Lev. 01 : 01 - 05 : 26 Vayikra “And he called”

[R' Y'hoshua Moshe]

The following is commentary on this week's reading complimentary of Rabbi Yaakov Ben Yoseph. Feel free to discuss this commentary. Enjoy!...

Continued....

Vayikra “And he called” - Vayikra (Leviticus) 1:1- 5:26
8 Adar 2 5765 – Mar. 19, 2005

Vayikra makes it clear that there are two types of animal offerings. The first type of animal offering is the freewill offering. Freewill offerings enhance an individual’s relationship with HaShem. The freewill offering is symbolic of voluntarily commitment. The second type of animal offering is the mandatory offering. The mandatory offering is for the rectification of sin. Mandatory offerings require an individual to acknowledge he or she is responsible for a transgression against the commandments of HaShem. Freewill offerings and mandatory offerings serve as a reminder that living by the is both a freewill commitment and a responsibility.

The complete burnt offering is a freewill offering. Freewill offerings require voluntary participation by the individual bringing the sacrifice. Voluntary offerings emphasize the importance of freewill commitment. HaShem allowed individuals to bring any type of clean animal for the burnt offering. Therefore, a burnt offering could be from the herd, the flock, or a bird. Because the burnt offering represented an individual’s voluntary and total commitment, the priests did not receive their food allotment from the burnt offering. The total consumption of the burnt offering is symbolic of the need for believers to be zealous. As a result, the individual bringing the burnt offering was required to participate in the work of the offering. Vayikra 1:5 states, “he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.” The person bringing the offering not the priest was to slay the animal in front of HaShem and the priests. The priest’s job was to receive the pieces of the offering from the offerer, and then place it on the altar. This is symbolic of the work and ministry of the Ruach HaKodesh. The Ruach HaKodesh only uses what we offer. In other words, the Ruach HaKodesh presents as an offering to HaShem what we are willing to surrender.

The second type of animal offering described in Vayikra is the mandatory offering. The two types of mandatory offerings are sin offerings and transgression offerings. The sin offering rectifies unintentional sin. Like the burnt offering, the sin offering is also slain by the person bringing the offering. However, there are two crucial differences between the burnt offering and the sin offering. The first difference is that the flesh and hide of the sin offering are burned outside of the camp. Only the internal fat, the liver, and the kidneys are burned on the altar. The second difference is that the species of animal required is specified. For example, priestly sin and congregational sin require a bull. Vayikra 4:3 says “If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering.” HaShem chose a bull for the priests because priestly sin is greater in magnitude than individual sin. Priestly sin brought guilt upon the entire congregation. In other words, the sin of the high priest inhibited the congregation’s access to HaShem. And then Vayikra 4:13 says “If the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty.” HaShem chose a bull for communal sin because when the whole congregation sinned they defiled their testimony. In other words, when the entire congregation sinned they were no longer a valid witness to the world. The sin of the entire congregation inhibited the ability of Yisrael to be the light to other nations.

The sin offering of a ruler was different as well. Vayikra 4:23 says “if his sin, wherein he hath sinned, come to his knowledge; he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish:” The ruler who sinned was to bring a male goat. A ruler’s sin did not always pervert the rest of Yisrael. In fact, if the high priest continued in righteousness and holiness the children of Yisrael still had access to HaShem. Therefore, when a ruler sinned the magnitude of the sin was not as great as the sins that required a bull offering.

When the common Yisraelite sinned, the animal offered was different from the ruler, the priest, or the congregation. Vayikra 4:27 says “if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty.” When ordinary individuals sinned, it was less likely that the sin would spread through the whole camp. As a result, the sin of an individual only required a female goat to atone for sin.

