Commandments in Torah Applicable Today

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This will be the complete list of commandments that apply to us in the diaspora today from our Torah project. If you have comments, additions, etc. about any of these, please post them in the original thread containing that commandment. (Alternatively post here and I can move it to where it should be.) I'll do this in segments since it is a lot of work to make the necessary changes to fit the format here. But when done we'll have the entire list in one place for easy reference.

Dan

[alon]

Actual Commandments:

Contents
Dietary Laws:                                          3—
General                                                      3
Kosher and Treif Food                                  3
Fat and Blood                                              5

Worship                                                 5—
One God                                                     5
Giving                                                         6
Idolatry                                                       6
Make No Covenants                                      7
Sacrifices                                                     8
Blood of Sacrifice And Leaven                        8
Worship as God Said                                     8
Firstborn Belongs to Go                                 9
Be Sober                                                    10
Do Not Cheat God                                       10
Vo                                                             10
Purification                                                 11
Praye                                                         11
Respect for God                                          11
False Teachers                                            12
Forbidden Forms of Worshi                          12
Those Excluded from the Assembly              13

Moedim                                                 14—
Calendar                                                    14
Shabbat                                                     14
Rosh Chodesh                                             15
Shalosh Regalim                                         15
Pesach, First-fruits, Unleavened Bread          16
Counting the Omer & Shavuot                      18
Rosh Hashannah                                         19
Yom Kippur                                                19
Sukkoth & Shemini Atzaret                          19
Shemittah Ye                                              20
The Yovel                                                   21
Tu B’Shava                                                 21

Structure/Functioning of Synagogues  21—
Build Synagogues                                        21
Officers of the Synagogu                              21
Semicha                                                     22
Roster of Members                                      22
Service                                                      22
Support for Synagogue                               23

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Social Justic                                           24—
Justic                                                         24
Respect for Elders                                       26
Those in Authority                                       26
Marriage and Divorce                                   26
Sexual Imorality                                          27
Lending                                                      28
Help Other                                                  28
Treatment of Other                                      28
Treatment of Animals                                   29
Inheritance                                                 29
Property Laws                                             30
Property Boundaries                                    30
Valuation of People                                      30
Restitution                                                  31
Indentured Servants                                    32
Warfare                                                      34
Environment                                               34

Relations                                                           34—
God                                                            34
Famil                                                          35
Intermarriage                                              35
With Relations                                             35
Children                                                      36
Homosexuality                                             36
Bestiality                                                     36
Disease                                                       36

Halacha                                                    37—
General                                                         37
Tumah and Tahara                                          38
Obedience                                                     39
Nida                                                              39
B’rit Milah                                                      40
Tevilah                                                          40
Tzitzi                                                             40
One La                                                          40
Si                                                                 40
Promises, Oaths, and Vows                             41

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[alon]

Actual Commandments:

Dietary Laws

    General

Genesis 32:32 (ESV) Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob's hip on the sinew of the thigh. It clearly says that God’s people do not eat sinew.

Exodus 22:31 (ESV) “You shall be consecrated to me. Therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.” Our diet is a witness that we are set apart to God. We don’t eat meat killed by other animals.

Leviticus 17:15 (ESV) And every person who eats what dies of itself or what is torn by beasts, whether he is a native or a sojourner, shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening; then he shall be clean. But if he does not wash them or bathe his flesh, he shall bear his iniquity.” Should you eat of something you did not kill or purchase from a butcher, you should do tevilah if possible, and at the very least clean up and wash your clothes. However consider: Deuteronomy 14:21a (ESV)  “You shall not eat anything that has died naturally.” In both verses “dies of itself” and “died naturally” are the same term: H5038 נְבֵלָה nebêlâh; a flabby thing, that is, a carcase or carrion; figuratively an idol: dead body, dead carcase, dead of itself, which died, that (which) dieth of itself. So the commandment is not to eat of something that died, but if you should for some reason wash your clothes, bathe yourself and do tevilah.

Deuteronomy 12:15 (ESV) “However, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your towns, as much as you desire, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you. The unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle and as of the deer.” Tamei and tahor (unclean and clean/profane and holy) persons may slaughter and eat outside the Temple, as these are not sacrifices. So may we today slaughter and eat.

Deuteronomy 12:20-21 (ESV) “When the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as he has promised you, and you say, ‘I will eat meat,’ because you crave meat, you may eat meat whenever you desire. If the place that the Lord your God will choose to put his name there is too far from you, then you may kill any of your herd or your flock, which the Lord has given you, as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your towns whenever you desire.” As we have no Temple, there is no restriction on when and where we may eat meat.

    Kosher and Treif Foods

Leviticus 11:2 (ESV) “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, These are the living things that you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth.” We are to make the distinction between kosher and treif foods.

Leviticus 11:3 (ESV) Whatever parts the hoof and is cloven-footed and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat. Kosher animals.

Leviticus 11:4-8 (ESV) Nevertheless, among those that chew the cud or part the hoof, you shall not eat these: The camel, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you.  And the rock badger, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you.  And the hare, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you.  And the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you.  You shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall not touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you. Treif animals.

Leviticus 11:9 (ESV) “These you may eat, of all that are in the waters. Everything in the waters that has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat. Kosher fish.

Leviticus 11:10-12 (ESV) But anything in the seas or the rivers that does not have fins and scales, of the swarming creatures in the waters and of the living creatures that are in the waters, is detestable to you. You shall regard them as detestable; you shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall detest their carcasses. Everything in the waters that does not have fins and scales is detestable to you. Treif fish. detestable- שֶׁקֶץ sheqets; filth, an idolatrous object- abomina-tion.

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Leviticus 11:13-19 (ESV) “And these you shall detest among the birds; they shall not be eaten; they are detestable [an abomination]: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, the kite, the falcon of any kind, every raven of any kind, the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk of any kind, the little owl, the cormorant, the short-eared owl, the barn owl, the tawny owl, the carrion vulture, the stork, the heron of any kind, the hoopoe, and the bat.” Treif birds.

Leviticus 11:20,23 (ESV) “All winged insects that go on all fours are detestable [an abomination] to you. … But all other winged insects that have four feet (see 21-22) are detestable to you.” Treif insects.

Leviticus 11:21-22 (ESV) Yet among the winged insects that go on all fours you may eat those that have jointed legs above their feet, with which to hop on the ground. Of them you may eat: the locust of any kind, the bald locust of any kind, the cricket of any kind, and the grasshopper of any kind. Kosher insects.

Leviticus 11:41-42 (ESV) “Every swarming thing that swarms on the ground is detestable; it shall not be eaten. Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet, any swarming thing that swarms on the ground, you shall not eat, for they are detestable." Eat nothing that crawls or swarms on the ground.

Deuteronomy 14:3 (ESV)  “You shall not eat any abomination [detestable thing].” Do not eat food sacrificed to idols, or food said to be as idolitrous [detestable]. abomination- תּוֹעֵבַה tô‛êbah; something morally disgusting, an abhorrence; especially idolatry, an abomination.

Deuteronomy 14:4a,6 (ESV)  These are the animals you may eat: … Every animal that parts the hoof and has the hoof cloven in two and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat. The animal must both part the hoof and chew the cud to be considered good for consumption.

Deuteronomy 14:9-10 (ESV)  “Of all that are in the waters you may eat these: whatever has fins and scales you may eat. And whatever does not have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean for you.” Must have both fins and scales.

Deuteronomy 14:11 (ESV)  “You may eat all clean birds.” Verses 12-18 lists those we should not eat, and we should be familiar with that list and abstain from eating: But these are the ones that you shall not eat: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, the kite, the falcon of any kind; every raven of any kind; the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk of any kind; the little owl and the short-eared owl, the barn owl and the tawny owl, the carrion vulture and the cormorant, the stork, the heron of any kind; the hoopoe and the bat.

Deuteronomy 14:19 (ESV)  And all winged insects are unclean for you; they shall not be eaten.

Deuteronomy 14:21b (ESV)  “You may give it (anything that has died naturally) to the sojourner who is within your towns, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. While we may give treif food to a Gentile, we do not eat of it ourselves.

Exodus 23:19b (ESV) “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.” &
Deuteronomy 14:21c (ESV) “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.”
My JPS TNK commentary says of this statement: “The rabbinic assumption that no law in the Bible is redundant led to the postbiblical generalization that prohibited the consumption of meat and milk products together. On its own terms, the law seems to have had a more restricted application. It originally applied specifically to pilgrimage festival offerings (Exod 23.19; 34.26). … Philo viewed it as redirecting the mind away from the body. Maimonides viewed it as directed against idolatry. Some moderns have viewed the prohibition as directed against Canaanite religious rituals; others view it as concerned to prevent the abuse of animals.” All these have merit to us except the rabbinical interpretation. As Messianics we are not bound by the excessive rulings of the rabbonim of the late 2nd cen CE on. The practice of killing a newborn goat in front of its mother and boiling it in her milk was an extremely cruel one, and our God is not cruel. We are also prohibited from mixing pagan traditions with our worship of the One God. And all worship, all we do should redirect our minds to the things of our God.

