- there are 70 faces to 
Post by alon on Oct 24, 2020 0:44:06 GMT -8
Structure/Functioning of Synagogues:
I know most who come here have no synagogue which to attend. However I'd guess most would like to at least start a home study group, which might in turn grow to a viable congregation. So these are the relevant mitzvoth on how a synagogue should be structured.
Build Synagogues
Exodus 25:8 (NASB) Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. We should build a sanctuary as soon as we are able. Now through most of Israel’s early history from the Babylonian captivity on synagogues were not just a ‘religious’ edifice. They served at times as courts, public meeting places, or kind of what we’d today call a community center. So when we must meet in one of these, that’s fine. But having done this I can tell you that at times we had to put up with Halloween or Christmas decorations going up, Easter themes and other acts of paganism. So it’s best to have your own sanctuary if possible.
Leviticus 19:30a (ESV) You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord. We need to be in synagogue whenever possible on Shabbat and other moedim! And both the day and the place are holy.
Officers of the Synagogue
Numbers 3:6 (ESV) “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. The contemporary “tribe of Levi” can be thought to be the officers and elders in our congregations. Part of their duties is to minister to the Rabbi or leader of the congregation.
Numbers 3:7-8,10 (ESV) "They shall keep guard over him and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister at the tabernacle. They shall guard all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and keep guard over the people of Israel as they minister at the tabernacle. … And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard their priesthood. But if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death.” It is their responsibility to guard the leadership as well as synagogue property and the congregation, all of which belongs ultimately to God. Only in extreme cases would they put anyone to death, however this could be equated to expelling those who are a threat from the congregation. And these days, many churches and synagogues have armed persons strategically stationed to deal with an active gunman or other deadly assault. It cannot be stressed enough that these people should be highly motivated, dedicated, proficient with their firearms and well trained in dealing with assaults of this type.
Numbers 18:23 (ESV) But the Levites shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the people of Israel they shall have no inheritance. Officers of the synagogue must do the duties of their office faithfully as to HaShem.
Numbers 18:32b (ESV) But you shall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, lest you die. Any duties we do or responsibilities we take for the congregation of the Most High, we must take very seriously. Never profane the things of God, including those of His people.
Semicha
Exodus 29:4 (ESV) You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. Semicha, or ordination should always begin with tevilah. Immersion in a Mikva was a statement that the ordinate knows he needs cleansing.
Exodus 29:7 (ESV) You shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. Officers in the synagogue should be anointed with oil at their semicha, however we do not try to replicate the Temple oil.
Exodus 40:13-15 (NASB) You shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister as a priest to Me. You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them; and you shall anoint them even as you have anointed their father, that they may minister as priests to Me; and their anointing will qualify them for a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.” We are prohibited from making the Temple oil, however when ordaining officers of our assemblies, I would suggest some kind of anointing with oil be done as a remembrance.
Exodus 29:8-9a (ESV) Then you shall bring his sons and put coats on them, and you shall gird Aaron and his sons with sashes and bind caps on them. Usually at his semicha, the issuing authority gives the one being ordained a tallit, because when Elijah appointed Elisha a prophet in his stead and was taken up his cloak fell: 2 Kings 2:13 (ESV) And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.
Exodus 29:21b (ESV) He and his garments shall be holy, and his sons and his sons' garments with him. Once ordained, that person is set apart for service of the Lord. It is a calling by the Most High, and a responsibility forever. The Almighty never revokes a calling. Romans 11:29 (ESV) For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Exodus 29:35 (ESV) “Thus you shall do to Aaron and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. Through seven days shall you ordain them," Biblically an ordination should last seven days. This is not always possible as far as congregational involvement. But for the ordinate there should be some kind of seven day ritual.
Roster of Members
Numbers 3:15 (ESV) “List the sons of Levi, by fathers' houses and by clans; every male from a month old and upward you shall list.” We need clear membership and officer rosters in our congregations.
Service
Leviticus 26:2b (ESV) reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord. While meant of the Mishkan and/or Temple, I think this can safely be applied to the synagogue as well.
Numbers 4:24 (ESV) This is the service of the clans of the Gershonites, in serving and bearing burdens: Everyone should have their part in service to the congregation.
Numbers 4:27-28 (ESV) All the service of the sons of the Gershonites shall be at the command of Aaron and his sons, in all that they are to carry and in all that they have to do. And you shall assign to their charge all that they are to carry. This is the service of the clans of the sons of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting, and their guard duty is to be under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. There is a hierarchy of leadership within the assembly.