The second mandatory offering mentioned in Vayikra is the trespass offering. The trespass offering rectifies private sins, sins between neighbors, and sins regarding holiness. In addition to an animal sacrifice, the trespass offering required confession or repayment. People who were unclean, spoke thoughtlessly, or did not make a secret oath known were guilty of hidden sin. Therefore, he or she was required to confess the transgression. Confessing transgressions makes the sin public knowledge. As a result, the individual has an avenue of repentance. In other words, when the sin is confessed, the high priest could prescribe the appropriate atonement. Therefore, confession allowed the individual to repent before the sacrifice was offered. In addition, when an individual sinned against holy items, repayment plus 1/5 was required. HaShem required the transgressor to add 1/5 to the value because these sins affected worship. When an individual sinned concerning the holy items, the holy items became unusable in the tabernacle. As a result, the worship of the rest of Yisrael was also affected. Therefore, sin against the holy items prevented others from serving HaShem. Also when an individual lied or deceitfully used his neighbor, the transgressor was required to add 1/5 to the value, because sin against a neighbor hurt a believing brother or sister. As a result, transgressions between individual Yisraelites caused physical distress and emotional distress to all of Yisrael. The 1/5 penalty the transgressor paid made him or her aware of the fact that hurting another Yisraelite caused repercussions that extended beyond the two parties involved.

The sacrificial system in Yisrael is important for believers today because it exemplifies how believers are supposed to relate to HaShem and to treat each other. Through the burnt offering we learn that HaShem desires individuals to offer themselves freely as living sacrifices. Through the sin offering we learn that the greater an individual’s anointing is, the more detrimental his or her sin becomes to the congregation. From the transgression offering we learn that confession brings to light hidden sin. Therefore, in some instances confession is needed to open our way of repentance. The sacrificial system is a guideline that teaches us that serving Yeshua is both a freewill commitment and a responsibility.

By Rabbi Yaakov benYosef – ABOUT-.org

[Sam]

Here are some notes I took down regarding this weeks portion.

Vayikra "And he called"


Vayikra 1:1-17

The Olah- The Elevation Offering AKA The Burnt Offering

Olah in Hebrew means "cause to ascend up to G-d"

Carl and Julie Parker from mim.net say this about the Olah,

The Olah today is how we elevate others in front of G-d. When G-d dwells in us and we fellowship with each other, G-d dwells in our midst. This becomes the elevation offering.

This sounds good but I'm not sure I completely agree with this interpretation.

To me the Olah represents Zeal and Dedication, but most of all it represents Love. This is the only offering that is consumed by G-d completely. This offering is about giving 100% of ourselves to G-d. "You are to love Adonai your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." It is about G-d giving 100% of Himself (Yeshua) to us. "G-d so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son"

Some questions – Didn’t G-d descend to us? What exactly is it that is ascending here?


Vayikra 2:1-14

The Minchah - The meal offering also called the grain offering.

The Memorial Portion - In this offering a Memorial Portion of the offering was consumed by G-d. This portion represents Yeshua the Bread of Life sacrificed for us.

A Thing Most Holy - The rest of the offering was given to the High Priest and priests as a thing most holy. Not just holy, but most holy. The difference between holy and most holy was explained to me in this way. When something holy touches something unclean it becomes unclean, but when something most holy touches something unclean the unclean becomes holy.

To me this offering represents Strength and Unity. As a nation of priests we get not only get strength from G-d in us, but also from G-d in each other. Just as we get our physical strength from physical bread, So also do we get spiritual strength from the spiritual bread offered to each other. The Minchah is like interceding in prayer for others or giving to the poor.(Acts 10:4) This offering is all about loving our neighbors as ourselves. The blessing we recieve in return for this offering is Joy. "The joy of the L-rd is our strength."


Vayikra 3:1-17

The Shelamim - The Peace Offering

Shelamim is Hebrew for peace, friendship, or fellowship.

I believe this Shelamim represents exactly what it means in the Hebrew with maybe one addition.


The volunteer offerings seem to be forms of worship. While the mandatory offerings seem to be a forms of repentance. I really need to study more in order to comment on the last three offerings in this portion.

Here's a verse to ponder: "... f you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering." Matthew 5:23-24

May this Minchah given to G-d today give you Sustinance and Joy.


Shalom,

Sam

[R' Y'hoshua Moshe]

Thank your brother for your insights. I encourage you to continue to share your insights on the reading each week with us! I will medidate on what you have said.

Shalom

Reuel

[Mark]

Adonai called Moses. It’s funny how we spend so much of our energy, buying resources, attending meetings, conferences and concerts, practicing rituals, watching videos, listening to music or sermons or lectures, etceteras and so on, trying so get God to hear us or notice us, or feel like we’ve somehow gotten closer to Him. Yet, here Moses is just being Moses and it is Adonai who initiates the conversation.

