וַאֲנִי כַּאֲשֶׁר אֶנָּשֵׂא מֵעַל־הָאָרֶץ אֶמְשֹׁ כָּל־אָדָם אַחֲרָי׃
Yochanan/Joh 12:32 “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, shall draw all men unto Myself.”
Once again the words of Romans 10:4 remind us that Yahshua is the goal of the Torah. We will see once again in this Torah portion that there are hidden messages that point towards our Messiah.
The portion discusses the census of the Yisraelites/Israelites, the washbasin of the Tabernacle, the anointing oils for the priests and kings, the incense offering, and the Sabbath. The Torah then relates the story of the Golden Calf, YHVH's anger at the Yisraelites, Moshes’ successfully arguing for YHVH’s forgiveness for the sin, the subsequent breaking of the tablets, and the giving of the second tablets.
We see once again the central role of the priesthood as YHVH’s choice in bringing about our redemption as well as the redemption of nations.1Pe 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a set-apart nation, a people for a possession, that you should proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light,
1Pe 2:10 who once were not a people, but now the people of Elohim; who had not obtained compassion, but now obtained compassion.
As we study the instructions of this portion we are faced with the sobering reality that not everyone is called and enters into this privileged priesthood. We are reminded once again that only certain priests were allowed to enter into the tabernacle.
We are reminded that Levi had three sons Gershon, Kohath, and Merari (Genesis 46:11). Only those of Kohath (Aaron and his sons) were permitted to enter into the tabernacle to meet and minister to YHVH.
So likewise it may be that within the bride of Messiah only a select group desire to respond appropriately to the call of the priesthood according to YHVH’s instruction.
Yez/Eze 44:9 ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “No son of a foreigner, uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh, comes into My set-apart place, even any son of a foreigner who is among the children of Yisra’ĕl.
Eze 44:10 “And the Lĕwites who went far from Me, when Yisra’ĕl went astray, who strayed away from Me after their idols, they shall bear their crookedness.
Eze 44:11 “And they were attendants in My set-apart place, as gatekeepers of the house and attendants of the house, slaughtering the burnt offering and the offering for the people, and standing before them to attend to them.
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 against them,” declares the Master יהוה, “that they shall bear their crookedness,
Eze 44:13 and not come near Me to serve as My priest, nor come near any of that which is set-apart to Me, nor into the Most Set-apart Place. And they shall bear their shame and their abominations which they have done.
Eze 44:14 “Yet I shall make them those who guard the duty of the House, for all its work, and for all that has to be done in it.
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.
Praise the Father this priesthood is not just limited to one ethnic group.
Yesh/Isa 66:21 “And from them (gentiles) too I shall take for priests – for Lĕwites,” declares יהוה.
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. 30:11 – 31:17
2. 31:18 – 33:11
3. 33:12-16
4. 33:17-23
5. 34:1-9
6. 34:10-26
7. 34:27-32
8. Maftir: 34:33-35
Haftarah: 1 Kings 18:1-39 (Ashkenazim); 18:20-39 (Sefardim)
Aliyah Rishon 30:11-31:17
Shemot/Exo 30:11 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Exo 30:12 “When you take the census of the children of Yisra’ĕl, to register them, then each one shall give an atonement for his life to יהוה, when you register them, so that there is no plague among them when you register them.
If we directly translate the Hebrew of these verses it sounds completely different.
“ki tisa et rosh benei Yisrael” or “when you will lift up the head of the sons of Israel…”
This has been translated “when you take a census of the children of Israel”
Note the use of the word “rosh” or “head” it is written in the singular. Note also the use of the words “ki tisa” can also be translated “because you will lift up..”
The translators most probably experienced difficulty in trying to understand what the text was saying. It is possible that this scripture is trying to tell us the following:
“Because a time is coming when you will lift up the son of man who is the head of Israel” in him all those who are redeemed will be counted”
It is rather conspicuous that the word “rashim” (plural for rosh) is not used. The use of “rosh” (singular) can mean one person who represents Israel.
Exo 30:13 “Everyone among those who are registered is to give this: half a sheqel according to the sheqel of the set-apart place, twenty gĕrahs being a sheqel. The half-sheqel is the contribution to יהוה.
Exo 30:14 “Everyone passing over to be registered, from twenty years old and above, gives a contribution to יהוה.
Exo 30:15 “The rich does not give more and the poor does not give less than half a sheqel, when you give a contribution to יהוה, to make atonement for yourselves.
Exo 30:16 “And you shall take the silver for the atonement from the children of Yisra’ĕl, and give it for the service of the Tent of Meeting. And it shall be to the children of Yisra’ĕl for a remembrance before יהוה, to make atonement for yourselves.”
