Cheap Web Hosting | Free Web Hosting | Dedicated Server | Windows Hosting | Free Web Space | Web Hosting | FrontPage | Business Web Hosting
cheap web hosting
Search the Web


VAYIQRA (Leviticus) 1-15
  Index Page | Genesis 1-25a | Genesis 25b-36 | Genesis 37-50 | Exodus 1-17 | Exodus  18-30a | Exodus 30b-40 | Leviticus 1-15 | Leviticus 16-27 | Numbers 1-18 | Numbers 19-29 | Numbers 30-36 | Deuteronomy 1-25 | Deuteronomy 26-34 | Links  

Portion VA-YIQRA (1:1- 5:26)
CHAPTER 1

1. And YHWH called [yiqra] to Moshe and spoke to him from [within] the Tent of Appointment, saying,

The Tzohar, the masterwork of Hebrew mysticism, explains that this Tabernacle was the betrothal tent of the young man Metatron, who is also known as the "lesser YHWH", i.e., the Messiah as the manifestation and representative of YHWH the Father. The words "Tent of Appointment", at the root level, mean "shining assembly", which point to the Messiah's regathering of the fragments of the man of light that Adam was before he sinned. The idea of his betrothal is deduced from the fact that the deeper root word from which the word for "appointment" here is drawn means a "meeting of the minds", or a coming to agreement (e.g., Amos 3:3); it is indeed sometimes used of betrothals. In the ancient Hebrew betrothal, the bridal chamber had to be built before the marriage could be finalized.

2. "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, 'If [any] man of you brings an offering to YHWH, you must bring your offering from livestock of the herd or from the flock.

Man: Heb., Adam. Offering: Greek Septuagint (LXX), "gifts". The Hebrew word [qorban] has no connotation of "sacrifice", as in something we give up, or by which we placate YHWH; rather, it means "to draw near". It does nothing to satisfy His hunger, but does much for us. We gain proximity to YHWH rather than losing something. If the "Adam in us" (that part which desires this union with YHWH) is brought to the forefront, we can be Adam again for YHWH and pick up where he lft off. Here YHWH puts limits on where the offerings can come from. Remember Qayin and Hevel.

3. "'If what he brings near is one that ascends from out of the herd, he must bring an unblemished male to the entryway of the Tent of Appointment, according to his free will, before the face of YHWH.

Ascending: or "elevating" (Hirsch). This is the only type of offering that could be sacrificed outside the Tabernacle or Temple courts. Unblemished: or whole, a picture of Y'shua, who "was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15), and was thus able to be the offering that enables us to draw near to YHWH. Male: the same word usually means "to remember”; over and over in Scripture and the liturgies, YHWH tells us to remember that He brought us out of Egypt. Entryway to the Tent: Where, on a spiritual level, we receive a vision of the mustering of an army. (Ex. 38:8) If we bring a perfect memory (of the terms of the betrothal) to our gates (e.g., eyes, ears, mouth, etc.), we will be better able to recognize when it is time to shut them to enemies that are trying to gain access to our energies. Remembering that YHWH has never failed us when evil h as come against us will give us the power to ascend out of the herd and live out the set-apartness that He desires in His bride. According to his free will: by one’s desire or delight, i.e., voluntarily; Aramaic, "for acceptance on his behalf"; LXX, "as acceptable before the Master". Some offerings are mandatory no matter how one feels; these things were never ours to begin with, and we have no right to keep them. But others are to be given only from the heart, "for YHWH loves a cheerful giver". (2 Cor. 9:7) Cornelius was noticed by YHWH because of his alms (Acts/Envoys 10:2-4), and this opened the door for the House of Israel to return to the covenant.

4. "'And he shall lean his hand [firmly] on the head of the one that ascends, and it will be accepted on his behalf, in order to make atonement for him.

Lean his hand: or "press". Laying on of hands is one of the things Hebrews 6:2 says are the "milk"--the basics we have to understand before any of the deeper meanings of Scripture can be opened up to us. What it symbolizes is identification--with one being commissioned for service as our representative (Acts 13:3), or, in this case, with this animal and our death to self, which says, "Take me as you are taking this animal, so I too can ascend." This "burnt offering" was fully consumed, partaken of by no one but YHWH. None of it was taken home; all it profits one is allowing him to have relationship with YHWH. This is the same type of offering as brought for sin, but we do not need to wait until it is mandatory to bring our best to Him; He wants us to draw close to Him even when our gates are well-guarded, because the main point is that we are offering ourselves for relationship with Him. Accepted: closely related to the word used in v. 3 for "desire". If it was given cheerfully, it will also please YHWH, so true fellowship will again be established. Atonement: Not forgiveness, but a covering, because "the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin". The offerer was simply "covered" until the true sacrifice that truly took away sins could be made by Y'shua. Since Adam sinned, we have had a consciousness of sin, which leaves us no right to draw near to YHWH. The shedding of the blood of a highly valuable animal allows us a clear conscience. All the sins that were only covered by this blood were obliterated when Y'shua died. He brought us a clean slate. However, for sins thereafter, in the absence of a Temple, we still need to consciously confess, repent, and make restitution to our fellows. And for deliberate sins, there remains no sacrifice. (Heb. 10:26)

5. "'And he shall slaughter the bull [son of the herd] before [the face of] YHWH. Then the priests, Aharon's sons, shall bring the blood near [present it] and toss it onto every side of the altar which is at the entryway to the Tent of Appointment.

Bull: literally, son of the herd, which literally refers to something able to plow. Cattle were one of the chief means of measuring one's wealth. The bull thus represents our work, something that can feed us, and our possessions--in short, our security. This needs to be offered to YHWH; what we should be concerned about instead is maintaining the right relationship with Him. There is a great difference in the value of a bull over that of a sheep. He knew some could not afford the former, and did not wish them to be embarrassed about this, but a king or priest had no choice but to bring a bull. Neither was allowed security: the king was specifically commanded NOT to multiply horses, so his reliance would be on YHWH, and the priest had no inheritance like the rest of Israel had, for he was to focus only on serving YHWH and trust Him to motivate the rest of Israel to bring the support for the priests that He required of them. And we are called to be kings and priests, so we must sacrifice our securities if need be in order to give YHWH what He deserves. Notice that the person bringing the offering was the one who had to do the killing and skinning. The priest only dealt with the blood. He collected it in a vessel that had a pointed base so he would not be distracted and set it down, letting it coagulate. The blood still had to be "living" when it was dashed onto the altar. At least from Solomon's Temple onward, the blood from each type of sacrifice was thrown against a different part of the altar. There was a red line on the side of it that divided the sacrifices for sins against mankind from the sins against YHWH. Slaughter: there is a particular way of cutting the animal's throat that is painless to the animal, and parents would teach their children this method, for if the animal suffered in any way, a sacrifice was not counted as kosher. And if the animal was not "rightly divided", the offering was rendered void.

6. "'And he shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces.

The Hebrew word here for skin (which means "strip down to the basics") is also used for the most literal way of interpreting Scripture, showing that no matter what other levels of meaning there are, we are to assume the most straightforward one first, since the others do not override this. Cut it: means to separate into parts, at the joints, to use in different ways. We are told to "study to show yourself approved, ...rightly dividing the Word of Truth." (2 Tim. 2:15) LXX, "divide it by its limbs". (I.e., it was to be in complete segments, with no broken bones, like the Passover lamb.)

7. "'And the sons of Aharon the priest shall put fire on the altar, and arrange sticks above the fire.

Arrange sticks: done somewhat in the shape of a table, able to bear the weight of the pieces of the animals' bodies, in a layered structure so that the animals were not placed directly one on top of another.

8. "'Then the priests, the sons of Aharon, shall arrange the pieces, along with the head and the fat, on the wood which is on the fire on the altar.

Arrange: They had to be laid out in a certain prescribed manner. Why is the head mentioned separately? Y'shua, our Head, was sacrificed in advance of our becoming "living sacrifices". "Fat" also means "the best, the choicest part". (See also 3:17.)

9. "'Then he shall wash its inward parts and its legs with water. Then, on the altar, the priest shall cause them all to go up in smoke[as] an ascending [offering] made by fire--a soothing aroma to YHWH.

Inward parts and legs: Although Y'shua's blood has been applied to the altar in heaven for us, we still need to repent for ("wash") the way we walk and our inner thoughts. Though the animal itself is acceptable on the altar, any dirt it had accumulated inside or outside is not. In the original Hebrew text, which does not include the vowel points, "offering of fire" can also read "an ascending woman"--a picture of YHWH's bride, who is without "spot or wrinkle". (Ephesians 5:27) Soothing: calming or satisfying. Aroma: The term also means "a delight" or acceptance. So the point of all of this teaching about how to do the sacrifices is to bring us to the point of being an acceptable bride to YHWH, one that brings Him relief after what His first "wife" did to Him. (Compare Yehezq'el 28:13 with Rev. 21:2ff and Esther 1:11-2:4.)

10. "'Now if his offering for ascending is out of the flock, from the sheep or the goats, he shall bring near a perfect male.

"Flock" comes from the word for migrating, since sheep and goats, which overgraze, need to do so. Sheep and goats are a sacrifice of lesser value than bulls, but are nonetheless something of value. But this type of offering pictures someone who, though he has a decent amount of commitment, is still holding some things back from YHWH.

11. "'And he shall slaughter it by the side of the altar northward, before the face of YHWH, and the sons of Aharon, the priests, shall toss its blood on all sides of the altar.

Northward: Y'shua was called the Lamb of Elohim, so he had to be sacrificed northward from the altar. The traditional site of Gulgol'tha, where the Church of the Holy Sepulchre now stands, may have been outside the city gate at that time (which is required of a sin offering in 4:12, 21), but it is due west of the Temple Mount, where the altar stood at that time. Gordon's Calvary, on the other hand, while not due north, is only slightly northwest of the Temple Mount, outside the Damascus Gate on what was then the northern wall of Yerushalayim. There is actually a "face" on the hillside just behind where Y'shua was crucified (hence the name, "the place of the skull"). Everything in the Torah is somehow a foreshadowing of Him. It is interesting that haSatan ("the adversary") was particularly interested in ascending to the "sides of the north". (Yeshayahu 14:13; Psalm 48:2 identifies this location as including Mt. Tzion, also part of Yerushalayim!) Others say that "before the face of YHWH" means Y'shua had to be crucified east of the Temple since the tearing of the outer veil of the Temple would have been visible only from there as the light from the menorah would have been visible even during the temporary darkness that covered the land at that time.

12. "'And he shall separate it into pieces along with its head and its suet, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood which is above the fire on the altar.

13. "'And he shall wash its inward parts and legs with water, and the priest shall bring the whole thing near and make it go up in smoke upon the altar; it is an offering of fire, a soothing aroma to YHWH.

14. "'And if the offering is an ascending offering to YHWH using flying creatures, then he shall bring near his offering of turtledoves or young pigeons.

Pigeons: The same word in Hebrew as the name of the prophet Yonah. There is something special about these two species of bird: they are the only two birds that actually give a form of milk to their young. While chickens and some other birds are also kosher, they are not used for sacrifices. Only animals that provide their young with milk are slaughtered for offerings in the Temple. The picture we are to learn from this is that those who provide for others (the pure milk of the Word) are the type of persons He wants as His living sacrifices.

15. "'And the priest shall bring it near to the altar and nip off its head. Then he shall make it go up in smoke upon the altar. Its blood shall be drained by the side of the altar.

Unlike the other animals, birds were handled only by the priests, and they were slain right at the altar itself instead of some distance away. Perhaps this added additional honor to the offerings of the poor. (5:7) Nip: The priest grew a sharp thumbnail long enough to slit the bird's throat. He did not wring its neck, because then it would be strangled and not be kosher. He left its head partially connected, but popped it back like a bottle top and squeezed its blood out. He was able to hold it and slit its throat all with one hand.