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    Fat and Blood

Exodus 23:18; 34:25 (ESV) “You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the fat of my feast remain until the morning. …  “You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover remain until the morning.” We do not eat the fat, because that belongs to God. Neither do we burn it on an altar. So not entirely sure what to do with this one other than apply it to the general proscription against leftover foods from a feast.

Leviticus 7:23b-25 (NASB) … ‘You shall not eat any fat from an ox, a sheep or a goat. Also the fat of an animal which dies and the fat of an animal torn by beasts may be put to any other use, but you must certainly not eat it. For whoever eats the fat of the animal from which an offering by fire is offered to the Lord, even the person who eats shall be cut off from his people.’ Fat may be put to other uses, but we may not eat it.

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.” We are to drain the blood and trim the fat off our meat. Contextually however this does not apply to residual fat or blood. Previous verses talk of fat trimmed from 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.

Genesis 9:4 (ESV) But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. Don’t eat blood.

Leviticus 7:26-27 (NASB) “You are not to eat any blood, either of bird or animal, in any of your dwellings. Any person who eats any blood, even that person shall be cut off from his people.” We are not to eat any blood. Carcasses should be well drained, and the blood not drunk nor any food dishes made from it.

Leviticus 17:10-12 (ESV) “If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.  Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood.” We are not to eat blood.

Leviticus 19:26a (ESV) “You shall not eat any flesh with the blood in it.” Meat should be well drained.

Leviticus 17:13-14 (ESV) “Any one also of the people of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth. For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off. When slaughtering an animal in the field, it must be properly bled and the blood covered.

Deuteronomy 12:16, 23 (ESV) Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it out on the earth like water. … Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh. Do not eat blood. Repeated several times, HaShem is serious about this.

Worship

    One God

Exodus 3:14-15 (ESV)  God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” [Or I am what I am, or I will be what I will be] And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. This gives the Name by which the Almighty is to be known.

Exodus 20:2-3 (ESV) “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me.” Biblically Egypt represents sin. So for all who Elohim has brought out of sin, all of us who accept Yeshua and are saved, we have only One God, El Elohe Yisroel. Some who call themselves Messianic argue this means we can worship other gods, just do not place them first before Elohei Yisroel. But the word here translated “before” is פָּנִים pânîym, my face. This is strong language; God is saying “keep them out of my face!”

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Exodus 23:13 (ESV) “Pay attention to all that I have said to you, and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips.” This probably means in worship or idle talk, or in an oath. It is allowed to learn of them in order to refute them and their tenets as a witness to others.

Deuteronomy 5:7 (ESV) “‘You shall have no other gods before [Or besides] me.’” We absolutely do not give worship, credit, nor consort to any god but our God, El Elohe Yisroel.

Deuteronomy 6:4 (ESV) “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” Or The Lord our God is one Lord; or The Lord is our God, the Lord is one; or The Lord is our God, the Lord alone

Deuteronomy 7:16b (ESV)  neither shall you serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you. Another oft repeated commandment. We serve El Elohe Yisroel, and Him alone!

Deuteronomy 32:39a (ESV) “‘See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me;’” This one verse encapsulates the theme of the entire song, and can be taken as a commandment to know that there is One supreme God who alone we are to worship and obey. And He does not share His glory with any other.

    Giving

Exodus 22:29-30 (ESV) “You shall not delay to offer from the fullness of your harvest and from the outflow of your presses. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to me. You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep: seven days it shall be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to me.” All tithes should immediately go to God. We should not wait to give as a lump sum. The firstruits of our crops and the firstborn of out livestock, even of our children belongs to God.

Exodus 23:19a (ESV) “The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God.” We bring only our best into God’s storehouse.

Leviticus 22:20 (ESV) You shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable for you. Offer only of your best to the Lord.

Exodus 25:2 (ESV) “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me." As the Spirit moves our hearts we should contribute of our money, time, and talents to the work of sharing the besorah of Yeshua. Contextually this was about building the Mishkan, so it is saying support the community of believers with all you have.

Deuteronomy 6:5-6 (ESV) You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. Considered the greatest commandment (Luke 10:27), we are to love God, the ways of God, the things of God more than even ourselves.

Deuteronomy 17:1 (ESV) “You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep in which is a blemish, any defect whatever, for that is an abomination to the Lord your God." Give only our best to God.

    Idolatry

Isaiah 42:10a, 11b-12 (ESV)  Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see! There is a little doble entendre here. God, through the prophet was speaking of idols of wood and stone facetiously telling them to hear and see. However He is primarily telling us to wake up, put away our idols and worship the One True God.

Exodus 20:4-5 (ESV) “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.  You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God,” This actually has 2 parts- do not make graven images, and do not worship graven images. Many argue that this means we cannot make images for the purpose of worship. But God explicitly says you shall not make those images! A corollary would be that if you do find them, destroy them.

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Exodus 22:20 (ESV) “Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the Lord alone, shall be devoted to destruction [set apart (devoted) as an offering for destruction to the Lord].” Not as a human sacrifice, but either put to the sword or executed by legal decree. Today just permanently removed from fellowship. But what about giving tithes or offerings to organizations that either worship other gods (like many which support Islam today) or that misrepresent our God (like many churches)? That could be said to violate this command.

Leviticus 19:4 (ESV) Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the Lord your God. Pretty clear- no idols!

Leviticus 26:1 (ESV) “You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the Lord your God. Again. no idols. Images, pillars and stones are specifically referenced here. That means no representations of beasts, “saints,” or demons; and certainly we don’t kneel before them and pray to those they represent!

Deuteronomy 5:8-9a (ESV) “‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.  You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God,’” We make no graven images, and bow before nothing; even to say it represents our God is a grave sin.

Deuteronomy 7:5 (ESV) But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and chop down their Asherim and burn their carved images with fire. We should destroy the items of pagan worship wherever and whenever we can. This can mean physically, but I also take it that every time we convince an idolater to stop, we just in a sense destroyed the idols he worships.

Deuteronomy 7:25a (ESV) The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. Destroy all items of pagan worship.

Deuteronomy 7:25b (ESV)  You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the Lord your God. Do not desire to profit from the idols, or the materials from which they are made.

Deuteronomy 7:26 (ESV)  And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest and abhor it, for it is devoted to destruction. We should loath idols, and never bring one into our homes which are dedicated to God.

Deuteronomy 12:2-3 (ESV) You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.  You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place. Destroy all traces of idolatry.

    Make No Covenants

Exodus 23:32 (ESV) “You shall make no covenant with them and their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.” We are not to compromise with other religions, nor to make covenants with them. We serve only the God of Israel.

Exodus 34:12-17 (ESV) Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in your midst. You shall tear down their altars and break their pillars and cut down their Asherim (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they sleeper after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice, and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters sleeper after their gods and make your sons sleeper after their gods. “You shall not make for yourself any gods of cast metal.” An oft repeated theme, to go whoring after those outside the covenant ends in worship of other gods. We are to make no covenants, marriage or otherwise with unbelievers. We are to destroy their idols and altars. We are not to eat food sacrificed to other gods nor participate in any form of worship of strange gods. And we are to make no gods ourselves.

Deuteronomy 7:2c (ESV) … You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. Contextually this speaks of those we have conquered in His Name. We, with the Ruach share in Yeshua’s conquering of sin when we accepted Him. Therefore we should not compromise with sin. And when dealing with the world, I have a saying, “Never compromise with evil.”

Deuteronomy 7:16a (ESV) And you shall consume all the peoples that the Lord your God will give over to you. Your eye shall not pity them, neither shall you serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you. Too often, when we should be pressing our witness home, we feel pity for the persons discomfort. We care more about not hurting their feelings, and so quench the work of the Spirit. So I am listing this as a commandment for us.

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    Sacrifices

Exodus 13:14-15 (ESV) And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ While we do not do animal sacrifices until the Temple is rebuilt, we still should redeem our firstborn. If you have no assembly then treat as tithes and find a Messianic cause to support.                    

Leviticus 17:3-5 (ESV)  If any one of the house of Israel kills an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or kills it outside the camp,  and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it as a gift to the Lord in front of the tabernacle of the Lord, bloodguilt shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from among his people.  This is to the end that the people of Israel may bring their sacrifices that they sacrifice in the open field, that they may bring them to the Lord, to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the Lord. Sacrifices are only to be made at the Mishkan (later theTemple in Jerusalem). We have neither, so sacrifices are temporarily halted. I am however leaving this in the list of “currently observed” commandments because there is an all to common idea that with Yeshua’s death the sacrifices were done away with. Nowhere does it say or imply that.

Leviticus 18:21 (ESV) You shall not give any of your children to offer them [to make them pass through the fire] to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. Proscription against child sacrifice. Moreover, do nothing to sell your children into sin.

Deuteronomy 12:17-18 (ESV) You may not eat within your towns the tithe of your grain or of your wine or of your oil, or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, or any of your vow offerings that you vow, or your freewill offerings or the contribution that you present, but you shall eat them before the Lord your God in the place that the Lord your God will choose, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your towns. And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all that you undertake. Do not eat things set apart to HaShem as offerings outside His Temple. Today, with no Temple in Yerushalayim we no longer set aside these sacrifices. However we typically do set aside a tithe, and we give offerings. These are to be separated from profane, or common use. They belong to God.

