, that he shall return to
his possession.
Lev 25:28 ‘And if his hand has not found enough to give
back to him, then what was sold shall remain in the hand of him who bought it
until the Year of Jubilee. And it shall be released in the Jubilee, and he
shall return to his possession.
Aliyah Chamishi 25:29-38
Lev 25:29 ‘And when a man sells a house in a walled
city, then his right of redemption shall be at the end of the year after it is
sold. His right of redemption lasts a year.
Lev 25:30 ‘But if it is not redeemed within a complete
year, then the house in the walled city shall be established beyond reclaim to
the buyer of it, throughout his generations. It is not released in the Jubilee.
Lev 25:31 ‘The houses of villages, however, which have
no wall around them are reckoned as the field of the country. A right of
redemption belongs to it, and they are released in the Jubilee.
Lev 25:32 ‘As for the cities of the Lĕwites, and the
houses in the cities of their possession, the Lĕwites have a right of
redemption forever.
Lev 25:33 ‘And that which is redeemed from the Lĕwites,
both the sale of a house and the city of his possession shall be released in
the Year of Jubilee, because the houses in the cities of the Lĕwites are their
possession in the midst of the children of Yisra’ĕl.
Lev 25:34 ‘But the field of the open land of their
cities is not sold, for it is their everlasting possession.
Lev 25:35 ‘And when your brother
becomes poor, and his hand has failed with you, then you shall sustain him, and
he shall live with you, like a stranger or a sojourner.
Lev 25:36 ‘Take no interest from him, or profit, but
you shall fear your Elohim, and your brother shall live with you.
Lev 25:37 ‘Do not lend him your silver on interest, and
do not lend him your food for profit.
Lev 25:38 ‘I am יהוה your
Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, to give you the land of
Kenaʽan, to be your Elohim.
Aliyah Shishi 25:39-46
Lev 25:39 ‘And when your brother who dwells by you
becomes poor, and sells himself to you, do not make him serve as a slave.
Lev 25:40 ‘But as a hired servant, as a settler he is
with you, and serves you until the Year of Jubilee.
Lev 25:41 ‘And then he shall leave you, he and his
children with him, and shall return to his own clan, even return to the
possession of his fathers.
Lev 25:42 ‘For they are My servants, whom I brought out
of the land of Mitsrayim, they are not sold as slaves.
Lev 25:43 ‘Do not rule over him with harshness, but you
shall fear your Elohim.
Lev 25:44 ‘And your male and female slaves whom you
have from the nations that are around you, from them you buy male and female
slaves,
Lev 25:45 and also from the sons
of the strangers sojourning among you, from them you buy, and from their clans
who are with you, which they shall bring forth in your land, and they shall be
your property.
Lev 25:46 ‘And you shall take
them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them as a
possession, they are your slaves for all time. But over your brothers, the
children of Yisra’ĕl, you do not rule with harshness, one over another.
Aliyah Sheviee 25:47-26:2
Lev 25:47 ‘Now when a sojourner or a settler with you
becomes rich, and your brother with him becomes poor, and sells himself to the
settler or sojourner with you, or to a member of the sojourner’s clan,
Lev 25:48 after he has been sold, there is a right of
redemption to him – one of his brothers does redeem him,
Lev 25:49 or his uncle or his uncle’s son does redeem
him, or anyone who is a close relative to him in his clan does redeem him, or
if he is able, then he shall redeem himself.
Lev 25:50 ‘And he shall reckon with him who bought him:
The price of his release shall be according to the number of years, from the
year that he was sold to him until the Year of Jubilee; as the days of a hired
servant it is with him.
Lev 25:51 ‘If there are yet many years, according to
them he repays the price of his redemption, from the silver of his purchase.
Lev 25:52 ‘And if few years are left until the Year of
Jubilee, then he shall reckon with him, and according to his years he repays
him the price of his redemption.
Lev 25:53 ‘He is with him as a yearly hired servant,
and he does not rule with harshness over him before your eyes.
Lev 25:54 ‘And if he is not redeemed in these years,
then he shall be released in the Year of Jubilee, he and his children with him.
Lev 25:55 ‘Because the children of Yisra’ĕl are
servants to Me, they are My servants whom I brought out of the land of
Mitsrayim. I am יהוה your Elohim.
Lev 26:1 ‘Do not
make idols for yourselves, and do not set up a carved image or a pillar for
yourselves, and do not place a stone image in your land, to bow down to it. For
I am יהוה your Elohim.