16. "'And he shall pluck out its crop along with its feathers, and shall throw it near the altar eastward, to the place of the ashes.

17. "'And he shall split it in two, not dividing it [completely into two parts], and the priest shall burn it like incense upon the altar, on the wood which is above the fire as an ascending offering; it is a fire offering, a soothing aroma to YHWH.

Split it in two: peel it open and spread it apart; Aramaic, "tear it open by its wings". It was not to be split in half, because that is symbolic of making a covenant (Gen. 15:9, 17-18), and this level of sacrifice, while an honest attempt to do something, is not of the caliber required as a basis for covenant. Birds were not mentioned in v. 2 as acceptable ways to draw near. (Gen. 15:10 even specifies that while Avraham was commanded to bring these birds as part of the covenant ceremony, he did not divide them as he did with the other animals.) They seem like an afterthought so that even the poorest could afford to bring something. But these birds in particular are symbolic of the Spirit (Mark 1:10), and many think that they have an adequate standing with YHWH if they worship Him in Spirit, but obey none of His literal commands. Yet Y'shua says we are to worship the Father in Spirit AND in truth. (Yoch. 4:24) The Spirit is the means, not the end. It enables us to keep the covenant, but it is not the substance of our carrying out our part of it. In our exile we have been impoverished, and worship in spirit alone has been accepted, since it is all we could do, but it is not all that He really desires. Without the specifics of the Torah (which is equated with truth in Psalm 119:151), we have no way of defining what is really spiritual, and now we are seeing the "wiggle-room" it leaves being used as an excuse to define "love your neighbor as yourself" in any way that suits the whims of the moment; while it may be pleasant, that is driving down a highway without a goal, and as the old adage says, "He who aims at nothing is sure to reach it." YHWH intends greater things for His bride; following His specific instructions will enable us to know Him as He wants to be known.


CHAPTER 2

1. "'And when a person brings a [grain] offering with which to draw near to YHWH, his offering shall be of fine flour, and he shall pour oil upon it and put frankincense on it,

Grain offering: literally, tribute; Hirsch, "an allegiance-gift" or "homage-gift". But it also means a part or portion. It involves no blood, yet is still a picture of the person who brings it. We bring a part of ourselves. Yet how can we bring another portion after we have given all? Because taking up our cross to follow Him is a daily thing. (Luke 9:23) It represents a particular area of our lives in which He is revealing to us our need for further surrender. In the Temple, one continued to ascend, and the way to keep ascending was to pass through walls by way of gates. The way to get to the next level is to surrender our own gates (eyes, ears, mouth, sexual orgains, etc.) to that level of sanctity. We have to do this over and over, but if we skip this step in any area of our lives, we cannot ascend any further. Fine flour: it was sifted many times. The Talmud tells us that for the Feast of Firstfruits, flour went through 13 sieves; for the Two Loaves at Shavuoth, 12 sieves; and the Bread of the Faces ("showbread"), 11 times. This is a picture of YHWH's sifting the ones He has called, to sort out those who are truly chosen--who continue with Him after many trials of faith. The flour became so fine that the priest could put his hands into it and withdraw them with no flour sticking to them--a picture of those who allow YHWH to make them so holy that they have nothing to do with the "flesh". Priests were the ones who sifted it and oversaw its sale. Pour oil: in other words, it was anointed, which in Hebrew is mashiach; i.e., Messiah. He said his body was a sacrifice for us, but also that we should eat of it, as the priest did (v. 3). Oil represents the Holy Spirit--which is indeed very "slippery" to people's understanding, and therefore many have been misled by words claiming to be from the "Spirit". Recognizing that in Hebrew the phrase (Ruakh haQodesh) means "spirit of being set apart" should clarify much for us. But haQodesh is also the title of the first main room in the Tabernacle and Temple, which are both pictures of what is in heaven (and which will meet us here during the Kingdom, Heb. 8:5; 9:23) Everything in this room was anointed to symbolize being set apart for YHWH's purposes alone. Thus "Ruakh haQodesh" really refers to a "breath or wind of the Kingdom", for the chief task of the Spirit of Holiness is to establish the principles of the Kingdom in us before it arrives from Heaven. (Heb. 6:4-5) What is set apart is "peculiar" now, but will be commonplace in the Kingdom. This offering is to remind us that all we say and do, and all we expose ourselves to in this age should relate to the Kingdom, and be an example in advance of what it holds. The anointing with oil signifies the empowerment to do that. Y'shua "poured" out the Spirit on us once He had authority to do so. (Acts 10:45; Yochanan 15, 16; Mat. 28:18) We need to learn to live like we are in the Kingdom now, so that when He shows up we will be found ready. How do we increase the oil that lets our light shine (Mat. 5:14)? By listening to His judgments, guarding His commandments, and carrying them out. (Deut. 7:11-13) Giving the Spirit more fuel actually increase our capacity for more. As we empty our trash out of His vessels, there will also be room for more of what He wants to put in us, and as we give out what He gives us, He can pour more in. Frankincense was given to Y'shua by the Magi when he was a young child, perhaps to symbolize that he was to be an offering for us that was acceptable to YHWH. Its name comes from the word "whiteness", symbolizing purity, and it is a feminine word in Hebrew, which again hints at the whole point of bringing these offerings being to become a spotless bride for Him, for He desires intimacy with His people Israel. Those who will be part of this bride are those who have not defiled their garments and who have overcome both the spirit of this age and self. (Rev. 3:4)

2. "'and he shall bring it to the sons of Aharon the priest. And he shall grasp from it his handful of fine flour along with its oil and its frankincense, and the priest shall burn it like incense [with smoke] on the altar, a memorial offering with fire, a soothing aroma to YHWH.

Grasp: tradition says it was done with three fingers. A soothing aroma to YHWH: Hirsch, "an expression of a hint of a desire to be pleasing to YHWH." Contrast this to how our ancestors made themselves odious to Him. (Yeshayahu 3:24; Amos 4:10) Our response to Him must correct their error.

3. "'What is left over of the grain offering is for Aharon and his sons, [being] most holy of the fire offerings of YHWH.

A portion is sent on ahead of us into the Kingdom which has not yet come, but the rest is given to YHWH's servants who live in the present, so they can feed the things of the Kingdom here and now. So the means of giving to YHWH was, for the most part, giving to His servants. What was withheld from them was actually being denied Him. No one can give to Him simply "in his heart"; a major way to put our faith to work is to provide for the servants of YHWH under whose care He has put us. These servants are already serving us. When enough servants are serving His other servants, the Kingdom will come. Being intimate with Him first involves being intimate with those we can see (1 Yochanan 4:20-21), and no one can be intimate without deep honesty. (See notes on v. 11.) Most holy: literally, "set apart [among the] set apart"--a "special treasure" to Him. (Ex. 19:5) This first option of how to offer one's grain is plain flour. It is ready to use, but not ready to eat. It is a reasonable sacrifice to give ourselves to YHWH (Rom. 12:2), but to become "bread" (1 Cor. 10:17), we have to be joined together with others. The remainder of the grain offerings are ready to eat as well:

4. "'And when you bring near a grain offering baked in an oven, [it is to be] unleavened loaves of fine flour mixed with oil or [thin] unleavened wafers, anointed with oil.

Wafers: denotes being dripped on the oven.

5. "'And if your offering is a grain offering cooked on a flat griddle, its shall be of fine flour without leaven, mixed with oil.

6. "'You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering.

This anointed bread is a picture of the Messiah ("Anointed One") whose body was broken for us. During the days of the Temple, these were all cooked in the "Pancake-Bakers' Chamber" in the outer court area.

7. "'And if the grain offering is [cooked] in a pot, it shall be of fine flour made with oil.

A pot: one deep enough to stir in; alt., a stewing pot. This bread was then much a like a bagel, which literally means "boiled".

8. "'And you shall bring the grain offering which is made of these things to YHWH, and the priest shall bring it near the altar,

These things: Four different ways of forming a community are thus depicted here. YHWH has many ways of bringing us together, and none is inherently better than the others. But all of these required the key ingredients of grain and oil. The community must have people whom YHWH has crushed and who have the Spirit of Being Set Apart, or they will be unable to stick together. Another indispensable ingredient not mentioned here, but without which oil and flour will not adhere is water, which represents YHWH’s word (the Torah). I.e., while many of the specifics of how we do things will vary, a community that does not meet on His prescribed Sabbath or ignores other commands of His is not one acceptable to Him.

9. "'and the priest shall lift out from the grain offering its memorial portion and burn it as incense on the altar [as] a fire-offering, a soothing aroma to YHWH.

Lift out: Aramaic, "separate off".

10. "'And the remainder of the food offering is for Aharon and his sons, [being] most holy, the fire offerings of YHWH.

11. "'You shall not leaven any food offering that you bring near to YHWH, because you shall not burn any leaven or burn any honey as a fire offering to YHWH.

"We who are many are one bread..." (1 Cor. 10:17) The term "leaven" is rooted in a word that means to swell up. Leavening represents sin, especially pride, which puffs up and makes us look like more than we are. When bread is leavened, there is really no additional nutrient or anything of substance or benefit. For better or worse, leaven in Scripture always means something that irreversibly permeates. (It may be used in a positive sense in Mat. 13:33.) We are not to let our community be permeated by anything other than the Kingdom. Here, honey represents deception, because it makes the flour seem sweet artificially. The usual Hebrew term for yeast also means "that which sours". Either way, He wants to use what we are, not what we pretend to be. To bring others into the kind of holiness that truly sacrifices self, we cannot lure them by the niceties of YHWH's blessings, when in fact we know He will sift us until we can become a part of the "one bread". You shall not burn: or, you cannot make [it] go up in smoke. It is not possible to make something that is not genuine ascend, so do not even try. He will not accept it if we add the other ingredients. Even the leavened loaves required at Shavuoth were not to be offered on the altar, but only waved before YHWH. While we cannot have the Kingdom until both Houses of Israel are fully permeated by what constitutes the Kingdom, leaven still cannot enter His Kingdom. On another level, honey is a natural antibody, and since there is no leaven, there is no need for this.

12. "'As an offering of firstfruits, you may bring them to YHWH, but they shall not ascend the altar to be a soothing fragrance.

These offerings are brought to YHWH’s servants as food, but are not offered on the altar. Some practices are allowed in lower-level worship, which still pleases Him to some extent, but on those whom He chooses to be closest and dearest to Himself through the repeated "sifting like wheat" (see Luk. 22:31), He places more stringent requirements than the bare minimum necessary for mere salvation and inclusion in the Kingdom. The first of our thoughts belongs to YHWH as well, and we should not be using any of our faculties for things that will oppose or inhibit His Kingdom.

13. "'And every one of your grain offerings you shall season with salt; you shall not let the salt of the covenant of your Elohim be lacking from your grain offering. You shall offer salt with all your offerings.'"

Salt preserves, so it is a picture of eternity and the perpetuity of the covenant. Salt renders the sacrifice unsusceptible to outside influences, reminding us that the absolute Covenant of YHWH is not to be altered. (Hirsch) Today, while there is no Temple, this command is remembered by salting the two loaves of bread made for each Sabbath. It removes the blood from meat, rendering it edible for Israel. It can be ground up finer and finer, yet is still always salt. In fact, the Hebrew word for salt means "what is pulverized". Bringing it again represents offering ourselves. There is no safety net if salt loses its savor; there is nothing we can add to salt to make it salty again. (Mat. 5:13ff) So how can salt lose its savor? Only be sitting idle for long periods. The context for Y'shua's calling us "the salt of the earth" was persecution. (5:10ff) If we undergo His grinding up (compare Luke 20:18), we must apply what it teaches us right away or its purpose will be lost. We are told to even rejoice at that time; if we complain about it instead, it will be wasted. (Heb. 12:12-13)

14. "'And if you bring near a grain offering of firstfruits to YHWH, you shall bring firstfruits of near-fresh ears roasted with fire, crushed from full ears as your grain offering.

