Post by R' Y'hoshua Moshe on Apr 12, 2005 21:03:48 GMT -8
The following commentary is compliments of Rabbi Yaakov BenYoseph. Feel free to add your own insights. Enjoy!....
Metzora “Leper” - Vayikra (Leviticus) 14:1- 15:33
7 Nisan 5765 – Apr. 16, 2005
Seeing a godly individual act in an ungodly manner brings confusion, making it difficult to separate between the individual’s action and the holiness of his or her calling. To avoid the confusion we must realize that an individual is called to an office that HaShem has already established. In other words, HaShem calls individuals into positions that are already pre-ordained. An example of this can be seen in B’resheet 50:24. Yosef knew that a deliverer would bring Yisrael out of Egypt long before Moshe was born. The Mashiach is another example. HaShem promised Mashiach long before Yeshua was born. HaShem creates specific callings before placing individuals in those positions. This does not mean that HaShem pre-ordains the will of the individual, it just means that HaShem pre-ordains the calling. In other words, just because the position is predestined, does not mean the will of the individual is predestined. We can see examples of this with the corrupt kings that ruled in Yisrael and in Yehudah. Even though the position of king was established by HaShem, corrupt kings who were not willing to serve HaShem led Yisrael into idolatry.
We often witness this today when we see individuals who are called to godly positions but who act ungodly in those positions. Like in the kingship of Yisrael, individuals who are not willing to serve HaShem do not corrupt the pre-ordained positions they hold, they corrupt themselves and their followers only. Therefore, a distinction exists between the unrighteousness of individuals and the holiness of an office HaShem establishes. One example where we can see this type of distinction is in the office of priest. Even though the priests during Yeshua’s time were corrupt, Yeshua still honored the office. We can see this in Mathew 8:2-4 which states “behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.” We can see that Yeshua commanded the leper to go to the priest and perform the offerings and sacrifices required for the healing of leprosy. In Metzora we can see why Yeshua chose to follow the
, in spite of the corruption that existed in the priesthood.
Vayikra 14:2-4 states “This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest: And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper; Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:” As a testimony to the priest, the first responsibility of a healed leper is to have the priest inspect his or her body outside of the camp. Inspecting a healed leper was critical because the cleansing ceremony was a ceremony of restoration. The ceremony enabled the priest to restore a healed leper to full status as member of Yisraeli society. If the priest pronounced the leper clean he or she would no longer be separated from family, friends or the sanctuary.
The individual that Yeshua healed would have also been required to meet with a priest outside of the walls of the city. On the inspection trip the priest was required to leave the sanctuary and go to a place of uncleanness. The priest was also required to bring with him two live birds, scarlet, cedar, and hyssop for the cleansing ceremony. If it was determined the leper had been healed, one of the two birds was slaughtered in an earthen vessel that was running over with water. The living bird, the scarlet, the cedar, and the hyssop were then dipped into the blood mingled with water in the earthen vessel. The priest then shook the living bird, the scarlet, the cedar, and the hyssop over the healed leper seven times. After the sprinkling the priest pronounced the leper clean and released the living bird into an open field. The process then required the healed leper to totally renew himself. Vayikra 14: 8-10 states “He that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days. But it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his
, even all his hair he shall shave off: and he shall wash his clothes, also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he shall be clean. And on the eighth day he shall take two he lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, and three tenth deals of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil.” The person shaved off all hair, washed his or her clothes, and offered a female lamb mingled with flour and oil. The purpose of this was to testify to the rest of Yisrael the leper was healed. As a result the healed leper was able to start over as a new creation. The ceremony represented the fact that the person was no longer cut off. The person was born anew and became part of the house of Yisrael again. In other words, the healed leper was born again and could now fellowship with Yisrael the way HaShem intended.
Vayikra 14:11 states “the priest who is cleansing hath caused the man who is to be cleansed to stand with them before HaShem, at the opening of the tent of meeting” The final phase required the healed leper to stand with the priest in the presence of HaShem. The priest was required to offer a guilt offering and the burnt offering for the healed leper. However, in addition, to the offerings the priest was required to place the blood of the guilt offering on the healed leper’s right ear, right thumb, and right big toe. The priest then placed oil on top of the blood that was on the healed leper’s right ear, right thumb, and right big toe. This was symbolic of the cleansed leper’s restoration to full status in Yisrael. The blood represented the redemption of the leper and his or her return to the presence of HaShem. Therefore the healed leper could now start hearing, doing, and walking in the holiness that HaShem desired for Yisrael. The oil represented the return of HaShem’s spirit to an individual that had been formerly cut off. This final phase was a witness to all of Yisrael that HaShem had fully restored the healed leper. Therefore, it was now totally acceptable for the person to enter into the holy presence of HaShem and into the Tabernacle.
Since leprosy is an aliment that is publicly visible, HaShem established a public cleansing process. Even though the priesthood of His time was corrupt, Yeshua respected HaShem’s decision and required the leper He healed to publicly present himself to the priest. It is obvious Yeshua fully understood the importance of publicly restoring a healed leper into the community. Yeshua understood that the corruption existed in the individual, and not in the office. Therefore, Yeshua chose obedience to the, rather than usurping the office of priest. We should also learn to be obedient to that which HaShem established, and not condemn it because of corrupt individuals.
