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Readings and Commentaries |
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Year 2
Sabbath Thirty-five (November 9, 2002) Yayiqra
(And
He called):
Torot hametzora (Law of the metzora)
commonly called Leviticus 14 1 Amen*
1
Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "This shall be the torah of the metzora in the day of his cleansing. Now he shall be brought to the
priest, 3 and the priest shall go out to the outside of the camp. Thus the
priest shall look, and if the infection of tzaraat
has been healed in the metzora, 4 then
the priest shall give orders to take two live clean birds and cedar wood and a
scarlet string and hyssop for the one who is to be cleansed. 5 "The priest
shall also give orders to slay the one bird in an earthenware vessel over
running water. 6 "As for the
live bird, he shall take it, together with the cedar wood and the scarlet string
and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird
that was slain over the running water. 7 "He shall then sprinkle seven
times the one who is to be cleansed from the tzaraat, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the live bird
go free over the open field. 8 "The one to be cleansed shall then wash his
clothes and shave off all his hair, and bathe in water and be clean. Now
afterward, he may enter the camp, but he shall stay outside his tent for seven
days. 9 "And it will be on the seventh day that he shall shave off all his
hair: he shall shave his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair.
He shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in water and be clean. 2 Amen*
10 "Now
on the eighth day he is to take two male lambs without defect, and a yearling
ewe lamb without defect, and three-tenths of
an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and one log
of oil; 11 and the priest who pronounces him clean shall present the man to be
cleansed and the aforesaid before Yahweh at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
12 "Then the priest shall take the one male lamb and bring it for a guilt
offering, with the log of oil, and present them as a wave offering before
Yahweh. 13 "Next he shall slaughter the male lamb in the place where they
slaughter the sin offering and the elevation offering, at the place of the
sanctuary-- for the guilt offering, like the sin offering, belongs to the
priest; it is most holy. 14 "The priest shall then take some of the blood
of the guilt offering, and the priest shall put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on
the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. 15 "The
priest shall also take some of the log of oil, and pour it
into his left palm; 16 the priest shall then dip his right-hand finger
into the oil that is in his left palm, and with his finger sprinkle some of the
oil seven times before Yahweh. 3 Amen*
17 "And
of the remaining oil which is in his palm, the priest shall put some on the
right ear lobe of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand,
and on the big toe of his right foot, on the blood of the guilt offering; 18
while the rest of the oil that is in the priest's palm, he shall put on the head
of the one to be cleansed. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf
before Yahweh. 19 "The priest shall next offer the sin offering and make
atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness. Then afterward, he
shall slaughter the elevation offering. 20
"And the priest shall offer up the elevation
offering and the grain offering on the altar. Thus the priest shall make
atonement for him, and he shall be clean. 21 "But
if he is poor, and his means are insufficient, then he is to take one
male lamb for a guilt offering as a wave offering to make atonement for him, and
one-tenth of an ephah of fine
flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and a log of oil, 22 and two
turtledoves or two young pigeons which are within his means, the one shall be a
sin offering and the other a elevation offering. 23 "Then the eighth day he
shall bring them for his cleansing to the priest, at the doorway of the tent of
meeting, before Yahweh. 24 "And the priest shall take the lamb of the guilt
offering, and the log of oil, and the priest shall offer them for a wave
offering before Yahweh. 4 Amen*
25
"Next he shall slaughter the lamb of the guilt offering; and the priest is
to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it
on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed and on the thumb
of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. 26 "The priest
shall also pour some of the oil into his left palm; 27 and with his right-hand
finger the priest shall sprinkle some of the oil that is in his left palm seven
times before Yahweh. 28 "The priest shall then put some of the oil that is
in his palm on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the
thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the place of
the blood of the guilt offering. 29 "Moreover, the rest of the oil that is
in the priest's palm he shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make
atonement on his behalf before Yahweh. 30 "He shall then offer one of the
turtledoves or young pigeons, which are within his means. 31 "He
shall offer what he can afford, the one for a sin offering, and the other
for a elevation offering, together with the
grain offering. So the priest shall make atonement before Yahweh on behalf of
the one to be cleansed. 32 "This is the law for
him in whom there is an infection of tzaraat,
whose means are limited for his cleansing." 5 Amen*
33 Yahweh
further spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 34 "When you enter the land of
Canaan, which I give you for a possession, and I put a
mark of tzaraat on a house in
the land of your possession, 35 then the one who owns the house shall come and
tell the priest, saying, 'Something like
a mark of tzaraat has
become visible to me in the house.' 36 "The priest shall then order that
they empty the house before the priest goes in to look at the mark, so that
everything in the house need not become unclean; and afterward the priest shall
go in to look at the house. 37 "So he shall look at the mark, and if the
mark on the walls of the house has greenish or reddish depressions, and appears
deeper than the surface; 38 then the priest
shall come out of the house, to the doorway, and quarantine the house for seven
days. 39 "And the priest shall return on the seventh day and make an
inspection. If the mark has indeed spread in the walls of the house, 40 then the
priest shall order them to tear out the stones with the mark in them and throw
them away at an unclean place outside the city. 41 "And he shall have the
house scraped all around inside, and they shall dump the plaster that they
scrape off at an unclean place outside the city. 6 Amen*
42
"Then they shall take other stones and replace those
stones; and he shall take other plaster and replaster the house. 43
"If, however, the mark breaks out again in the house, after he has torn out
the stones and scraped the house, and after it has been replastered, 44 then the
priest shall come in and make an inspection. If he sees that the mark has indeed
spread in the house, it is a malignant mark in the house; it is unclean. 45
"He shall therefore tear down the house, its stones, and its timbers, and
all the plaster of the house, and he shall take them