Near-fresh: ripened but still green; Heb., aviv, the sign that a new year is upon us. YHWH wants us to bring Him "a new song"--what we are just learning, not what is old and stale. Roasted: parched or dried. Crushed: Aramaic, "brittle". Full: lush, plentiful, garden-grown; Aramaic, "soft".

15. "'And you shall put oil upon it, and lay it on frankincense; it is a grain offering.

16. "'So the priest shall cause the memorial portion of the crushed grain and the oil to smoke [as incense], in addition to the frankincense, [as] a fire offering to YHWH.'"


CHAPTER 3

1. "'And if what he brings near is a peace offering, if he is offering it from the herd, whether a male or female, he shall bring it before YHWH completely sound.

Peace offering: literally, slaughter for completenesses or safeties--i.e., a form of thanks offering brought when YHWH has kept us safe, when a battle has been one at one of our gates, and the threat is no longer there. It is a meal to be eaten in company with others. But we cannot have fellowship with just anyone out on the street; they will not understand holiness. It must be eaten among other persons who are clean before YHWH, which anyone who has entered the Temple must be. Before YHWH: literally, at His face, for intimacy with Him is what these "drawings-near" are all about. Completely sound: perfectly healthy and without blemish. The same term is used of Yaaqov, meaning he was mature or learned, because he dwelt in tents. (Gen. 25:27) The tents of Shem were the ones he spent his time in. What went on there? YHWH’s name was blessed and His ways were taught. (Gen. 9:26-27) The foundation for both discernment and wisdom is knowledge, specifically of the Torah, for no matter how learned we are, we cannot be wise without knowing it well. Discernment is just knowing when to use our knowledge, and wisdom is knowing how. Tradition says the high priest Melkhitzedeq was another name for Shem. A priest must also be without flaw. (Lev. 21:21) The ideal sacrifice is a bull--one's food, wealth, and labor source. Even today, a "bull market" means one that is prosperous. So a bull represents our security. By sacrificing it we proclaim that our security does not come from things outside, but from YHWH alone. This bull is not what protected us; YHWH did. Like the walls of Yericho, the securities we build for ourselves are not dependable. We have to protect our wealth; it does not protect us. But we have to be the ones to draw the blade across its throat; all the priest does is catch the blood:

2. "'Then he shall lean his hand on the head of his offering, he shall kill it at the entryway to the Tent of Appointment, and Aharon's sons, the priests, shall toss the blood onto the altar, all around.

Lean his hand: symbolizing that it is his substitute. The point is not that the animal is brought near, but that the donor is. His offering: literally, "his drawing-near". Kill it: the term connotes slitting its throat painlessly. If the animal suffers, the sacrifice is not counted as kosher. All around: Heb., saviv. The ledge formed by the difference in size between the top piece and the middle of the three sections of the altar was called the "soveyv", which is a derivative of this word, so the command could bear some relation to this as well.

3. "'Then he shall bring near a fire offering to YHWH from the slaughter of the peace offering: the fat which covers the inward parts, and all the fat which is on the inward parts,

Psalm 116 is David's expression of drawing near with a peace offering. Fat: the choicest or the best--like the firstfruits or tithes, this is something owed to YHWH. (See also 27:30; Num. 18:26-29) Which covers the inward parts: or, which [plumps up and] conceals the innermost parts. We can hide the true thoughts of our hearts behind our best attributes, keeping them from being revealed. But to truly draw near to YHWH, we must be honest about these too. This is the "circumcision of the heart". (Deut. 10:16)


4. "'both kidneys and the fat which is on them, which is by the flanks, and [the appendage] that hangs over the liver by the kidneys--[all these] he shall remove.

Kidneys: the feminine form of the word for "vessel", so it represents what we put in our vessels. The kidneys and liver are what filter the blood to purify it. Whatever is not pure is sent back for "repentance". A pure life is a selfless one. We are also responsible for the impurities in one another. The community is given by YHWH to take the "what's in it for me" out of each of us. "Kidneys" is also often a term used in Hebrew for the equivalent of what we call the "mind", for our mind (not our emotions) is to rule our life in subjection to YHWH's will. When someone has an infection in this part of the body, he is told to drink lots of water. Returning to the "water of the word" (the Torah) is our purification process--being "transformed by the renewing of our minds" (Rom. 12:2). The bile in the liver regulates the chemical balance of the blood, which represents our life. His instruction (torah) is what is to regulate our lives--not our families, traditions, morals, or religion. These organs are constantly at work, as we always have something more to repent of. Flanks: or loins; LXX, "thighs". The root word means "foolishness" or "stupidity". The term for liver means something hard or stubborn--like a stiff neck, which does not make for peace. But the name for the liver also means what is heavy and important. It is related to the word often translated "glory", which really signifies weightiness of authority. Thus giving YHWH the appendage (Aramaic, lobe) over and above the liver represents taking for ourselves no more than the right amount of importance or authority given to us; when additional glory comes to us, it is to be given to YHWH. (Compare Romans 11:35-12:3 for the spiritual offerings which, in our exile, YHWH has counted as our "reasonable service" in the absence of a Temple.)

5. "'And the sons of Aharon shall cause it to smoke on the altar, in addition to the ascending offering which is on the wood that is above the fire, [as] a fire offering, a soothing aroma to YHWH.

Wood: laid out in a set pattern to support the offerings. The fire itself was lit by YHWH, not by men; men were responsible to keep it burning at all times. (6:13) Fire represents our motivation. Wood represents mortal men; who we are is to be founded on the motivation YHWH gives (which always relates to the Kingdom), and from there we can ascend to completeness (shalom).

6. "'Now if his offering is from the flock, to be a peace offering to YHWH, male or female, he shall bring a completely sound [one].

7. "'If it is a young sheep he is bringing near [as] his offering, he shall present it before the face of YHWH.

It is not slaughtered at the entryway, as the bull was (v. 2). Why? Because it is a lesser offering, and not as effective in combating the spiritual warfare we encounter at our gates. (Ex. 38:8) But it still represents a decent commitment--something of value given to YHWH.

8. "'And he shall lean his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it in front of the Tent of Appointment, and the sons of Aharon shall toss its blood onto the altar, all around.

9. "'Then he shall bring near from what is slaughtered a fire offering to YHWH--its best part: he shall remove the whole fat tail, which is close up against the backbone, and the fat that covers its inward parts, and all the fat that is between the inward parts.

Whole fat tail: a particular fatty type of tail that this type of sheep has. This is the only item added to what is offered from the bull. Why? The Hebrew word (alyah) has its root in a term for swearing an oath (alah). Thus it represents the realization that we have not yet brought all that we should, and a promise that next time we will bring the bull He deserves. It is also formed of the two words "al-Yah", which means "toward YHWH", because its effect is to move us closer to Him. Bringing a sheep may be all we can do now, but it represents a commitment to go on to what He really prefers--to becoming more learned so we can do better next time.

10. "'He shall also remove both of the kidneys and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and what hangs over the liver by the kidneys.

11. "'And the priest shall cause it to smoke [as incense] on the altar--bread of the fire offering to YHWH.


12. "'And if his offering is a [she-] goat, then he shall present it before the face of YHWH,

13. "'and he shall lean his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it in front of the Tent of Appointment, and the sons of Aharon shall toss its blood onto the altar, all around.

14. "'Then he shall bring near from what is slaughtered a fire offering to YHWH the fat that covers its inward parts, and all the fat that is between the inward parts.

Missing from the goat is the fat tail; everything else is identical to what is offered from the sheep. Conspicuous by its absence is the oath to do better next time. This is therefore a lesser offering still. And it is the lowest allowed here; the birds allowed in chapter 1. Nothing merely spiritual is permitted here; this must be in deed as well as word. And Y'shua said the line of who would enter into the joy of the Master would even be drawn between the sheep and the goats. The sheep served Him by serving the least of His brothers; the goats did not. They are told to depart. (Mat. 25) Sheep are community-oriented; goats are individualists. Individualism has no place in the Kingdom. Few find the road to life, even among those who bring some sort of offering to YHWH. (Mat. 7:21)

15. "'He shall also remove both of the kidneys and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and what hangs over the liver by the kidneys.

16. "'And the priest shall cause it to smoke [as incense] on the altar bread of the fire offering as a soothing aroma; all the fat belongs to YHWH.

All the fat belongs to YHWH: because our best deeds always originate in Him (Yaaqov/James 1:17), not in ourselves, so we are to receive none of the credit for them. (Luke 17:8-10) Turning the fat over to Him is saying we recognize that He knows best and trust Him to provide what is best for us. Bread of the fire offering: without the vowels (as the original Hebrew Torah was), this phrase can read "the food of the wife of YHWH", i.e., His bride, which is created as His people become holy and draw near to Him in this way. A soothing aroma: this indeed is pleasing and refreshing to Him; nothing less satisfies Him. (Rom. 12:1-3) We are not free to change any of these regulations, or the sacrifice is rendered void. (Mat. 5:18) Even adding extra to them changes what they are meant to teach. (Gal. 3:15; Rev. 22:18) Our own way of approaching will not be accepted. (Mat. 22:11-12)

17. "'[This shall be] a perpetually-prescribed custom for your [future] generations and all of the places where you settle: you may not eat any fat or any blood.'"

There are many health benefits to obeying these commands, which would have spared countless people physical suffering. But many disregard them just because they are "under grace". Any fat: not the marbled fat that is inextricable from the meat, but the particular types listed in vv. 14-15. Any blood: 17:14 tells us we will be "cut off" if we eat it. This is not a command to human courts, but a promise that somehow we will physically suffer (if we survive), for YHWH will see to it. But if life is in the blood, why would we die if we eat it? Because it is the "life of the flesh" (17:11). The flesh is incompatible with the spirit, and if we "live according to the flesh", we will die. (Rom. 8:5-13) Eating blood is tantamount to saying, "It's my life; I'll do with it what I want. Forget YHWH." Also, the word for "flesh" means "good news" or "gospel", and it is not meant to be hidden within our mouths, but allowed out. What we are to keep in our mouths (ruminating on it) is the Torah. (Deut. 30:14; Yehoshua 1:8)



CHAPTER 4

1. Then YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

2. "Speak to the descendants of Israel, to tell [them], 'A soul that inadvertently deviates from any of YHWH's commandments which are not to be done, but shall commit one from [among] them,

Inadvertently: when having a lapse in memory or straying mentally. Although it was a mistake, it is still a sin, and we are still held responsible to make restitution. Which are not to be done: Aramaic, "which are not proper". This particular procedure applies only for negative commands. Inadvertent sins include all the times we worshipped idols when we called YHWH by the names of other elohim, bowed down to put gifts under Christmas trees (asherah poles), attended Easter sunrise services, or made YHWH’s Name of no effect by failing to use it. We need to come to grips with our guilt and do whatever it takes to get it out of our lives. It will not disappear magically, just because we are forgiven. The sacrifice removes the guilt, not the possibility of repeating the offense. Discipline—being more careful about our thoughts and deeds--is what will keep us from doing it again. The place to start is with confession. Then something has to die; we must offer up something of ourselves and what is valuable to us. Even the best marksman does not hit the target every time. It does not mean he is untrained, stubborn, or lazy. This applies even to the most mature. He starts with the high priest himself:

3. "'if the anointed priest shall sin [in a way that] results in the incurring of guilt [for] the nation, then for his sins which he has committed, he shall bring near a bull--the son of a herd, a perfect one--to YHWH as a sin offering.