Lev 26:2 ‘Guard My
Sabbaths and reverence My set-apart place. I am יהוה.
The message of “Yovel” is about redeeming and releasing
and extending favour and forgiveness. When Yisrael continues to walk in the
light of this instruction there will come a time when there will be no
outstanding debt amongst the people of YHVH.
Parashat 33- BeChukotai
–Vayikra/Leviticus 26:3 – 27:34
This
portion is also known as the “tochacha” or solemn warning. “Tochacha” comes
from the word “hochacha” which can mean “proof.” The inhabitants of this world
may soon witness the proof of ignoring YHVH’s Torah.
Isa 24:1 See, יהוה is making the earth empty and
making it waste, and shall overturn its surface, and shall scatter abroad its
inhabitants.
Isa 24:3 the earth is completely emptied and utterly
plundered, for יהוה has spoken this word.
Isa 24:4 The earth
shall mourn and wither, the world shall languish and wither, the haughty people
of the earth shall languish.
Isa 24:5 For the
earth has been defiled under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed
the Torot1, changed2 the law, broken the everlasting
covenant3. Footnotes: 1Torot - plural of Torah, teaching.
2Jer. 23:36. 3This is the only reason, according to all
Scriptures, why the earth shall be burned in the day of judgment – see also
13:9, 13:11, 26:21, 66:24, Mic. 5:15, Zeph. 1:2-18.
Isa 24:6 Therefore
a curse shall consume the earth, and those who dwell in it be punished.
Therefore the inhabitants of the earth shall be burned, and few men shall be
left.
Torah Readings:
1. 26:3-5
2. 26:6-9
3. 26:10-46
4. 27:1-15
5. 27:16-21
6. 27:22-28
7. 27:29-31
8. Maftir: 27:32-34
Haftarah: Yir/Jeremiah 16:19-17:14
Aliyah Rishon 26:3-5
Lev 26:3 ‘If you walk in My laws and guard My
commands, and shall do them,
Lev 26:4 then I shall give you rain in its season, and
the land shall yield its crops, and the trees of the field yield their fruit.
Lev 26:5 ‘And your threshing shall last till the time
of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last till the time of sowing.
And you shall eat your bread until you have enough, and shall dwell in your
land safely.
Vs 3 in the Hebrew reads: “if in my statutes (bechukatai) you will walk
and my commandments (mitzvoth) you will guard (shamar) and will do them (asah)
Remember a “chuk” or
statute is something which is to be engraved in our hearts and minds. We obey
these statutes but do not always understand exactly what they mean, for
example the appointments found in
Vayikra/Leviticus 23 where we find the words “chukat olam” is used four times –
this is a statute forever – In fact some 12 times this phrase is repeated in
the Torah. (These “chukot” are forever)
A “chuk” is something
that reminds us of when our parents told us to do something …. When we asked
“why” they said “because I said so”
Aliyah Sheni 26:6-9
Lev 26:6
‘And I shall give peace in the land, and you shall lie down and no one
make you afraid. And I shall clear the land of evil beasts, and not let the
sword go through your land.
Lev 26:7 ‘And you shall pursue your enemies, and they
shall fall by the sword before you.
Lev 26:8 ‘And five of you shall pursue a hundred, and
a hundred of you pursue ten thousand. And your enemies shall fall by the sword
before you.
Lev 26:9 ‘And I shall turn to you and make you bear
fruit, and shall increase you, and shall establish My covenant with you.
Aliyah Shlishi
26:10-46
Lev 26:10 ‘And you shall eat the
old supply, and clear out the old because of the new.
Lev 26:11 ‘And I shall set My Dwelling Place in your
midst, and My being shall not reject you.
Lev 26:12 ‘And I shall walk in your midst, and shall be
your Elohim, and you shall be My people.
Lev 26:13 ‘I am יהוה your
Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, from being their slaves.
And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk upright.
The following is the “tochacha” ie the proof of our
disobedience:
Lev 26:14 ‘But if
you do not obey Me, and do not do all these commands,
Lev 26:15 and if
you reject My laws, or if your being loathes My right-rulings, so that you do
not do all My commands, but break My covenant, (annul the covenant) (the
consequences follow in verse 16)
The pronouns used here are plural. This means that when a
group of people decide to disobey the Torah, they will suffer the consequences.
However when a group of people walk in obedience, they will experience the
blessings.