outside the city to an unclean place. 46 "Moreover, whoever goes
into the house during the time that he has quarantined it, becomes unclean until
evening. 47 "Likewise, whoever lies down in the house shall wash his
clothes, and whoever eats in the house shall wash his clothes. 48 "If, on
the other hand, the priest comes in and makes an inspection, and the mark has
not indeed spread in the house after the house has been replastered, then the
priest shall pronounce the house clean because the mark has not reappeared. 7 Amen*
49 "To
cleanse the house then, he shall take two birds and cedar wood and a scarlet
string and hyssop, 50 and he shall slaughter the one bird in an earthenware
vessel over running water. 51 "Then he shall take the cedar wood and the
hyssop and the scarlet string, with the live bird, and dip them in the blood of
the slain bird, as well as in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven
times. 52 "He shall thus cleanse the house with the blood of the bird and
with the running water, along with the live bird and with the cedar wood and
with the hyssop and with the scarlet string. 53 "However, he shall let the
live bird go free outside the city into the open field. So he shall make
atonement for the house, and it shall be clean." 54 This is the law for any
mark of tzaraat-- even for a scale, 55
and for the metzora garment or house,
56 and for a swelling, and for a scab, and for a bright spot-- 57 to teach when
they are unclean, and when they are clean. This is the torah of tzaraat.
2 Kings 7:8 Psalm 79
A Psalm of Asaph. 1
O God, the nations have invaded Thine inheritance; they
have defiled Thy Holy Temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. 2 They
have given the dead bodies of Thy servants for food to the birds of the heavens,
the flesh of Thy godly ones to the beasts of the earth. 3 They have poured out
their blood like water round about Jerusalem; and there was no one to bury them.
4 We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and derision to those
around us. 5 How long, O Yahweh? Wilt Thou be angry forever? Will Thy jealousy
burn like fire? 6 Pour out Thy wrath upon the nations which do not know Thee,
and upon the kingdoms which do not call upon Thy name. 7 For they have devoured
Jacob, and laid waste his habitation. 8 Do not remember the iniquities of our
forefathers against us; let Thy compassion come quickly to meet us;
for we are brought very low. 9 Help us, O God of our
salvation, for the glory of Thy name; and deliver us, and forgive our sins, for
Thy name's sake. 10 Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?"
Let there be known among the nations in our sight, vengeance for the blood of
Thy servants, which has been shed. 11 Let the groaning of the prisoner come
before Thee; according to the greatness of Thy power preserve those who are
doomed to die. 12 And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom the
reproach with which they have reproached Thee, O Lord. 13 So we Thy people and
the sheep of Thy pasture will give thanks to Thee forever; to all generations we
will tell of Thy praise. Ephesians 4:1-32 I,
therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of
the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness,
with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, 3 being diligent to
preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There
is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of
your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all
who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace was
given according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says, "When
He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And He gave gifts to
men." 9 (Now this expression,
"He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended
into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who
ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) 11 And He
gave some as apostles, and some as
prophets, and some as evangelists,
and some as pastors and
teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the
building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the
faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure
of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are
no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by
every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful
scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held
together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of
each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of
itself in love. 17 This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that
you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their
mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God,
because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their
heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to
sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But
you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have
been taught in Him, just as truth is in Yeshua, 22 that, in reference to your
former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in
accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of
your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and
holiness of the truth. 25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each
one of you, with his neighbor,
for we are members of one another. 26 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and
do not give the devil an opportunity. 28 Let him who steals steal no longer; but
rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that
he may have something to share
with him who has need. 29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but
only such a word as is good for
edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And
do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of
redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be
put away from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another,
tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven
you. Commentary: In
an ancient Talmudic story (from memory), a certain man came to his priest,
asking how he could rectify his having made evil statements about another
person. The priest told the man to go home and bring his pillow, which he did.
Then the priest told him to open it and shake all the feathers to the wind,
which he did. Then the priest told him to go and gather all the feathers back;
the man complained that it was impossible. The priest said that such was the
situation with the evil words he had spoken. ____________________ A
slanderer whom God has under the discipline of the disease tzaraat is called a metzora (both
words being from the root tzara –
one who spreads slander). Tzaraat is a
state of spiritual impurity (tumah),
with physical manifestations: no other impurity takes effect upon the
declaration of a priest, and no other impurity can be temporarily ignored as a
matter of convenience, such as for a wedding or festival. Only a metzora is excluded from the entire camp, and contaminates
everything in a building he enters. (Note that tozia ra (slander)
may be true or false.) Leviticus
13 is concerned with the diagnosis and discipline of the metzorah – the one who is stricken for slander. Leviticus 14 deals
with the healing and return of the niddah
– the quarantined slanderer, who repents. When
God heals him, he must go through an eight-day two-stage process of purification.