Incurring of guilt for the nation: Normally the priest bears the guilt of the nation, but it works in reverse as well. If he sins, he represents the whole nation therein as well. But this also sets the precedent for the high priest to remove the sin of the whole nation. The sin of Israel becomes the sin of the "anointed priest" (literally, the priest, the Messiah), though he did not commit that sin himself. By attaching Himself to us, he partook of our sins. Y'shua did not share in our guilt (Heb. 7:27), but took it as His responsibility to remedy what His lost sheep had done, since He alone was able to; the Father could not die for His children. One individual cannot even die for another individual (Deut. 24:16), but he did die for the sins of the nation as a whole--not just Yehudah, but the scattered tribes as well. (Mat. 1:21; Yochanan 11:49-52) YHWH did not cast Adam out of the garden for his sin, but for not taking responsibility for it, for his wife was part of him. We, as Y'shua's bride, are in the same position. When we are truly unified again, we will no longer need a sin offering. (Heb. 10:18) Son of the herd: a young animal, full of potential, yet immature. The one bringing it is admitting there is still a measure of immaturity in himself, things he does not know. Both the words "bull" and "herd" are rooted in the idea of breaking through in Hebrew. It is appropriate to plow through Scripture to find answers, but not to go plowing through life without considering our actions or relationships.

4. "'And he shall bring the bull to the entryway to the Tent of Appointment before the face of YHWH, and lean his hand on the bull's head, and kill the bull [painlessly by slitting its throat] in the presence of YHWH.

5. "'Then the anointed priest shall take [some] of the bull's blood and bring it to the Tent of Appointment,

6. "'and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle the front of the veil of the sanctuary with the blood seven times before the face of YHWH.

He was still in front of the tent (v. 7), so this is the outer veil, the one torn at the death of Y'shua (Mat. 27:51) and representative of His flesh. (Heb. 10:20)

7. "'Then the priest shall put [some] of the blood before the face of YHWH on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense, which is in front of the Tent of Appointment, and he shall pour out all of the blood at the base of the altar of ascending [offering], which is in front of the entryway to the Tent of Appointment.

8. "'And he shall lift off from it [and present] all of the bull's fat [as] a sin offering--he shall lift off from it the fat that covers the inward parts, and all the fat that is beside the inward parts,

9. "'both kidneys and the fat that is on them, which is beside the flanks, and he shall remove the appendage that hangs over the liver beside the kidneys,

10. "'just as it is lifted off from the ox of the slaughter for peace offerings; then the priest shall cause them to smoke as incense on the altar of ascending [offering],

11. "'along with the bull's hide along with its flesh by its head and by its legs, its inward parts, and its dung.

12. "'He shall take the whole bull to the outside of the camp to a ritually-clean place where the ashes mixed with fat are poured out, and burn him on top of the wood with fire. It shall be burnt on top of the place where the ashes mixed with fat are poured out.

It is entirely done away with; in contrast to most other sacrifices, his one brings the offerer no benefit except relief from his guilt.

13. "'Now if the whole congregation of Israel shall inadvertently swerve [from the right path], and the matter is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done [even] one of all [the things] that YHWH has commanded not to be done, and have become guilty,

14. "'when the sin in which they have missed the target becomes known, then the community shall bring a bull--a son of a herd--as a sin offering. Now they shall bring it to the front of the Tent of Appointment,

15. "'and the elders of the congregation shall lean their hands on the head of the bull before the face of YHWH, and they shall kill the bull [painlessly by slitting its throat] in the presence of YHWH.

16. "'Then the anointed priest shall bring [some] of the blood of the bull to the Tent of Appointment,

17. "'and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle the front of the veil seven times before the face of YHWH.

Had Y'shua been born miraculously, remained without sin, and established a Kingdom for Yehudah, without the shedding of His blood, our sins could not be permanently taken away. This was the critical factor. He sprinkled his blood on the heavenly altar that this earthly one depicted. (Yochanan 20:17; Heb. 9:24)

18. "'And he shall put [some] of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before the face of YHWH--the one that is inside the Tent of Appointment. Then he shall pour out all the blood at the base of the altar of ascending [offering], which is at the entryway to the Tent of Appointment.

19. "'Then he shall lift off from it [and present] all its fat, and cause it to smoke as incense on the altar.

20. "'And he shall do to the bull just as he did to the bull of the sin offering; he shall do just the same to this. He shall thus put a covering over them, and it shall be forgiven them.

Thus web see an equivalency of weightiness between the high priest and the nation as a whole, since the offerings for both are the same.

21. "'Then he shall bring the bull outside the camp, and burn it just as he burned the first bull; it is a sin offering of the community.

22. "'When a ruler sins and has done [even] one of all [the things] that YHWH his Elohim has commanded not to be done, and has been incriminated,

Ruler: Not a king per se, but any overseer who is in position of authority over others within Israel. Note that the sacrifice required of him is not as great as the one required of the priest, but is more than is required of the common people (v. 27ff)

23. "'or the sin in which he has missed the target becomes known to him, he shall bring as his drawing-near a hairy goat--a completely sound male,

24. "'and shall lean his hand on the head of the goat, and kill it [painlessly by slitting its throat] at the place where he killed the ascending [offering] before YHWH; it is a sin offering.

25. "'Then the priest shall take [some] of the blood of the sin offering, and with his finger he shall put it on the horns of the altar of ascending [offering], then pour out its blood at the base of the altar of ascending [offering].

26. "'And he shall cause it to smoke as incense on the altar, along with all of its fat, just like the fat of what is slaughtered [as] the peace offerings; thus the priest shall make a covering over him because of his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.

Thus the priest shall make a covering: Aramaic, "whereupon the priest should atone for him". On Yom haKippurim (the day of atonements), the high priest kills one goat for the nation, but releases the other (an identical one), according to the actual command. But in practice, the nation realized, and it became tradition, that the other had to die as well in order for the atonement to be complete, so they began throwing it off a cliff. The Messiah was sacrificed, but the other goat--the practice of our sin--still has to die so that Israel can fully enter the Promised Land. Compared to a sheep, a goat is an individualist, and as such the particular sin it represents to us is our going our own way instead of staying unified under YHWH’s rule. None of its blood is brought into the tent, in contrast to that of the bull (v. 16), which bears others' burdens and uses its strength to provide for others.

27. "'And if one soul of the people of the Land shall sin inadvertently by doing one of the things that YHWH has commanded not to be done, and is incriminated,

Of the people: There are different levels of accountability for the priests, who should know better, and the common people, who had fewer opportunities to study the Torah in depth. YHWH hold those who have more opportunity to understand as more responsible (Luk. 12:48). Inadvertently: LXX, "unwillingly".

28. "'or the sin in which he has missed the target becomes known to him, he shall bring as his drawing-near a hairy she-goat--a completely sound female--in regard to his sin in which he has missed the target.

29. "'Then he shall lean his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering [painlessly by slitting its throat] at the place of the ascending [offering].

30. "'Then the priest shall take [some] of its blood, and with his finger he shall put it on the horns of the altar of ascending [offering], then pour out all [the rest of] of its blood at the base of the altar.

31. "'Then he shall lift off from it [and present] all its fat, just as what is slaughtered as the sin offerings has been lifted off from, and the priest shall cause it to smoke as incense on the altar as a soothing aroma for YHWH. Thus the priest shall make a covering over him, and it shall be forgiven him.

32. "'Now if he brings a female lamb as his drawing near to be a sin offering, he shall bring one that is completely sound.

33. "'And he shall lean his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering [painlessly by slitting its throat] at the place where he kills the ascending [offering].

34. "'Then the priest shall take [some] of the blood of the sin offering, and with his finger he shall put it on the horns of the altar of ascending [offering], then pour out its blood at the base of the altar.

35. "'And he shall lift off from it [and present] all its fat, just as what is slaughtered as the sin offerings has been lifted off from, and the priest shall cause it to smoke as incense on the altar on top of the fire offerings of YHWH. Thus the priest shall make a covering over him in regard to his sin by which he has missed the mark, and it is forgiven him.'"

Covering: Hebrews 10 was speaking of just this passage when it says "the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin." These sacrifices deal with the same sins year after year, removing guilt only temporarily--until we repeat the offense. That chapter tells us that it is the body of Messiah (both His physical laying down of His life and the functioning of ourselves as His Body, sharpening one another and acting in unity, caring for one another and training each other not to sin) that actually does away with the practice of the sin, thus removing it in reality from Israel as a whole people. A perfect man has died for us! It is our fault, not His! We need to make His sacrifice worth His while and become what He died to make us! Say "I'm sorry" through your actions. Turn around and walk in the other direction! Make restitution for your wrongdoings! As long as we use His sacrifice as an excuse to remain individualists and not get back on track, His sacrifice has not accomplished its purpose.


CHAPTER 5

1. "'When a soul sins in hearing the voice of an oath (when he is a witness, either having seen or come to know [evidence], but does not reveal it), he shall bear [the consequences for] his guilt.

Soul: or "breathing person". Voice: i.e., this oath is spoken out loud, which suggests that some oaths are not. Our gestures, facial expressions, or a simple nod can indicate promises, and even our presence in a particular context can indicate our approval or allegiance. People should be held to those as well, but this is speaking of upholding one's role as a witness. Oath: or, cursing. You bring a curse upon yourself if you break an oath, and by not reminding someone of his responsibility to keep his promises, you would share his punishment, whereas if you do warn him, he alone bears the guilt; compare Yechezq'El (Ezekiel) 33:2-7. By not holding someone to a standard he has set for himself, you are lowering the standard. Reveal it: boldly oppose or expose. Aram., "give information"; LXX, "report it".

2. "'Or if a soul touches anything ritually impure, whether a carcass of a dead ritually-impure animal, the ritually-impure corpse of a large beast, or the corpse of ritually-impure insects, and he is unaware that he is impure and has committed a punishable offense,

Insects: literally, "creeping things"; LXX, "abominable reptiles". Ritual impurity is a picture of selfishness, so unclean animals are symbolic of the animal nature within us, and this may be more important than the physical act of touching something unclean. Selfishness is not sin, but it easily breeds sin. And it spreads when we associate with others who encourage it. When someone insists on his own way, it automatically awakens defensiveness the one he is affecting. Even the reactions that enter our head and are not allowed release can be enough tyo render us unclean. On the other hand, the Torah is life (Deut. 32:47), so by being away from it in any way, we take on death. Selfishness is encouraged by any unnecessary interaction with what is not set apart to YHWH. Loving the present age is making war on YHWH. (Yaaqov 4:4) When we like how it feels, this reveals the selfishness in us. The proper response is not to make excuses, but to do something about it, then let go of it. Guilt can be your friend if it leads you to repent.

3. "'or if he touches the ritual impurity of humanity--any impurity by which he may be ritually unclean, and it is not known to him, then when it comes to his attention, he is [counted] guilty.

Is not known to him: LXX, "has escaped his notice". A person is not responsible until he knows what he has done. Humanity: literally, "Adam"; his impurity was more in refusing to accept responsibility for his sin than the disobedience itself.
Portion TZAV (6:1 - 8:36)
CHAPTER 6

1. [8 in English] Then YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

2. "Command (tzav) Aharon and his sons, saying: 'This is the instruction [in regard to] the ascending [offering]--that is, the ascending [offering] on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar is kept burning on it.