Deuteronomy 26:10 (ESV)  And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O Lord, have given me.’ And you shall set it down before the Lord your God and worship before the Lord your God. Three things here: giving to God is and should be an act of worship, and we pay what we owe Him first. This is an act of both trust and obedience.

    Blood of Sacrifice And Leaven

Exodus 23:18 (ESV) “You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the fat of my feast remain until the morning. Any time wine or grape juice representing the blood of either the Paschal sacrifice or the blood of Yeshua is present, there should be no leaven present or consumed.

Exodus 34:25 (ESV) “You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover remain until the morning.” Whether the Christian custom of The Lord’s Supper or the Messianic/Jewish one of Pesach, we should not profane the prophetic example of Pesach with leaven/sin.

    Worship as God Said

Exodus 30:9 (ESV) You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it. We should strive to worship HaShem as He tells us to worship Him. Leviticus 10:3 (ESV) Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron held his peace. Nadav and Abihu had just offered “strange fire” before the Lord; mixing pagan rites with worship of the Almighty. This would diminish our God, not glorify Him. We should not mix pagan practices with our worship of HaShem. HaShem takes our worship seriously.

Exodus 30:22-23a,24-25,32-33-35 30:34-35,,37-38 (ESV) The Lord said to Moses, “Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, …, and 500 of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. …  It shall not be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you shall make no other like it in composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’” … The Lord said to Moses, “Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part), and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy. … And the incense that you shall make according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the Lord. Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from his people.” Do not reproduce anointing oil or incense for profane use; do not anoint anyone other than priests with this oil.

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Leviticus 10:10 (ESV) You are to distinguish between the holy and the common [or profane], and between the unclean and the clean, Those things which are used in worship of Adonai are not to be used for common tasks. Along the same line, we do not want to make sacred objects unclean by handling when we ourselves are unclean (tumah- ritually unavailable).

Numbers 10:10 (ESV) On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the Lord your God.” “The day of your gladness “ apparently refers to Pesach, as that is what was being discussed. Vss. 1-9 talk about having a definite order and distinction in the trumpet blasts (it also specifies silver trumpets, Hebrew חצוצרה ḥaṣoṣrah, for the Mishkan). Many times in scripture a shofar שׁוֹפָר was specified. Blowing a shofar at the beginning of each convocation harkens back to this. However I am opposed to the practice of everyone showing up with their own shofarot and just blasting away. This usually sounds more like slaughtering goats than calling an assembly to worship. Our God is a God of order, and calling His people to worship should be a recognizable sound and pattern.

Deuteronomy 4:2 (ESV) You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you. Keep the mitzvoth as HaShem gave them to us, not as we want.

Deuteronomy 10:20b (ESV)  You shall serve him and hold fast to him, We serve God and hold to Him and to His ways and to His people.

Deuteronomy 12:4, 30-31 (ESV) You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way. … take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’ You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. Do not worship El Elohe Yisroel as pagans worship their gods.

    Firstborn Belongs to God

Exodus 34:19-20 (ESV) All that open the womb are mine, all your male livestock, the firstborn of cow and sheep. The firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. And none shall appear before me empty-handed. We are to redeem our firstborn of livestock and our marriage(s).

Leviticus 27: (ESV)  “But a firstborn of animals, which as a firstborn belongs to the Lord, no man may dedicate; whether ox or sheep, it is the Lord's. And if it is an unclean animal, then he shall buy it back at the valuation, and add a fifth to it; or, if it is not redeemed, it shall be sold at the valuation. We are to redeem a firstborn animal, or sell it and donate the money to God.

Numbers 3:12-13 (ESV)  “Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be mine, for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and of beast. They shall be mine: I am the Lord.” All firstborn are consecrated to the Lord.

Numbers 3:45-47 (ESV)  “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle. The Levites shall be mine: I am the Lord. And as the redemption price for the 273 of the firstborn of the people of Israel, over and above the number of the male Levites, you shall take five shekels[c] per head; you shall take them according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel of twenty gerahs),” All firstborn should be redeemed by paying 5 shekels.” A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams, so the price would be 55 grams of gold. Gold can be purchased from rare metals dealers. Small amounts are usually sold in strips, and these can be cut to give exact amounts. My old synagogue collected this even if the firstborn was grown and had left home.

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Numbers 18:14-16 (ESV)  Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours. Everything that opens the womb of all flesh, whether man or beast, which they offer to the Lord, shall be yours. Nevertheless, the firstborn of man you shall redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem. And their redemption price (at a month old you shall redeem them) you shall fix at five shekels [about 2/5 ounce per shekel] in silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. We are commanded to redeem all firstborn (exceptions noted in vs. 17).

Numbers 18:17 (ESV) But the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar and shall burn their fat as a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. These are typically animals raised for slaughter or for sale. So today we’d give 10% of what we earn from them or of the value of their produce (for example, what we ourselves consume must also be tithed on). Therefore their firstborn are not redeemed at birth.

Deuteronomy 15:19 (ESV)  “All the firstborn males that are born of your herd and flock you shall dedicate to the Lord your God. You shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.” Firstborn of clean animals are consecrated, and should not be worked or sold for profit.

    Be Sober

Leviticus 10:9 (ESV) “Drink no wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. We should be sober in mind and body when worshiping or going before our Lord.

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.

    Do Not Cheat God

Leviticus 27:9- (ESV) “If the vow is an animal that may be offered as an offering to the Lord, all of it that he gives to the Lord is holy. He shall not exchange it or make a substitute for it, good for bad, or bad for good; and if he does in fact substitute one animal for another, then both it and the substitute shall be holy. And if it is any unclean animal that may not be offered as an offering to the Lord, then he shall stand the animal before the priest, and the priest shall value it as either good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall be. But if he wishes to redeem it, he shall add a fifth to the valuation. Don’t try to renege or cheat God with what is owed Him.

Leviticus 27:30-33 (ESV) “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord. If a man wishes to redeem some of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman's staff, shall be holy to the Lord. One shall not differentiate between good or bad, neither shall he make a substitute for it; and if he does substitute for it, then both it and the substitute shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.” The tithe is already separated and considered holy by God.

    Vows

Leviticus 27:14-15 (ESV)  “When a man dedicates his house as a holy gift to the Lord, the priest shall value it as either good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall stand. And if the donor wishes to redeem his house, he shall add a fifth to the valuation price, and it shall be his. We may give property to the synagogue, so this could apply.

Leviticus 27:16 (ESV)  “If a man dedicates to the Lord part of the land that is his possession, then the valuation shall be in proportion to its seed. A homer of barley seed shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver." We may donate land, and its valuation is based on its yield. However not all land is farmland, and the most common current standard for valuing those is based on the highest use- i.e. land downtown zoned for business is worth more than land in the poorest part of town zoned residential only. That valuation would be its “yield.”

Leviticus 27:28-29 (ESV) “But no devoted thing that a man devotes to the Lord, of anything that he has, whether man or beast, or of his inherited field, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy to the Lord. No one devoted, who is to be devoted for destruction from mankind, shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death." All devoted to the Lord is set apart to Him, and cannot be touched nor its fate altered by men.

Deuteronomy 10:20c (ESV)  and by his name you shall swear. When it becomes necessary to swear, as when testifying before a court, we swear only in His Name.

Deuteronomy 23:21 (ESV) “If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin.” Give what is owed to God first.

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    Purification

Numbers 19:11-12 (ESV)  “Whoever touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean seven days. He shall cleanse himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day, and so be clean. But if he does not cleanse himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not become clean. While we do not have the ashes of a red heifer to sprinkle on us, we should undergo tevilah on the 3rd and 7th days after touching death. And we should forgo any duties in our assemblies for the 7 days as we are tumah, ritually unavailable. Sadly I cannot say what those with no access to a suitable mikvah should do. Possibly pray and bathe, thouogh this is neither full body immersion nor a prescribed ritual bath. But it does honor tevilah.

Numbers 19:13 (ESV) Whoever touches a dead person, the body of anyone who has died, and does not cleanse himself, defiles the tabernacle of the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from Israel; because the water for impurity was not thrown on him, he shall be unclean. His uncleanness is still on him. We don’t have a Tabernacle to defile, however we may still defile the beit ha'knesset. This may be a tough one since traditionally the corps is brought into our sanctuaries as part of the funeral service.

Numbers 19:14-16 (ESV) “This is the law when someone dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent and everyone who is in the tent shall be unclean seven days. And every open vessel that has no cover fastened on it is unclean. Whoever in the open field touches someone who was killed with a sword or who died naturally, or touches a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean seven days. Since the Hebrews lived in tents at the time, I think this may also apply to our homes.

Numbers 19:19b (ESV) Thus on the seventh day he shall cleanse him, and he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and at evening he shall be clean. If you must attend a funeral or touch dead bodies, a 7 day observance should be done.