A priest who is himself a niddah –
one who is quarantined as a metzorah
– is not eligible to rule on a healing, since the Torah requires that the
priest who rules must go out of the camp to rule. The
root cause of the sinner’s gossip or slander is haughtiness – contempt for
others. His purification therefore symbolically displays his repentance, going
from haughtiness to humility. The
first stage of involves a ritual with two birds, performed outside the camp,
after which he could enter the camp. Because the punishment came for gossip and
slander, twittering, chirping birds are used in the ritual as symbols. The
slaughter is not a karban –
offering. The birds must be of a kosher
kind, but not of those species that may be used for offerings. The
tall, wide cedar tree symbolizes haughtiness. Crimson dye comes from a small
creature whose identity is uncertain, showing lowliness; likewise, thyme (often
translated hyssop) is a lowly plant. As
the gossip / slanderer has “slain” his victims, with his words of
life-destruction running far and wide. So now the better of two birds must be
slain, its life-blood being spread with water. A
sprig of the small thyme plant is tied with a scarlet thread to a large cedar
board. {Sample presented} They are dipped into the bloody water. The live bird
is also dipped into the blood, and then thrown to freedom over the open field:
the death-cry of the blood is carried far. The slaughtered bird is buried after
the ritual. The
healed metzorah is sprinkled seven
times with the blood, and then must go to a mikvah
(baptistery) and put on clean clothes. He is afterward allowed into the camp,
but may not go into his house (he may not cohabit with his wife) until his
cleansing is completed seven days later. The
final stage of his purification, on the eighth day, requires an unusual three
atonements: two male lambs, plus a ewe lamb. The third offering, a guilt
offering, is brought by someone who has used something dedicated to God –
stolen from the Temple; the implication is that the slanderer has taken
something from God. Loaves
made from three omers (about 5 pounds
per each of three animals) of fine flour and olive oil, plus one log (about 1 pint) of olive oil, are also offered. It was the year 5608
(1848). The city of Vilna was in the grips of a terrible epidemic. The killer
cholera was sweeping through the city and the surrounding countryside and the
Jewish community was in turmoil. As in all times of trouble, Jews gathered to
pray to Yahweh. Their leaders exhorted them to search their hearts and
repent, each one for his particular sins. People were urged to give charity and
be especially kind to one another. Most people
genuinely repented and improved. There were some, however, who instead of
examining their own faults and sins, eagerly examined those of their neighbors. One such Jew came to
R’ Yisrael Salanter during this time. He had something to confess. He
whispered in the rabbi’s ear of some sin he saw in a fellow Jew. “Rabbi, who knows
if it is not that very sin which is causing our plague? Something must be done
about that person,” he said. As usual, R’
Yisrael listened patiently and when his visitor fell silent, he said, “As you
know, the Torah instructs us to send the metzora
from all three camps (of the kohaniim, leviim, and the rest of the people,
Yisrael). Our sages tell us that tzaraat
is the punishment sent upon a tale-bearer, the baal
lashon hara (lit. – possessor of evil speech). Some people think that this
sin only applies to lies one says about another. That is not so. A person who
searches out other people’s faults and sins is certainly considered a baal lashon hara, too. We tell him, ‘If you think that you are
expert at discovering sins, go out of the camp. There, where you will be
isolated for many days, you won’t be able to uncover another’s sins. But you
will certainly be able to discover and see your own. From “Tales of
Tzaddikim - Vayikra” (Artscroll Youth Series) ___________________ A
house with tzaraat: A
man carries some responsibility for what goes on in his house – that is: what
his family does (see Job 1:5, 1 Timothy 2:4, 12). When a house becomes
contaminated with apparent tzaraat on
its walls, there is a seven-day period for taking care of the problem in the
family. If the contamination is still spreading – because of slander still
going on – then the affected stones must be removed and replaced. If the
contamination returns, the house must be torn down. Gossip
and slander will destroy one’s house – that is his family. God requires
repentance. That is the purpose of discipline – to bring repentance. We
all meet people who look for double meanings of statements made in general
conversation: when we are speaking of something entirely different, they will
seek to twist it to have a sexual meaning, to make a joke of our statement. The
sages teach us to speak with double meanings of another kind, as well as to look
for double meanings in what we hear. We should always have our minds upon God.
When we speak of our worldly needs, our words should be chosen to instill
devotion to God. When we hear others speak, we should understand the words as if
they were holy – to find God’s message to us. (“Jewish
Spiritual Practices” by Yitzhak Buxbaum) Everything
that happens to us, including everything we hear, should be considered as a
message to us from God for that particular time. All things work together for good for those who love God – those who
are called for His purpose (Romans 8:28). ____________________ R’ Mordechai of
Pinchov did not have two pennies to rub together. Small wonder, then, that his
wife would beg him, whenever he went to his Rebbe, the Chozeh of Lublin, to
speak of their sorry plight and ask for advice and a blessing. But as soon as he
entered the Rebbe’s room, the world of here and now vanished. He forgot all
about his wife’s pleas and had only eyes and ears for the Rebbe. They would
spend hours in exploring the intricacies of the Torah, the Talmud, and Chasidus.
All worldly things were as mere shadows compared to their eternal wisdom. And so R’
Mordechai returned to Pinchov each time invigorated in spirit. He glowed. But
when he entered the house and his wife greeted him with the question, “Well,
did you speak to the Rebbe about parnasah
this time?” R’ Mordechai would strike his forehead. He had completely
forgotten again. When they had sold
everything they possibly could and were down to their last crust, she again came
crying to R’ Mordechai, “You must go to the Chozeh again. You must beg him
to pray for us. This time, however, I want to make sure that you do not forget.