It’s funny how my experiences with God, the most powerful connections in our relationship together, have not been based on the stuff I’ve been doing, really, trying to manipulate Him in my direction. He usually grabs hold of me when my mind is completely on something else. It’s like I walk around the corner, on my way to the bank, and there He is standing right in my path.

It’s funny because we think of God as being omnipotent and omniscient. We think of Him in terms of sovereignty and power. Yet, so little do we consider Him understanding that He has free-will to do as He pleases, to go where He wills and to address us in our lives as He determines. We think of Him more like the switchboard operator functions on terms of pre-determined rules with precision: distant and invisible, powerful yet unseen.

I’m glad that this is not the God whom I have come to know, whom I’ve met with in the quiet times of my day (not my quiet times of personal devotion); but walking with Him unexpectedly.

This isn’t to suggest that times of study and worship and prayer are not essential to our relationship. If it were not for them, when the Most High knocks on my door, I likely wouldn’t even recognize Him. It could just as well be George Burns or Morgan Freeman. Yet, when He speaks to me, then hears my thoughts and prayers in this aside from my day, there is no question as to Who I have met with. I am awed, exhilarated, exhausted, grateful He has let me go but mourning His leaving, curious, heavy, weightless, disoriented but absolutely aware and focused upon what has just occurred.

Moses met with God in ways that we likely never could imagine experiencing. God called him up (Vayikra). Yet, we should never be surprised should, along our quiet daily pursuits, He choose to do the same with us. After all, He’s God. He can do what He wants. And He loves you very, very much.

And the LORD called unto Moses, and spoke unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, (Leviticus 1:1 KJV)

Rabbi Tanchum ben Chanilai said, "Normally, a burden which is heavy for one is light for two, or one heavy for two is light for four; but can a burden too heavy for 600,000 be bearable for one? Now all Israel were standing before Mount Sinai, and saying: ‘If we hear the voice of God... any more, we shall die’ (Deuteronomy 5:22), while Moses heard the voice by himself and remained alive"
(Midrash Rabbah)

Jewish kids are introduced to the story of with the book of Vayikra (Leviticus), not Beresheet (Genesis). When asked about this, Rabbi Assi said, "Surely it is because young children are pure, and the korbanot are pure; so let the pure come and engage in the study of the pure. (Midrash Rabbah)

The rest of us have to be taken back to the beginning: to forget what we thought we knew or understood about how things have come about, or how they should be- we have to be brought back to an introduction to God before we can begin to understand how He desires to walk in relationship with us.

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock. (Leviticus 1:2 KJV)

The Hebrew word for "man" is "eesh". However, the word translated "man" in Lev. 1:2 is the word "adam". Of course, "adam" means "man" too. It is not a mis-translation. The idea of "adam" describing the redness of the clay from which man’s flesh was taken, speaks of his humanity. It carries the idea of being from the earth. The message is a powerful one, bearing the question, "How does one who is of the earth ascend to the presence of God?"

The phrasing is a bit cumbersome (which we who are unfamiliar with King’s English take for granted); yet the strangeness of it is noted by the Hebrew scholars. "If any man of you" seems a redundancy… who else should He be talking about? In the English phrase, the "of you" is misplaced in order to make the phrase a tad more readable. In Hebrew it is even more out of place: "If any man shall bring of you an offering…." The reasoning behind this is said to make something personal of the offering: that the offering isn’t just some animal that the man has ownership of, that it is being offered as part of his own substance, that it is an offering "of me". The idea of trans-substantiation is more than obliquely implied. It is directly commanded that the offering is be offered as though the one bringing it were offering of himself.

If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD. (Leviticus 1:3 KJV)

And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. (Leviticus 1:4 KJV)

I have a book on my shelf called "The New Testament World" describing the political and social climate of the Judean Roman Province of the 1st Century. I was amazed to find the depth and detail that went into describing the specifics of the manner in which the poor and elderly were provided for: much like the social welfare system of today. I remember reading, and asking aloud, "Why doesn’t he just say ‘social welfare system’ instead of describing it without ever giving the acknowledged title. Then I realized this book was published in 1937. The welfare system that we accept today as being easily defined was in infantile stages of development when this book was written.

In the same way, when reading about the sacrificial system of the Bible, it is easy for us to see that Adonai is describing the concept of substitutiary atonement; but why doesn’t He just come out and say it? He doesn’t because the term had no contextual definition at the time: the definition has to built, and that it is what we are doing in the first chapters of Leviticus.

