Post by alon on Mar 25, 2020 20:24:49 GMT -8
Name of Par’shah- 24.3 Vayikra- He Called
Par’shah- Leviticus 1:1 – 5:26
Haftara- Isaiah 43:21-44:23
D’rash: “Values are what Leviticus is all about. They pervade every chapter and almost every verse. Many may be surprised to read this, since the dominant view of Leviticus is that it consists only of rituals, such as sacrifices and impurities. This too is true: Leviticus does discuss rituals. However, underlying the rituals, the careful reader will find an intricate web of values that purports how we should relate to God and to one another.”
Jonathan Sacks, former Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, and one of my favorite Rabbinical Rabbis.
Most of what we’ll be reading in this chapter will be for the Levites; the duties of the priesthood. However These are the commandments concerning how The Father Of Glory (Eph 1:17) wanted to be worshiped. And as we will see in this parashah, instructions to the priests in making atonement (kippot, coverings) for our sins are very instructional to us. And as we also will see, worship of The Father Of Spirits (Heb 12:9) is much more than just going to synagogue or keeping Shabbat. It is how we keep our lives; the principles by which we live. It is those internal values that guides our thoughts and actions. We should keep this in mind as we study this often overlooked or glossed over book in Torah, our Father of Mercies (2 Cor 1:3) instructions for us in holy living.
It will be difficult to sort out the commandments and what are principles and concepts. But every word of this chapter is instructional to the Messianic. Please keep this in mind as you study His Word this week. To help, I’ve placed the notation (Prncpl) behind the version notation in those cases which I consider principles from which we can learn, but not necessarily commandments applicable to us today. The Rabbinical list of the 613 Mitzvoth does not agree with me on many of these. However we here are not of Rabbinical Judaism, and not bound by their interpretations. I did however run my list by theirs, and did consider what the Rabbonim had to say in my decisions on which are commanded for today and what is not. Everyone is of course able to make up their own minds. If you disagree, please feel free to post it for discussion. I can be wrong (see my ever growing “I Found Out I Was Wrong” thread).
Leviticus 1:3,13c (NASB) (Prncpl) If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord. … offering by fire of a soothing [pleasing] aroma to the Lord. The term offering in Hebrew is qorban, something presented as a gift. The purpose of any gift is to please the recipient. So there is an element of intent here. While definitely part of our purpose, if all we are looking for is forgiveness, our gifts are as filthy rags, and will avail us nothing. We must be doing these things in obedience as well as in repentance in order to please HaShem.
Leviticus 2:11 (NASB) (Prncpl) ‘No grain offering, which you bring to the Lord, shall be made with leaven, for you shall not offer up in smoke any leaven or any honey as an offering by fire to the Lord. A commandment covered elsewhere, every bit as applicable today as then. However this concerns an offering sent up in smoke, which we do not yet until we have access to the Temple. When these offerings go up in smoke to the Lord, it is not the smell of burning that plaeses Him. It is the intention and the attitude with which it is given as we offer up our sacrifices that pleases Elohe Yeshuathi, God of My Salvation (Ps 18:46).
Leviticus 2:13 (NASB) (Prncpl) Every grain offering of yours, moreover, you shall season with salt, so that the salt of the covenant of your God shall not be lacking from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. Salt impedes fermentation, thus “the salt of the covenant” impedes sin in our lives. Likewise our earnest prayers and repentance offered up in sacrifice combined with our study of His covenant, His Word to us will impede our sinning against the Most High.
Leviticus 3:17 (NASB) It is a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings: you shall not eat any fat or any blood.’” A commandment in every sense. We are to drain the blood and trim the fat of our meat. Nor do we make dishes with the blood (blood soup) nor with the fat (cracklins). Those belong to the Lord. Contextually however this does not apply to residual fat or blood. Read the previous verses and they talk of fat trimmed fron the outside of the meat and organs. The blood was taken there at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting where it was killed. No mention of kashering, although an argument can be made this is the salt of the sacrifice applied. So for those who do kasher meat there is certainly nothing wrong with it.
Leviticus 4:13 (NASB) (Prncpl) ‘Now if the whole congregation of Israel commits error and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly, and they commit any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done, and they become guilty; there is a communal nature for sin. All are held accountable when their assembly, local community, or nation sins.
