Lev/Vayikra 1:1- 6:7
Let us listen carefully to the words of our Messiah:
Mat 22:14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.” Or “Many are called but few are willing to choose”
Where is He calling us to?
The most set apart place, the “kodesh ha kodeshim” YHVH is calling us to Himself.
Why do so few respond?
Only a people who are truly willing to lay down their lives and follow the instructions of the His Torah on how to return into His presence will be able to hear and respond to this call.
YHVH desires so much that we respond to His call that He sent His only Son – The Messiah – who willingly laid down his life to show us the way back into the presence of His Father.
It requires a likeminded person to respond to His call.
Responding to this call will cost you everything and the world including all kinds of religious people will hate you for doing so.
A Called people will always be a hated people.
Once again the events of this past week confirm this truth.
On the second day of this past week a rabbi and three children were shot dead at a Jewish school in Toulouse France. A father (teacher/moreh) and his two children were shot and killed and the school's director saw his daughter shot and killed in front of him.
The name of the school was “Ozar Ha Torah” which means “the treasure of Torah”. I believe this event carries a clear prophetic message to us at this time. People who treasure the Torah and desire to respond to His call will be a hunted and hated people.
Mat 10:22 “And you shall be hated by all for My Name’s sake. But he who shall have endured to the end shall be saved.
I believe this is one of the true evidences that we are hearing and responding to the call of YHVH – “vayikra” when there is all kinds of persecution coming against us.
The Hebrew word for ”Hollocaust” is ”korban olah” (burnt offering).
Those who respond the way Torah teaches in this portion will be called “ a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a set-apart nation, a people for a possession, that will proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvellous light” (1Pet 2:9)
YHVH has given a pattern for His Presence to dwell amongst us, before a dwelling place or Temple can be built an altar and an offering system must first be established. This is happening once again in these last days.
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,
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. 1:1-13
2. 1:14 – 2:6
3. 2:7-16
4. 3:1-16
5. 4:1-26
6. 4:27 – 5:10
7. 5:11 – 6:4 (5:23 Hebrew version)
8. Maftir: 6:5-7 (5:24-26 Heb.)
Haftarah: Yeshayahu/Isaiah 43:21 – 44:23
Aliyah Rishon 1:1-13
Lev 1:1 And יהוה called to Mosheh, and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying,
“called’ or “vayikra” has a “yot or tittel” attached to it. The “aleph” in “vayikra” is diminished. We believe that these letters call our attention to Yahshua. The letter “aleph” when written contains two “yuds” and one “vav” combined these strokes that make up the letter “aleph” and have a gematria of 26 the same gematria that makes up the name of YHVH.
YHVH is the Supreme Elohim and there is no one like Him. Yahshua is like a diminished “aleph” and has within himself the fullness of the Supreme Elohim.
This also teaches us that only the humble will hear. Aleph speaks of strength, only those who have an increasing revelation of their limited strength as well as an increasing revelation of YHVH”s unlimited strength, will be able to hear His voice and be part of set apart priesthood”Vayikra/Lev 1:2 “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘When anyone of you brings an offering to יהוה, you bring your offering of the livestock, of the herd or of the flock.
“anyone” or “adam” in Hebrew refers to any person of the human race, “offering” refers to that which is brought voluntarily. This is over and above the obligatory offerings specified in the Torah.
The Hebrew word for “offering” is “korban” and comes from another Hebrew word “karav” which means to draw near. An offering was intended to draw us nearer to our Creator.
It is worth mentioning here that the offerings could not take away our sin; before offerings were made sin was confessed.
Only the blood of Yahsua was sufficient for our complete forgiveness. The death of Messiah was not a payment demanded by an angry YHVH. Yahshua came and took upon himself the death penalty of our sin so that we could live and return to the presence of his Father. We are today no longer under the penalty of death. Yahshua has redeemed us from the curse of the Torah (disobedience to Torah always brought death). We were created perfect and when sin came we died.
