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Tishrei 15, 5763 / Sept 21, 2002
Tishrei 12, 5766 / Oct 15, 2005 For the Sabbath preceding Hag Sukkot / the
Feast of Tabernacles
Tishrei
12, 5769 / Oct 11, 2008
Tishrei
10, 5772 / Oct 8, 2011
Tishrei
10, 5775 / Oct 4, 2014
Tishrei
10, 5778 / Sept 30, 2017
Tishrei
8, 5781 / Sept 26, 2020
V'nephesh Ki-techeta /
Then If a Soul Sins
SCRIPTURES (should be read first)
Today’s portion introduces the
“variable offering,” or “sin offering.” It concerns that offerings vary
according to the wealth of the sinner, offerings that are to help us rectify
some things that we should be careful about. It specifies required offerings for
(v.1) failing to testify when one has witnessed a sin or crime, and (v.4)
failing to fulfill a careless promise.
Then we are introduced to the “guilt
offering” – an offering for having committed an error. Careless sins against
“Yahweh’s holy things” (v.14) include misappropriation of a tithe for personal
use: besides an animal offering, we must add one-fifth to the restitution.
Carelessness can leave us uncertain whether we have committed a sin (v.17),
which necessitates a greater offering, to teach us not to be careless.
For thefts (v.6:1), even such as
taking someone’s property with intent of replacing it, an offering is required,
and restitution with an added fifth, both to be performed on the same day.
In Zachariah, we see the kinds of
sin spoken of in the Leviticus portion.
(V.5-11) The large measuring pot (ephah)
with the lead cover represents the sin of false weights and measures, that being
a cause of the Babylonian exile. The woman of “wickedness” symbolized the nation
that would be exiled for seventy years.
(V.6:1-8) The four chariots with
horses represent the divine judgment against the “four corners of the earth” –
Babylon, Persia-Media, Greece, and Rome, the four kingdoms that conquered Israel
after the destruction of the Temple.
God sends an angel to take an
offering from the exiles, to appease the His wrath. With the offering, he is to
make a silver and gold crown for the high priest. (V.12-14)
“Then say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “Behold, a man whose name is
Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of
Yahweh. Yes, it is He who will build the temple of Yahweh, and He who will bear
the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His
throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.” Now the crown
will become a reminder in the temple of Yahweh.’ ”
Yeshua will be King and Priest, with
no conflict between the two offices.
The name “Revelation” does not mean a
book “revealing” various future events. The full name is given in the first
verse of the book: “The Revelation of Yeshua the Messiah.” The meaning of the
word “Revelation” is “Unveiling.” This is the book that shows how Yeshua will be
“unveiled” to the world.
In Revelation 5 (as well as Zechariah
5), a scroll is seen. Its first page, written on both sides, is rolled up, and a
seal placed on it. Then a second page, written on both sides, is rolled around
the first one, and sealed. Five more pages, written on both sides, are each
rolled around the previous one, with each being sealed in order. So, this scroll
has seven pages, and seven seals. But no one is worthy to even break the first
seal, to start the progressive unveiling of Yeshua.
When the unveiling starts, the wrath
of the Lamb begins to be seen. The rider of a white horse, having a bow and a
crown, goes forth to conquer.
During this week of Sukkot, the
offering of seventy bulls represents the downfall of the seventy nations. By the
“Eighth Day,” the offering becomes one bull: the seventy kingdoms of this world
are conquered, and become the kingdom of Messiah.
About two weeks ago
we rehearsed for the resurrection of the righteous dead and the return of Yeshua
for His Bride. Earlier this week
we rehearsed for the purification of the Bride – which seems to correspond to
Revelation 2 & 3. Now,
we prepare to celebrate the wedding feast. But the rest of the world will begin
to see the unveiling of Yeshua – and they begin to be judged for their treatment
of the Bride.
Sukkot is also called the “Feast of
Ingathering” (Exodus 23:16). It celebrates the final harvest of tree fruit and
nuts. It also represents the final harvest of the earth: (Revelation 14:14-19)
“And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like
a son of man, having a golden crown on His head, and a sharp sickle in His hand.
And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him
who sat on the cloud, ‘Put in your sickle and reap, because the hour to reap has
come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.’ And He who sat on the cloud
swung His sickle over the earth; and the earth was reaped.”
“And another angel came out of the
temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. And another angel,
the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a
loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, ‘Put in your sharp sickle,
and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are
ripe.’ And the angel swung his sickle to the earth, and gathered the clusters
from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the
wrath of God.”
No one of the world will be able to
stand in the day of the wrath of the Lamb (v.6:17). But through Yeshua, we have
a glorious future awaiting us. We are being given time to build on our eternal
castles: this is the time for us to “bring our offerings,” to repent and learn
to walk in His way. This is the only time we have to get our priorities
straight.
