Parashat 21 Portion 68 – Ki Tisa - Shemot 30:11-38 2Kings 12:1-16 2Cor 9:6-11

Bar’chu et YHVH ha-m’vorach, Baruch YHVH ha-m’vorach l’O’lam va-ed!

Baruch ata YHVHEloheinu melech ha-olam asher bachar banu m’kol ha-amim, v’na-tan lanu eht Torah-to. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”

(Bless YHVH the blessed One; Blessed is YHVH, the blessed One for all eternity. 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.)

There is a view amongst some of the sages and rabbis that this Torah portion will be best understood in the latter days as it pertains to the coming of Messiah and the return of Israel to YHVH.

Why would YHVH give instructions concerning a census while amid giving instructions about the construction of the set apart articles for the Tabernacle?

Initially these census instructions may seem out of place. However, counting of the men 20 years and over was including them to take responsibility to establish and keep order in the affairs of the nation.

‘’Pirket Avot 5:21 He used to say: At five years of age the study of Scripture; At ten the study of Mishnah; At thirteen subject to the commandments; At fifteen the study of Talmud; At eighteen the bridal canopy; At twenty for pursuit [of livelihood]; At thirty the peak of strength; At forty wisdom; At fifty able to give counsel; At sixty old age; At seventy fullness of years; At eighty the age of “strength”; At ninety a bent body; At one hundred, as good as dead and gone completely out of the world.’’

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.

יב  כִּי תִשָּׂא אֶת-רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, לִפְקֻדֵיהֶם, וְנָתְנוּ אִישׁ כֹּפֶר נַפְשׁוֹ לַיהוָה, בִּפְקֹד אֹתָם; וְלֹא-יִהְיֶה בָהֶם נֶגֶף, בִּפְקֹד אֹתָם.

12 'When you (sing) will lift up the head of  bnei Yisrael to cause them to be called to account they cause a man to be given a covering atonement for his soul unto YHVH, to be counted; and not to be for them a fatal plague-. for a sheltering covering is with them.

“Census”- pâqad - BDB Definition

1d) (Pual) to be passed in review, be caused to miss, be called, be called to account

1c) (Piel) to muster, call up.

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 had trouble 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”

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.

“Half” implies that two parties need to co- operate to make a whole.

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.”

Shemot 38:25-26 tells us that the silver collected was equivalent to 100 talents of silver and 1775 shekels – and was used for the foundation sockets of the tabernacle. Silver symbolizes redemption and the total gematria of the Hebrew alphabet is 1775 – if you include the “sofiet” letters – kaph, nun and tzaddi. -

https://noahsage.com/2012/10/02/a-little-mystery-hidden-in-the-hebrew-alphabet/ 

Exo 38:25  And the silver from the ones counted of the congregation was one hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five sheqels, according to the sheqel of the set-apart place: 

Exo 38:26  a beqa, half a sheqel for a head, according to the sheqel of the set-apart place, for everyone passing over to those counted, from twenty years old and above, for six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty men. 

Parashat 20 Portion 67 Shemot 30:1-11 Mal 1:11 –2:7 & Rev 8:1-5

Bar’chu et YHVH ha-m’vorach, Baruch YHVH ha-m’vorach l’O’lam va-ed!

Baruch ata YHVH Eloheinu melech ha-olam asher bachar banu m’kol ha-amim, v’na-tan lanu eht Torah-to. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”

(Bless YHVH the blessed One; Blessed is YHVH, the blessed One for all eternity. 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.)

Exo 30:1  “And you shall make an altar to burn incense on, make it of acacia wood,

Exo 30:2  a cubit long and a cubit wide – it is a square – and two cubits high, its horns of the same.

Exo 30:3  “And you shall overlay its top, and its sides all around, and its horns with clean gold. And you shall make for it a moulding of gold all around.

Exo 30:4  “And make two gold rings for it, under the moulding on both its sides. Make them on its two sides, and they shall be holders for the poles to lift it with.

Exo 30:5  “And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.

Exo 30:6  “And you shall put it before the veil that is before the ark of the Witness, before the lid of atonement that is over the Witness, where I am to meet with you.

Exo 30:7  “And Aharon shall burn on it sweet incense, morning by morning. As he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it.

Exo 30:8  “And when Aharon lights the lamps between the evenings, he shall burn incense on it – a continual incense before יהוה throughout your generations.

Exo 30:9  “Do not offer strange incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it.

Exo 30:10  “And Aharon shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement – once a year he makes atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most set-apart to יהוה.”