Command Aharon: Before the golden calf incident, YHWH used to speak to them both together, but there was a price to pay for this sin. He was cut off from this higher level of direct revelation. Hearth: the center of Israel's family life; literally, "burning place". All night: the time when no one is in the sanctuary but the priests. Will we continue offering ourselves only to YHWH when we are away from the light of others who are like-minded? Or do we offer ourselves to something else at those times? But the root word for "night" actually means a spiral staircase--another description of ascension. In fact, "This is the instruction in regard to the ascending" is all the first phrase actually says, so we may take this as our directions for how to ascend as well. In order for it to work, we need to have a fire (often a picture of what motivates us), something of ourselves to offer up at each new step. Fire also represents YHWH's presence (Ex. 3:2; 24:17; Deut. 5:23.), for this is what should motivate us, and He Himself is what awaits us at the top of the stairs. The offerings brought by those who came before us form the basis for our sacrifice. Your worship thus fuels mine, and in turn if I have the proper attitude and carry out my actions properly, it will form another step for you to ascend on. But without an altar, we cannot have a fire. An altar represents unity and identification with Israel. (Yehoshua 22:10-29) Each of us is responsible to make the congregation a place conducive to all that took place at the altar--confession, forgiveness, purification, teaching, rebuke, and putting ourselves away. According to the sages, the ascending offering was brought to atone for a sin of the mind; sins committed physically have other specified sacrifices. The word usually translated "sacrifice" or "offering" literally means "a drawing near". Thoughts can bring us closer to YHWH because they are in the soul, not in the flesh; thus, sins of the mind are considered greater than sins of the body, and hold a higher penalty.

3. "'The priest shall put his long robe of fine linen, and he shall put his linen undergarments over his flesh, and he shall lift up the ashes that the fire has consumed along with the ascending offering on the altar, and he shall place them beside the altar.

Long robe: literally, measured robe, since white linen represents the works of those who are set apart. (Rev. 19:8) Undergarments: They came between him and his holy garments, which were not to directly touch his flesh, the symbol of his natural human strength and corruptibility. (See Exodus 28 for background.) YHWH knows the flesh is there, but wants our works to overshadow it. By being zealous and repenting, we can "buy" from Y'shua clothes to cover the nakedness that remains there as long as this age lasts. (Rev. 3:18) Beside the altar: During Second Temple times, there were three fires atop the huge altar, and a pile of ashes between them. During festivals, it grew higher and higher, and its height was used to gauge Israel’s spiritual condition.

4. "'Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments, then he shall bring the ashes away to a [ritually] clean place outside of the camp.

But the word for ashes is from a root meaning fatness, prosperity, and anointing--far from being worthless, they actually picture what is left after our motivation (the fire) has done its work. A place of ritual cleanness represents a place of selflessness. That is where we must take the profit that results from the worthy goals that motivated us.

5. "'But the fire on the altar shall be kept burning thereupon; it shall not be extinguished. The priest shall kindle wood on it morning by morning, and he shall arrange the ascending offering upon it in an orderly manner, and cause it to go up in smoke along with the fat from the peace offering.

Here, the fire depicted YHWH's presence outside the veil, where the whole community could see it, unlike that flame which was restricted to the Holy of Holies. YHWH lit the fire Himself, but it must be kept stoked. All of Sha'ul [Paul]'s writings bear this pattern: the work has already been done, but keep the awareness of this alive by constantly living out the actions appropriate to what has been accomplished spiritually for us. Morning by morning: or "every morning". Though a fire is not to be kindled in one's own dwelling on the Sabbath, in the Temple it must be kept burning. His presence was to be represented there at all times, but we cannot presume to bring the symbol of His presence if we deliberately withdraw from the community that He is forming into His dwelling-place. (Heb. 10:25) Study of Torah and practice of it within the community is what keeps it going so others can ascend as well. Wood represents people--mature men, fully given over to becoming a place for others to offer themselves to YHWH. In the Second Temple, there was a large chamber dedicated to sorting the wood that people had donated. The priests who had physical deformities were the ones who performed this service, since they could not be in places of prominence, as they could not rightly represent YHWH's perfection. The wood that was not deemed worthy of the altar (having some defect) was still used to heat the fires in the priests' chambers to keep them warm or cook their other food.

6. "'Fire shall be kept burning continually upon the altar; it shall never [be allowed to] go out.

Nothing is killed on top of the altar, but in front of it, then the pieces are brought up onto the altar to be burned. Thus, if there is no fire upon the altar, it is useless. According to oral tradition, the particular fire that was lit at this time did continue to burn for 140 years.

7. "'And this is the instruction in regard to the grain offering: the sons of Aharon shall bring it near, in the presence of YHWH, to the front [face] of the altar.

Grain offering: Minchah--literally, a voluntary gift or tribute, but it has parameters given here, just as Hevel's offering was accepted, but Qayin's was not.

8. "'And he shall take from it his handful of the flour of the grain offering, its oil, and all the frankincense that is on the grain offering, and he shall cause it to go up in smoke upon the altar--a soothing aroma as its memorial [portion] for YHWH.

Handful: Literally, closed fistful. It was a precise measure, not overly generous like a storekeeper might give, but exactly, as a pharmacist would measure, because too much can "kill you" (obscure the symbolism) as easily as too little could. The shape of the hand in grasping this "handful" would be with three fingers folded inward, much like the shape of a hand holding the handle of a coffee mug. This gift is an expression of our heart, and YHWH "breathes it in". Mystically at least, Eden is directly above the Temple Mount, and the fire carries it upward. The Messenger of YHWH often appeared in a flame of fire, and Y'shua is often identified with this "angel"; He is the one who carries our prayers to the Father. Memorial: it both reminds the giver that in reality all that he has belongs to YHWH, and it "reminds" YHWH of His covenant with Israel. Smell is the sense that carries memories most perfectly. This bread is a picture of the congregation which is all "one bread". (1 Corinthians 10:17) No leaven (a symbol of sin and pride) is allowed in this bread:

9. "'Then Aharon and his sons shall eat the rest. It shall be eaten without leaven in the Place of Holiness; they shall eat it in the courtyard of the Tent of Appointment.

Not only were the priests commanded not to eat leaven (as at Passover), but also to positively eat unleavened bread. Only part of this offering was sacrificed; the rest was turned into bread. Compare this with Y'shua, who was sacrificed, yet says his Body must "eat" of him (Yochanan 6:53ff; Matithyahu 26:26), so not all of him was consumed in his sacrificial death. While we are indeed saved by his death, how "much more" should we emphasize that "we are saved by his life" (Romans 5:10)? A much larger portion is given to feed his "kingdom of priests"--not so they can devour the flock, but to sustain them with the full energy of His community, so that these who have no other earthly inheritance can have the space they need to prepare the bread that will be remembered by YHWH. (v. 8) Y'shua is called the Bread of Life. (Yochanan 6:48) Place of Holiness: When the "Holy Place" (the first room within the tabernacle) is referred to, it is normally only called "haQodesh"--the Holy. Here, the actual word for "place" (maqom) is added in the Hebrew text. The root of this word means "to rise" or "to stand", including the concept of resurrection. All of these things took place upon Mt. Moriah: the smoke from the altar arose, the priests and Levites constantly stood while on duty (with bare feet), and Y'shua was resurrected, because Gulgol'thah and his nearby tomb are actually located at the highest point of Mt. Moriah.

10. It shall not be baked with leaven. I have appointed it as their portion [to be taken] out of my offerings by fire. It is most holy, just like the sin offering and guilt offering.

11. Any male among the sons of Aharon may eat it--[as] a never-ending statute throughout your generations--from YHWH's offerings by fire. Anything [or anyone] that touches them must be set apart.'"


12. Then YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

13. "This is the offering of Aharon and his sons, which they shall bring near to YHWH on the day when he is anointed: a tenth of an eyfah of flour, as a continual grain offering--half of it in the morning, and half of it in the evening.

Which they shall bring: A grain offering is usually voluntary, but YHWH "ups the ante" for those who are under stricter scrutiny, since they "carry all of Israel on their shoulders". They are told what their heart should compel them to bring. Intimacy with YHWH means the loss of some freedoms to choose, just as in a human love relationship. Half in the morning...evening: Our works in the darkness should be the same as our works in the light. A tenth of an eyfah is one omer (Exodus 16:36), whose value is half a sheqel, which is also the portion or value of one man (Exodus 16:16; 30:13). Why not just say an omer? Because ten men makes up one congregation, and their value is equivalent to one firstborn (Numbers 18:16); the whole congregation of Y'shua is called "the called-out of [belonging to] the Firstborn (Hebrews 12:23). Everyone needs to be joined to "the other nine" (compare Luke 17:17) in order to be complete.

14. "On a griddle with oil shall it be made; you shall bring it in mixed. You must bring baked pieces of the grain offering [gift]--a soothing aroma to YHWH.

Bring it in mixed: When brought it must already be prepared and ready to be offered.

15. "And the priest who is anointed in his [Aharon's] place, from among his sons, shall make it [the mixture]. This is a never-ending statute of YHWH: it shall be completely burned up,

16. "and every grain offering [given by] a priest is a whole burnt offering; it shall not be eaten."

This is a greater offering still. "To whom much is given, of him is much required." (Luk. 12:48) The priests were the chosen from among the chosen--the greatest of servants to the whole community, fully given to making sure the rest are walking with YHWH, and therefore are the most esteemed of any in Israel, even above kings. What they bring as gifts to YHWH is to be wholly consumed. The closer we draw near, the more we want to give of ourselves to Him. Y'shua offered all of Himself as our Great High Priest.

17. Then YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

18. "Speak to Aharon and his sons, saying, "This is the instruction regarding the sin offering: In the [same] place where the ascending offering is slaughtered, the sin offering shall be slaughtered before YHWH. It is most holy.

19. "The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. He shall eat it in the Place of Holiness; it shall be eaten in the courtyard of the Tent of Appointment.

Every time we turn ourselves over to YHWH in repentance or offer ourselves to the community, our High Priest (Y'shua) is "fed" and sustained. We now belong to Him; He is allowed to consume us in order to establish His Kingdom. We have been stored in a place where we took on the odors of what was around us, so we must now go to where we can "air ourselves out" and remove the influence of the nations where we have been exiled, so we can again have the Torah's original flavor--not one of religion, but of one people with one kingdom and one King.

20. "Anything that touches it shall become holy. And if any of its blood gets spattered on the clothing, whatever it is spattered on shall be washed in the Place of Holiness.

Become holy: It may never again be used for commonplace purposes. The same holds true for the people He is making holy. Nehemyah refused to speak even to king's messengers when he was doing the important work of rebuilding the holy city; the Apostles would not set aside the ministry of the word in order to wait on tables. (Acts 6) Washed: The LXX places more emphasis on the person who owns the spattered garment being washed himself.

20. "Also, any earthen vessel in which it is boiled must be broken, but if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, it must be scoured, then rinsed with water.

Both clay and bronze are removed from the earth, being less noble than gold or silver, but the former is porous and has absorbed some of the blood, symbolizing those who let "life" become part of our own being and begin to live for it, while the latter contains life, but does not live for the sake of the life itself, but uses it for the sake of YHWH or His community, giving it up easily and willingly if that demand comes. By thus losing one's life, he preserves it (Mat. 10:39), but the one who "finds his life" can only be reworked by being destroyed--smashed against the Rock, thus becoming dust again (Luke 20:18), which in the potter's hand can re-fire, removing the impurities. As "earthen vessels", our flesh must die if we are to inhabit the Kingdom.

22. "Any male among the priests may eat from it; it is most holy.

23. "And any sin offering the blood of which is brought into the Tent of Appointment to make atonement for the sanctuary shall not be eaten. It must be burned with fire.