This is the time for us to “bring our
offerings”, to repent and learn to walk in His way.
Readings:
"Blessed are You, Yahweh our God, King
of the Universe,
Who chose us from among all peoples by
giving us Your Torah.
Blessed are You, Yahweh, giver of the
Torah."
Reader 1*
Amen. 1 'Now if a person sins after he
hears a public adjuration to testify when he is a witness,
whether he has seen or otherwise known, if he does not tell
it, then he will bear his guilt. 2 'Or if a
person touches any unclean thing, whether a carcass of an
unclean beast or the carcass of unclean cattle or a carcass
of unclean swarming things, though it is hidden from him and
he is unclean, then he will be guilty. 3 'Or if
he touches human uncleanness, of whatever sort his
uncleanness may be with which he becomes unclean, and it is
hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be
guilty. 4 'Or if a person swears thoughtlessly
with his lips to do evil or to do good, in whatever matter a
man may speak thoughtlessly with an oath, and it is hidden
from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty in
one of these.
Reader 2
Amen. 'So it shall be when he
becomes guilty in one of these, that he shall confess that in which he has
sinned. 6 'He shall also bring his guilt offering to Yahweh for his
sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat as a sin
offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin. 7
'But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to Yahweh his guilt
offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves or two young pigeons,
one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.
Reader 3
Amen. 8 'He shall
bring them to the priest, who shall offer first that which is for the sin
offering and shall nip its head at the front of its neck, but he shall not sever
it. 9 'He shall also sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering
on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood shall be drained out at
the base of the altar: it is a sin offering. 10 'The second he shall
then prepare as a burnt offering according to the ordinance. So the priest shall
make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it will be
forgiven him.
Reader 4
Amen. 11 'But if his
means are insufficient for two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then for his
offering for that which he has sinned, he shall bring the tenth of an ephah of
fine flour for a sin offering; he shall not put oil on it or place incense on
it, for it is a sin offering. 12 'He shall bring it to the priest,
and the priest shall take his handful of it as its memorial portion and offer it
up in smoke on the altar, with the offerings of Yahweh by fire: it is a sin
offering. 13 'So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning
his sin which he has committed from one of these, and it will be forgiven him;
then the rest shall become the priest's, like the grain offering.'"
Reader 5
Amen. 14 Then Yahweh
spoke to Moses, saying, 15 "If a person acts unfaithfully and sins
unintentionally against Yahweh'S holy things, then he shall bring his guilt
offering to Yahweh: a ram without defect from the flock, according to your
valuation in silver by shekels, in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, for a
guilt offering. 16 "He shall make restitution for that which he has
sinned against the holy thing, and shall add to it a fifth part of it and give
it to the priest. The priest shall then make atonement for him with the ram of
the guilt offering, and it will be forgiven him.
Reader 6
Amen. 17 "Now if a
person sins and does any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be
done, though he was unaware, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment.
18 "He is then to bring to the priest a ram without defect from the
flock, according to your valuation, for a guilt offering. So the priest shall
make atonement for him concerning his error in which he sinned unintentionally
and did not know it, and it will be forgiven him. 19 "It is a guilt
offering; he was certainly guilty before Yahweh."
Reader 7
Amen. 6:1 Then
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "When a person sins and acts
unfaithfully against Yahweh, and deceives his companion in regard to a deposit
or a security entrusted to him, or through robbery, or if he has extorted from
his companion, 3 or has found what was lost and lied about it and
sworn falsely, so that he sins in regard to any one of the things a man may do;
4 then it shall be, when he sins and becomes guilty, that he shall
restore what he took by robbery or what he got by extortion, or the deposit
which was entrusted to him or the lost thing which he found, 5 or
anything about which he swore falsely; he shall make restitution for it in full
and add to it one-fifth more. He shall give it to the one to whom it belongs on
the day he presents his guilt offering. 6 "Then he shall bring to the
priest his guilt offering to Yahweh, a ram without defect from the flock,
according to your valuation, for a guilt offering, 7 and the priest
shall make atonement for him before Yahweh, and he will be forgiven for any one
of the things which he may have done to incur guilt."
"Blessed are You, Yahweh our God, King
of the Universe,
Who in giving us Yeshua, the Living
Torah, has planted everlasting life in our midst.
Blessed are You, Yahweh, giver of the
Torah."
"Blessed are You, Yahweh our God, King
of the Universe,
Who selected good prophets, delighting
in their words which were spoken truthfully.
Blessed are You, Yahweh, Who chose the
Torah, Your servant Moses, Your people Israel,
and the prophets of truth and
righteousness."
No Psalm
Zechariah 5:1 – 6:15
Reader 8
Amen. 1 Then I
lifted up my eyes again and looked, and behold, there was a flying scroll.