It appears that after the seven-day (29:35) ordination of priests and dedication of the bronze altar that the ministry of the priests could begin. The High priest could now enter into the set apart place and bring incense to burn on the ‘’golden altar of incense’’  Some believe that fire from the bronze altar was used for this purpose. This could explain why Adav and Abihu were killed as they offered  ‘’strange’’ fire on the golden altar of incense. Strange incense – Heb. ‘’kitoret zarah’’ – ‘’zarah is a stranger, can also mean ‘’harlot’’ referring to a form of mixed or pagan worship.

During these ‘’seven thousand years’’ the priestly calling will be internalized within a set apart priesthood over and over again until it is fully manifest in this priesthood.

The bride of Messiah is being prepared for these ‘’seven thousand years’’ to stand in the very presence of YHVH to minister to YHVH on behalf of His Set Apart people.

Haftarah and Second writings portion:

Mal 2:1  “And now, O priests,(Heb – Kohanim) this command is for you.

Mal 2:2  “If you do not hear, and if you do not take it to heart, to give esteem to My Name,” said יהוה of hosts, “I shall send a curse upon you, and I shall curse your blessings. And indeed, I have cursed them, because you do not take it to heart.

Mal 2:3  “See, I shall rebuke your seed, and scatter dung before your faces, the dung of your festivals. And you shall be taken away with it.

Mal 2:4  “And you shall know that I have sent this command to you, as being My covenant with Lĕwi,” said יהוה of hosts.

Mal 2:5  “My covenant with him was life and peace, and I gave them to him, to fear. And he feared Me, and stood in awe of My Name.

Mal 2:6  “The Torah of truth¹ was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and straightness, and turned many away from crookedness. Footnote: ¹Neh. 9:13.

Mal 2:7  “For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and they seek the Torah from his mouth, for he is the messenger of יהוה of hosts.

Mal 2:8  “But you, you have turned from the way, you have caused many to stumble in the Torah. You have corrupted the covenant of Lĕwi,” said יהוה of hosts.

Mal 2:9  “And I also, I shall make you despised and low before all the people, because you are not guarding My ways, and are showing partiality in the Torah.”

Rev 8:1  And when He opened the seventh seal, there came to be silence in the heaven for about half an hour.

Rev 8:2  And I saw the seven messengers who stand before Elohim, and to them were given seven trumpets.

Rev 8:3  And another messenger came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer, and much incense was given to him, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the set-apart ones upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

Rev 8:4  And the smoke of the incense, (Heb – kitoret) with the prayers of the set-apart ones, went up before Elohim from the hand of the messenger.

Rev 8:5  And the messenger took the censer, and filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, and thunders, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

This most probably refers to the golden altar in the heavenly tabernacle.

You can find some basic outlines and illustrations of the Tabernacle on the following website:

https://owlcation.com/humanities/The-Word-of-God-Illustrated-in-the-Menorah

Midrash:

What comes to mind when we read these scriptures?

See again Mal 2:4-9

The end time restoration of all things begins with the restoration of Torah – there is no restoration of Torah unless there is a restoration of the Levitical priesthood and those from the nations called to be part of the Levitical priesthood – Is 66:21-  It is Aaron’s rod that is in the ark of the covenant alongside the Torah and jar of manna, which proved he was given the priesthood by YHVH – Numbers 16&17.

Somehow the whole purpose of our existence is found in our identification and acceptance of the priestly ministry of the Levites and by extension the bride of Messiah.

Rom 12:1  I call upon you, therefore, brothers, through the compassion of Elohim, to present your bodies a living offering – set-apart, well-pleasing to Elohim – your reasonable worship. 

Rom 12:2  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you prove what is that good and well-pleasing and perfect desire of Elohim. 

See Ex 28:16 – the pouch behind the breastplate which housed the the urim and thummim was about 1 square cubit. (a span is about half a cubit)

Hos 3:1  Then יהוה said to me, “Go again, love a woman loved by a friend, and an adulteress, according to the love of יהוה for the children of Yisra’ĕl, though they are turning to other mighty ones and love their raisin cakes.”

Hos 3:2  So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver, and one and one-half ḥomers of barley.

Hos 3:3  And I said to her, “You are to remain with me many days, you are not to whore, nor become any man’s, and so I shall also be towards you.”

Hos 3:4  For many days the children of Yisra’ĕl are to remain without sovereign and without prince, and without slaughtering, and without pillar, and without shoulder garment or house idols.

Hos 3:5  Afterward the children of Yisra’ĕl shall return, and seek יהוה their Elohim, and Dawiḏ their sovereign, and fear יהוה and His goodness, in the latter days.

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 Yahweh, 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).