Numbers 4:32b (ESV) And you shall list by name the objects that they are required to carry. Tasks should be clearly delineated.
Numbers 7:5 (ESV) “Accept these from them, that they may be used in the service of the tent of meeting, and give them to the Levites, to each man according to his service.” All gifts are to be accepted, and officers of the congregation given their due portion. In smaller congregations this may be nothing, or possibly a stipend. In larger ones where some work full or part time it may be a salary. Included are janitorial and maintenance personnel, secretarial and bookkeeping, Cantor, shaliachim, and of course the Rabbonim. Anyone who works for the congregation.
Numbers 6:23-26 (ESV) “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance [face] upon you and give you peace." I would make this, the Aaronic Blessing a part of every important gathering or service.
Support for Synagogue
Numbers 18:24a (ESV) For the tithe of the people of Israel, which they present as a contribution to the Lord, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. We are to give a tithe towards the operation of our place of worship.
Numbers 18:26 (ESV) “Moreover, you shall speak and say to the Levites, ‘When you take from the people of Israel the tithe that I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution from it to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe." Officers in the synagogue must tithe on what they are given for their work therein.
Deuteronomy 14:22 (ESV) “You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year.” We tithe the produce of our labors at the time we reap their rewards.
Deuteronomy 12:19 (ESV) Take care that you do not neglect the Levite as long as you live in your land. Make sure you give freely to the Levies/those in ministry.
Deuteronomy 18:3-5 (ESV) And this shall be the priests' due from the people, from those offering a sacrifice, whether an ox or a sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. The firstfruits of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the first fleece of your sheep, you shall give him. For the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for all time. We are to take care of our synagogue officers.
Deuteronomy 14:23 (ESV) And before the Lord your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always. The Mishkan and later the Temple was to be the place of offerings. It was also the place where we were to partake of some of those offerings. Today we typically bring our tithes to a synagogue, or for some to a church. Whatever we do, I think it important to set aside a tithe to the service of the Lord. This is born out in vss. 24-29: “And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, when the Lord your God blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which the Lord your God chooses, to set his name there, then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the Lord your God chooses and spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household. And you shall not neglect the Levite who is within your towns, for he has no portion or inheritance with you. At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns. And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.”
I know most who come here have no synagogue which to attend. However I'd guess most would like to at least start a home study group, which might in turn grow to a viable congregation. So these are the relevant mitzvoth on how a synagogue should be structured.
Build Synagogues
Exodus 25:8 (NASB) Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. We should build a sanctuary as soon as we are able. Now through most of Israel’s early history from the Babylonian captivity on synagogues were not just a ‘religious’ edifice. They served at times as courts, public meeting places, or kind of what we’d today call a community center. So when we must meet in one of these, that’s fine. But having done this I can tell you that at times we had to put up with Halloween or Christmas decorations going up, Easter themes and other acts of paganism. So it’s best to have your own sanctuary if possible.
Leviticus 19:30a (ESV) You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord. We need to be in synagogue whenever possible on Shabbat and other moedim! And both the day and the place are holy.
Officers of the Synagogue
Numbers 3:6 (ESV) “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. The contemporary “tribe of Levi” can be thought to be the officers and elders in our congregations. Part of their duties is to minister to the Rabbi or leader of the congregation.
Numbers 3:7-8,10 (ESV) "They shall keep guard over him and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister at the tabernacle. They shall guard all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and keep guard over the people of Israel as they minister at the tabernacle. … And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard their priesthood. But if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death.” It is their responsibility to guard the leadership as well as synagogue property and the congregation, all of which belongs ultimately to God. Only in extreme cases would they put anyone to death, however this could be equated to expelling those who are a threat from the congregation. And these days, many churches and synagogues have armed persons strategically stationed to deal with an active gunman or other deadly assault. It cannot be stressed enough that these people should be highly motivated, dedicated, proficient with their firearms and well trained in dealing with assaults of this type.
Numbers 18:23 (ESV) But the Levites shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the people of Israel they shall have no inheritance. Officers of the synagogue must do the duties of their office faithfully as to HaShem.
Numbers 18:32b (ESV) But you shall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, lest you die. Any duties we do or responsibilities we take for the congregation of the Most High, we must take very seriously. Never profane the things of God, including those of His people.
Semicha
Exodus 29:4 (ESV) You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. Semicha, or ordination should always begin with tevilah. Immersion in a Mikva was a statement that the ordinate knows he needs cleansing.