I will accompany you!” And indeed, the next
time he visited Lublin, he entered the Rebbe’s study and blurted out the words
immediately, before they could slip his mind, “Rebbe! I can bear it no
longer.” He went on to describe the squalor and poverty in his home, begging
the Rebbe to pray for him. “I did not realize
that things were so bad. Why did you never mention this to me before!” he said
in a note of complaint. “You should not have allowed things to reach such a
terrible state!” R’ Mordechai hung
his head in shame. “I felt it was not right to bother the Rebbe with such
material matters. Besides,” he added, lowering his voice, “I always thought
that, in His divine intuition, the Rebbe would know of my condition.” The Chozeh smiled
and said, “The Torah differentiates between tzaraat
upon a person and tzaraat that
afflicts a house. With regard to a person it says, ‘And if a man has on his
skin a tzaraat lesion . . . and the priest shall see the spots (Leviticus
13:2-3).’ This implies that a person need not tell the priest what happened.
It is enough to come to the priest. He will see it without your telling him and
know what to do. In contrast, with
regard to plague spots on the wall of a house, the Torah states, ‘And the
owner of the house shall come and tell the priest thus: such a spot did I see in
my house.’ The Torah explicitly states that in connection with things that
concern the house one must tell the priest exactly what is wrong with the house,
before he can begin to treat it.” From
“Tales of Tzaddikim - Vayikra” (Artscroll Youth Series) So
we see how the specific rules of Leviticus 14 are applied to broader situations.
(Until reading this story, I had not picked up the difference in the situations
of a plagued man and a plagued house: how one is seen but the other must be
told. Also, we see here that “house” symbolizes the family (the family was
poor). _____________________ Ephesians
4: 17 This
I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just
as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in
their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance
that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having
become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of
every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not learn Christ in this
way, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth
is in Yeshua, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside
the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,
23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new
self, which in the likeness of God
has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. 25 Therefore,
laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of
you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.
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Year 2 Sabbath Thirty-six (November 16, 2002)
Yayiqra
(And He called):
Ish ish chai
(When
any man) commonly called Leviticus
15
(*Divided
for seven Torah readers) 1 Amen* 1 Yahweh also spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 "Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, 'When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean. 3 'This, moreover, shall be his uncleanness in his discharge: it is his uncleanness whether his body allows its discharge to flow, or whether his body obstructs its discharge. 4 'Every bed on which the person with the discharge lies becomes unclean, and everything on which he sits becomes unclean. 5 'Anyone, moreover, who touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening; 6 and whoever sits on the thing on which the man with the discharge has been sitting, shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 2 Amen* 7 'Also whoever touches the person with the discharge shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 8 'Or if the man with the discharge spits on one who is clean, he too shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 9 'And every saddle on which the person with the discharge rides becomes unclean. 10 'Whoever then touches any of the things which were under him shall be unclean until evening, and he who carries them shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 11 'Likewise, whomever the one with the discharge touches without having rinsed his hands in water shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 12 'However, an earthenware vessel which the person with the discharge touches shall be broken, and every wooden vessel shall be rinsed in water. 3 Amen* 13 'Now when the man with the discharge becomes cleansed from his discharge, then he shall count off for himself seven days for his cleansing; he shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in running water and shall become clean. 14 'Then on the eighth day he shall take for himself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and come before Yahweh to the doorway of the tent of meeting, and give them to the priest; 15 and the priest shall offer them, one for a sin offering, and the other for an elevation offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf before Yahweh because of his discharge. 16 'Now if a man has a seminal emission, he shall bathe all his body in water and be unclean until evening. 17 'As for any garment or any leather on which there is seminal emission, it shall be washed with water and be unclean until evening. 18 'If a man lies with a woman so that there is a seminal emission, they shall both bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 4 Amen* 19 'When a woman has a discharge, if her discharge in her body is blood, she shall continue in her menstrual impurity for seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening. 20 'Everything also on which she lies during her menstrual impurity shall be unclean, and everything on which she sits shall be unclean. 21 'And anyone who touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 22 'And whoever touches any thing on which she sits shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 23 'Whether it be on the bed or on the thing on which she is sitting, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until evening. 5 Amen* 24 'And if a man actually lies with her, so that her menstrual impurity is on him, he shall be unclean seven days, and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean. 25 'Now if a woman has a discharge of her blood many days, not at the period of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond that period, all the days of her impure discharge she shall continue as though in her menstrual impurity; she is unclean. 26 'Any bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her like her bed at menstruation; and every thing on which she sits shall be unclean, like her uncleanness at that time. 27 'Likewise, whoever touches them shall be unclean and shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 6 Amen* 28 'When she becomes clean from her discharge, she shall count off for herself seven days; and afterward she shall be clean. 29 'Then on the eighth day she shall take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and bring them in to the priest, to the doorway of the tent of meeting. 30 'And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for an elevation offering. So the priest shall make atonement on her behalf before Yahweh because of her impure discharge.' 