    Prayer

Deuteronomy 6:8 (ESV) You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. This is fulfilled in Judaism by binding Teffilin and saying prayers at prescribed times (which coincide with the times of the daily sacrifices in the Temple). Many Messianics also do this. Others take this as a metaphor, that we are to bind our minds and the work of our hands to serve God.

Deuteronomy 6:9 (ESV) You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. This is fulfilled by placing a Mezuzah on the front doorpost of your home. It should also be taken metaphorically that this home and all in it are dedicated to HaShem.

Deuteronomy 8:10 (ESV) And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Bless the Lord after we’ve eaten. It is easy to remember to be grateful before we eat. Afterwards when we are sated it is easy to forget. And contextually it is not only the food we are to be grateful for, but everything He has given us.

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    Respect for God

Exodus 20:7 (ESV) “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” Cursing using the term “God,” to falsely curse someone in His name, to swear falsely or even just rashly, impulsively, by His name. Even to make the Covenant Name of Elohim overused and so commonplace. And to profane His name. Any use of any of the names of the Most High which does not glorify Him, representing Him faithfully to a lost world is a violation.

Deuteronomy 5:11 (ESV) “‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
vain  (vān) adj. vain·er, vain·est
- Not yielding the desired outcome; fruitless: a vain attempt.
- Lacking substance or worth: vain talk.
- Having or showing excessive pride in one's appearance or accomplishments; conceited. (Using the Lords Name to glorify oneself).
- Archaic: Foolish.
- Idiom: in vain A. To no avail; without success: Our labor was in vain. B. In an irreverent or disrespectful manner: took the Lord's name in vain.

Deuteronomy 6:16 (ESV) “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. There the Hebrews tried to threaten Moshe and manipulate God into giving them water on their command. They also questioned God’s motives. But we are not to test God. He tests us, we do not test Him.

Deuteronomy 10:20a (ESV) You shall fear the Lord your God. Show reverence and respect to God.

    False Teachers

Deuteronomy 13:2b- (ESV) if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’  you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.  You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. Do not follow false teachers, but hold fast to HaShem.

Deuteronomy 13:5-9 (ESV) But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. “If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife you embrace or your friend who is as your own soul entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which neither you nor your fathers have known, some of the gods of the peoples who are around you, whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of the earth to the other, you shall not yield to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him, nor shall you conceal him. But you shall kill him. Your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. While we do not kill false teachers today, we still can remove them from fellowship. We can also warn others of this evil should they try to find another congregation to influence. And no matter who they are or how close to you, you should be the first to condemn them.

Deuteronomy 13:12-14 (ESV)  “If you hear in one of your cities, which the Lord your God is giving you to dwell there, that certain worthless fellows have gone out among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, then you shall inquire and make search and ask diligently. And behold, if it be true and certain that such an abomination has been done among you, Investigate charges of heretical doctrines thoroughly, and if a congregation is found to have fallen away that entire assembly should be removed from fellowship.

Deuteronomy 13:15-17 (ESV) you shall surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, devoting it to destruction [setting apart (devoting) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction)], all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword. You shall gather all its spoil into the midst of its open square and burn the city and all its spoil with fire, as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. It shall be a heap forever. It shall not be built again. None of the devoted things shall stick to your hand, that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of his anger and show you mercy and have compassion on you and multiply you, as he swore to your fathers, Today we must deal with them by disfellowshipping and shunning. But do not go after the things the proscribed fellowship owns, as all are set aside to whatever fate HaShem has in store for them.

    Forbidden Forms of Worship

Exodus 22:18 (ESV) “You shall not permit a sorceress to live.” Not sure why the feminine is used in the ESV. According to Strong’s the Hebrew term is כָּשַׁף kâshaph, kaw-shaf'; to whisper a spell, to inchant or practise magic: sorcerer, (use) witch(-craft). So the gender is neutral. They are to be put to death, however today it would be more expel them from our fellowship.

Deuteronomy 18:10b (ESV) (There shall not be found among you) anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, None in your congregation may use magic to tell the future.

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Deuteronomy 18:10c (ESV) (There shall not be found among you) a sorcerer None in your congregation may be a witch.

Deuteronomy 18:11a (ESV) (There shall not be found among you) or a charmer None in your congregation may cast enchantments.

Deuteronomy 18:11b (ESV) (There shall not be found among you) a medium None in your congregation may channel spirits.

Deuteronomy 18:11c (ESV) (There shall not be found among you) a necromancer, one who inquires of the dead, None in your congregation may communicate with the dead.

Exodus 34:26b (ESV) “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.” An extremely cruel pagan practice of presenting a newborn kid to their gods, then boiling it alive in front of the mother. Jewish sacrifices (as well as slaughtering for meat) were done as humanely as possible. This is where Rabbinic Judaism gets its infamous prohibition of mixing meat and dairy. The way I read this they went way too far in extrapolating that mitzvah from this verse. In fact, since this was in the “other” 10 Commandments I’d say it is more about worship than food.

Deuteronomy 16:21-22 (ESV)  “You shall not plant any tree as an Asherah beside the altar of the Lord your God that you shall make. And you shall not set up a pillar, which the Lord your God hates. Some of the shrubs, Christmas trees, and even the altars of Christian churches are seen by God as idolatry, regardless of their intent.

Deuteronomy 18:9 (ESV) “When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations." This is evidence that just because it says “when you come into the land” it does not necessarily mean only in Israel. Few would argue we should adopt “abominable practices” just because we are elsewhere.

Deuteronomy 18:10a (ESV)  There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, None in your congregation may offer his children up to evil.

Deuteronomy 18:20 (ESV)  But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ Again, we can’t kill a false prophet, but we can evict him from our fellowship.

Deuteronomy 18:22 (ESV)  when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him. We are not to fear the false prophet when we do evict him.

Deuteronomy 23:18 (ESV) You shall not bring the fee of a prostitute or the wages of a dog [male prostitute] into the house of the Lord your God in payment for any vow, for both of these are an abomination to the Lord your God. Pretty straight forward.

    Those Excluded from the Assembly

Deuteronomy 23:1 (ESV) “No one whose testicles are crushed or whose male organ is cut off shall enter the assembly of the Lord.” No male who has had debilitating injuries to the groin shall be allowed into the congregation. The term qahal is used both to mean the Hebrew people and the religious assembly.

Deuteronomy 23:2-4 (ESV) “No one born of a forbidden union may enter the assembly of the Lord. Even to the tenth generation, none of his descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord. No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord. Even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the Lord forever,  because they did not meet you with bread and with water on the way, when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.” 10 signifies testimony, law, responsibility and the completeness of order. In this context it means forever. What we do can have serious consequences for our children. They may not be held responsible for our sins, but they may bear the consequences.

Deuteronomy 23:7 (ESV) “You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you were a sojourner in his land. Children born to them in the third generation may enter the assembly of the Lord." They could live as resident aliens during the time of their prohibition. Then, since they would know the ways and think like Jews, they could join Israel. Odd though, since Egypt had enslaved them and Edom would participate it the destruction of the Temple.

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[alon]

Moedim

Calendar

Genesis 1:5 (ESV) God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. This sets the calendar, dividing it into days and weeks at this point. This will later be extremely important as HaShem’s moedim, His appointed times must be kept on God’s calendar.

Genesis 1:14-15 (ESV) And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons [Or appointed times], and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. The commandment to use the heavenly lights to know when His appointed times are is implicit here. Again, sets the calendar.

Exodus 12:2 (ESV) “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. Hebrew calendar month of Nissan.

Leviticus 23:2 (ESV) “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.” All the 8 (subsequently listed) moedim- Shabbat, Pesach, Chag HaMatzot, Shavuot, Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkoth- are holy convocations. These are the appointed times of the Lord.

Shabbat

Genesis 2:3 (ESV) So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. Shabbat, the first of the moedim! God made it holy; and what God declares set apart, we keep set apart!

Exodus 16:23b-26 (ESV) “‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’” … Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.” On the 6th day we are to prepare meals for the 7th, Shabbat, so there will be no need to work. This is a commandment for us as well.

Exodus 16:29 (ESV)  See! The Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.” Rabbinical Judaism interprets this to be a commandment not to leave the boundaries of one’s city. It sounds here like they couldn’t leave their tents, but that could be more a drudgery than a blessing. And what about having a holy convocation on Shabbat? I interpret this as a command to not travel any farther nor any more than is absolutely necessary.

Exodus 20:8-11 (ESV) “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” The most oft repeated commandment, Shabbat, and the first one we are given in scripture. Note here too not only are we not to work, but we are not to cause others to work in our stead. This is a day of rest for everyone, and a witness to those around us. 

Exodus 23:12 (ESV) “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed.” Again, the Shabbat rest is commanded for your entire household, including your beasts.

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Exodus 31:12 (ESV) And the Lord said to Moses, “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.” Again the command to keep Shabbat; and it is emphasized by saying “Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths.” And it is further emphasized by being in the list of 10 Commandments in both Ex 20 & 34.

Exodus 34:21 (ESV) “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest.” Whatever we are doing, it is not as important as Shabbat.