There is an old saying that says: “ the spiritual healthy
me must become the spiritual healthy us or else I will lose the spiritual
healthy me”
According to the sages in the Gemara there is a
concept called “arvus” (“ar-voos”), this is the joint responsibility of one Jew
for another's performance of mitzvoth (commandments)
This is the first of a series of 5 sets of 7 calamities
that will come upon those who seek to disobey YHVH’s Torah.
Lev 26:16 I
also do this to you: And I shall appoint sudden alarm over you, wasting
disease and inflammation, destroying the eyes, and consuming the life. And you
shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
Hiph verb – “I
will visit you with panic – sudden alarm and terror” “wasting disease”
implies that your health will be “peeled” off in strips and you will lose your
dignity bit by bit and not all at once.
Lev 26:17 ‘And I
shall set My face against you, and you shall be smitten before your enemies.
And those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when no one
pursues you.
The first set of seven calamities include: burning fever,
frustrated longing, sowing seeds that will produce crops the enemy will steal,
being struck down before the enemy, being subjugated, and fleeing when no one
pursues.
Lev 26:18 ‘And
after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I shall punish you seven times more for your sins.
Lev 26:19 ‘And I
shall break the pride of your power, and shall make your heavens like iron and
your earth like bronze.
Lev 26:20 ‘And
your strength shall be spent in vain and your land not yield its crops, nor the
trees of the land yield their fruit.
Continuance of these sins are the cause of another group
of seven judgments being released, they include: destruction of the temple, the
heaven would be like iron, the earth would be like copper, you will extend your
strength in vain, the earth will not yield crops, trees will not yield fruit
and whatever fruit does grow it will drop off before maturity. (Iron is a
symbol of crushing and copper a symbol of judgment due to disobedience)
Lev 26:21 ‘And if you walk contrary to Me, and
refuse to obey Me, I shall bring on you seven times more plagues, according to
your sins, (the people still refuse to
recognize that their misfortunes were divinely ordained, they believed that
they were caused by natural occurrences)
Lev 26:22 and send
wild beasts among you, which shall bereave you of your children.
And I shall cut off your livestock, and make you few in
number, and your highways shall be deserted.
Lev 26:23 ‘And if
you are not instructed by Me by these, but walk contrary to Me,
The above third series of seven punishments include: wild
beasts, domestic livestock, poisonous snakes, death of children, loss of
livestock, diminishing population and desolation of roads.
Lev 26:24 then I
also shall walk contrary to you, and I Myself shall smite you seven times for
your sins.
Lev 26:25 ‘And I
shall bring against you a sword executing the vengeance of My covenant, and you
shall gather together in your cities, and I shall send pestilence among you,
and you shall be given into the hand of the enemy.
Lev 26:26 ‘When I
have cut off your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven,
and they shall bring back to you your bread by weight, and you shall eat and
not be satisfied.
In the above fourth series of a seven fold increase in
punishments we see how YHVH begins to withdraw revelation from the people so
that they no longer have discernment to know why these things are happening to
them.
These punishments include: the sword of foreign invaders,
siege forcing people into cities, plague, food shortage, lack of fuel,
crumbling bread and constant hunger.
Lev 26:27 ‘And if
in spite of this, you do not obey Me, but walk contrary to Me,
Lev 26:28 then I
shall walk contrary to you in wrath. And I Myself shall punish you seven times
for your sins.
Lev 26:29 ‘And you
shall eat the flesh of your sons, and eat the flesh of your daughters.
Lev 26:30 ‘And I
shall destroy your high places, and cut down your sun-pillars, and put your
carcasses on the carcasses of your idols. And My being shall loathe you.
Lev 26:31 ‘And I
shall turn your cities into ruins and lay your set-apart places waste, and not
smell your sweet fragrances.
The above fifth series include: cannibalism, destruction
of defense structures, death of people, loss of the presence of YHVH,
destruction of cities, desolation of the false places of worship, and YHVH’s
refusal to accept offerings. (Similar events have been recorded in the history
of Israel)
We see the coming future judgments also come in sets of
sevens in the book of Revelation
Lev 26:32 ‘And I
shall lay the land waste, and your enemies who dwell in it shall be astonished
at it.
Lev 26:33 ‘And I
shall scatter you among the gentiles and draw out a sword after you. And your
land shall be desert and your cities ruins,
Lev 26:34 and the
land enjoy its Sabbaths as long as it lies waste and you are in your enemies’
land. Then the land would rest and enjoy its Sabbaths.