Rom 5:12 For this reason, even as through one man sin did enter into the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned –
Lev 1:3 ‘If his offering is a burnt offering of the herd, let him bring a male, a perfect one. Let him bring it at the door of the Tent of Meeting, for his acceptance before יהוה.
Burnt offering (korban olah)
The “burnt offering” or “korban olah” this was an offering given entirely unto YHVH, no part was kept except the skins by the priests. These skins were used for Torah scrolls.
The purpose of this offering was to express a person’s desire to want to totally devote themselves to the worship and adoration of YHVH. There was absolutely no self -serving motivation when one brought this kind of offering. It was an expression of being totally sold out to YHVH.
One can compare this kind of offering in a modern day situation where a person would take say $2000 and throw it on a fire as a gift for YHVH.
Lev 1:4 ‘And he shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.
Lev 1:5 ‘And he shall slaughter the bull before יהוה. And the sons of Aharon, the priests, shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar which is at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
Lev 1:6 ‘And he shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces.
Note the person brining the offering would lay his hands on the offering and slay it. It is possible that a person brining such an offering would be overcome with emotion and may have required some assistance from Levite to carry out the slaying of the animal.
Note also that no offering could be performed without a priest or mediator. This has implications today that most believers would be too uncomfortable with to even contemplate. We have become so independent and self -serving the thought of being truly accountable to appointed authority is unacceptable to most.
It will serve us well to remember that there will be no “lone rangers” in the returning tribes of Yisrael. Every man woman and child will stand under some form of tribal leadership and accountability.
Lev 1:7 ‘And the sons of Aharon the priest shall put fire on the altar, and lay the wood in order on the fire.
Lev 1:8 ‘And the sons of Aharon, the priests, shall arrange the pieces, with the head and the fat on the wood which is on the fire on the altar.
Lev 1:9 ‘But its entrails and its legs he washes with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a sweet fragrance to יהוה.
Imagine the smells coming from the altar and compare them to the smells that come from a steak house and bakery.
Lev 1:10 ‘And if his offering is from the flock, from the sheep or from the goats as a burnt offering, let him bring a male, a perfect one.
Specifically a male.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Messiah also did love the assembly and gave Himself for it,
Eph 5:26 in order to set it apart and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word,1 Footnote: 1Rev. 19:8-9.
Eph 5:27 in order to present it to Himself a splendid assembly, not having spot or wrinkle or any of this sort, but that it might be set-apart and blameless.
Lev 1:11 ‘And he shall slaughter it on the north side of the altar before יהוה. And the sons of Aharon, the priests, shall sprinkle its blood on the altar all around.
It appears that only the burnt offering was to be slaughtered on the north side. The Hebrew word for “north” comes from “tzaphan” which implies that which is hidden or secret. What hidden mystery could there be in this action? Perhaps it was only this kind of offering that could prepare our hearts to respond to the call of YHVH to be united with Him again. We know that Yahshua offered himself up completely to YHVH on our behalf.
Lev 1:12 ‘And he shall cut it into its pieces, with its head and its fat, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood which is on the fire on the altar.
Lev 1:13 ‘But the entrails and the legs he washes with water. And the priest shall bring it all and burn it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a sweet fragrance to יהוה.
Aliyah Sheni 1:14-2:6
Lev 1:14 ‘And if the burnt offering of his offering to יהוה is of birds, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves or young pigeons.
Lev 1:15 ‘And the priest shall bring it to the altar, and shall wring off its head, and burn it on the altar, and its blood shall be drained out at the side of the altar.
Lev 1:16 ‘And he shall remove its crop with its feathers and throw it beside the altar on the east side, into the place for ashes.
Lev 1:17 ‘And he shall split it at its wings, but not sever it. And the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a sweet fragrance to יהוה.