Burned: Aramaic, "consumed".


CHAPTER 7

1. "And this is the instruction in regard to the guilt offering. (It is most holy.)

Guilt offering: LXX, "ram for the trespass-offering".

2. "In the place where they kill the ascending [offering], they shall kill the guilt offering, and its blood shall be sprinkled on the altar, all around.

3. "And all its fat shall be brought near, and [the parts] of it that he shall offer are the fat tail, the fat that covers the inward parts,

4. "both kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is beside the flanks, and he shall remove what hangs over the liver.

5. "And the priest shall cause them to go up in smoke on the altar [as] an offering by fire to YHWH; it is a guilt offering.

6. "Any male among the priests may eat it. It shall be eaten in a set-apart place; it is holiest [among] the holy things.

7. "As the sin offering, so [with] the guilt offering; there is one instruction for them [both]. It shall belong to the priest who makes atonement by it.

8. "And the priest who brings near a man's ascending [offering], the skin of the ascending offering that he has brought near belongs to [that] priest; it shall be his.

9. "And any grain offering that is baked in an oven, or anything prepared in a frying pan or griddle shall belong to the priest that brings it near; it is his.

10. "And any grain offering, mixed with oil or dry, shall be for all the sons of Aharon, one as much as another.

One as much as another: lit., "man like his brother".

11. "Now this is the instruction [in regard to] the peace offerings which are to be brought near to YHWH:

Peace offerings: literally, "slaughters of peace".

12. "If he brings it near on account of thanks, then in addition to the thanks offering, he shall bring near unleavened loaves mixed with oil, unleavened wafers spread with oil, and of unleavened loaves of fine flour saturated with oil.

Spread: literally, "anointed".

13. "In addition to the loaves of unleavened bread, he shall bring near his offering in regard to a thanks offering, his peace offerings.

14. "And out of every offering, he shall bring one near as a part skimmed off for YHWH for the priest who is tossing the blood of the peace offerings; it is for him.

15. "As to the flesh [meat] of the sacrifice of the thanksgiving and peace offerings, it shall be eaten on the [same] day that the offering [is made]; he shall not leave any of it until morning.

A thanks offering is not done because of any sin, but often to express gratitude for deliverance from great danger, though it was not limited to such. In the giver's mind, he was putting himself on the altar, i.e., sacrificing himself, losing his own life, and in doing so, Y'shua says, he
truly finds it. Psalm 116 was written to be used at the time when one brought a thanks or peace offering. It is a testimony of the wonderful things YHWH has done for the psalmist. This kind of story needs to be told; it cannot wait for tomorrow. In order to finish eating such a huge animal the same day, one needs to share it. He has a feast with the priests, which both provides for them (as they have no inheritance of their own), and provides an opportunity to tell why one is thanking YHWH. Less focus is thus placed on self. Recounting the great deeds He has done increases everyone's confidence in Him. Everyone makes it a part of himself, rather than
remaining a second-hand account of YHWH's blessings. The meal itself is thus part of the drawing near.

16. "If the sacrifice of his offering pertains to a vow or a free-will offering, it shall be eaten on the [same] day in which he brings his sacrifice near; the rest of it may be eaten the next day as well.

17. "But whatever [part] of the sacrifice is left over until the third day shall be burned with fire.

Going back yet another time to finish the meat would start to put the focus on the food, not the offering. There has to be a fresh drawing near--a "give us this day our daily bread", not an earthly security. In reference to Y'shua's sacrifice, there are two days (two thousand years) in which we may partake of it for the nourishment of our souls; on the third "day"--the third
millennium, after the gates are closed, it is too late to begin.

18. "Moreover, if any of the meat of the sacrifice of his peace offerings is eaten at all on the third day, it is not pleasing; it shall not be reckoned to the account of him who has brought it, [but] shall become an abomination, and the person who eats thereof shall bear the consequences.

Pleasing: or "accepted favorably". Consequences: guilt or iniquity.

19. "And the meat which touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten; it shall be burned with fire. But [as for] the meat, everyone who is ritually pure may eat meat.

I.e., that particular sacrifice becomes null and void, but in general Meat: the Aramaic reflects the opinion common in second Temple days that this referred to a third category of "sacred flesh" or "sacrificial food". This verse seems confusing and contradictory until we remember that the words for "meat" (flesh) and "good news" (or Gospel) are the same in Hebrew. No "Gospel" that has become mixed with an impure thing (such as using the preaching of the good news as a means to feed oneself or build one's personal empire by co-opting the truth that "the Kingdom is at hand", is a pure Gospel anymore, and must be rejected. However, if the message remains pure (an unmixed with paganism), you may feed on it freely if you yourself remain pure. We cannot truly partake of the news that Y'shua was sent to restore the Kingdom to the whole community of Israel while we are in a selfish state, which is what ritual uncleanness symbolizes.

20. "But the person who eats of the meat of the sacrifice of the peace offerings, which belong to YHWH, when he is in the state of impurity, shall be cut off from his people.

One cannot draw near with proper thanksgiving if he is selfish. Because some were gluttons like this while they neglected others within the body at their "love feasts", some suffered the ultimate physical penalty--bodily death. (1 Corinthians 11:17-22) The priests later had a special gate by which to leave the holiest part of the Temple complex should they become ritually defiled while on duty.

21. "And whenever a person [soul] touches anything ritually impure, whether it be the uncleanness of humanity [Adam] or of an unclean beast, or of any abomination that is unclean, and shall also eat of the meat of the peace offerings which belong to YHWH, that soul shall be cut off from his people."

The sin of Adam, the false Messiah (called the Beast), and the Abomination of Desolation, his idol, in the most specific instance probably a crucifix, are all suggested here as things which defile the soul. The true Gospel cannot be mixed with any of these things. But having contact with that which makes us selfish also evokes the other biblical imagery of a little leaven leavening the whole lump (1 Corinthians 5:6), the tongue as a fire of gossip that starts a forest fire that cannot be controlled (Yaaqov/James 3:1-12), bad company corrupting good morals, etc.

22. Then YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

23. "Speak to the descendants of Israel, saying, "You shall not eat any [of the] fat of an ox, a sheep, or a goat,

As we see in our culture today, which has ignored this command, eating it is detrimental to one's health anyway. But the point is that the fat (or best part, the choicest; rooted in the word for cream), belongs to YHWH, not us. We do not get the best in this life; it is yet to come if we store up treasures in heaven from our best, not our leftovers. A deer's or chicken's fat may thus, however, be eaten, because they are clean animals but not acceptable for sacrifice on the altar.

24. "Nor shall you by any means eat the fat of a dead body or of a thing that is torn, though you may use it for any work,

Dead body: or "that which died of itself", i.e., by age or disease, not slaughter. Torn: usually understood to mean "by wild beasts". The fat of non-sacrifical animals may be put to any other use--to make candles, as a lubricant, etc.--but not as food.

25. "because whoever eats of the fat of the animal that one brings near as a fire offering to YHWH--the person who himself eats--shall be cut off from his people.

Cut off: possibly not directly executed, but, more seriously, taken out from under the protection of the community and thus exposed to all the elements, left to fend for himself against all the wild beasts and dangers in the wilderness. A parallel is seen in 1 Corinthians 5:5 and its sequel, 2 Corinthians 2:5-11.

26. "Nor shall you eat any blood in any of your dwellings [assemblies], either of fowl [winged thing] or beast.

While the fat of some animals may be eaten, the blood of no animal may. Blood is life, and this symbolizes a deeper level of sanctity. While Y'shua's resurrected body had flesh and bone, blood was not mentioned, and for good reason; blood is the life of the flesh, and skin was given Adam and Chavvah as a covering after they sinned; prior to that, in some sense, light was what sustained them. Thus blood is a reminder of our fallenness, which we will one day be freed from, so we should not take any more into ourselves than we absolutely need to remain alive. It is also in effect saying, "This is my life; I'll do what I want, regardless of the community."

27. "Any soul who eats any blood, that very soul shall be cut off from his people."

This is not necessarily a command to execute the person, but a promise that in some way, this person will be separated from the community to which he belongs; YHWH will see to it. Spiritual awareness, at the very least, will be dulled, and one needs to repent of this before they can have any additional revelation thereafter. This was reiterated most directly, and possibly in two separate forms, as being incumbent upon even Gentiles (as those who wish to share a table with Jews who also believe) in Acts 15:20ff. Indeed, the eating of strangled meats (a term covering any out of which the blood is not properly drained) is only implicit in the Torah, but explicit in the Renewed Covenant. Yet this command is ignored, and the consequence shows
up in many diseases, especially cancer. But the main reason it is forbidden is that the life (literally soul) of the flesh resides in the blood. (17:11) To take the blood into ourselves--and it is not digested, but becomes directly part of our own blood--is to take into ourselves the soul of an animal. It makes us brutal and spiritually insensitive.

28. Then YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

29. "Tell the descendants of Israel [this]: 'The one who brings near his peace offerings to YHWH shall bring his offering for YHWH from what is slaughtered for his peace offerings.

30. "His own hands shall bring the fire offerings of YHWH: he shall bring the fat upon the breast along with the breast to be swinged back and forth as a wave offering before the face of YHWH.

31. "'And the priest shall cause the fat to go up in smoke on the altar, but the breast shall belong to Aharon and his sons.

32. "'And you shall give the right shank to the priest as a contribution lifted off from slaughterings of peace offerings.

Shank: LXX, "shoulder".

33. "'one from among Aharon's sons who brings near the blood of the peace offerings and the fat is the one to whom the right shank shall be allotted,

34. "'because the breast of the wave offering and the shank of the contribution I have taken from the descendants of Israel--from what is slaughtered as their peace offerings--and given them to Aharon and his sons as a prescribed portion [due them] forever from among the descendants of
Israel.

35. "'This is the portion dedicated to Aharon and dedicated to his sons out of the fire offerings of YHWH. He shall bring them near to function in the position of priests to YHWH.

36. "'This is what YHWH commanded should be given to them on the day he consecrated them [by anointing] from among the descendants of Israel as a never-ending decree throughout their generations.'"

37. This [has been] the instruction in regard to the ascending [offering], the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, for inaugurations, and for the slaughter of peace offerings,

38. over which YHWH gave Moshe charge at Mount Sinai on the day when He ordered the descendants of Israel to bring their offerings to YHWH in the wilderness of Sinai.


CHAPTER 8

1. Then YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

2. "Take Aharon and his sons and the garments, the oil of anointing, the bull of the sin offering and the two rams, and the basket of unleavened [loaves],

Take: Not "ask if he would like to serve as High Priest"; YHWH was the one who made the choice. But the term "take" is often used of marriage; he was to permanently link Aharon and his descendants with the service of the sanctuary and to all these symbols that made it up. His sons represent the eternal continuity of the covenant; the garments, righteous deeds. Oil represents the flow of the Spirit from the Kingdom. The anointing depicts the Messiah. The bull represents optimum restitution for one's sins. The two rams, detailed later in the chapter, stand for ascension and the carrying out of what hitherto had been only talked about. The root word for basket means "to lift up", and unleavened bread (aside from representing the putting away of pride) is marked and pierced, which are the Hebrew words for male and female, so it is a picture of the raising up of Adam restored to his original, undivided state. Only when all of these elements are together can Israel function as a unified kingdom:

3. "and assemble the whole congregation at the entrance to the Tent of Appointment."

The term used here for "congregation" means "a witness". In the context of a Hebrew wedding, the friend of the bridegroom serves as a witness and the one who escorts the bride to the groom, who has been preparing the dwelling place until his father says all is ready. The Father is doing just that here. The friend of the groom also teaches the bride the ways of her husband-to-be so she will be an appropriate wife for him.