Leviticus 19:3b (ESV) and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the L.ord your God Again, keep the Sabaths- all Sabbaths! Whenever Elohim says "I am the Lord your God," He is placing an exclamation point there! 

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.

Leviticus 23:3 (ESV)“Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places.” Shabbat is again the first of the commanded of the moedim.

Leviticus 26:2a (ESV)  You shall keep my Sabbaths … keep whose Sabbaths? HaShem’s Sabbaths! The moedim, starting with the weekly Shabbatoth.

Deuteronomy 5:12-15 (ESV) “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. Keep the Sabbath holy, set apart to God. Here both the observance and the remembrance are bracketed by the command to keep the Sabbath.

Rosh Chodesh

Numbers 10:10 (ESV) On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the Lord your God.” All the moedim, including Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh, the New Moon.

Numbers 28:11a (ESV) “At the beginnings of your months, you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord: Rosh Chodesh. RC is mentioned several times in scripture, but not much in Torah. Interestingly it was not always called Rosh Chodesh, but rather just Chodesh until after destruction of the 2nd Temple. Then it was changed to Rosh Chodesh, which can also mean "First Month," or Nissan. This was the opinion of Abraham Ibn Ezra and mystical commentator Chizkiyah ben Manoach Chazkuni. So apparently this discussion of when and how we now keep this commanded feast goes way back. In fact, I am finding that ancient Jews returning to Ha'Eretz after the 1st diaspora faced many of the same issues and questions we as Meshiachim face today. There truly is "nothing new under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

Shalosh Regalim

Exodus 23:14-15 (ESV) “Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me. You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before me empty-handed. You shall keep the Feast of Harvest, of the firstfruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor. Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord God.” We should have a holy convocation on each of the three Shalosh Regalim: The beginning (Pesach) and end of Unleaven Bread, Shavuot, and Sukkot on the first and last day.

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Exodus 34:23 (ESV) Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel. The Shalosh Regalim; those 3 moedim deemed so important w are to appear before the Lord. If possible we should hold holy convocations on these days.

Deuteronomy 16:16a (ESV)  “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths.” These are the Shalosh Regalim, where every Jewish male was to appear before the Lord in Jerusalem. Today, whenever possible we celebrate with a holy convocation either in our homes or at synagogue.

Deuteronomy 16:16b-17 (ESV)  They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you. These are times of giving to God’s work and for His glory.

Pesach, First-fruits, Unleavened Bread

Exodus 12:3-6 (ESV) Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household.  And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. Today we don’t eat the Korban Pesach קרבן פסח. It’s korban, a sacrifice to HaShem– something that can only be done in the Temple/Tabernacle. But when the Temple is rebuilt, this sacrifice will be resumed. We do however eat meat during the Siddur; just it is not sacrificed. Some do not eat lamb because that is what was sacrificed.

Exodus 34:22 (ESV) You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, the Firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year's end. His moedim are important. This connects the Spring and Fall feasts. The time between these two seasons is given to ha’olam for us to bring others to repentance and obedience. I’d say observance here means not only setting aside the days, marking them as holy, but understanding about them and what they represent as well.

Leviticus 23:5-6 (ESV) In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight [between the two evenings], is the Lord's Passover.  And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.Sets the dates and times for Pesach/Unleavened Bread. During this time we eat only unleavened bread, using no leavening agents.

Deuteronomy 16:1 (ESV) “Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover to the Lord your God,” We are to observe Pesach. For many Meshiacim this will mean doing the best we can. But regardless how little or much we can do, we should set aside the day and observe it the best way possible in our present circumstances.

Numbers 9:2-3 (ESV) “Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time.  On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and all its rules you shall keep it.” Again, the command to keep one of the moedim, pesach. 

Exodus 12:8-10, 46 (ESV) They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.  Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. … It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones. Not universally practiced, but it is a commandment- roast the meat, eat it all that night, burn what remains. And take care not to break any of the bones from whatever meat you cook.

Exodus 12:11 (ESV) In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. This is generally taken to be specific to those eating the original Passover meal. But that is not how it is stated. We might want our sidurim to reflect this by eating at least part of the meal in this manner.

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Exodus 12:14, 24-27 (ESV) “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. … You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped. Simple. Keep Pesach forever, and explain what it means to your children.

Exodus 12:15 (ESV) Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. Check everything, including any prepackaged or prepared foods, cans, etc. Leavening agents are in most. Get rid of them. And we should not try to cheat God by selling them to a neighbor for a dollar and buying them back later.

Exodus 34:18a (ESV) “You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, …” We are to keep Pesach and the week of Unleavened Bread. Eat no leaven in this time.

Deuteronomy 16:3a, 4a (ESV)  “You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction … No leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory for seven days,” Eat only unleavened bread for the seven days of the feast. Make no leavened products, and all leavened items should be gone before the evening of the 14th.

Exodus 12:17-20 (ESV) And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.” The phrase “from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening” speaks of the twilight time, when the days turn. So the 14th is a preparation day, then at twilight the seder starts the Sabbath. Then at twilight the 20th when the 21st starts is another Sabbath, during which we sill eat no leaven.

Deuteronomy 16:8 (ESV)  For six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to the Lord your God. You shall do no work on it. The seventh day of the feast is a “solemn assembly” and should, if possibly be held with believers (preferably Messianic).

Exodus 12:16 (ESV) On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. Unleavened Bread, Pesach to the 7th day, is bookended by Shabbaton. Only food preparation and serving is allowed on these days.

Exodus 12:42 (ESV) It was a night of watching by the Lord, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the Lord by all the people of Israel throughout their generations. My wife informs me that Messianic Pesach remembrances are way too short. Jews are usually up into the wee hours of the morning. That’s how the parent synagogue here did theirs when I was privileged to attend.

Exodus 12:43-45, 47-48 (ESV) And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: no foreigner shall eat of it, but every slave [servant] that is bought for money may eat of it after you have circumcised him. No foreigner or hired worker may eat of it. …  All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. If a stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised. Then he may come near and keep it; he shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. To partake, as I read this a person should be Torah Observant, or at least a God-fearer. And if a male he must be circumcised.

Exodus 34:26a (ESV) “The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God.” We are to bring our best to present before El-Elyon, Most High God (Gen 14:18).

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Leviticus 23:7a (ESV) On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; The firsrt day of Pesach should include a holy convocation. We should celebrate it with believers. Leviticus 23:7b, 8b (ESV) you shall not do any ordinary work. … On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.” The 1st and 7th days of Pesach are a Shabbat. We should do no ordinary work those days.

Leviticus 23:7b, 8b (ESV) you shall not do any ordinary work. … On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.” The 1st and 7th days of Pesach are a Shabbat. We should do no ordinary work those days.

Leviticus 23:14 (ESV) And you shall eat neither bread nor grain parched or fresh until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. This speaks of new grain products in Israel. However our harvest for barley and wheat where I am is not until late June through August. So we save some and wave it symbolically.

Numbers 9:6-7,9-11a (ESV) And there were certain men who were unclean through touching a dead body, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day, and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. And those men said to him, “We are unclean through touching a dead body. Why are we kept from bringing the Lord's offering at its appointed time among the people of Israel?” … The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If any one of you or of your descendants is unclean through touching a dead body, or is on a long journey, he shall still keep the Passover to the Lord. In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight they shall keep it. If for some reason you cannot keep Pesach on the commanded day, then an alternative is provided. It may be stretching the point, but if not invited to a seder, whenever possible I try to find a demonstration seder close by and attend that. These usually do not occur on Pesach, but I find one as close as possible. Then I mark the day itself as holy, a Shabbat to the Lord.

Numbers 9:13 (ESV) But if anyone who is clean and is not on a journey fails to keep the Passover, that person shall be cut off from his people because he did not bring the Lord's offering at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin. God’s provision for the unavoidable is not license to just do as we please. If at all possible, hold your Pesach celebration to the appointed time.

Numbers 9:11b-12 (ESV) They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break any of its bones; according to all the statute for the Passover they shall keep it. The same rules apply to this delayed Pesach as to the regular one.

Numbers 9:14 (ESV) And if a stranger sojourns among you and would keep the Passover to the Lord, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its rule, so shall he do. You shall have one statute, both for the sojourner and for the native.” Again we are told there is one statute, one law for the sojourner and one for the native Hebrew.

Deuteronomy 16:4b (ESV) nor shall any of the flesh that you sacrifice on the evening of the first day remain all night until morning. Do not leave the meat prepared on the 14th for the pesach seder until the morning. If eaten on the daytime of the 15th then do not leave until the 16th (that evening).

Deuteronomy 16:7a (ESV) And you shall cook it and eat it at the place that the Lord your God will choose. I try to find a demonstration seder as close as possible to Pesach and attend that, then just mark the day at home. While not really a Pesach seder, they are as close as I can now get. And as I read this, without a Temple all sederim since its destruction are pretty much equivalent to demonstration seders anyhow.

Counting the Omer & Shavuot

Leviticus 23:15 (ESV) “You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering." We are to count the Omer 7 full weeks (49 days) from 16 Nissan.