7 Amen* 31 "Thus you shall keep the sons of Israel separated from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by their defiling My tabernacle that is among them." 32 This is the law for the one with a discharge, and for the man who has a seminal emission so that he is unclean by it, 33 and for the woman who is ill because of menstrual impurity, and for the one who has a discharge, whether a male or a female, or a man who lies with an unclean woman (no Prophet) Psalm 80 For the choir director; set to El Shoshannim; Eduth. A Psalm of Asaph. 1 Oh, give ear, Shepherd of Israel, Thou who dost lead Joseph like a flock; Thou who art enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth! 2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up Thy power, and come to save us! 3 O God, restore us, and cause Thy face to shine upon us, and we will be saved. 4 O Yahweh God of hosts, how long wilt Thou be angry with the prayer of Thy people? 5 Thou hast fed them with the bread of tears, and Thou hast made them to drink tears in large measure. 6 Thou dost make us an object of contention to our neighbors; and our enemies laugh among themselves. 7 O God of hosts, restore us, and cause Thy face to shine upon us, and we will be saved. 8 Thou didst remove a vine from Egypt; Thou didst drive out the nations, and didst plant it. 9 Thou didst clear the ground before it, and it took deep root and filled the land. 10 The mountains were covered with its shadow; and the cedars of God with its boughs. 11 It was sending out its branches to the sea, and its shoots to the River. 12 Why hast Thou broken down its hedges, so that all who pass that way pick its fruit? 13 A boar from the forest eats it away, and whatever moves in the field feeds on it. 14 O God of hosts, turn again now, we beseech Thee; look down from heaven and see, and take care of this vine, 15 Even the shoot which Thy right hand has planted, and on the son whom Thou hast strengthened for Thyself. 16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down; they perish at the rebuke of Thy countenance. 17 Let Thy hand be upon the man of Thy right hand, upon the son of man whom Thou didst make strong for Thyself. 18 Then we shall not turn back from Thee; revive us, and we will call upon Thy name. 19 O Yahweh God of hosts, restore us; cause Thy face to shine upon us, and we will be saved. Philippians 3:1-21 1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; 3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Messiah Yeshua and put no confidence in the flesh, 4 although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. 7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Messiah. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Messiah Yeshua my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Messiah, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Messiah, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Messiah Yeshua. 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Messiah Yeshua. 15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; 16 however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. 17 Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. 18 For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Messiah, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from whence also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. Commentary: “Be ye holy, for I am holy” – Leviticus 11:44 & 1 Peter 1:16. In Genesis, we started with Adam in the Garden of Eden / Paradise, and God walked there with him – Genesis 3:8-10. Adam lost Paradise through sin. But later, God established the Tabernacle in the Wilderness as the place where He would meet with man; this would subsequently become the Holy Temple at Jerusalem. These were prophetic types of God’s heavenly dwelling place with man, which will come to Paradise on the renewed earth – Hebrews 8:5 & Revelation 2:7. As we must be holy to enter that future Paradise on earth, so we must indicate our quest for holiness through symbols of holiness to enter the Tabernacle / Temple of this present earth. The general subject of the past several chapters has been distinguishing between clean and unclean. (Leviticus 9:10) “To make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean”. We have studied purification for ordination to the priesthood, kashrut – what is clean for food, and tzaraat – uncleanness for slander, The subject today is . . . purification represented by immersion in a mikvah (baptism). This immersion is a non-public act of going into a stream or pool of water, without any clothing, jewelry, hair ties, etc. Another person may accompany the one being immersed for purposes of safety and verification of total immersion. Immersions may be performed as groups of men or groups of women. In preparation for entering the mikvah, one states his purpose (such as: to certify purification from a certain tumah / impurity). John the baptizer preached “the baptism of repentance for remission of sins” – Mark 1:4 & Luke 3:3: this was properly to be performed every year during the forty days preceding Yom haKippurim / the Day of the Atonements. Upon ascending from the mikvah, one must put on clean clothes. (Leviticus 15:5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 16, 18, 21, 22, 27) “Shall wash his clothes and bathe in water”. “In like figure (a symbolic representation of purification) even baptism does now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the response of a pure conscience toward God” – 1 Peter 3:21. Of the three categories of commandments (judgments, ordinances, and statutes), baptism is one of the ordinances – acts we perform to portray spiritual truths. Paul told gentiles at Corinth to “keep the ordinances” – 1 Corinthians 11:2. More was lost with Paradise than we begin to understand. Common elements of eating and reproducing became involved with death: animals and man kill to eat, and the reproductive processes bring about more death than life. Some of the male and female “emissions” referred to in this chapter are the results of unfulfilled new life, and others result from sickness: both categories have their origins in the sin of Adam. Thus their stains are not allowed in God’s presence. (Leviticus 15:31) “Thus you shall keep the sons of Israel separated from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by their defiling My tabernacle that is among them.” This should be a clue for us, concerning the holiness of God: not only sin itself, but even the results in us of the fall, must be cured before we can enter His presence. “Who may ascend into the hill of Yahweh? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, and has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from Yahweh, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Thy face — even Jacob. Selah” – Psalm 24:3-6 (In the triennial Torah reading cycle used during Second Temple times, Psalm 24 is sung on the Sabbath preceding Yom haKippurim). (Psalm 80:19) “O Yahweh God of hosts, restore us; cause Thy face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.” (Philippians 3:20-21) “For our citizenship is in heaven, from whence also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory”. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also – John 14:3. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God – Revelation 21:1-3. And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of its street, and on each side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bore twelve kinds of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him – Revelation 22:1-3. Leviticus 15 is arranged as a chiasmus (parallel statements, inverted order): they ascend from abnormal to marital then descend to abnormal.