4. So Moshe did as YHWH had commanded him, and the whole congregation was gathered together at the entrance to the Tent of Appointment.

The entrance to the tent symbolizes the gates to our bodies, where the battle for control of our energies takes place. (See Exodus 38:8) When enemies storm them, all of Israel in unity needs to fight them off. The warfare is there for the purpose of unifying us. Marrying all of these symbols to the nation is how we can guard our gates. They were gathered around the washbasin, which was made of mirrors, so it represents looking at our condition, finding out how we are soiled, and repenting. The season of repentance comes just before the Feast that represents the Kingdom. Often we do not know why the enemy is gaining ground in a certain area, so we need to study harder to know how to combat the Adversary so he will run from us rather than us running from him.

5. Then Moshe told the congregation, "This is what YHWH has ordered [us] to do."

6. And Moshe brought Aharon and his sons and bathed them with water,

Moshe (as shorthand for the Torah he wrote down) is the one who stipulates who serves as an officiator in Israel. Today we have no functioning Levitical priesthood, but the priests' role was to guard knowledge and teach the Torah. (Mal. 2:7) If they had done their job fully, there would never have needed to be prophets. Bathed with water: A husband is to wash his wife with the water of the Word in order to set her apart and cleanse her. (Eph. 5:25ff) Immediately after He renewed the Covenant, Y'shua said his immediate disciples were cleansed because of the words He had spoken. (Yoch. 15:3) A way to partake of selflessness had been made, and they were to go teach Torah to the lost sheep of the House of Israel (the scattered Northern Kingdom) so we could be regathered as one congregation again.

7. and bestowed on him the tunic, and belted him with the sash, and clothed him with the long robe, and put the efod on him, and fitted him with the ingeniously-imaginative waistband of the efod, and bound it onto him with it.

8. Then he also laid the pouch upon him, and put the urim and thummim inside the pouch.

Urim and thummim: No one is certain as to exactly what they were. Some think they were simply black and white stones. Others believe this was a process by which the letters on the breastplate that covered the pouch lit up in sequence to spell out messages from YHWH. We do know that what they were used for was to obtain direction from YHWH. But the meaning of their names defines their significance. Urim means "lights", and in Hebraic context this refers to the Torah (Ps. 119:105), and since the term is plural, it would include commands, decrees, and rulings as well. Thummim means "perfections" or "mature ones". So they symbolize mature leaders who understand the Torah and can therefore tell Israel which way to go. Considering what a stubborn people we are, this may be a bigger miracle than the seeming "magic" of however it worked in the literal ancient sense! They were hidden in a pocket behind the breastplate, on which were written the names of all twelve tribes of Israel. So we know that any direction we receive must be in context of the unification of Israel. The numeric value of the Hebrew words "the urim" and "the thummim" equal the value of some fascinating phrases from elsewhere in Scripture that when put together in the same order also describe the meaning they have for us today: "and He shall show/a gift" and "and we shall see/His Kingdom". The numeric value of the word efod in v. 7 is equivalent to the phrases "will make known our hearts" and "knew Him"--the underlying purpose that makes this curious paraphernalia of utmost practicality.

9. And he put the turban on him, and toward the front facing on the turban he put the gold plate, the holy crown of consecration, just as YHWH had commanded Moshe.

Moshe dressed the High Priest. Our High Priest is Y'shua, so His garments (deeds) are in accordance with the Torah. Outside of this context, the one who is presented or worshipped is actually a false Messiah.

10. Then Moshe took the anointing oil, and anointed the Dwelling-place and everything that was in it; thus he set them apart them [as holy].

11. Then he sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all of its implements, as well as the washbasin and its base, in order to render them holy.

12. Then he poured some of the anointing oil on Aharon's head, thus anointing him, to [mark] him as consecrated.

We cannot fully understand our "anointed High Priest" (the Messiah) without understanding the purpose of and His relation to these other "anointed ones". They are all our teachers about what the Kingdom is like and how to bring it about.

13. And Moshe brought Aharon's sons, and put tunics on them, and belted them with waist-sashes, and bound head-gear on them, just as YHWH had commanded Moshe.

These are now the "everyday" or "ordinary" priests. They, too, must be clothed by Moshe, representing the fact that the white garments of our works must also be in accord with and based in Torah to be counted as righteous.

14. Then he brought the bull of the sin offering, and Aharon and his sons leaned their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering,

15. and [one of them] killed it [by slitting its throat], and Moshe took the blood and put it on the horns of the altar, on all sides, with his finger, thus freeing the altar from sin. Then he poured out the blood at the base of the altar, thus setting it apart as holy so that atonement could be made upon it.

Thus freeing the altar from sin: i.e., to keep it from missing its purpose for existence. This is a sin offering for the priesthood, so the altar is personified to be identified in a special way with them, for they are the ones charged with guiding all Israel in our ascending to YHWH. There is a death penalty for going against their rulings, so it is clear that their words and deeds are judged with much greater strictness than others'.

16. Then he took away all the fat that was on the inward parts, and the lobe that overhung the liver, both kidneys, and their fat. Then Moshe caused them to [go up in] smoke upon the altar.

Here Moshe is doing many things the priests were meant to do, though he is not a descendant of Aharon. Perhaps he was merely teaching them the steps that were shown him on the mountain, then turning the responsibility over to them. But perhaps this indicates that he, too, was a "priest after the order of Melchitzedeq", in which genealogy is not the primary qualification. At its root, the Hebrew word for "priest" means "officiator", and since we are called a Kingdom of Priests, we too must learn from Moshe (i.e., the Torah) if we are to know how to carry out this responsibility, one aspect of which is "rightly dividing the word of truth", just as the priests had to learn to rightly divide the animals on the altar. Taking away the fat over the inward parts represents the circumcision of the heart. Like that of the flesh, it has to be tended carefully lest the flesh reattach to protect this most sensitive part from remaining exposed. But though it is difficult, confession is the only way we can be purified and washed clean of the sins that hold us captive.

17. But the bull, its hide, its flesh, and its dung he burned with fire outside the camp, just as YHWH had commanded Moshe.

18. Then he brought the ram of the ascending [offering] near, and Aharon and his sons leaned their hands on the ram's head,

19. and [one of them] killed it [by slitting its throat painlessly], and Moshe dashed its blood onto the altar on every side.

20. Then he divided the ram into pieces [by its joints], and Moshe caused the head, the divided-up pieces, and the suet to [go up in] smoke.

Pieces: Aramaic, "sections", i.e., to be burned on separate fires on the altar according to categories.

21. But he washed the inward parts and legs with water. Then Moshe caused the whole ram to go up in smoke upon the altar; it is an ascending, to be a soothing aroma to YHWH. It is an offering by fire to YHWH.

Legs: literally "knees", with which we bow in homage. So this area of our lives needs to be immersed in Torah as well so we will not be inadvertently paying respect to something that stands in Israel's way. Soothing aroma: What smells right to YHWH rather than being selfish, causing a stench in His nostrils.

22. Then he brought the second ram near--the ram of inauguration, and Aharon and his sons leaned their hands on the ram,

Inauguration here could also read "fulfillment". Avraham saw a ram behind him (which also means "in the future" in Hebrew), so Y'shua could thus be called the "ram of fulfillment" as well, since just as Avraham had been asked to offer up his own son, so YHWH offered His own Son in fulfillment of this "type". The term is technically used of mounting a precious stone in its setting, for its purpose is not fulfilled until it is placed in the particular slot it was designed for. Y'shua said He had come to "fulfill the Torah." I.e., to set it on its right footing, to make it serve the optimal purpose for which it is designed--loving YHWH and one another with all of our heart, soul, and potential.

23. and he killed it [by slitting its throat], and Moshe took some of the blood and put it on Aharon's right ear lobe, the thumb of his right hand, and the big toe of his right foot.

24. And he brought Aharon's sons, and Moshe put blood on their right ear lobes, the thumb of their right hands, and the big toe of their right feet. Then Moshe tossed the blood on the altar, all around,

These are the extremities, symbolizing the foremost part of our hearing (i.e., an anointing that enables one to hear the "still, small voice" in the spirit). The thumbs are closest to the heart when "lifting holy hands" to show that they are clean, representing taking into our heart that to which we set our hands. The big toe is the first part of the body to arrive wherever one is going, so this represents the magnification of the leaders of Israel walking in the right direction. And while without any other toe, we could learn to walk relatively normally again, without the big toe there can be no balance. The right foot is anointed, probably to symbolize following our good inclination rather than our evil one.

25. and took the fat, the fat tail, all the fat on the inward parts, and the lobe that hangs over the liver, both kidneys, their fat, and the right leg.

26. And he took one unleavened loaf, one cake of bread anointed with oil, and one wafer from the basket of unleavened loaves, and placed them on top of the fat and the right leg.

27. Then he set the whole upon the palms of Aharon and upon the palms of his sons, and he swung them back and forth as a wave offering before the face of YHWH.

28. Then Moshe took them off their hands and caused them to go up in smoke on the altar on top of the ascending offering; they are inaugurations for a soothing aroma. It is a fire offering to YHWH.

Inaugurations: or installations, "fillings" of a position. A fire offering to YHWH: without the vowel pointings (absent from the original text), it just as well reads, "a wife for YHWH", for providing a bride for Him is the intended motive behind all of these offerings.

29. Then Moshe took the breast and swung it back and forth as a wave offering before the face of YHWH, from the ram of inaugurations. This was to be a portion for Moshe, as YHWH had commanded Moshe.

Breast: or part that is divided; middle part. It comes from a word for "perceive", "prophesy", or "have a vision", hence the connection to "dividing" or interpreting, i.e., applying YHWH's word which is in one's heart to a situation and reminding those who are in it of the Torah (which they have usually forsaken). Moshe was allotted this gift as well. Later it became the portion of the priesthood (Malachi 2:7), and we see David going to the high priest for answers from YHWH, because he had the urim and thummim. But Moshe is not a son of Aharon, showing that these functions are not absolutely restricted forever only to this order, though for a time they were. (See Yeshayahu 66:19-21 and Hebrews 5:6-10.)

30. Then Moshe took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aharon and his garments and upon his sons with him and their garments. Thus he set apart Aharon, his garments, his sons, and their garments as holy.

Sprinkled: a pattern would result that looked very much like the stars in the sky, reminding those who saw it of YHWH's promise to multiply Avraham's seed and thus restore the fallen Adam (whose name is related to the Hebrew for "blood") through Messiah, who would "sprinkle many nations". (Yeshayahu 52:15) Notice that it is just as important for the garments (representing our works) to be holy as it is for those who wear them to be holy.

31. Then Moshe told Aharon, "Cook the flesh at the entrance to the Tent of Appointment, and eat it there along with the bread that is in the basket of inaugurations, just as I commanded, saying, 'Aharon and his sons shall eat it.'

The eating together is an integral part of the ceremony, for it seals loyalty and unity much like taking a client to lunch in today's business world. Every Scriptural covenant includes a meal.

32. "'And whatever is left over of the meat and the bread, you shall burn with fire.

Once it is set apart unto YHWH, it cannot be used for any other purpose.

33. "'And you shall not depart from the entrance to the Tent of Appointment for seven days, until the days of your inaugurations are fulfilled, because [for] seven days He shall fill your hands.