Leviticus 23: (ESV) You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord. …  And you shall make a proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. The 50th day is Shavuot, a Shabbat, and a holy convocation.

Deuteronomy 16:9-10 (ESV) “You shall count seven weeks. Begin to count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain. Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the Lord your God blesses you.” Lev 23:15-16 says to count from the day after the Shabbat (the 15th is a Shabbat, and is apparently what is being spoken of here). This would be around the time when the sickle was first put to the grain, so the 16th which is Firstfruits would start the count.

Deuteronomy 16:11 (ESV) And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your towns, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, at the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there. This is a time of rejoicing and sharing for everyone; and from the sounds of it for Gentile friends as well. It is also one of the Shalosh Regalim. While there is no Temple to go to in Jerusalem, we still should gather to celebrate.

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    Rosh HaShanah

Exodus 12:2 (ESV) “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. There are actually 4 New Years in Judaism, but this is the Spiritual New Year.

Leviticus 23:24-25 (ESV) “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the Lord.” Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets. This is a Shabbat, and typically believers would get together and eat.

Numbers 29:1 (KJV) And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you. Rosh Hashanah is a Shabbat and a holy convocation. It is also a day we are to hear the shofar sound.

    Yom Kippur

Leviticus 16:29,31 (ESV) “And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves [shall fast] and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you. … It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; it is a statute forever. Yom Kippur is a Shabbat; no work is to be done. It is also a commanded fast. Note too it says this is a “statute forever.”

Leviticus 23:27-28,32 (ESV) “Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves [shall fast] and present a food offering to the Lord. And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. … It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves [shall fast]. On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath.” Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the calendar. The commandment is “the ninth day of the month beginning at evening,” which makes this the 10th of Tishri. It is a Shabbat. Moreover we are commanded to “afflict ourselves,” a Hebraism for fasting. We should also give an offering on Yom Kippur.

    Sukkoth & Shemini Atzaret

Leviticus 23:34-35 (ESV) “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths [Tabernacles, Sukkoth] to the Lord. On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. For seven days you shall present food offerings to the Lord.” The law for Sukkoth, which starts the 15th of Tishri and lasts 7 days. The 1st day is a Shabbat and a holy convocation.

Leviticus 23:36 (ESV) On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work. Shemini Atzaret, the Eighth Day. This is a Shabbat and a holy convocation. It may be combined with Simchat Torah, or that can be done as a 9th day outside Eretz Yisroel.

Leviticus 23:40-41 (ESV) And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. You shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. Take up the Lulav and Etrog for the 7 days of Sukkoth.

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Leviticus 23:42 (ESV) You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, We are to dwell in booths through the 7 days of Sukkoth.

Deuteronomy 16:13-15a (ESV)  “You shall keep the Feast of Booths seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your threshing floor and your winepress. You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your towns. For seven days you shall keep the feast to the Lord your God at the place that the Lord will choose, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful.” Since there is no Temple, the rest of vs 15 does not apply. However note the similar language to vs 11, “the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your towns.” This is a feast to be shared, including any worthy Gentiles (Christians mostly today).

    Shemittah Year

Exodus 23:10-11 (ESV) “For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard.” The Shemittah year, when fields rest just as we do on our Sabbath. What grows may be eaten by the poor, but they must harvest it themselves.

Leviticus 25:2-4 (ESV)  “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a Sabbath to the Lord.  For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits,  but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard.” Observe the Shemittah year, a year of rest for the land. Do not sow nor prune.

Leviticus 25:5 (ESV)  You shall not reap what grows of itself in your harvest, or gather the grapes of your undressed vine. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land. Do not reap nor gather in the Shemittah year.

Leviticus 25:6-7 (ESV)  The Sabbath [produce] of the land shall provide food for you, for yourself and for your male and female slaves [servants] and for your hired worker and the sojourner who lives with you, and for your cattle and for the wild animals that are in your land: all its yield shall be for food. You may eat what you scavenge from the land, as may your livestock.

Deuteronomy 15:1-2 (ESV) “At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release. And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not exact it of his neighbor, his brother, because the Lord's release has been proclaimed.” Most rabbis and scholars I’ve talked to say this applies only to those living in he’eretz, Israel. However there is no proscription against our doing it to honor the commandment. Some however do say it applies to all who claim His Name. If we do observe it, we need to understand the terms brother and neighbor refer to our Messianic community, not to everyone, as we read in the next verse:  “Of a foreigner you may exact it, but whatever of yours is with your brother your hand shall release.”

Deuteronomy 15:12-14 (ESV)  “If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold [Or sells himself] to you, he shall serve you six years, and in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. And when you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty-handed. You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress. As the Lord your God has blessed you, you shall give to him.” People today sell their time to employers. As employers, we are commanded to give generously to a faithful servant at the end of his service or employment.

Deuteronomy 31:10-12 (ESV)  And Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths, when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law,” On Sukkoth following the end of the the seventh year the people should assemble and read the book of Devarim (or could read the entire Torah) over the seven days of the feast. This actually applies to going to the Temple in Jerusalem, however we can (and should) keep this one with holy convocations in our synagogues, or individually in our sukkoth.

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    The Yovel

Leviticus 25:8-12 (ESV)  “You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall give you forty-nine years.  Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land. And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan. That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee [yovel] for you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of itself nor gather the grapes from the undressed vines. For it is a jubilee. It shall be holy to you. You may eat the produce of the field [countryside]. The Yovel, or the 50th year is to be set apart as an additional Shemittah year. We are to sound the shofar heralding its arrival. In addition to the requirements and conditions of a Shemittah year, all slaves were freed, and all fields and houses sold during the past fifty years were returned to their original owners.

Leviticus 25:13-16 (ESV)  “In this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his property. And if you make a sale to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another. You shall pay your neighbor according to the number of years after the jubilee, and he shall sell to you according to the number of years for crops. If the years are many, you shall increase the price, and if the years are few, you shall reduce the price, for it is the number of the crops that he is selling to you. The sale of property is actually the sale of crop years, due to the Yovel.

    Tu B’Shavat

Leviticus 19:23-25 (ESV) “When you come into the land and plant any kind of tree for food, then you shall regard its fruit as forbidden. Three years it shall be forbidden to you; it must not be eaten. And in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the Lord. But in the fifth year you may eat of its fruit, to increase its yield for you: I am the Lord your God.” The law for trees. Most go by the standard if planted in the latter part of the year, it counts as a full year. This is how ancient Judaism saw it. Others take a more literal approach and count only full years. Either way, Tu b’Shevat, 15th of Shevat is the “New Year for Trees.”

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Structure/Functioning of Synagogues

        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.

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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.

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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.”

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Social Justice

        Justice

Exodus 23:1-3, 6 (ESV) “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.  You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice,  nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit. … You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit.” Witnesses are responsible to tell the truth, and not to conspire against either party. Judges are to watch for evidence of conspiracy, and they are to be impartial in all ways. None may pervert justice.

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.

Exodus 23:7 (ESV) Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked. Take extra care in capital cases to make a right judgement.

Exodus 23:8 (ESV) And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right. Judges, or anyone in the legal system must not take bribes.

Exodus 23:9 (ESV) “You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” Courts should deal as fairly with sojourners as they do with the native born.

Devarim 1:1 (ESV) And I charged your judges at that time, ‘Hear the cases between your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the alien who is with him.” Judges are to judge honorably, virtuously, and morally between both the Hebrews and those others as may be with them.

Leviticus 19:15 (ESV) “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor." Fairness to all in court.

Deuteronomy 16:18a (ESV) “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, …

Deuteronomy 16:18b-20a (ESV) they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, … Pretty straightforward concerning conduct of judges and officers

Deuteronomy 1:17a (ESV) You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. Judges should show no partiality to either the man of stature nor the least, most pitiable person.

Deuteronomy 1:17b (ESV) You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God's. The judge should not fear any man, but trust in HaShem, whom he serves.

Deuteronomy 5:20 (ESV) “‘And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Particularly in matters of law, but also among your community.

Leviticus 19:16 (ESV) You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life [blood] of your neighbor: I am the Lord. Do not carry tales, and especially not in court!

Deuteronomy 17:2-5 (ESV)  “If there is found among you, within any of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, in transgressing his covenant,  and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have forbidden,  and it is told you and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently, and if it is true and certain that such an abomination has been done in Israel,  then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you shall stone that man or woman to death with stones. An argument could be made this only applies to ha’eretz, Israel. And at any rate we cannot stone people today. However we can remove such a person from our fellowship.

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Deuteronomy 17:6 (ESV) On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness. A death sentence requires at least two witnesses, three if for some reason one of the two is in any doubt.

Deuteronomy 19:15 (ESV) “A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established. One of the most important legal principles in Torah. Conviction requires sufficient proof.

Deuteronomy 17:11-12 (ESV) According to the instructions that they (priests and judges) give you, and according to the decision which they pronounce to you, you shall do. You shall not turn aside from the verdict that they declare to you, either to the right hand or to the left. The man who acts presumptuously by not obeying the priest who stands to minister there before the Lord your God, or the judge, that man shall die. So you shall purge the evil from Israel. Again, a good argument can be made that this applies only to those in Israel. However we are not prohibited from enacting this into law as well.