And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. (Leviticus 1:5 KJV)

The blood is brought to the side of the Altar facing the door (the door that leads out of the Tabernacle area. The shedding of blood is the first step of entering into relationship- and no offering can be made until the relationship if first established through death.

Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
(Hebrews 9:21-22 KJV)

And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces. (Leviticus 1:6 KJV)

And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire: (Leviticus 1:7 KJV)

And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar: (Leviticus 1:8 KJV)

But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD. (Leviticus 1:9 KJV)

Why wash it if you are just going to burn it? There is a meticulous practicality to the instructions of the sacrifice. One does not hold a cow up by the legs with one hand, gut and dress it with the other, and hold all the pieces off the dusty ground at the same time. Priority is given to the head, the fatty lobs, and the upper torso of meat to be arranged first. The legs and entrails will, resulting, lay on the ground while the priority pieces are being ordered. Why are these portions of priority? It is the head that contains our intellect (and the animal is a representation of ourselves). The breast (not the beating heart, in Hebraic terms) contains our emotions- specifically our love and desire. These things are first laid upon the altar as we enter into relationship with Adonai.

And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish. (Leviticus 1:10 KJV)

And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar. (Leviticus 1:11 KJV)

Both animals (the bull and the ram) are to be offered "before the Lord"; yet the instruction here is more specific: "northward before the Lord." The Hebrew word "tsa-phone" means "toward the North" however it implies in the shadows, on the gloomy side where the moss grows and everything is always a little damp and musty. Why should "toward the Lord" be there? It may be causative for us to recognize that this is the side that we are on before we have come into relationship with Him. "Before the Lord" (paw-neem) means "facing" thus not on the same side as the Lord.

And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat: and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar: (Leviticus 1:12 KJV)

But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water: and the priest shall bring it all, and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD. (Leviticus 1:13 KJV)

And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the LORD be of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons. (Leviticus 1:14 KJV)

And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off his head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar: (Leviticus 1:15 KJV)

And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes: (Leviticus 1:16 KJV)

And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD. (Leviticus 1:17 KJV)

And when any will offer a meat offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon: (Leviticus 2:1 KJV)

The "meat-offering" is also commonly translated meal-offering, grain offering or food offering. The Hebrew word "min-khaw" simply means "portion" or could be considered "tribute". In 1st Chronicles 29:16, the sacrifice carries the idea of giving back to Adonai what is His.

And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons the priests: and he shall take therefrom his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD: (Leviticus 2:2 KJV)

And the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire. (Leviticus 2:3 KJV)

While the burnt offering is completely consumed, this offering is shared with the priests. While the burnt offering is said to represent the substance of ourselves, the min-khaw represents the fruits of our labor. While we offer the totality of our being to Adonai, we retain some of the fruits of our labor for ourselves, some we give to our fellow man, and some we offer directly to the Most High. Each portion is still considered part of the sacrifice to God; however, if we were to keep it all to ourselves, give it all to the priests or burn it all on alter before God, our lives would reflect imbalance.

The elements of the sacrifice have their traditional meaning in symbolism: oil represents the Holy Spirit, frankincense represents prayer (Psalm 141:2), the lack of leaven means purity, the lack of honey demonstrates sincerity (unwavering, since honey causes fermentation and thus decay), salt represents covenant, and fire represents God’s acceptance.

And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil. (Leviticus 2:4 KJV)

And if thy oblation be a meat offering baked in a pan, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil. (Leviticus 2:5 KJV)

Thou shalt part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon: it is a meat offering. (Leviticus 2:6 KJV)

And if thy oblation be a meat offering baked in the frying pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. (Leviticus 2:7 KJV)

Each sacrifice represents every stage of the season, and thus each stage of life. The new, fresh grain represents youth to the offering that has grown stale is fried with oil in a pan. This demonstrates that there is no season in the year when it is not proper to enter into fellowship with Adonai. Equally, there is no season in life: we are never too young or too old to take the steps of entering into fellowship with Him.