Many people like to perceive these commandments as applicable only to a people of a distant past: if so, if it is ridiculous for us, why would it have been sensible for anyone? These are ordinances – from the category of commandments to perform acts to show spiritual truths. They are part of His unchanging Torah – instruction to His creation. “The priests have done violence to My Torah and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them” - Ezekiel 22:26. These instructions will not be accepted by those who think they are “saved” (from what?) by “I believe”, and feel free to live like the rest of the world. They are for those of us who wish to show sorrow for having fallen into sin, and desire to go back to Eden – the promised Paradise. They represent holiness. [See Mikvah / Baptism and Eden / Paradise for further details.]
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Year 2 Sabbath Thirty-seven (November 23, 2002)
Yayiqra
(And He called):
Acharei
(When
they had approached) commonly called Leviticus
16
(*Divided
for seven Torah readers) 1 Amen* 1 Now Yahweh spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they had approached the presence of Yahweh and died. 2 And Yahweh said to Moses, "Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. 3 "Aaron shall enter the holy place with this: with a bull for a sin offering and a ram for an elevation offering. 4 "He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarments shall be next to his body, and he shall be girded with the linen sash, and attired with the linen turban (these are holy garments). Then he shall bathe his body in water and put them on. 2 Amen* 5 "And he shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for an elevation offering. 6 "Then Aaron shall offer the bull for the sin offering which is for himself, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household. 7 "And he shall take the two goats and present them before Yahweh at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 8 "And Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for Yahweh and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9 "Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for Yahweh fell, and make it a sin offering. 10 "But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell, shall be presented alive before Yahweh, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat. 3 Amen* 11 "Then Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his household, and he shall slaughter the bull of the sin offering which is for himself. 12 "And he shall take a firepan full of coals of fire from upon the altar before Yahweh, and two handfuls of finely ground sweet incense, and bring it inside the veil. 13 "And he shall put the incense on the fire before Yahweh, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony, lest he die. 14 "Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; also in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times. 15 "Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil, and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. 4 Amen* 16 "And he shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel, and because of their transgressions, in regard to all their sins; and thus he shall do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities. 17 "When he goes in to make atonement in the holy place, no one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household and for all the assembly of Israel. 18 "Then he shall go out to the altar that is before Yahweh and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides. 19 "And with his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times, and cleanse it, and from the impurities of the sons of Israel consecrate it. 5 Amen* 20 "When he finishes atoning for the holy place, and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat. 21 "Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel, and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness. 22 "And the goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness. 23 "Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting, and take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there. 24 "And he shall bathe his body with water in a holy place and put on his clothes, and come forth and offer his elevation offering and the elevation offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people. 25 "Then he shall offer up in smoke the fat of the sin offering on the altar. 6 Amen* 26 "And the one who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body with water; then afterward he shall come into the camp. 27 "But the bull of the sin offering and the goat of the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall be taken outside the camp, and they shall burn their hides, their flesh, and their refuse in the fire. 28 "Then the one who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body with water, then afterward he shall come into the camp. 7 Amen* 29 "And this shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls, and not do any work, whether the native, or the alien who sojourns among you; 30 for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you shall be clean from all your sins before Yahweh. 31 "It is to be a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute. 32 "So the priest who is anointed and ordained to serve as priest in his father's place shall make atonement: he shall thus put on the linen garments, the holy garments, 33 and make atonement for the holy sanctuary; and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar. He shall also make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. 34 "Now you shall have this as a permanent statute, to make atonement for the sons of Israel for all their sins once every year." And just as Yahweh had commanded Moses, so he did. Ezekiel 22:1-16 1 Then the word of Yahweh came to me saying, 2 "And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Then cause her to know all her abominations. 3 "And you shall say, 'Thus says Yahweh God, "A city shedding blood in her midst, so that her time will come, and that makes idols, contrary to her interest, for defilement! 4 "You have become guilty by the blood which you have shed, and defiled by your idols which you have made. Thus you have brought your day near and have come to your years; therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mocking to all the lands. 5 "Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you, you of ill repute, full of turmoil. 6 "Behold, the rulers of Israel, each according to his power, have been in you for the purpose of shedding blood. 7 "They have treated father and mother lightly within you. The alien they have oppressed in your midst; the fatherless and the widow they have wronged in you. 8 "You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths. 9 "Slanderous men have been in you for the purpose of shedding blood, and in you they have eaten at the mountain shrines. In your midst they have committed acts of lewdness. 10 "In you they have uncovered their fathers' nakedness; in you they have humbled her who was unclean in her menstrual impurity. 11 "And one has committed abomination with his neighbor's wife, and another has lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law. And another in you has humbled his sister, his father's daughter. 