Deuteronomy 19:11-13 (ESV)  “But if anyone hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and attacks him and strikes him fatally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities, then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there, and hand him over to the avenger of blood, so that he may die. Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, so that it may be well with you. The penalty for premeditated murder is death, and the judge must not show pity.

Deuteronomy 19:16-19a,21 (ESV)  If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing, then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. … Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. Perjury should be treated as a very serious offense, including the death penalty in capital cases.

Deuteronomy 21:22-23b (ESV) “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. The Rabbinical interpretation of this is we should hang those stoned to death on a tree. Technically correct, but more than this I think we must understand the underlying principle here. One main purpose of punishing criminals is that we make an example of them. However leaving them to hang there and rot goes beyond an example; it is state sponsored terrorism. Bury the condemned man promptly before sunset and move on.

Leviticus 19:17-18 (ESV) “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. The terms “brother” and “neighbor” likely refer to all Israel, and particularly your own tribe, community, and finally family. We need to deal honestly and openly with each other, lest anger and finally violence erupt between us.

Leviticus 19:19 (ESV) “You shall keep my statutes. You shall not let your cattle breed with a different kind. You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor shall you wear a garment of cloth made of two kinds of material. When looking at this passage we must keep it at the level of understanding of the ancient Hebrews. Most likely this does not mean breeding cattle for better production or performance, or crops for more resistance to disease or better flavor. It does mean cross breeding of different types, such as to get Tangelos or mules. Todays DNA experiments are absolutely a violation.

Leviticus 19:35-36 (ESV) “You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity. You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” Fair dealings in all our business.

Deuteronomy 23:15-16 (ESV) “You shall not give up to his master a [servant] who has escaped from his master to you. He shall dwell with you, in your midst, in the place that he shall choose within one of your towns, wherever it suits him. You shall not wrong him. Law concerning extradition. Asylum should be granted when the case warrants it. The Hebrew ‘ebed’ [servant] designates a range of social and economic roles.

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        Respect for Elders

Leviticus 19:32 (ESV) “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.” We are to show respect for our elders.

        Those in Authority

Exodus 22:28 (ESV) “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people." The term נָשִׂיא nâsîyʼ, ruler could mean anyone in authority over you. However the term “God” here is interesting: אֱלֹהִים ʼĕlôhîym; plural; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:—angels, exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), (very) great, judges, mighty. Contextually this might better be applied to the gods of a land or again anyone in authority. When traveling in ancient times, it was well known one did not insult the gods of that land. Pagans for fear of angering them, but even Jews because to do so might anger the inhabitants and get you killed. I’d still say we should be careful not to anger the God of all creation by reviling His name.

Deuteronomy 17:14-15a (ESV)  “When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’ you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose." We elect our “kings,” but we’d do well to elect Godly politicians to public office.

Deuteronomy 17:15b (ESV) One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. No foreigner should rule you.

Deuteronomy 17:16-17 (ESV)  Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold. Politicians should not get wealthy while in office.

Deuteronomy 17:18-20 (ESV) “And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by [from before] the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel." Yet another that could apply only to Israel, however it too would be good to adopt into our laws.

        Marriage & Divorce

Genesis 2:24 (ESV) Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And here we have the model for marriage: 1 man, 1 woman, 1 marriage, making 1 new family. God allowed multiple wives at times, but He never said we should have them. Looking at the examples where there were more than one wife, it caused a lot of problems.

Exodus 20:14 (ESV) “You shall not commit adultery.” The Hebrew term is נָאַף nâʼaph. It includes having relations with a married woman, but it also carries the connotations of apostatizing. This might be analogous to what we would call “alienation of affections.” We are responsible not only for our own families, but for our neighbors as well.

Deuteronomy 22:9 (ESV) “You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest the whole yield be forfeited, the crop that you have sown and the yield of the vineyard.” Some say this applies only to ha’eretz, others everywhere. It is one of those instructions we don’t understand the reason for as well, which tends to influence people’s decisions on whether it applies to us. This could also be a metaphor for mixed marriages with Gentiles. jimmie had a good observation, "Allelopathic reactions between the grapevines and crops notably the grain crops. Even Pliny the elder knew of this."  

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Deuteronomy 22:10 (ESV)  You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together. Obviously this won’t work, but I think the instruction here goes beyond just plowing: 2 Corinthians 6:14  Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Ancient Hebrews tended to speak allegorically or metaphorically, and the lessons in their statements/instructions/laws could hold many lessons in all areas of our lives.

Deuteronomy 22:11 (ESV) You shall not wear cloth of wool and linen mixed together. Popular wisdom is the fibers will shrink at different rates and the cloth be ruined; and this is true. But is it really talking about cloth here?
Mark 2:21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. Say a much younger person marries an older one. Wouldn’t they be unequally yoked? Whether the marriage just puckers, or tears apart, there would be troubles ahead. How much more if a believer and unbeliever are married. So I believe these two (this and the previous) instructions to be connected.

Deuteronomy 22:11 (ESV)  “You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of the garment with which you cover yourself.” The law of tzitziyot repeated. But we are still talking about garments here; Numbers 15:38-39a “Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord,” So could this be telling us to remember these instructions concerning our responsibility to God, our families, and communities?

Deuteronomy 24:4 (ESV) then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before the Lord. And you shall not bring sin upon the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance. She is permitted to remarry. “She has been defiled” is in regards to being remarried to her previous husband after having relations with another man.

        Sexual Immorality

Exodus 22:16-17 (ESV) “If a man seduces a virgin [girl of marriageable age] who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife. If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins." A man who seduces a woman is civilly liable for it. Today this would especially apply if he gets her pregnant. This does not apply to an adult seducing a young girl, or if the woman is the seductress, except I’d say in the case of pregnancy provision should still be made for the child’s welfare.

Deuteronomy 5:18 (ESV)  “‘And you shall not commit adultery.” נָאַף nâ’aph; adultery; adulterer; to commit adultery; figuratively to apostatize

Deuteronomy 22:22 (ESV)  “If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel." “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” Hebrews 13:4a Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; Simple.

Deuteronomy 22:23-25 (ESV)  “If there is a betrothed virgin, and a man meets her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbor's wife. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. “But if in the open country a man meets a young woman who is betrothed, and the man seizes her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die.” According to the laws of kiddushin, an engaged couple is as though they were married, they just have not consummated the union yet. So should they lie with another, they have the same as committed adultery. However note if there was evidence or even the possibility of rape she would be innocent. He would not be.

Deuteronomy 22:28-29 (ESV)  “If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found, then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he has violated her. He may not divorce her all his days.” The Rabbis did not seem to think to “seize her” meant rape. While it does sound that way to western ears, I’d have to agree with them. I find it inconceivable that a woman should be sentenced to live the rest of her life with her rapist. But if a man convinces a woman to lie with him, he should be liable to marry her.

Deuteronomy 22:30 (ESV)  “A man shall not take his father's wife, so that he does not uncover his father's nakedness.” You should neither lust for nor lay with your fathers wife. Not just talking about incest here, but if he remarried this is the same.

Deuteronomy 23:17 (ESV) “None of the daughters of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, and none of the sons of Israel shall be a cult prostitute.” Cult prostitution had a religious component to it, so this was an abomination of two counts.

        Lending

Exodus 22:25-27 (ESV) “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. If ever you take your neighbor's cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.” Lend to those less fortunate with a compassionate heart.

Deuteronomy 15:7-9a,11 (ESV)  “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother,  but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, … For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’” We are to give to the poor among us. And God stressed this, saying it is a commandment.

Deuteronomy 23:19-20 (ESV) “You shall not charge interest on loans to your brother, interest on money, interest on food, interest on anything that is lent for interest. You may charge a foreigner interest, but you may not charge your brother interest, that the Lord your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.” Your brother here is any member of your community or assembly of worship. At the time it would mean any Hebrew. “Foreigners as distinct from the resident alien who was part of Israel’s social fabric, participating fully in their social welfare system and protected by and subject to their laws.

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        Help Others

Exodus 23:4-5 (ESV) “If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him.  If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.” Help even an enemy by returning livestock which got out. Help him remove the load of a beast that is down and cannot get up. In doing these things you also help the animals not to suffer or be injured.

Leviticus 23:22 (ESV) “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.” Tzedikah, charity is again commanded.

Leviticus 25:35-37 (ESV) “If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you. You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit.” You are to help a brother without usury.

        Treatment of Others

Exodus 20:16 (ESV) “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Obviously in a court of law, but also work, home, community; this is a comprehensive commandment not to spread falsehoods against others.

Exodus 22:21-24 (ESV) “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.” We are to treat others fairly, as we would wish to be treated; under penalty of God’s wrath.

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Leviticus 19:33-34 (ESV) “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” Well treatment for visitors

Leviticus 19:11 (ESV) “You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another.” Honesty in all things.

Leviticus 19:13a (ESV) “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him." Do not steal from a neighbor; further do not for jealousy or any reason hold him back in any honest endeavor.