Lev 26:35 ‘As long
as it lies waste it rests, for the time it did not rest on your Sabbaths when
you dwelt in it.
Lev 26:36 ‘And as
for those of you who are left, I shall send faintness into their hearts in the
lands of their enemies, and the sound of a shaken leaf shall cause them to
flee. And they shall flee as though retreating from a sword, and they shall
fall when no one pursues.
Lev 26:37 ‘And
they shall stumble over one another, as from before a sword, when no one
pursues. And you shall be unable to stand before your enemies.
Lev 26:38 ‘And you
shall perish among the gentiles, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up,
Lev 26:39 and
those of you who are left rot away in their crookedness in your enemies’ lands,
and also in their fathers’ crookednesses rot away with them.
Lev 26:40 ‘But if
they confess their crookedness and the crookedness of their fathers, with their
trespass in which they trespassed against Me, and that they also have walked
contrary to Me,
Lev 26:41 and that
I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their
enemies – if their uncircumcised heart is then humbled, and they accept the
punishment of their crookedness,
Vs 40-41 “ then they will confess ….but then I too
will behave towards them with casualness. The commentators wonder why the
repentance of vs 40 is greeted with an outpouring of His wrath
Lev 26:42 then I
shall remember My covenant with Ya’aqov, and also My covenant with Yitsḥaq,
and also remember My covenant with Avraham, and remember the land. [The Patriarchal
names are reversed now)
Yakov is spelled differently: a “vav” has been added. The
sages say that this different spelling appears five times and strangely
Eliyahu’s name appears five times without a “vav” these will be returned when
the Moshiach returns.
I personally believe that this speaks of the descendants
of Yakov that will play a prophetic role (Eliyahu) that will prepare the
nations for the return of the Messiah.
Mal 4:4 “Remember the Torah of Mosheh, My servant,
which I commanded him in Ḥorĕv
for all Yisra’ĕl – laws and right-rulings.
Mal 4:5
“See, I am sending you Ěliyah1 the prophet before the coming
of the great and awesome day of יהוה. Footnote: 1Lk. 1:17.
Mal 4:6 “And he
shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the
children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with utter
destruction (fathers as in Avraham, Yitchak and Yakov).
This may also explain the reversal of the names of the patriarchs
in verse 42 0f Vay/Lev 26. Restoration will start with the sons of Yakov and
bring us all back to the father of our faith – Avraham (vs 42).
Lev 26:43 ‘For the
land was abandoned by them, and enjoying its Sabbaths while lying waste without
them, and they were paying for their crookedness, because they rejected My
right-rulings and because their being loathed My laws.
Lev 26:44 ‘And yet
for all this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I shall not reject
them, nor shall I loathe them so as to destroy them and break My covenant with
them. For I am יהוה their
Elohim.
Lev 26:45 ‘Then I
shall remember for their sake the covenant of the ancestors whom I brought out
of the land of Mitsrayim before the eyes of the nations to be their Elohim. I
am יהוה.’ ”
Lev 26:46 These
are the laws and the right-rulings and the Torot1 which יהוה made between Himself and the
children of Yisra’ĕl on Mount Sinai by the hand of Mosheh. Footnote: 1Torot
- plural of Torah, teaching.
Commentary (FFOZ)
“It is tempting to suppose that all of the
curses of the law/Torah have been removed in Messiah. It is common
teaching, based on Galatians that, "Messiah redeemed us from the curse of
the Torah." (Galatians 3:13). This seems to indicate that the Torah has
lost its teeth, so to speak. In Messiah, the curses are removed, but the
blessings remain. But is this really true?
On closer examination, it becomes obvious that
"the curse of the law/Torah" spoken of in Galatians 3:13 is the curse
for disobedience listed out in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28.
Moreover, in Paul's view, the curse of the law brings death.
Therefore it is incorrect to suppose that there
are no longer any consequences for sin. The ultimate consequence of
condemnation has been removed--nailed to the stake. But the laws of cause and
effect are still very much at work. Sin still reaps punishment. Obedience to
YHVH still results in blessing. Disobedience to YHVH still results in
consequences dire.”
Aliyah Reviee 27:1-15
Lev 27:2 “Speak to
the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘When a man separates a vow, by your evaluation of lives unto יהוה,
Hebrew would read: “when someone makes an extraordinary
vow to YHVH, involving your appraisal of human souls.”