Leviticus 4:27, 5:2-5, 15, 17-18 (NASB) (Prncpl) ‘Now if anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done, and becomes guilty, … Or if a person touches any unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean beast or the carcass of unclean cattle or a carcass of unclean swarming things, though it is hidden from him and he is unclean, then he will be guilty. Or if he touches human uncleanness, of whatever sort his uncleanness may be with which he becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty. Or if a person swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, in whatever matter a man may speak thoughtlessly with an oath, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty in one of these. So it shall be when he becomes guilty in one of these, that he shall confess that in which he has sinned. … “If a person acts unfaithfully and sins unintentionally against the Lord’s holy things, then he shall bring his guilt offering to the Lord:” “Now if a person sins and does any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done, though he was unaware, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment. He is then to bring to the priest a ram without defect from the flock, according to your valuation, for a guilt offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his error in which he sinned unintentionally and did not know it, and it will be forgiven him.” We are responsible for unintentional sins. We are to repent and pray forgiveness for them when they become known to us. I would suggest it is a good thing to daily pray forgiveness for those we have done but are not yet aware of.
Leviticus 5:1 (NASB) ‘Now if a person sins after he hears a public adjuration to testify when he is a witness, whether he has seen or otherwise known, if he does not tell it, then he will bear his guilt.’ We are commanded to testify of those crimes which we witness, whether it be before the assembly, the Beit Din, or the civil or criminal courts.
So to any Christian friends, I encourage you to read along with us each week as we go through this, probably the least read book in the entire Bible. To Meshiachim, you also should read along. This year we are specifically looking for actual commandments in Torah. However as should be abundantly obvious by now, the lines between commandment and principle are often blurred. I would again say we are all responsible for everything the Bible teaches, whether by commandment, lessons from life’s stories, principles and concepts taught throughout.
We all need to start looking at the Word of The Most High, especially Torah not as commandments, or a to do list. They are instructions in living holy lives before our God, Elohei HaElohim, God of Gods (Deu 10:17); Elohei Avraham, Elohei Yitzchak, v’Elohei Ya’akov God Of Abraham, God of Isaac and God Of Jacob (Ex 3:15). The God who makes imperfect man perfect in His sacrifice for us (John 3:16). No other god gave of itself like ours did for us. And every word in His Word is important for us:
2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
When that was written, the only scriptures were those of the TNK, the Hebrew Bible we often call the Old Testament. However the principle can be extended forward in this context to include the New Testament.
Par’shah- Leviticus 1:1 – 5:26
Haftara- Isaiah 43:21-44:23
D’rash: “Values are what Leviticus is all about. They pervade every chapter and almost every verse. Many may be surprised to read this, since the dominant view of Leviticus is that it consists only of rituals, such as sacrifices and impurities. This too is true: Leviticus does discuss rituals. However, underlying the rituals, the careful reader will find an intricate web of values that purports how we should relate to God and to one another.”
Jonathan Sacks, former Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, and one of my favorite Rabbinical Rabbis.
Most of what we’ll be reading in this chapter will be for the Levites; the duties of the priesthood. However These are the commandments concerning how The Father Of Glory (Eph 1:17) wanted to be worshiped. And as we will see in this parashah, instructions to the priests in making atonement (kippot, coverings) for our sins are very instructional to us. And as we also will see, worship of The Father Of Spirits (Heb 12:9) is much more than just going to synagogue or keeping Shabbat. It is how we keep our lives; the principles by which we live. It is those internal values that guides our thoughts and actions. We should keep this in mind as we study this often overlooked or glossed over book in Torah, our Father of Mercies (2 Cor 1:3) instructions for us in holy living.
It will be difficult to sort out the commandments and what are principles and concepts. But every word of this chapter is instructional to the Messianic. Please keep this in mind as you study His Word this week. To help, I’ve placed the notation (Prncpl) behind the version notation in those cases which I consider principles from which we can learn, but not necessarily commandments applicable to us today. The Rabbinical list of the 613 Mitzvoth does not agree with me on many of these. However we here are not of Rabbinical Judaism, and not bound by their interpretations. I did however run my list by theirs, and did consider what the Rabbonim had to say in my decisions on which are commanded for today and what is not. Everyone is of course able to make up their own minds. If you disagree, please feel free to post it for discussion. I can be wrong (see my ever growing “I Found Out I Was Wrong” thread).
Leviticus 1:3,13c (NASB) (Prncpl) If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord. … offering by fire of a soothing [pleasing] aroma to the Lord. The term offering in Hebrew is qorban, something presented as a gift. The purpose of any gift is to please the recipient. So there is an element of intent here. While definitely part of our purpose, if all we are looking for is forgiveness, our gifts are as filthy rags, and will avail us nothing. We must be doing these things in obedience as well as in repentance in order to please HaShem.