Exodus 29:7 (ESV) You shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. Officers in the synagogue should be anointed with oil at their semicha, however we do not try to replicate the Temple oil.
Exodus 40:13-15 (NASB) You shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister as a priest to Me. You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them; and you shall anoint them even as you have anointed their father, that they may minister as priests to Me; and their anointing will qualify them for a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.” We are prohibited from making the Temple oil, however when ordaining officers of our assemblies, I would suggest some kind of anointing with oil be done as a remembrance.
Exodus 29:8-9a (ESV) Then you shall bring his sons and put coats on them, and you shall gird Aaron and his sons with sashes and bind caps on them. Usually at his semicha, the issuing authority gives the one being ordained a tallit, because when Elijah appointed Elisha a prophet in his stead and was taken up his cloak fell: 2 Kings 2:13 (ESV) And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.
Exodus 29:21b (ESV) He and his garments shall be holy, and his sons and his sons' garments with him. Once ordained, that person is set apart for service of the Lord. It is a calling by the Most High, and a responsibility forever. The Almighty never revokes a calling. Romans 11:29 (ESV) For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Exodus 29:35 (ESV) “Thus you shall do to Aaron and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. Through seven days shall you ordain them," Biblically an ordination should last seven days. This is not always possible as far as congregational involvement. But for the ordinate there should be some kind of seven day ritual.
Roster of Members
Numbers 3:15 (ESV) “List the sons of Levi, by fathers' houses and by clans; every male from a month old and upward you shall list.” We need clear membership and officer rosters in our congregations.
Service
Leviticus 26:2b (ESV) reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord. While meant of the Mishkan and/or Temple, I think this can safely be applied to the synagogue as well.
Numbers 4:24 (ESV) This is the service of the clans of the Gershonites, in serving and bearing burdens: Everyone should have their part in service to the congregation.
Numbers 4:27-28 (ESV) All the service of the sons of the Gershonites shall be at the command of Aaron and his sons, in all that they are to carry and in all that they have to do. And you shall assign to their charge all that they are to carry. This is the service of the clans of the sons of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting, and their guard duty is to be under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. There is a hierarchy of leadership within the assembly.
Numbers 4:32b (ESV) And you shall list by name the objects that they are required to carry. Tasks should be clearly delineated.
Numbers 7:5 (ESV) “Accept these from them, that they may be used in the service of the tent of meeting, and give them to the Levites, to each man according to his service.” All gifts are to be accepted, and officers of the congregation given their due portion. In smaller congregations this may be nothing, or possibly a stipend. In larger ones where some work full or part time it may be a salary. Included are janitorial and maintenance personnel, secretarial and bookkeeping, Cantor, shaliachim, and of course the Rabbonim. Anyone who works for the congregation.
Numbers 6:23-26 (ESV) “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance [face] upon you and give you peace." I would make this, the Aaronic Blessing a part of every important gathering or service.
Support for Synagogue
Numbers 18:24a (ESV) For the tithe of the people of Israel, which they present as a contribution to the Lord, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. We are to give a tithe towards the operation of our place of worship.
Numbers 18:26 (ESV) “Moreover, you shall speak and say to the Levites, ‘When you take from the people of Israel the tithe that I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution from it to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe." Officers in the synagogue must tithe on what they are given for their work therein.
Deuteronomy 14:22 (ESV) “You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year.” We tithe the produce of our labors at the time we reap their rewards.
Deuteronomy 12:19 (ESV) Take care that you do not neglect the Levite as long as you live in your land. Make sure you give freely to the Levies/those in ministry.
Deuteronomy 18:3-5 (ESV) And this shall be the priests' due from the people, from those offering a sacrifice, whether an ox or a sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. The firstfruits of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the first fleece of your sheep, you shall give him. For the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for all time. We are to take care of our synagogue officers.
Deuteronomy 14:23 (ESV) And before the Lord your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always. The Mishkan and later the Temple was to be the place of offerings. It was also the place where we were to partake of some of those offerings. Today we typically bring our tithes to a synagogue, or for some to a church. Whatever we do, I think it important to set aside a tithe to the service of the Lord. This is born out in vss. 24-29: “And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, when the Lord your God blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which the Lord your God chooses, to set his name there, then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the Lord your God chooses and spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household. And you shall not neglect the Levite who is within your towns, for he has no portion or inheritance with you. At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns. And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.”