Parashat 20 Portion 66 Shem/Ex 29:1-49 Yesh 61:7- 62:5 Heb 2:10-18

Bar’chu et YHVH ha-m’vorach, Baruch YHVH ha-m’vorach l’O’lam va-ed!

Baruch ata YHVH  Eloheinu melech ha-olam asher bachar banu m’kol ha-amim, v’na-tan lanu eht Torah-to. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”

(Bless YHVH the blessed One; Blessed is YHVH, the blessed One for all eternity. 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.)

This weeks portion has to do with the ordination of Aharon and his sons. The Hebrew words for ordination are ‘’le maleh yadahim’’ or ‘’filling of the hands’’. The offerings described as the ‘’ordination offerings’’ are referred to as the ‘’miluim’’ or filling offering’’ What does it mean ‘’to fill the hands’’?

Eph 2:10  For we are His workmanship, created in Messiah יהושע unto good works, which Elohim prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 

In the Book of Hebrews (most probably written by a Levite – Barnabas) we have a pattern on how YHVH establishes His priesthood:

Heb 5:8  though being a Son, He learned obedience by what He suffered. 

Exo 4:22  “And you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus said יהוה, “Yisra’ěl is My son, My first-born, 

We are a nation of priests - 1Pe 2:9  But you are a chosen race,b Deu_10:15 a royal priesthood,c Isa_61:6 a set-apart nation,d Exo_19:6 a people for a possession,e Isa_43:2 that you should proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light, Footnotes: bAlso see Isa_43:20. cAlso see Isa_66:21. dAlso see Deu_7:6. eAlso see Exo_19:5, Tit_2:14. 

The church created a false dichotomy between the ‘’clergy and the laity’’ The scriptures teach us that there are nations (goyim) and then there is Yisrael.

It remains the duty of a called out set apart priesthood to teach the nations the difference between set apart and secular and clean and unclean – Lev 10:10.

Heb 5:9  And having been perfected, He became the Causer of everlasting deliverance to all those obeying Him,b Footnote: b Joh_3:36, Joh_14:15, Joh_14:23, Joh_15:10, Act_3:22-23. 

Heb 5:10  having been designated by Elohim a High Priest “according to the order of Malkitseḏeq,” 

Warning Against Apostasy

Heb 5:11  concerning whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 

Heb 5:12  For indeed, although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first elements of the Words of Elohim. And you have become such as need milk and not solid food. 

Heb 5:13  For everyone partaking of milk is inexperienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 

Heb 5:14  But solid food is for the mature whose senses have been trained by practice to discern both good and evil. 

Heb 6:1  Therefore, having left the word of the beginning of the Messiah, let us go on to perfection,a not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of belief toward Elohim, Footnote: a Mat_5:48. 

Heb 6:2  of the teaching of immersions, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of everlasting judgment. 

Heb 6:3  And this we shall do, if Elohim indeed permits. 

Heb 6:4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Set-apart Spirit, 

Heb 6:5  and have tasted the good Word of Elohim and the powers of the age to come, 

Heb 6:6  and fall away, to renew them again to repentance – having impaled for themselves the Son of Elohim again, and put Him to open shame.b Footnote: bSee Heb_10:26-31. 

Note the priestly call in what has been incorrectly called the foundations of the Christian faith – Repentance from dead works – faith towards YHVH – the teaching of immersions – the laying on of hands – the resurrection of the dead – everlasting judgment.

We see this pattern in this Torah portion.

Exo 29:1  “And this is the task you shall do to them to set them apart to serve Me as priests: Take one young bull and two rams, perfect ones,

Exo 29:2  and unleavened bread, and unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil – make these of wheat flour.

Exo 29:3  “And you shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket, along with the bull and the two rams.

Exo 29:4  “Then you shall bring Aharon and his sons to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and wash them with water.

Exo 29:5  “And you shall take the garments, and shall put on Aharon the long shirt, and the robe of the shoulder garment, and the shoulder garment, and the breastplate, and shall gird him with the embroidered band of the shoulder garment,

Exo 29:6  and shall put the turban on his head, and shall put the set-apart sign of dedication on the turban,

Exo 29:7  and shall take the anointing oil, and pour it on his head and anoint him.

Exo 29:8  “Then you shall bring his sons and put long shirts on them,

Exo 29:9  and shall gird them with girdles – Aharon and his sons – and put the turbans on them. And the priesthood shall be theirs for an everlasting law. So you shall ordain (fill the hand) Aharon and his sons.

Olive oil and the priestly garments have a connection - The Hebrew word for "oil" is shemen, which is the root of the Hebrew for "eight," shmoneh. The High Priest had 8 different garments.