Seven days: the same time period a bride and groom would be in the special chamber built in the house of the groom’s father for the consummation of their marriage. Like the time of testing for leprosy (chapter 13), this represents a seven-year prophetic period at the end of which it will be clear who is on YHWH's side and who is not. At this time YHWH's forerunners will be shut away in a bridal chamber with Messiah (Yeshayahu 26:20), probably in the wilderness and in a place specially protected and provided for by YHWH. Not all who expect to be kept safe during that time will, for not all who have been spared by Messiah’s blood are necessarily His bride. Some are attendants of the bride who are not ready. (Mat. 25:1ff) But those who are--who correspond with the altar built before the rest of the Temple--will at this time carry out the final stage of preparation for the Messiah's Kingdom. Fill your hands: They would be unable to gather manna, which means those who were outside the tent had to bring them food.

34. "'YHWH has ordained to do just as He has done on this day, in order to make a covering over you.

35. "'So you shall remain at the entrance to the Tent of Appointment day and night for seven days, and you shall guard the obligation of YHWH so you will not die, for thus I have been commanded.'"

36. So Aharon and his sons did all the things that YHWH had commanded by the hand of Moshe.
Portion SHEMINI (9:1 - 11:47)
CHAPTER 9

1. Then it came about [that] on the eighth [shemini] day, Moshe called for Aharon, his sons, and the elders of Israel.

After seven days of intimately getting to know YHWH’s dwelling place, the priests now seal the continuity of this completion with a special ceremony. It is like moving into a finished home. Prior to this, only Moshe could draw near to YHWH; now a way was made for the whole congregation of Israel to do so. He set a particular family in place to ensure its continuity, instead of leaving it up to a random, inconsistent priesthood of the firstborn of each family, who might or might not be well taught. Y'shua also made a way for us to draw near when He renewed the covenant, but in order to fully grasp what that means, we need to understand each of the sacrifices offered here. The eighth day links us with circumcision (12:3). It is also when a firstborn animal is taken from its mother to be given to YHWH (Ex. 22:30), and a leper is cleansed on the eighth day. (Lev. 14:23) The eighth day of Sukkoth is an "encore" to carry on the joy of those seven days. It is a picture of eternity--the new beginning after the Sabbath, and thus the new heaven and the new earth, when all that is accomplished during the 7,000 years of building the Kingdom will be finished, and we will finally BE the Kingdom.

2. And he said to Aharon, "Take a calf for yourself, a son of the herd, for a sin offering, and a ram for an ascending offering--perfect ones--and bring them near before the face of YHWH.

Son of the herd: traditionally, one in its second year. (Rosh HaShanah 10a). Conspicuously absent from this passage is the common line, "And YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying..." Now Moshe is the only one speaking. He represents the Torah, which YHWH gave to Israel. On issues to which it already speaks, there is no need to ask Him any further questions.

3. "And speak to the descendants of Israel, saying, 'Select a male kid from among the goats to be a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, [each] a year old [and] perfect, to be an ascending [offering].

4. "'Then [fetch] a bull and a ram as peace offerings to slaughter before YHWH, along with a food offering mixed with oil, because today YHWH will appear to you.'"

This is what we have really been waiting for; everything prior to it was just preparation, but the process of drawing near is important as well, so it is detailed here.

5. So they brought the things Moshe had commanded to the front of the Tent of Appointment, and all of the congregation came near and stood before YHWH.

The priests' obedience brought the rest of the nation near.

6. And Moshe said, "This is the thing that YHWH has commanded: Carry it out, and the glory of YHWH will be revealed to you."

Ya'aqov (James) echoes this when he says, "Draw near to YHWH, and He will draw near to you." (4:8) Glory: weight, authority, importance. He is always actually in charge, but if we obey and bring the equivalent of these offerings as far as we can, we will perceive it, and that is what makes the difference. This will remove the fear of anything else. He is weightier than anything else we could ever put on the scale.

7. Then Moshe told Aharon, "Approach the altar and perform [the service for] your sin offering, and effect atonement over yourself as well as for the people, then make the offering for the people and make atonement for them, as YHWH has commanded.”

The people were atoned for twice. The priest's offering covers them figuratively as he acts as a microcosm of the whole congregation as he bears the names of all the tribes on his shoulders. It purified him, figuratively, to a level of holiness where he could make the second sacrifice as a representative for the rest. Contrast Y'shua, who did not have sins of His own to atone for first. (Heb. 7:27) But He likewise covered our sins, allowing us to ascend as well and become qualified to be "living sacrifices" to YHWH. (Romans 12:2) This is the end of the era in which firstborn sons were the priests (Numbers 3:12), though they remain so in a limited sense, as the father does.

8. So Aharon approached the altar and slaughtered the calf of the sin offering, which pertained to himself,

Himself: most directly it relates to correcting his error for making a golden calf to sacrifice TO. As the one in charge, he was also the example, and thus was held to a higher standard. If he was not upright, the rest of the people would be unlikely to be either.

9. and Aharon's sons brought the blood near to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put [some of] it on the horns of the altar. Then he poured the [rest of the] blood at the foundation of the altar.

Rabbinic tradition says the first sacrifice here was an atonement for the specific sin of the rest of the tribal fathers against Yoseyf in selling him into slavery, since they stained his clothing with male goat kid's blood (Gen.37:31). This was to restore the unity of all his brothers.

10. Then he caused the fat, the kidneys, and the overhanging lobe of the liver from the sin offering to go up in smoke on the altar, just as YHWH had commanded Moshe,

11. and he burned the flesh and the hide with fire on the outside of the camp.

12. Then he slaughtered the ascending offering, and Aharon's sons presented him with the blood, and he dashed it against the altar on every side.

13. Then they presented him with the ascending offering section by section, as well as the head, and he caused them to go up in smoke on the altar.

14. And he washed the inward parts and the legs, then caused them to go up in smoke like the ascending offering on the altar.

15. Then he brought the people's offering--the he-goat of the sin offering which is for the people --and killed it [by slitting its throat painlessly], making it a sin offering like the first.

For the people: Aram., "which belonged to the people". There were two sin offerings: the bull for Israel corporately, and the goat for Israel individually. While the first might have given some people room to think they were an exception to the general rule that the nation was imperfect, the crutch was kicked out by the second, which made them understand that the sin offering was required of them specifically. As Ya'aqov (2:10) said, "Whoever keeps the whole Torah, yet offends in one point, is guilty of [it] all." And Y'shua pointed out in his "Sermon on the Mount" (Matithyahu 5-7), sin is a much larger umbrella than merely the act itself; it is missing the mark in any way. When a child is born, even if no commandment was disobeyed, blood is spilt, and this is in effect robbing YHWH and must be atoned for.

16. And he brought the ascending offering, and performed it [properly] according to the directions [given].

17. Then he brought the grain offering near, and filled his palm from it and caused this [part] to go up in smoke on the altar, besides the morning ascending [offering].

18. And he killed the bull and the ram [by slitting their throats as] a slaughter of peace [offerings] which are for the nation, and Aharon's sons presented the blood to him, and he dashed it against the altar all around.

Presented the blood to him: literally, "caused him to find the blood".

19. And [they brought him] the fat of the bull and ram--the fat tail, that which covers [the inward parts], the kidneys, and the lobe that hangs over the liver,

The fat represents the best. The bull represents turning over our security. The fat tail is equivalent to a Hebrew word for an oath, so it represents a promise to bring the best at the next level.

20. and they set the fat [portions] on top of the breasts, and caused the fat to go up in smoke on the altar.

21. But Aharon swung the breasts and the right foreleg back and forth before YHWH as a wave offering, as Moshe had commanded.

22. Then Aharon lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, then descended from carrying out the sin offering, the ascending [offering], and the peace offerings.

The root meaning of "blessed" is "bent the knee to". In other words, the high priest was bowing lower to give of himself to them--a perfect picture of Y'shua.

23. Then Moshe and Aharon came into the Tent of Appointment, then they went out and blessed the people, and the glory of YHWH appeared to the whole nation,

Since He had promised to do this if they obeyed (v. 6), this display of His satisfaction assured the people that they were on the right track. Now his authority became "weighty" (the meaning of "glory" in Hebrew); a gospel that presents only liberation from sin is "lightweight", but after leaving Egypt, we must become a nation with a mission as well. The Torah brings gives us a charter, a covenant, a deeper, more substantive role, not as individuals, but as a people.

24. and fire came out from the presence of YHWH and consumed the ascending [offering] and the fat [that were] upon the altar. When all of the people saw [it], they shouted for joy, and fell on their faces.

This was no magic trick; rather than incanting some spell as in pagan religions, Aharon was hidden away, out of the limelight, just before this event. But notice that his blessing alone did not effect this (v. 22). Only when Moshe and Aharon together blessed them did it occur. Aharon, as the high priest, is figurative of Y'shua; Moshe symbolizes the Torah. Only when the two are presented as unified rather than in opposition to one another can YHWH's authority be fully revealed in the earth. Shouted for joy: the word also includes the sense of being a shrill gasp of awe. The response was the same when the Temple was restored after the exile. (Ezra 3:11)


CHAPTER 10

1. But Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aharon, each took his censer, and they put fire in them, and they [each] put incense on it, and brought strange fire before YHWH.

Strange fire: illegitimate, "adulterous" fire of apostasy "from another place"--just as there was a wrong offering by Qayin paralleling Hevel's proper one. (Gen 4:5) The fire was of their own making, not taken from the altar fire that YHWH Himself had kindled (6:2-8), and the incense was burned not on the altar of incense as prescribed, but in firepans of their own. Incense represents prayer, but the fire is what carries it upward. Praying to "God" and the "Lord", when we know His true Name (as anyone who is a teacher should), is not an acceptable example coming from those whose job it is to be near Him. It is disrespectful to Him. Some have added to the Word of YHWH; others have taken away from it. Either way, it makes our "sacrifice" something foreign to Him. In order to seem "generous" (which is what Nadav means) Christians have allowed rituals from other (pagan) sources to continue, and tried to fit them into the categories YHWH has prescribed; Jews (and all other serious religions) have tried to produce their own righteousness apart from what YHWH provided through Messiah (Romans 10:3), as
Qayin tried to bring the fruit of his own labor instead of blood to atone for his sin (Gen. 4:3-4). They used their position as a pretext for using the holy implements in whatever way they wished, for their own purposes. "Behold both the kindness and the severity of YHWH"; to present Him as severe and Y'shua as kind is to make an unrighteous distinction; Y'shua and his Father are one [echad, unified, acting together in agreement]. The remainder of this portion teaches us the types of distinctions we ARE to make.

2. So fire went out from before YHWH and consumed them, and they died before YHWH.

As one of the first sacrifices in the new Tabernacle, this set the tone for all future ones, just as Hananyah and S'firah's deceitful "gift" did when the covenant was renewed. (Acts/Envoys 5) "Judgment must begin with the household of YHWH." (1 Kefa/Peter 4:17) These men had in some sense seen YHWH and yet were spared at that time (Ex. 24:1-11); they were held so much more responsible to carry out their instructions precisely, so when they became careless about what they were teaching the whole congregation (perhaps even doing their work while drunk, suggested by v. 9 below), judgment was swift and harsh. A rectification for this act was seen in Pin'khas,who did not wait and force YHWH to judge a fellow priest who was beginning to let the
Divine Sanctuary look like a pagan temple by his actions, but acted against what he knew was unholy. (Numbers 25:7) Hananyah and S'firah pretended to be generous (Heb., "Nadav") but were struck dead immediately so that "a little leaven would not leaven" the fledgling congregation. Hananyah "gave up his spirit", just as these two sons of Aharon apparently had their souls consumed within them, since their clothing seems to have remained intact and thus
their bodies do not seem to have been so charred that they could not be carried out (v. 5). They died spiritually first.

3. And Moshe told Aharon, "This is what YHWH meant when He said, ‘I will be treated as holy by those who draw near to Me, and I will be taken seriously in the faces of all the people.'" So Aharon was silent.

Aramaic: "Through those close to Me I will be sanctified." As Y'shua said