And thou shalt bring the meat offering that is made of these things unto the LORD: and when it is presented unto the priest, he shall bring it unto the altar. (Leviticus 2:8 KJV)

And the priest shall take from the meat offering a memorial thereof, and shall burn it upon the altar: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD. (Leviticus 2:9 KJV)

And that which is left of the meat offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire. (Leviticus 2:10 KJV)

No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire. (Leviticus 2:11 KJV)

As for the oblation of the firstfruits, ye shall offer them unto the LORD: but they shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savor. (Leviticus 2:12 KJV)

And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt. (Leviticus 2:13 KJV)

And if thou offer a meat offering of thy firstfruits unto the LORD, thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn dried by the fire, even corn beaten out of full ears. (Leviticus 2:14 KJV)

And thou shalt put oil upon it, and lay frankincense thereon: it is a meat offering. (Leviticus 2:15 KJV)

And the priest shall burn the memorial of it, part of the beaten corn thereof, and part of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD. (Leviticus 2:16 KJV)

And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD. (Leviticus 3:1 KJV)

And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about. (Leviticus 3:2 KJV)

And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, (Leviticus 3:3 KJV)

And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away. (Leviticus 3:4 KJV)

And Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is upon the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD. (Leviticus 3:5 KJV)

And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering unto the LORD be of the flock; male or female, he shall offer it without blemish. (Leviticus 3:6 KJV)

If he offer a lamb for his offering, then shall he offer it before the LORD. (Leviticus 3:7 KJV)

And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron's sons shall sprinkle the blood thereof round about upon the altar. (Leviticus 3:8 KJV)

And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat thereof, and the whole rump, it shall he take off hard by the backbone; and the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, (Leviticus 3:9 KJV)

And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away. (Leviticus 3:10 KJV)

And the priest shall burn it upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire unto the LORD. (Leviticus 3:11 KJV)

And if his offering be a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD. (Leviticus 3:12 KJV)

And he shall lay his hand upon the head of it, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle the blood thereof upon the altar round about. (Leviticus 3:13 KJV)

And he shall offer thereof his offering, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, (Leviticus 3:14 KJV)

And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away. (Leviticus 3:15 KJV)

And the priest shall burn them upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savor: all the fat is the LORD's. (Leviticus 3:16 KJV)

It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood. (Leviticus 3:17 KJV)

The peace offering is for reconciliation between individuals. It is worth noting that this comes before the sin offering. Messiah spoke concerning this, declaring it is important to be reconciled with your brother before you are able to enter into fellowship with God:

Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
(Matthew 5:23-24 KJV)

John also references this concept

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
(1 John 4:20 KJV)

And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, (Leviticus 4:1 KJV)

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them: (Leviticus 4:2 KJV)

The sin of "ignorance", in Hebrew (sheg-agall) may simply mean by mistake, as opposed to willful and defiant rebellion against God. This understanding causes us to more fully understand John’s distinction between 1st John 1:8-10

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
(1 John 1:8-10 KJV)

and 1st John 3:6-9.

Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
(1 John 3:6-9 KJV)

If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering. (Leviticus 4:3 KJV)

And he shall bring the bullock unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD; and shall lay his hand upon the bullock's head, and kill the bullock before the LORD. (Leviticus 4:4 KJV)

And the priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock's blood, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation: (Leviticus 4:5 KJV)

And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the LORD, before the veil of the sanctuary. (Leviticus 4:6 KJV)

And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. (Leviticus 4:7 KJV)

And he shall take off from it all the fat of the bullock for the sin offering; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, (Leviticus 4:8 KJV)

And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away, (Leviticus 4:9 KJV)

As it was taken off from the bullock of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall burn them upon the altar of the burnt offering. (Leviticus 4:10 KJV)

And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung, (Leviticus 4:11 KJV)

Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt. (Leviticus 4:12 KJV)

And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty; (Leviticus 4:13 KJV)

When the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation. (Leviticus 4:14 KJV)

And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the LORD: and the bullock shall be killed before the LORD. (Leviticus 4:15 KJV)

And the priest that is anointed shall bring of the bullock's blood to the tabernacle of the congregation: (Leviticus 4:16 KJV)

And the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, even before the veil. (Leviticus 4:17 KJV)

And he shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the LORD, that is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. (Leviticus 4:18 KJV)

And he shall take all his fat from him, and burn it upon the altar. (Leviticus 4:19 KJV)

And he shall do with the bullock as he did with the bullock for a sin offering, so shall he do with this: and the priest shall make an atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them. (Leviticus 4:20 KJV)