2 And he said to me, "What do you see?" And I answered, "I see a
flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits." 3
Then he said to me, "This is the curse that is going forth over the face of the
whole land; surely everyone who steals will be purged away according to the
writing on one side, and everyone who swears will be purged away according to
the writing on the other side. 4 "I will make it go forth," declares
Yahweh of hosts, "and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of the
one who swears falsely by My name; and it will spend the night within that house
and consume it with its timber and stones."
Reader 9
Amen. 5 Then the angel who
was speaking with me went out and said to me, "Lift up now your eyes and see
what this is going forth." 6 I said, "What is it?" And he said, "This
is the ephah going forth." Again he said, "This is their appearance in all the
land 7 (and behold, a lead cover was lifted up); and this is a woman
sitting inside the ephah." 8 Then he said, "This is Wickedness!" And
he threw her down into the middle of the ephah and cast the lead weight on its
opening. 9 Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and there two women
were coming out with the wind in their wings; and they had wings like the wings
of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens.
10 I said to the angel who was speaking with me, "Where are they taking
the ephah?" 11 Then he said to me, "To build a temple for her in the
land of Shinar; and when it is prepared, she will be set there on her own
pedestal."
Reader 10
Amen. 6:1 Now I lifted
up my eyes again and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming forth
frombetween the two mountains; and the mountains were bronze mountains. 2
With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses,
3 with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot
strong dappled horses. 4 Then I spoke and said to the angel who was
speaking with me, "What are these, my lord?" 5 The angel replied to
me, "These are the four spirits of heaven, going forth after standing before
Yahweh of all the earth, 6 with one of which the black horses are
going forth to the north country; and the white ones go forth after them, while
the dappled ones go forth to the south country. 7 "When the strong
ones went out, they were eager to go to patrol the earth." And He said, "Go,
patrol the earth." So they patrolled the earth. 8 Then He cried out
to me and spoke to me saying, "See, those who are going to the land of the north
have appeased My wrath in the land of the north."
Reader 11
Amen. 9 The word of
Yahweh also came to me, saying, 10 "Take an offering from the exiles,
from Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah; and you go the same day and enter the house of
Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have arrived from Babylon. 11
"Take silver and gold, make an ornate crown and set it on the head of Joshua the
son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 "Then say to him, 'Thus says
Yahweh of hosts, "Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out
from where He is; and He will build the temple of Yahweh. 13 "Yes, it
is He who will build the temple of Yahweh, and He who will bear the honor and
sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the
counsel of peace will be between the two offices."' 14 "Now the crown
will become a reminder in the temple of Yahweh to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah and
Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15 "Those who are far off will come and
build the temple of Yahweh." Then you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent me
to you. And it will take place if you completely obey Yahweh your God.
Revelation 5:1 – 6:17
Reader 12
Amen. 1 I saw in the
right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back,
sealed up with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming
with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?"
3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open
the book or to look into it. 4 Then I began to weep greatly because
no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; 5 and
one of the elders said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the
tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its
seven seals." 6 And I saw between the throne (with the four living
creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and
seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.
7 And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat
on the throne. 8 When He had taken the book, the four living
creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding
a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
9 And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book
and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your
blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10 "You
have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon
the earth."
Reader 13
Amen. 11
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the
living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads,
and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is
the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and
honor and glory and blessing." 13 And every created thing which is in
heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in
them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be
blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." 14 And
the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and
worshiped.
Reader 14
Amen. 6:1
Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the
four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, "Come." 2 I
looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown
was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. 3 When
He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come."
4 And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it
was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another;
and a great sword was given to him. 5 When He broke the third seal, I
heard the third living creature saying, "Come." I looked, and behold, a black
horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I
heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying,
"A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and
do not damage the oil and the wine." 7 When the Lamb broke the fourth
seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come." 8
I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death;
and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of
the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the
wild beasts of the earth.
Reader 15
Amen. 9 When
the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who
had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which
they had maintained; 10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying,
"How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our
blood on those who dwell on the earth?" 11 And there was given to
each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little
while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who
were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also. 12
I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the
sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like
blood; 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree
casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. 14 The sky was
split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island
were moved out of their places. 15 Then the kings of the earth and
the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and
free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains;
16 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide
us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the
Lamb; 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able
to stand?"
"Blessed are You, Yahweh
our God, King of the Universe,
Rock of Ages, righteous
throughout all generations.
You are the faithful God,
promising and then performing, speaking and then fulfilling,
for all Your words are true
and righteous.
Faithful are You, Yahweh
our God, and faithful are Your words,
for no word of Yours shall
remain unfulfilled;
You are a faithful and
merciful God and King.
Blessed are You, Yahweh our
God, Who are faithful in fulfilling all Your words."
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