Leviticus 2:11 (NASB) (Prncpl) ‘No grain offering, which you bring to the Lord, shall be made with leaven, for you shall not offer up in smoke any leaven or any honey as an offering by fire to the Lord. A commandment covered elsewhere, every bit as applicable today as then. However this concerns an offering sent up in smoke, which we do not yet until we have access to the Temple. When these offerings go up in smoke to the Lord, it is not the smell of burning that plaeses Him. It is the intention and the attitude with which it is given as we offer up our sacrifices that pleases Elohe Yeshuathi, God of My Salvation (Ps 18:46).
Leviticus 2:13 (NASB) (Prncpl) Every grain offering of yours, moreover, you shall season with salt, so that the salt of the covenant of your God shall not be lacking from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. Salt impedes fermentation, thus “the salt of the covenant” impedes sin in our lives. Likewise our earnest prayers and repentance offered up in sacrifice combined with our study of His covenant, His Word to us will impede our sinning against the Most High.
Leviticus 3:17 (NASB) It is a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings: you shall not eat any fat or any blood.’” A commandment in every sense. We are to drain the blood and trim the fat of our meat. Nor do we make dishes with the blood (blood soup) nor with the fat (cracklins). Those belong to the Lord. Contextually however this does not apply to residual fat or blood. Read the previous verses and they talk of fat trimmed fron the outside of the meat and organs. The blood was taken there at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting where it was killed. No mention of kashering, although an argument can be made this is the salt of the sacrifice applied. So for those who do kasher meat there is certainly nothing wrong with it.
Leviticus 4:13 (NASB) (Prncpl) ‘Now if the whole congregation of Israel commits error and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly, and they commit any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done, and they become guilty; there is a communal nature for sin. All are held accountable when their assembly, local community, or nation sins.
Leviticus 4:27, 5:2-5, 15, 17-18 (NASB) (Prncpl) ‘Now if anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done, and becomes guilty, … Or if a person touches any unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean beast or the carcass of unclean cattle or a carcass of unclean swarming things, though it is hidden from him and he is unclean, then he will be guilty. Or if he touches human uncleanness, of whatever sort his uncleanness may be with which he becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty. Or if a person swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, in whatever matter a man may speak thoughtlessly with an oath, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty in one of these. So it shall be when he becomes guilty in one of these, that he shall confess that in which he has sinned. … “If a person acts unfaithfully and sins unintentionally against the Lord’s holy things, then he shall bring his guilt offering to the Lord:” “Now if a person sins and does any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done, though he was unaware, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment. He is then to bring to the priest a ram without defect from the flock, according to your valuation, for a guilt offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his error in which he sinned unintentionally and did not know it, and it will be forgiven him.” We are responsible for unintentional sins. We are to repent and pray forgiveness for them when they become known to us. I would suggest it is a good thing to daily pray forgiveness for those we have done but are not yet aware of.
Leviticus 5:1 (NASB) ‘Now if a person sins after he hears a public adjuration to testify when he is a witness, whether he has seen or otherwise known, if he does not tell it, then he will bear his guilt.’ We are commanded to testify of those crimes which we witness, whether it be before the assembly, the Beit Din, or the civil or criminal courts.
So to any Christian friends, I encourage you to read along with us each week as we go through this, probably the least read book in the entire Bible. To Meshiachim, you also should read along. This year we are specifically looking for actual commandments in Torah. However as should be abundantly obvious by now, the lines between commandment and principle are often blurred. I would again say we are all responsible for everything the Bible teaches, whether by commandment, lessons from life’s stories, principles and concepts taught throughout.
We all need to start looking at the Word of The Most High, especially Torah not as commandments, or a to do list. They are instructions in living holy lives before our God, Elohei HaElohim, God of Gods (Deu 10:17); Elohei Avraham, Elohei Yitzchak, v’Elohei Ya’akov God Of Abraham, God of Isaac and God Of Jacob (Ex 3:15). The God who makes imperfect man perfect in His sacrifice for us (John 3:16). No other god gave of itself like ours did for us. And every word in His Word is important for us:
2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
When that was written, the only scriptures were those of the TNK, the Hebrew Bible we often call the Old Testament. However the principle can be extended forward in this context to include the New Testament.