And he shall carry forth the bullock without the camp, and burn him as he burned the first bullock: it is a sin offering for the congregation. (Leviticus 4:21 KJV)

When a ruler hath sinned, and done somewhat through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD his God concerning things which should not be done, and is guilty; (Leviticus 4:22 KJV)

Or if his sin, wherein he hath sinned, come to his knowledge; he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish: (Leviticus 4:23 KJV)

And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LORD: it is a sin offering. (Leviticus 4:24 KJV)

And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out his blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering. (Leviticus 4:25 KJV)

And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar, as the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall make an atonement for him as concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him. (Leviticus 4:26 KJV)

And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty; (Leviticus 4:27 KJV)

Or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned. (Leviticus 4:28 KJV)

And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering. (Leviticus 4:29 KJV)

And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar. (Leviticus 4:30 KJV)

And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat is taken away from off the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savor unto the LORD; and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him. (Leviticus 4:31 KJV)

And if he bring a lamb for a sin offering, he shall bring it a female without blemish. (Leviticus 4:32 KJV)

And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering. (Leviticus 4:33 KJV)

And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar: (Leviticus 4:34 KJV)

And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace offerings; and the priest shall burn them upon the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him. (Leviticus 4:35 KJV)

The distinction in value of offerings for potentially the same offense is profound. Notice that the offering for the priest who has sinned is the most extreme, equal to that of the sin by all of the people. The priest functions as the representative of the people before God and the representative of God to the people. As Israel is called to be a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:6), so we, as disciples of Yeshua Messiah are equally held to this standard (1st Peter 2:9). The sin that we commit has a powerful impact on the world around us, and so, as His representatives to the world, we are thus held accountable.

The king, or ruler, is lesser than the priest. His requirement is a male of the flock (sheep or goat). There are only few male kids or lambs kep in a flock because they tend to be aggressive and can cause a lot of damage. Rams are usually kept apart and either sold or eaten before long. This makes them considerably less available at any given point in time and thus a great deal more valuable when the need arises.

And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity. (Leviticus 5:1 KJV)

Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcass of an unclean beast, or a carcass of unclean cattle, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty. (Leviticus 5:2 KJV)

Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall be defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty. (Leviticus 5:3 KJV)

There is some debate over this passage. Most common is the understanding that the sacrifice is necessary if a person neglects to wash prior to sundown after having come into contact with uncleanness. Others hold that any exposure to uncleanness would require sacrifice. However, the second interpretation would lead to impoverishment of some vocations which required contact with unclean animals.

Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these. (Leviticus 5:4 KJV)

And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing: (Leviticus 5:5 KJV)

And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin. (Leviticus 5:6 KJV)

And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering. (Leviticus 5:7 KJV)

And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first, and wring off his head from his neck, but shall not divide it asunder: (Leviticus 5:8 KJV)

And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it is a sin offering. (Leviticus 5:9 KJV)

And he shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the manner: and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he hath sinned, and it shall be forgiven him. (Leviticus 5:10 KJV)

But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering. (Leviticus 5:11 KJV)

Then shall he bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it, even a memorial thereof, and burn it on the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: it is a sin offering. (Leviticus 5:12 KJV)

And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him: and the remnant shall be the priest's, as a meat offering. (Leviticus 5:13 KJV)

And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, (Leviticus 5:14 KJV)

If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering: (Leviticus 5:15 KJV)

And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him. (Leviticus 5:16 KJV)

And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD; though he knew it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity. (Leviticus 5:17 KJV)

And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his ignorance wherein he erred and knew it not, and it shall be forgiven him. (Leviticus 5:18 KJV)

It is a trespass offering: he hath certainly trespassed against the LORD. (Leviticus 5:19 KJV)

And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, (Leviticus 6:1 KJV)

If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbor in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbor; (Leviticus 6:2 KJV)

Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein: (Leviticus 6:3 KJV)

Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found, (Leviticus 6:4 KJV)

Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering. (Leviticus 6:5 KJV)

The penalty for sinning against man is considered equal with the offense against God because when you have sinned against man you have sinned against God.