By Rabbi Yaakov benYosef – ABOUT-.org
Metzora “Leper” - Vayikra (Leviticus) 14:1- 15:33
7 Nisan 5765 – Apr. 16, 2005
Seeing a godly individual act in an ungodly manner brings confusion, making it difficult to separate between the individual’s action and the holiness of his or her calling. To avoid the confusion we must realize that an individual is called to an office that HaShem has already established. In other words, HaShem calls individuals into positions that are already pre-ordained. An example of this can be seen in B’resheet 50:24. Yosef knew that a deliverer would bring Yisrael out of Egypt long before Moshe was born. The Mashiach is another example. HaShem promised Mashiach long before Yeshua was born. HaShem creates specific callings before placing individuals in those positions. This does not mean that HaShem pre-ordains the will of the individual, it just means that HaShem pre-ordains the calling. In other words, just because the position is predestined, does not mean the will of the individual is predestined. We can see examples of this with the corrupt kings that ruled in Yisrael and in Yehudah. Even though the position of king was established by HaShem, corrupt kings who were not willing to serve HaShem led Yisrael into idolatry.
We often witness this today when we see individuals who are called to godly positions but who act ungodly in those positions. Like in the kingship of Yisrael, individuals who are not willing to serve HaShem do not corrupt the pre-ordained positions they hold, they corrupt themselves and their followers only. Therefore, a distinction exists between the unrighteousness of individuals and the holiness of an office HaShem establishes. One example where we can see this type of distinction is in the office of priest. Even though the priests during Yeshua’s time were corrupt, Yeshua still honored the office. We can see this in Mathew 8:2-4 which states “behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.” We can see that Yeshua commanded the leper to go to the priest and perform the offerings and sacrifices required for the healing of leprosy. In Metzora we can see why Yeshua chose to follow the
, in spite of the corruption that existed in the priesthood.Vayikra 14:2-4 states “This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest: And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper; Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:” As a testimony to the priest, the first responsibility of a healed leper is to have the priest inspect his or her body outside of the camp. Inspecting a healed leper was critical because the cleansing ceremony was a ceremony of restoration. The ceremony enabled the priest to restore a healed leper to full status as member of Yisraeli society. If the priest pronounced the leper clean he or she would no longer be separated from family, friends or the sanctuary.
The individual that Yeshua healed would have also been required to meet with a priest outside of the walls of the city. On the inspection trip the priest was required to leave the sanctuary and go to a place of uncleanness. The priest was also required to bring with him two live birds, scarlet, cedar, and hyssop for the cleansing ceremony. If it was determined the leper had been healed, one of the two birds was slaughtered in an earthen vessel that was running over with water. The living bird, the scarlet, the cedar, and the hyssop were then dipped into the blood mingled with water in the earthen vessel. The priest then shook the living bird, the scarlet, the cedar, and the hyssop over the healed leper seven times. After the sprinkling the priest pronounced the leper clean and released the living bird into an open field. The process then required the healed leper to totally renew himself. Vayikra 14: 8-10 states “He that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days. But it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his
, even all his hair he shall shave off: and he shall wash his clothes, also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he shall be clean. And on the eighth day he shall take two he lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, and three tenth deals of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil.” The person shaved off all hair, washed his or her clothes, and offered a female lamb mingled with flour and oil. The purpose of this was to testify to the rest of Yisrael the leper was healed. As a result the healed leper was able to start over as a new creation. The ceremony represented the fact that the person was no longer cut off. The person was born anew and became part of the house of Yisrael again. In other words, the healed leper was born again and could now fellowship with Yisrael the way HaShem intended. Vayikra 14:11 states “the priest who is cleansing hath caused the man who is to be cleansed to stand with them before HaShem, at the opening of the tent of meeting” The final phase required the healed leper to stand with the priest in the presence of HaShem. The priest was required to offer a guilt offering and the burnt offering for the healed leper. However, in addition, to the offerings the priest was required to place the blood of the guilt offering on the healed leper’s right ear, right thumb, and right big toe. The priest then placed oil on top of the blood that was on the healed leper’s right ear, right thumb, and right big toe. This was symbolic of the cleansed leper’s restoration to full status in Yisrael. The blood represented the redemption of the leper and his or her return to the presence of HaShem. Therefore the healed leper could now start hearing, doing, and walking in the holiness that HaShem desired for Yisrael. The oil represented the return of HaShem’s spirit to an individual that had been formerly cut off. This final phase was a witness to all of Yisrael that HaShem had fully restored the healed leper. Therefore, it was now totally acceptable for the person to enter into the holy presence of HaShem and into the Tabernacle.
Since leprosy is an aliment that is publicly visible, HaShem established a public cleansing process. Even though the priesthood of His time was corrupt, Yeshua respected HaShem’s decision and required the leper He healed to publicly present himself to the priest. It is obvious Yeshua fully understood the importance of publicly restoring a healed leper into the community. Yeshua understood that the corruption existed in the individual, and not in the office. Therefore, Yeshua chose obedience to the
, rather than usurping the office of priest. We should also learn to be obedient to that which HaShem established, and not condemn it because of corrupt individuals. By Rabbi Yaakov benYosef – ABOUT-
.org 