In Shemot/Exodus 38:26, 27 this same half shekel is called a “beka” (beit, kuph,ayin) The gematria of “beka” is 172. We know that there are 172 words in the 10 sayings (incorrectly called the 10 commandments)
The 172 words (bekah) represent the Torah in a “compact form” and reminds us of Yahshua who also represented the fullness of the Torah in his life.
Lifting up the head of the sons of Israel can be seen as both lifting up the Messiah in his execution as well as presenting him as the perfect Torah in the flesh. Only those who are willing to associate with Messiah in this way will be counted worthy of the kingdom in the “olam ha ze as well as the olam ha ba” (this present age and the age to come)
We see in the Good News Yahshua addresses this very issue of the giving of the “bekah”. Sadly we see how this redemption has been misrepresented.
Mat 17:24 And when they came into Kephar Naḥum, those who received the tax came to Kĕpha and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the tax?”
Mat 17:25 He said, “Yea.” And when he came into the house, יהושע spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Shim’on? From whom do the sovereigns of the earth take toll or tax, from their own sons or from the strangers?”
Mat 17:26 Kĕpha then said to Him, “From the strangers.” יהושע said to him, “Then the sons are exempt.
Mat 17:27 “But, lest we cause them to stumble, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you shall find a piece of money (stater). Take that and give it to them for Me and you.” (“stater” was a gold coin)
Alfred Edersheim's book The Temple explains how this tribute was collected. He states: "For annually, on the 1st of Adar (12th Biblical monh)while (the month before the Passover), proclamation was made throughout the country by messengers sent from Jerusalem of the approaching Temple tribute. On the 15th of Adar the money-changers opened stalls throughout the country to change the various coins, which Jewish residents at home or settlers abroad might bring, into the ancient money of Israel. For custom had it that nothing but the regular half-shekel of the sanctuary could be received at the treasury. On the 25th of Adar business was only transacted within the precincts of Jerusalem and of the Temple, and after that date those who had refused to pay the impost could be proceeded against at law. End quote.
The moneychangers had a monopoly on the half shekel and buying and selling in the set apart place/sanctuary. Thus, they could charge what they wanted for those coins.
The moneychangers were much like the modern day bankers, especially the Federal Reserve Bank, today, who has a monopoly on creating money out of nothing and charging interest on it.
This remains the deception and disease of a false priesthood. If you don’t have their currency or do things their way, you will not receive redemption. (We are not redeemed with gold but with silver.)
Exo 30:17 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Exo 30:18 “And you shall make a basin of bronze, with its stand also of bronze, for washing. And you shall put it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and shall put water in it.
Exo 30:19 “And Aharon and his sons shall wash from it their hands and their feet.
This washing was not meant to just be a ritual but a prophetic reminder that it was our hands and feet that joined themselves with those who condemned and executed our Messiah. With this knowledge a set apart priesthood desire their deeds (hands) and feet (ways) to continually be clean and pleasing to the Father.
Exo 30:20 “When they go into the Tent of Meeting, or when they come near the altar to attend, to burn an offering made by fire to יהוה, they wash with water, lest they die.
Exo 30:21 “And they shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die. And it shall be a law forever to them, to him and his seed throughout their generations.”
Exo 30:22 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Exo 30:23 “And take for yourself choice spices, five hundred sheqels of liquid myrrh, and half as much – two hundred and fifty – of sweet-smelling cinnamon, and two hundred and fifty of sweet-smelling cane,
Exo 30:24 and five hundred of cassia, according to the sheqel of the set-apart place, and a hin of olive oil.
Exo 30:25 “And you shall make from these a set-apart anointing oil, a compound, blended, the work of a perfumer. It is a set-apart anointing oil.
Exo 30:26 “And with it you shall anoint the Tent of Meeting and the ark of the Witness,
Exo 30:27 and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense,
Exo 30:28 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand.
Exo 30:29 “And you shall set them apart, and they shall be most set-apart. Whatever touches them is to be set-apart.
Exo 30:30 “And you shall anoint Aharon and his sons, and set them apart, to serve as priests to Me.
Exo 30:31 “And speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘This is a set-apart anointing oil to Me throughout your generations.
Exo 30:32 ‘It shall not be poured on the flesh of a man, and make no other like it, according to its composition. It is set-apart, it is set-apart to you.
Exo 30:33 ‘Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on a stranger, shall be cut off from his people.’ ”
Exo 30:34 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Take sweet spices, fragrant gum and cinnamon and galbanam, and clear frankincense with these sweet spices, all in equal amounts.
Exo 30:35 “Then you shall make of these an incense, a compound, work of a perfumer, salted, clean, set-apart.