And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: (Leviticus 6:6 KJV)

And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein. (Leviticus 6:7 KJV)

It’s unfortunate that we glaze over the specifics of the sacrificial instructions, thinking that they don’t really apply to us, forgetting that the deeper meanings that these hold were a vivid part of our Messiah’s communication, as with His disciples who would write after Him. They could not have presumed that so many, claiming allegiance to His Name, would reject or dismiss such foundational elements of their theology. Or, maybe they could.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
(2 Timothy 4:3-4 KJV)

The was given to teach us God’s definition of righteousness and the way of drawing closely in fellowship with Him. Modern theologians teach that we can do this without the , that understanding the sacrificial system is useless and archaic. As we peel back the pages and begin to look closely at His Word, this is not what we find. What happens when we begin to see the message of , as it applies to us, is these descriptive elements come alive with color and flavor, depth and contrast. Where the New Testament scholar tries to silence or poo-poo the Word and tells us to listen to him, we find that the Word itself has so much more to teach us: first hand. Instead of the pastor standing before us and declaring what the Lord intends to offer us, we are invited to taste for ourselves what the Good One has to offer.

This shouldn’t be to suggest that everything a teacher has to say is wrong or even necessarily tainted by human opinion or intellect. There are some very good things to be learned from men who have spent their lives consuming the Word of God, even if they have only exposed themselves to the New Testament Scriptures, even if those have been interpreted from the arrogance of Greek philosophy and ant-Jewish thought. There is still good there because they still are drawing from the Word of God. The question is, when going into the candy store, do you want to experience the goodness for yourself or are you content with licking the glass case?

The first seven chapters of Leviticus are the prescriptive roadmap for entering into the presence of, in fellowship with the Most High. Some say that this is merely a shadow of what God is teaching us about how to access Him. Okay. The first seven chapters of Leviticus are an allusion to the process of how we are to enter into the presence of, entering into fellowship with God. It’s too bad that so many flippantly toss the aside and say, "No thanks. I can find my own way." And if the blind lead the blind they shall both fall into the ditch!

[Mark]

Studying through the book of Leviticus is most often regarded as a dutiful necessity. It's there, it's next... we certainly wouldn't want to skip it... <sigh>

To some degree, mucxh of Leviticus is irrelevant to us, or so we assume because Deuteronomy 12 clearly states that without the Temple we cannot participate in the sacrificial system. Yet, there must be something here than just killing a bunch of animals. It was the sacrifices of that the writer of Hebrews specifically described as "a shadow of things to come." (Hebrews 10:1).

When reading the book of Leviticus, there is a sense of reminding that constantly plagues us: this was for them, then. Yet, their God is the God of us now. We have to take a closer look. Yet, even that is a wrong way of thinkingof the book of Leviticus. We don't need to peer deeper in because it IS a closer look. In fact, the book of Leviticus is like looking at Adonai's plan of redemption for us through a microscope.

The book of Leviticus lays out Adonai's redemptive plan:
The Great Problem is Sin.
The Great Provision is Sacrifice.
The Great Power is the Priesthood.
The Great Plan is the Day of Atonement.
The Great Possibility is Access to God.
The Great Principle is Holiness.
The Great Priviledge is an Ongoing Relationship with God.

Leviticus can be divided into two basic subjects. Chapters 1-16 describe the methods of approaching Adonai. Chapters 17-27 are the subject of abiding in the presence of Adonai. It is implortant to understand what is the perspective of Leviticus in order to understand its message. When looking through a microscope or through a telescope, you often have to step back again and remember what it is that you are looking at. Get your bearing, regain your perspective. This is why Leviticus isn't a stand-alone volume that the Priests would reference as their own precedural guide. It is sandwiched in as part of the , the Word of Adonai to all mankind for our greater understanding of Him.

Chapters 1-7 might have the sub-title, "Sacrifice: The Means of Approaching God".

The first sacrifice described to us is the "Burnt Offering". The message here is that of consecration, that what we give is to be completely given over to Adonai (ourselves). There is no halfway or sometimes. When you're in, you're in. Yet, it doesn't matter who you are or what is your economical position in life: whether you bring an ox or a goat or a pigeon. Your sacrifice, you're being there, is a sweet aroma unto Adonai.

In verse 2, the text descibes any person (specifically in the Hebrew, any man) the word that used to describe "man" is "aw-dahm", not "ish". The rabbis explain that this is because when you bring your sacrifice to Adonai, it is as if you were the first and only man to exist in the world. This is not about your status in the community or performing for those around you. This is between you and Adonai alone.