 Those vestments which were common to all priests, were:

•      Michnasayim (breeches)—linen pants reaching from the waist to the knees "to cover their nakedness" (Exodus 28:42)

•      Ketonet (tunic)—made of pure linen, covering the entire body from the neck to the feet, with sleeves reaching to the wrists. That of the High Priest was embroidered (Exodus 28:39); those of the priests were plain (Exodus 28:40).

•      Avnet (sash)—that of the High Priest was of fine linen with "embroidered work" in blue and purple and scarlet (Exodus 28:39, 39:29); those worn by the priests were of white, twined linen.

•      Mitznefet (turban)—that of the High Priest was much larger than that of the priests and wound so that it formed a broad, flat-topped turban; that for priests was wound so that it formed a cone-shaped turban, called a migbahat. The tzitz, a golden plate inscribed with the words: "Holiness unto JHWH" was attached to the mitznefet.

The vestments that were unique to the High Priest were:

•      Me'il ("Robe of the Ephod")—a sleeveless, purple robe, the lower hem of which was fringed with small golden bells alternating with pomegranate-shaped tassels in blue, purple, and scarlet - tekhelet[10], argaman, tolaat shani.

•      Ephod—a richly embroidered vest or apron with two onyx-stones on the shoulders, on which were engraved the names of the tribes of Israel – see BDB robe of approach- bondservant.

•      Choshen (Breastplate)—with twelve gems, each engraved with the name of one of the tribes; a pouch in which he probably carried the Urim and Thummim. It was fastened to the Ephod  (gematria 358)

•      Tzitz (crown)—a gold plate inscribed with the words "Set Apart unto YHWH" which was attached to the front of the Mitznefet, so that it rested on his forehead

Exo 29:10  “And you shall bring near the bull before the Tent of Meeting, and Aharon and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull. (bull for sins of priests, rams for sins of people)

Exo 29:11  “And you shall slaughter the bull before יהוה, by the door of the Tent of Meeting,

Exo 29:12  and take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour all the blood beside the base of the altar.

Exo 29:13  “And you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, and the appendage on the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar.

Exo 29:14  “But the flesh of the bull, and its skin and its dung, you shall burn with fire outside the camp. It is a sin offering.

Heb 13:10  We have a slaughter-place from which those serving the Tent have no authority to eat. 

Heb 13:11  For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the Set-apart Place by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. 

Heb 13:12  And so יהושע also suffered outside the gate, to set apart the people with His own blood. 

Heb 13:13  Let us, then, go to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 

You have got to come outside the ‘’camp of man made organized religion’’ if you want to know  and serve Messiah and be part of a set apart priesthood.

Exo 29:15  “And take one ram, and Aharon and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram,

Exo 29:16  and you shall slaughter the ram, and you shall take its blood and sprinkle it all around on the altar.

Exo 29:17  “And cut the ram in pieces, and wash its entrails and its legs, and place them upon its pieces and on its head.

Exo 29:18  “And you shall burn the entire ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to יהוה, it is a sweet fragrance, an offering made by fire to יהוה.

Exo 29:19  “And you shall take the second ram, and Aharon and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram,

Exo 29:20  and you shall slaughter the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aharon and on the tip of the right ear of his sons, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar.

Exo 29:21  “And you shall take some of the blood that is on the altar, and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aharon and on his garments, on his sons and on the garments of his sons with him. And he and his garments shall be set-apart, and his sons and the garments of his sons with him.

Exo 29:22  “And you shall take the fat of the ram, and the fat tail, and the fat that covers the entrails, and the appendage on the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat on them, and the right thigh – it is for a ram of ordination –

Exo 29:23  and one loaf of bread, and one cake made with oil, and one thin cake from the basket of the unleavened bread that is before יהוה.

Exo 29:24  “And you shall put all these in the hands of Aharon and in the hands of his sons, and you shall wave them – a wave offering before יהוה.

Exo 29:25  “Then you shall take them from their hands and burn them on the altar as a burnt offering, as a sweet fragrance before יהוה. It is an offering made by fire to יהוה.

Exo 29:26  “And you shall take the breast of the ram of Aharon’s ordination (ha miluim) and wave it – a wave offering before יהוה, and it shall be your portion.

Exo 29:27  “And from the ram of ordination you shall set apart the breast of the wave offering which is waved, and the thigh of the contribution which is raised, of that which is for Aharon and of that which is for his sons.

Exo 29:28  “And it shall be from the children of Yisra’ĕl for Aharon and his sons by a law forever, for it is a contribution. And it is a contribution from the children of Yisra’ĕl from their peace offerings – their contribution to יהוה.

Exo 29:29  “And the set-apart garments of Aharon are for his sons after him, to be anointed in them and to be ordained in them.