Grain offering: (minchah)
Lev 2:1 ‘And when anyone brings a grain offering to יהוה, his offering is to be of fine flour. And he shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense on it,
Lev 2:2 and he shall bring it to the sons of Aharon, the priests, and he shall take from it his hand filled with fine flour and oil with all the frankincense. And the priest shall burn it as a remembrance portion on the altar, an offering made by fire, a sweet fragrance to יהוה.
Lev 2:3 ‘And the rest of the grain offering is for Aharon and his sons, most set-apart of the offerings to יהוה by fire.
The text states that a remnant of the grain offering that was not put on the fire was kept aside for Aaron and his sons - THIS REMNANT OFFERING WAS MOST SET APART – “KODESH KODASHIM” OF ALL THE FIRE OFFERINGS PRESENTED TO YHVH.
The reason it is most set apart is that if there is no Aaronic priesthood there is no redemption. The Aaronic priesthood is a shadow and type of the priesthood of Messiah, who not only visits the presence of YHVH but dwells in the presence of YHVH and Messiah’s Melechtzdek priesthood is the only priesthood that will enable us to dwell in the presence of YHVH one day for ever.
These priesthoods can be compared to the bread of life.
Yochanan/Joh 6:35 And יהושע said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall not get hungry at all, and he who believes in Me shall not get thirsty at all.
We too are called to be bread and a fragrance of life to this world.
2Co 2:14 But thanks be to Elohim who always leads us on, to overcome in Messiah, and manifests through us the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
2Co 2:15 Because we are to Elohim the fragrance of Messiah among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
2Co 2:16 To the one we are the smell of death to death, and to the other the fragrance of life to life. And who is competent for these?
2Co 2:17 For we are not, as so many, adulterating the Word of Elohim for gain – but as of sincerity, but as from Elohim, in the sight of Elohim, we speak in Messiah.
Lev 2:4 ‘And when you bring as an offering a grain offering baked in the oven, it is of unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened thin cakes anointed with oil.
Lev 2:5 ‘But if your offering is a grain offering on the griddle, it is of fine flour, unleavened, mixed with oil.
Lev 2:6 ‘Divide it into bits and pour oil on it, it is a grain offering.
Aliyah Shlishi 2:7-16
Vayikra/Lev 2:7 ‘And if your offering is a grain offering, in a stewing-pot, it is made of fine flour with oil.
Lev 2:8 ‘And you shall bring to יהוה the grain offering that is made of these, and shall present it to the priest, and he shall bring it to the altar.
Lev 2:9 ‘And the priest shall take from the grain offering a remembrance portion, and burn it on the altar, an offering made by fire, a sweet fragrance to יהוה.
Lev 2:10 ‘And the rest of the grain offering is for Aharon and his sons, most set-apart of the offerings to יהוה made by fire.
Lev 2:11 ‘No grain offering which you bring to יהוה is made with leaven, for you do not burn any leaven or any honey in an offering to יהוה made by fire.
“R. Bachye, like the Ba'al ha'Turim … ', attributes the prohibition of yeast and honey to the fact that they are compared to the Yeitzer-ha'Ra (evil speech). Only he adds that bearing in mind that the Korbanot come to atone for our sins, it would not be right to add yeast and honey, seeing as it is the Yeitzer ha'Ra, (evil speech) which they symbolize, that causes us to sin in the first place. How can we then use the items that symbolize sin to atone for sin (much in the same way as Chazal have said 'The prosecutor cannot become the defense-counsel!'”)
Lev 2:12 ‘Bring them to יהוה as an offering of the first-fruits, but they are not burned on the altar for a sweet fragrance.
Lev 2:13 ‘And season with salt every offering of your grain offering, and do not allow the salt of the covenant of your Elohim to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you bring salt.
Salt is a preservative and thus we conclude that the covenant of YHVH preserves us from corruption and condemnation.
Lev 2:14 ‘And if you bring a grain offering of your first-fruits to יהוה, bring for the grain offering of