The Hebrew word for “seperates” is “pala” Strongs 6381
and can also mean: to do extraordinary or hard or a difficult
thing, to be marvellous, be wonderful, be surpassing, be extraordinary,
separate by distinguishing action.
A person can pledge the worth of an individual, in which case the
Torah prescribes how much the person must pay -- depending on the gender and
age of the individual who is being "assessed." An animal which is
pledged to the Temple must be offered on the altar if it is fit for sacrifice
-- otherwise it must be "redeemed" for its value. If the owner
chooses to redeem it, he must add one fifth of its value to the redemption
price. The same rule applies to a house which is pledged to the Temple.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe stated that every person was
born to a mission in life that is distinctly, uniquely and exclusively their
own. No one--not even the greatest of souls--can take his or her place. No
other person can fulfill that particular aspect of YHVH's purpose in creation
in his stead – end quote.
1Co 6:20 For you were bought with a price, therefore
esteem Elohim in your body and in your spirit,1 which are of Elohim.
Footnote: 1See 7:23, 1 Peter 1:18-19.
We know that the blood
of Messiah was the price paid to redeem us. Why do we need to be redeemed? Like
these Israelites, after we dedicated ourselves to YHVH through Yeshua the
Messiah, we defiled ourselves through our disobedience to the covenant of YHVH
- His Torah.
Why would you want to redeem something that was dedicated to YHVH?????
BECAUSE IT LOST ITS VALUE AND BECAME USELESS!!!!!
I believe it is possible to compare this dedication
or vow to something like the ‘sinners’ prayer’. The difference being from a
Hebraic perspective is that when you dedicate yourself or something else
special, you are attaching a monetary value to it and not just a confession of
words. This money was given to the service of the temple. This vow could never
be broken, only redeemed, this points to work of our Redeemer Messiah.
I believe Shaul is addressing this issue in Gal
3:13 Messiah redeemed us from the
curse of the Torah, having become a curse for us – for it has been written,
“Cursed is everyone who hangs upon a tree.”1 – Footnote: 1Dt.
21:23.
It is disobedience to Torah that brings the curse.
Yahshua redeems us from this curse by becoming a curse for us.
Note: Lev 27:29 ‘No one under the ban, under the ban among
men, is ransomed, but shall certainly be put to death.
Hebrew for ban is
“cherem” ie something that was devoted to YHVH but has become defiled is then
set apart to destruction. (This is the story of our lives, and only Yahshua can
set things straight again)
Lev 27:3 when your
evaluation is of a male from twenty years old up to sixty years old, then your
evaluation shall be fifty sheqels of silver, according to the sheqel of the
set-apart place.
Lev 27:4 ‘And if
it is a female, then your evaluation shall be thirty sheqels;
Lev 27:5 and if
from five years old up to twenty years old, then your evaluation for a male
shall be twenty sheqels, and for a female ten sheqels;
Lev 27:6 and if
from a month old up to five years old, then your evaluation for a male shall be
five sheqels of silver, and for a female your evaluation shall be three sheqels
of silver;
Lev 27:7 and if
from sixty years old and above, if it is a male, then your evaluation shall be
fifteen sheqels, and for a female ten sheqels.
Lev 27:8 ‘But if
he is too poor to pay your evaluation, then he shall present himself before the
priest, and the priest shall set a value for him. According to the ability of
him who vowed, the priest shall value him.
Lev 27:9 ‘And if
it is a beast of which they bring an offering to יהוה, all such given to יהוה is set-apart.
Lev 27:10 ‘He is
not to replace it or exchange it, good for spoilt or spoilt for good. And if he
at all exchanges beast for beast, then both it and the one exchanged for it is
set-apart.
Lev 27:11 ‘And if
it is any unclean beast of which they do not bring an offering to יהוה, then he shall present the beast
before the priest;
Lev 27:12 and the
priest shall value it, whether it is good or spoilt. According to your
evaluation, O priest, so it shall be.
Lev 27:13 ‘But if
he indeed redeems it, then he shall add one-fifth to your evaluation.
Lev 27:14 ‘And
when a man sets his house apart, to be set-apart to יהוה, then the priest shall value it,
whether it is good or spoilt. As the priest values it, so it stands.
Lev 27:15 ‘And if
he who sets it apart does redeem his house, then he shall add one-fifth of the
silver of your evaluation to it, and it shall be his.