The second offering is the Grean, or Meal or Meat Offering. It's actually not meat at all. It is a meatless offering of grain. This reminds us that when we come to Adonai, we bring with us all that we have as ours. We recognize that everything we possess is really a gift from Adonai. It also establishes our role as part of the community, not as one who takes or comes beofre Adonai to get what we can out of Him; but we come to give back that which is already His. Of the first two offerings, you the offerer get nothing in return. The Burnt Offeringis wholly consumed and the Grain Offering is given to the Priests. The first thing we need to understand when stepping into the presence of Adonai is that this is not all about us.

The three Grain Offerings are said to represent the three stages of human life: the youth who is raw, the mature who is soft and baked with oil and the old cogder who is old and crackled from the fire. Coming to Adonai is not something withheld from the young nor something that it is outgrown. It is a characteristic that spand the life of the obedient from birth to the grave.

I call the Peace Offering the "Potluch Offering" because, in many ways, that is exactly what it is. This is a celebration that everyone is free to participate in. You sit with your family and with the priest and have a BBQ. It is about reconciliation with the Holy One and being reconciled with your brother.

So interesting that it is not until chapter 4 that we begin to see our exposure to sin. The Christian tradition has it somewhat backwards: recognize that you are a sinner and then come to Adonai so that you can be forgiven. The plan in Leviticus has youcoming to Adonai, entering into relationship with Him; then suddenly realizing that you are a sinner, not worthy to be there.
It is worth re-reading Paul's understanding our relationship to Adonai, particularly in the book of Romans when these elements are placed in their proper order. The dynamics of the text change quite incredibly. We understand that we are sinners (now, today) saved by grace (now, today). We understand that we are growing in our relationship with Adonai, sheddingthe carnality of our sinful nature, little by little and piece by piece. One does not stop sinning when they enter into relationship with Adonai. In fact, it is only after this relationship has begun that we begin to see the significance and depravity of our sin.

The sin offering is specifically the sins that are between you and God. This is compared and contrasted with the Tresspass Offering which is between you, God and your fellow. The Tresspass Offering requires retribution. You have to set things right with your neighbor and make amends as part of your reconcilliation with Adonai. Forgiveness from Adonai is without condition; yet, we know that many times our relationship with others is very conditional. So, the Sin Offering requires no retribution; but the Trespass Offering does. Regardless if the Trespass Offering is accepted by the one offended, Adonai is appeased by our taking ownership of our sin and responsibility toward our neighbor.

As you can easily see, these principles did not go away with the destruction of the Temple. The message of the Levitical system is as relevant to us as it has always been. May we grow closer to Him as we look deeply into the revance of His Word.

[Elizabeth]

This thread is a really good read, especially if you are like me and struggle with understanding the meaning and implications of the sacrificial system.

I really like the distinction the previous post made regarding how Christianity has it backwards. Where as the process given in Leviticus for approaching G-d has us first come into relationship with G-d to truly understand the gravity of our sin, the starting point for Christianity is first understanding your sin.

Really interesting because this hits on an underlying selfishness I remember in Christianity and am immediately aware of now. I immediately notice now how much a pastor, minister, song, reflection, or whatever talks about the person doing the talking or G-d. I can't listen to most Christian songs wiyhout them getting on my nerves intensely by doing this. As much talk as there is about selflessness, even the little I hear in non-Messianic Jewish readings or messages is less self-centered than what I hear from most Christian ones. 

This is one thing I love about the message heard at Chavurat Hamashiach. The message, story, song, service is about G-d. When you look, you will realize how hard that is to find. I have been looking for a Messianic podcast to listen to in the mornings. Any suggestions appreciated. I haven't found one, most sound Christian to me. I was trying to pinpoint why, and I really think, beyond some of what was said, it is how much the speaker was telling about themselves and their own lives. We need more G-d.

Anyway, I find it very illuminating to realize that even the starting point Christians preach to approach G-d is all about them. Yeah, it may be about how bad they are so to speak,but I can attest that I am learning more about even that by going back and starting with how good G-d is. When you know how good G-d is everything seems to just fall into place, which is what I feel like I am beginning to see in the sacrificial system.

This just helped give me some perspective about what it is I feel myself reacting to. I love that I have found a place that encourages us to truly keep our lives about G-d. So grateful for all these contributions people made to the forum over the years!