Exo 30:36 “And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the Witness in the Tent of Meeting where I meet with you, it is most set-apart to you.
Exo 30:37 “And the incense which you make, do not make any for yourselves, according to its composition, it is set-apart to you for יהוה.
Exo 30:38 “Whoever makes any like it, to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people.”
The anointing oil and incense represent the complete work of YHVH’s making us acceptable in His sight. We breathe the incense (inner man) and are anointed with the oil (outer man)
Exo 31:1 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Exo 31:2 “See, I have called by name Betsal’ĕl son of Uri, son of Ḥur, of the tribe of Yehuḏah,
Exo 31:3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of Elohim in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all work,
Exo 31:4 to make designs for work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze,
Exo 31:5 and in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, and to work in all work.
Exo 31:6 “And I, look I have appointed with him Oholiaḇ son of Aḥisamaḵ, of the tribe of Dan. And I have put wisdom in the hearts of everyone who is wise-hearted, and they shall make all that I have commanded you:
“No tribe was greater than Judah and none more lowly than Dan... Said YHVH: "Let the one come and be associated with the other, so that no man may despise [his fellow] or be arrogant, for both great and small are equal in YHVH's sight." (Midrash Tanchuma)
The name “Betsalel” (Betsal’ĕl) means “in the shadow of Elohim”. The name “Ohaliab” (Oholiaḇ )means” in the tents of his father”. We see from this that the great work YHVH does is not taking place in public places or large gatherings for everyone to see, but in quite humble places.
Exo 31:7 the Tent of Meeting, and the ark of the Witness and the lid of atonement that is on it, and all the utensils of the Tent,
Exo 31:8 and the table and its utensils, and the clean gold lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense,
Exo 31:9 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand,
Exo 31:10 and the woven garments, and the set-apart garments for Aharon the priest and the garments of his sons, for serving as priests,
Exo 31:11 and the anointing oil and sweet incense for the Set-apart Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they are to do.”
Exo 31:12 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Exo 31:13 “And you, speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘My Sabbaths you are to guard, by all means, for it is a sign1 between Me and you throughout your generations, to know that I, יהוה, am setting you apart. Footnote: 1The only sign of יהוה setting us apart, the only sign of the everlasting covenant, is His Sabbaths, one of them being the seventh day Sabbath. This is repeated in Ezek. 20:12 & 20.
Exo 31:14 ‘And you shall guard the Sabbath, for it is set-apart to you. Everyone who profanes it shall certainly be put to death, for anyone who does work on it, that being shall be cut off from among his people.
Exo 31:15 ‘Six days work is done, and on the seventh is a Sabbath of rest, set-apart to יהוה. Everyone doing work on the Sabbath day shall certainly be put to death.
Exo 31:16 ‘And the children of Yisra’ĕl shall guard the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant.
Exo 31:17 ‘Between Me and the children of Yisra’ĕl it is a sign forever. For in six days יהוה made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’ ”
There are two dimensions to Shabbat, referred to in the dual commandment to "keep" it and to "make" it. It is a day possessing an intrinsic holiness from the very beginning of time; this set apartness the people of Israel are commanded to keep and preserve. And then there is the command "to make the Shabbat"--to impart greater set apartness and meaning to it by our actions (Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch).
Aliyah Sheni 31:18-33:11
Shemot/Exo 31:18 And when He had ended speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Mosheh two tablets of the Witness, tablets of stone, written with the finger of Elohim.
The Sages note the similarity of the Hebrew word kechaloto--"when he had ended" or “as to finish with him”--with the word kekallato, "as his bride," citing numerous ways in which the Torah, referred to in this verse, and the Shabbat, spoken of in the previous verse, are analogous to a bride: Why is that? Because when YHVH gave the Torah to Israel, it was then as dear to them as a bride is to her spouse, as it says, "And he gave to Moshe kechaloto." (Midrash Rabbah)
Just as a bride comes to her groom beautiful, bejewelled and perfumed, so does the Shabbat come to the people of Israel... Just as the groom dresses in his finest raiment to receive his bride, so does the Jew receive the Shabbat. Just as a groom is pampered and absolved from working all his nuptial days, so is the Hebrew on Shabbat (Midrash).
This means that when YHVH handed the Tablets to Moses, the people had already made the Golden Calf! Thus the Midrash says: while they were busy provoking Him to anger below, He was occupied in heaven with bestowing upon them a Torah of life... (Midrash Rabbah)
Exo 32:1 And when the people saw that Mosheh was so long in coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aharon, and said to him, “Arise, make us mighty ones who go before us. For this Mosheh, the man who brought us up out of the land of Mitsrayim, we do not know what has become of him.”
Exo 32:2 And Aharon said to them,