Aliyah Chamishi 27:16-21
This section discusses the endowment of land to the temple. If land
which was part of the family lot (given to his ancestors when Israel was divided amongst the Tribes), then the
redemption price is a fixed amount, depending on its harvest yield. If the
owner chooses not to redeem it, it may be redeemed by any other individual. In
this event, or if the land remains un-redeemed, the land becomes the property
of the priests during the next Jubilee year. (In other words it was possible to lose
your inheritance)
Lev 27:16 ‘And if a man sets apart to יהוה a field he owns, then your
evaluation shall be according to the seed for it – a ḥomer of barley seed at
fifty sheqels of silver.
Lev 27:17 ‘If he
sets his field apart from the Year of Jubilee, according to your evaluation it
stands.
Lev 27:18 ‘But if
he sets his field apart after the Jubilee, then the priest shall reckon to him
the silver due according to the years that remain till the Year of Jubilee, and
it shall be deducted from your evaluation.
Lev 27:19 ‘And if
he who sets the field apart ever wishes to redeem it, then he shall add
one-fifth of the silver of your evaluation to it, and it shall be his.
Lev 27:20 ‘And if
he does not redeem the field, or if he has sold the field to another man, it is
no longer redeemed,
Lev 27:21 but the
field, when it is released in the Jubilee, is set-apart to יהוה as a dedicated field, to be the
possession of the priest.
Aliyah Shishi 27:22-28
Land which was purchased and then consecrated by the buyer can also be
redeemed, but it reverts to its original owner when the Jubilee arrives. All
firstborn livestock are offered in the Temple, and their flesh is consumed by
the priests. A person also has the option of dedicating and set apart any of
his belongings specifically for the use of the priests.
Lev 27:22 ‘And if a man sets apart to יהוה a field which he has bought, which
is not the field of his possession,
Lev 27:23 then the
priest shall reckon to him the amount of your evaluation, up to the Year of
Jubilee, and he shall give your evaluation on that day, set-apart to יהוה.
Lev 27:24 ‘In the
Year of Jubilee the field returns to him from whom he bought it, to him whose
is the possession of the land.
Lev 27:25 ‘And all
your evaluations is to be according to the sheqel of the set-apart place:
twenty gĕrahs to the sheqel.
Lev 27:26 ‘However, a first-born of the beasts, which is
first-born to יהוה, no man
sets it apart – whether bull or sheep, it belongs to יהוה.
Lev 27:27 ‘And if
among the unclean beasts, then he shall ransom it according to your evaluation,
and shall add one-fifth to it. And if it is not redeemed, then it shall be sold
according to your evaluation.
Lev 27:28
‘However, whatever a man lays under ban for יהוה of all that he has, man and beast,
or the field of his possession, is not sold or redeemed. Whatever is laid under
ban is most set-apart to יהוה.
Aliyah Sheviee 27:29-34
The
"Second Tithe," which must be consumed by its owners in Yerushalayim/Jerusalem,
is briefly mentioned -- as well as the rules for redeeming this tithe if it is too
burdensome to transport to Yeruashalayim. Also discussed is the animal tithe --
every tenth animal is offered as an offering, and the meat consumed by its
owners. With this we conclude the Book of Leviticus.
Lev 27:29
‘No one under the ban, under the ban among men, is ransomed, but shall
certainly be put to death.
Lev 27:30 ‘And all the tithe of the land – of the seed
of the land or of the fruit of the tree – belongs to יהוה. It is
set-apart to יהוה.
Lev 27:31 ‘If a
man indeed redeems any of his tithes, he adds one-fifth to it.
Lev 27:32 ‘And the
entire tithe of the herd and of the flock, all that passes under the rod, the
tenth one is set-apart to יהוה.
Lev 27:33 ‘He does
not inquire whether it is good or spoilt, nor does he exchange it. And if he
exchanges it at all, then both it and the one exchanged for it are set-apart,
it is not redeemed.’ ”
Lev 27:34 These
are the commands which יהוה
commanded Mosheh for the children of Yisra’ĕl on Mount Sinai.
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, YHVH giver of the Torah.
Ameyn.)
CHAZAK! CHAZAK!
VENITCHAZEIK! - BE STRONG! BE
STRONG! AND MAY WE STRENGTHEN OURSELVES.
Please note these notes
are under construction and are subject to correction and are in no way a final
authority on any subject.