12 "In you they have taken bribes to shed blood; you have taken interest and profits, and you have injured your neighbors for gain by oppression, and you have forgotten Me," declares Yahweh God. 13 "Behold, then, I smite My hand at your dishonest gain which you have acquired and at the bloodshed which is among you. 14 "Can your heart endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? I, Yahweh, have spoken and shall act. 15 "And I shall scatter you among the nations, and I shall disperse you through the lands, and I shall consume your uncleanness from you. 16 "And you will profane yourself in the sight of the nations, and you will know that I am Yahweh."'" Psalm 81 For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of Asaph. 1 Sing for joy to God our strength; Shout joyfully to the God of Jacob. 2 Raise a song, strike the timbrel, the sweet sounding lyre with the harp. 3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, when the moon is hidden, on our feast day. 4 For it is a statute for Israel, a judgment of the God of Jacob. 5 He established it for a testimony in Joseph, when he went throughout the land of Egypt. I heard a language that I did not know: 6 "I relieved his shoulder of the burden, his hands were freed from the basket. 7 "You called in trouble, and I rescued you; I answered you in the hiding place of thunder; I proved you at the waters of Meribah. Selah. 8 "Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, if you would listen to Me! 9 "Let there be no strange god among you; nor shall you worship any foreign god. 10 "I, Yahweh, am your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide and I will fill it. 11 "But My people did not listen to My voice; and Israel did not obey Me. 12 "So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, to walk in their own devices. 13 "Oh that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! 14 "I would quickly subdue their enemies, and turn My hand against their adversaries. 15 "Those who hate Yahweh would pretend obedience to Him; and their time of punishment would be forever. 16 "But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat; and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you." Jude 1:1-21 1 Jude, a bond-servant of Yeshua the Messiah, and brother of James, to those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Yeshua the Messiah: 2 May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you. 3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Yeshua the Messiah. 5 Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day. 7 Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example, in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. 8 Yet in the same manner these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties. 9 But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you." 10 But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. 12 These men are those who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever. 14 And about these also Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." 16 These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage. 17 But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, 18 that they were saying to you, "In the last time there shall be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts." 19 These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting; 23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. 24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Yeshua the Messiah our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Commentary: For this first day of Hanukkah / the Feast of Dedication of the Holy Temple, Leviticus 16:19 concerns consecrating the Holy Place. Yom haKippurim / the Day of the Atonements is herein detailed; last week concerned baptism and the 40 days of repentance preceding this observance. Ezekiel 22 speaks of sins requiring national atonements. (V.2) “And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Then cause her to know all her abominations.” We see here that judgment is connected with the Day of the Atonements. Ezekiel 22:26 explains, “Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.” On this annual occasion, we consider, and confess, all kinds of sin: sins of omission and sins of commission; sins of attitude and sins of speech; sins of intent and sins of deed; willful sins and sins committed in ignorance. 1 John 1:9 reads, concerning believers, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” _______________ God warned: if Aaron entered the Holy of Holies at a wrong time, or in an impure state, he would die. Aaron must offer a goat for himself and the purification of the Tabernacle. He must also go into the mikvah (baptistery) and put on certain garments. Only then could he represent the one without sin – Yeshua, who only could qualify to make real atonement for others. Yeshua needed no such offering for Himself. Heb 7:26-27 – “For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.” The fact that Yeshua made atonements for us, once for all time, does not abolish the ordinances detailed herein. Yeshua said that He came, not to abolish, but to fulfill: fulfill therefore cannot be interpreted as abolish. The ordinances of offerings were prophetic pictures, and after Yeshua’s fulfillment of them, they become memorial pictures. All are not yet fulfilled, and none are abolished. So then, at the proper time, Aaron must offer two goats for atonements. Firstly, the goat on which the lot fell for Yahweh, must be slain. Secondly, the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel (the scapegoat), must be presented. Aaron must lay both hands upon the live goat’s head, confessing the sins of the people over it. Then it must be led into the wilderness, symbolic of Yeshua, taking our sins too far away to return. In Temple times, this goat was led due east out of the Eastern Gate of the Temple grounds, to the top of the Mount of Olives. Then it was led to the top of nine more mountains, the tenth being Mount Azazel. [Show rock from Mt. Azazel.] Each mountain was a Sabbath day’s journey from the previous, so a young man of priestly descent waited at the top of each one, to take the goat to the next mountain (Yom haKippurim being a Holy Day, like a Sabbath). The goat was then cast backwards, over the steep side of Mount Azazel, into the Dead Sea. Each year at this season, oil or gasses came up from under the Dead Sea, and burned on the surface: it was called the Lake of Fire. Thirdly, the goat on which the lot fell for Yahweh, the one that was slain, must be burned upon the altar. Its sweet aroma going up to God represents Yeshua’s righteousness, imputed to us, as a sweet aroma to God We must have our sins imputed to Yeshua, and His righteouness imputed to us – two atonements – to be qualified for the Kingdom of God. When, through faith, we have obtained this salvation, then we are led of the Holy Spirit to desire righteousness. We learn through observing the ordinances, such as Yom haKippurim. We grow by practicing God’s judgments – moral laws. We sanctify ourselves by observing God’s statutes: in other words, we learn to differentiate between the holy and the profane; we become separated for His service by walking in His ways, in contrast to the natural ways of the world. God says, in Psalm 81:13-16, “Oh that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! I would quickly subdue their enemies, and turn My hand against their adversaries. Those who hate Yahweh would pretend obedience to Him; and their time of punishment would be forever. But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat; and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” Jude says (v.20-25), “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Yeshua the Messiah our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
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Year 2 Sabbath Thirty-eight (November 30, 2002)
Yayiqra
(And He called):
Asher yishchat
(Who
slaughters) commonly called Leviticus
17
(*Divided
for seven Torah readers) 1 Amen* 1 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Speak to Aaron and to his sons, and to all the sons of Israel, and say to them, 'This is what Yahweh has commanded, saying, 3 "Any man from the house of Israel who slaughters an ox, or a lamb, or a goat in the camp, or who slaughters it outside the camp, 4 and has not brought it to the doorway of the tent of meeting to present it as an offering to Yahweh before the tabernacle of Yahweh, bloodguiltiness is to be reckoned to that man. He has shed blood and that man shall be cut off from among his people. 2 Amen* 5 "The reason is so that the sons of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they were sacrificing in the open field, that they may bring them in to Yahweh, at the doorway of the tent of meeting to the priest, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to Yahweh. 6 "And the priest shall sprinkle the blood on the altar of Yahweh at the doorway of the tent of meeting, and offer up the fat in smoke as a soothing aroma to Yahweh. 7 "And they shall no longer sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat demons with which they play the harlot. This shall be a permanent statute to them throughout their generations."' 8 "Then you shall say to them, 'Any man from the house of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, 9 and does not bring it to the doorway of the tent of meeting to offer it to Yahweh, that man also shall be cut off from his people. 3 Amen* 10 'And any man from the house of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people. 11 'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.' 12 "Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, 'No person among you may eat blood, nor may any alien who sojourns among you eat blood.' 4 Amen* 13 "So when any man from the sons of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, in hunting catches a beast or a bird which may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth. 14 "For as for the life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its life. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, 'You are not to eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off.' 15 "And when any person eats an animal which dies, or is torn by beasts, whether he is a native or an alien, he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and remain unclean until evening; then he will become clean. 16 "But if he does not wash them or bathe his body, then he shall bear his guilt." (no haftarah) Psalm 82 A Psalm of Asaph. To be sung* 1 God takes His stand in His own congregation; He judges in the midst of the rulers. 2 How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked? Selah. 3 Vindicate the weak and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and destitute. 4 Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them out of the hand of the wicked. 5 They do not know nor do they understand; they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. 6 I said, "You are gods, and all of you are sons of the Most High. 7 "Nevertheless you will die like men, and fall like any one of the princes." 8 Arise, O God, judge the earth! For it is Thou who dost possess all the nations.
1 John 5:1-21 6 Amen* 7 And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth. 8 For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for the witness of God is this, that He has borne witness concerning His Son. 10 The one who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness that God has borne concerning His Son. 11 And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life. 7 Amen* 14 And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. 16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death. 18 We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Yeshua the Messiah. This is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols. Commentary: Leviticus 17 – Who slaughters (V. 1-4) Previously, offerings were permitted in other places. With the establishment of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, they may be slaughtered only at the Tabernacle, or its successor – the Temple. It makes no difference how far away one might be from the Temple. Genesis 9:3 allows man to kill animals for food; but, slaughtering for an offering outside of the Temple brings bloodguiltiness. Prior chapters dealt with tumah (spiritual impurity) from contaminated objects. This chapter deals with tumah from service to alien spirits and demons. (V.7) Sher (demon) comes from the word sh’arah (storm), because they cause turbulence and fear. The Torah here says, “That man shall be karat (cut off)”, meaning he shall die prematurely. When the Torah says, “That soul shall be cut off,” it means excision from the life to come; but the wording here means a lesser penalty. Genesis 9:11 says “all flesh shall never again be karat (cut off) by the water of the flood. ”For the most serious offenses, the Torah prescribes a karat that means the sinner dies prematurely, his children die prematurely, and he is denied the world to come. (V.5) Peace offerings are mentioned because they are eaten by the offerer, in the company of others, in a festive manner: these must not be offered at other places. (V.15) Dead animals convey tumah by being touched, but dead birds of a kosher kind convey tumah only by being eaten (excepting kosher animals and birds killed for eating or offering). The tumah (spiritual impurity) spoken of in this chapter is cleansed through repentance, which is shown by immersion in a mikvah – indicating that one is rising to a new, pure life. Psalm 82 – God takes His stand (V.1) God takes His stand in His own congregation; He judges in the midst of the rulers. God’s congregation is to become the judge of the whole earth: “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?” – 1 Corinthians 6:2. (V.6) “I said, ‘You are gods, and all of you are sons of the Most High’.” Righteous judges are referred to as elohim, because they perform God’s work. When certain Jews sought to judge Yeshua, taking up stones to stone Him, He answered them, (John 10:34) “Has it not been written in your Law, 'I said, you are gods'?” (V.2-4) How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked? Selah. Vindicate the weak and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and destitute. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them out of the hand of the wicked 1 John – Sin unto death 1 John 16-17 says, “If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.” This may refer to karat of the soul: examples are Judas who betrayed Yeshua, and Korah who slandered Moses and God. They lost all opportunity for repentance that would allow them a part in the world to come. Or, it may refer to capital offenses, such as murder and Sabbath desecration, where an earthly court judgment of death is an absolute requirement. The Torah portion is about offerings to Yahweh and offerings to idols, and the Psalm is about judges of God and judges that are idolatrous – such as those who put money ahead of justice. 1 John ends with “Guard yourselves from idols”, or, as the NLT reads, “Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts.” |
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