Leviticus 19:13b (ESV) The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning. Pay workers what is owed promptly.

Leviticus 19:14 (ESV) You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. Do not torment anyone with a disability.

Leviticus 19:26b (ESV) You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes. No arts of divination.

Leviticus 19:31 (ESV) “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.” Again, no black arts- this time we are not to have them done on our behalf.

Deuteronomy 10:19 (ESV) Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. Show love to foreigners.

Deuteronomy 22:1 (ESV) “When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring the guilt of blood upon your house, if anyone should fall from it.” Make your property safe.

        Treatment of Animals

Leviticus 22:27-28 (ESV)  “When an ox or sheep or goat is born, it shall remain seven days with its mother, and from the eighth day on it shall be acceptable as a food offering to the Lord. But you shall not kill an ox or a sheep and her young in one day. Animals should be over 7 days old when killed, and no animal and its mother should be killed the same day.

Deuteronomy 22:6-7 (ESV) “If you come across a bird's nest in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. You shall let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long.” Do not kill both a mother and her young. It would be counterproductive, destroying your food chain. However since the context is clearly about useful animals, I do not think this would apply to pests such as rats and mice.

        Inheritance

Numbers 27:8-11 (ESV) And you shall speak to the people of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter.  And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers.  And if he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father's brothers.  And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the nearest kinsman of his clan, and he shall possess it. And it shall be for the people of Israel a statute and rule, as the Lord commanded Moses.’” While inheritances are subject to the laws of our own lands today, still we can leave instructions in our wills to allocate our assets when we die. This is the biblical model for that allocation.

Deuteronomy 21:15-17 (ESV) “If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him children, and if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved, then on the day when he assigns his possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn, but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his. A man’s children by any woman are still his, and they should share in his all he has.

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        Property Laws

Deuteronomy 22:1 (ESV) “You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep going astray and ignore them. You shall take them back to your brother.” Return lost property.

Deuteronomy 22:2 (ESV) And if he does not live near you and you do not know who he is, you shall bring it (the lost animal or object) home to your house, and it shall stay with you until your brother seeks it. Then you shall restore it to him. Care for lost property until it can be restored to its rightful owner. Today that might mean taking it to the authorities.

Deuteronomy 22:4 (ESV) You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen down by the way and ignore them. You shall help him to lift them up again. Help others care for and protect their property. I see this as going past just helping an animal in distress. That’s important, as the beast could injure itself in its efforts to get up. But more than this, in rural areas where say there is a fire, everyone turns out to fight it as a community. You’d also help free an animal in distress, say caught in a fence.

        Property Boundaries

Deuteronomy 19:14 (ESV) “You shall not move your neighbor's landmark, which the men of old have set, in the inheritance that you will hold in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.” This is given specifically for ha’eretz, however anywhere we should respect property boundaries.

        Valuation of People

Leviticus 27:2-8 (ESV) “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, If anyone makes a special vow to the Lord involving the valuation of persons,  then the valuation of a male from twenty years old up to sixty years old shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.  If the person is a female, the valuation shall be thirty shekels.  If the person is from five years old up to twenty years old, the valuation shall be for a male twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels.  If the person is from a month old up to five years old, the valuation shall be for a male five shekels of silver, and for a female the valuation shall be three shekels of silver.  And if the person is sixty years old or over, then the valuation for a male shall be fifteen shekels, and for a female ten shekels.  And if someone is too poor to pay the valuation, then he shall be made to stand before the priest, and the priest shall value him; the priest shall value him according to what the vower can afford." Valuation of people. This becomes important when redeeming them, say in the case of the firstborn. Since before our conversion we probably did not do this for our own children, or for ourselves, the valuation of what is owed is based on their/our current value. Also for legal matters, such as restitution.

Numbers 22:12b (ESV) “You shall not curse the people [of Israel], for they are blessed.” Contextually this is speaking of an actual curse. But you don’t curse God’s people.

Numbers 33:52 (ESV) then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places. We may not go forth and kill them today, but we should be out winning souls, bringing the truth to a lost world in our own back yard. Driving the enemy of our souls into hiding.

Deuteronomy 23:24 (ESV) “If you go into your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes, as many as you wish, but you shall not put any in your bag. If you go into your neighbor's standing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbor's standing grain.” Eat what you need or want at the time, but do not steal.

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        Restitution:

Exodus 21:33-34 (ESV) “When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his." Either the owner and the aggrieved parties must agree on damages, or the courts must adjudicate the damages. And the owner must pay. I’d say this applies to much more than a pit.

Exodus 21:35-36 (ESV) “When one man's ox butts another's, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and share its price, and the dead beast also they shall share. Or if it is known that the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall repay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his." We may not have many oxen today, but apply this law to a poorly maintained vehicle, or to a pet, such as a large dog.

Exodus 22:1 (ESV) “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep." Courts must implement heavy punitive actions as well as criminal charges against a thief.

Exodus 22:2-4 (ESV) If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him,  but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. [The thief] shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.  If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double. Thieves typically work at night, so I would interpret this as you have the right to protect your property as well as the lives entrusted to your care when someone is caught in the act. But you do not have the right to hunt them down later and kill them. That is a matter for the law. The law should also impose heavy criminal and civil actions against the thief.

Exodus 22:5 (ESV) “If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man's field, he shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard." Courts must determine damages caused by another’s carelessness, such as allowing an animal to get out, and impose them on the guilty party.

Exodus 22:6 (ESV) “If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution." This would probably be for a carelessly set fire. Arson would, I should think be a much more serious crime.

Exodus 22:7-9 (ESV) “If a man gives to his neighbor money or goods to keep safe, and it is stolen from the man's house, then, if the thief is found, he shall pay double.  If the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come near to God to show whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's property.  For every breach of trust, whether it is for an ox, for a donkey, for a sheep, for a cloak, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, ‘This is it,’ the case of both parties shall come before God. The one whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor." Any breach of trust is a very serious crime before God. It should be so in our courts as well. Theft is also obviously a serious crime.

Exodus 22:10-13 (ESV) “If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep safe, and it dies or is injured or is driven away, without anyone seeing it, an oath by the Lord shall be between them both to see whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's property. The owner shall accept the oath, and he shall not make restitution. But if it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner. If it is torn by beasts, let him bring it as evidence. He shall not make restitution for what has been torn." If property is entrusted to someone and is lost or damaged by fault of the trustee, it is his responsibility to repay the owner. If through no fault of his own, then he is not responsible. If however he steals or intentionally damages it, that would be a breach of trust.

Exodus 22:14-15 (ESV) “If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is injured or dies, the owner not being with it, he shall make full restitution. If the owner was with it, he shall not make restitution; if it was hired, it came for its hiring fee." If you borrow it, you are responsible for it until it is returned. If it is hired out, especially with the owner, then it is the owners responsibility

Leviticus 6:2-5a (NASB) “When a person sins and acts unfaithfully against the Lord, and deceives his companion in regard to a deposit or a security entrusted to him, or through robbery, or if he has extorted from his companion,  or has found what was lost and lied about it and sworn falsely, so that he sins in regard to any one of the things a man may do;  then it shall be, when he sins and becomes guilty, that he shall restore what he took by robbery or what he got by extortion, or the deposit which was entrusted to him or the lost thing which he found,  or anything about which he swore falsely; he shall make restitution for it in full and add to it one-fifth more. He shall give it to the one to whom it belongs on the day he presents his guilt offering." We are responsible for the property of others which may come into our care, whether by design or by accident. We must confess our sins individually and make restitution to men when possible, and to God.

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Leviticus 24:17 (ESV) “Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death." This is one our legal system (and we as voters) should push hard- the death penalty for murderers.

Leviticus 24:18 (ESV) Whoever takes an animal's life shall make it good, life for life. Speaks of animals as property. Kill another's animal, you must replace it with one of at least equal value.

Leviticus 24:19-20 (ESV)(P) If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him. In our legal system we must pay for injuries to others both with jail time and paying damages.

Numbers 5:6-8 (ESV) “Speak to the people of Israel, When a man or woman commits any of the sins that people commit by breaking faith with the Lord, and that person realizes his guilt, he shall confess his sin that he has committed. And he shall make full restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to it and giving it to him to whom he did the wrong. But if the man has no next of kin to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution for wrong shall go to the Lord for the priest, in addition to the ram of atonement with which atonement is made for him." Confess to whoever is necessary in order to fulfill the commandment. Certainly to God in prayer. Then if someone is harmed to the aggrieved party. And to the priest or Rabbi in the case of vs. 8.

        Indentured Servants:

Exodus 21:2 (ESV) When you buy a Hebrew slave [bond-servant], he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. According to the footnotes, the Hebrew term ‘ebed' designates a range of social and economic roles. In terms relevant to today, I’d say this means do not treat employees as slaves. They owe you an hours work for an hours pay, and at the end of the day they go home and live and do as they want.

Exodus 21:3-6 (ESV) If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him.  If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out alone.  But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’  then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever. A bit tougher, because today we do not “own” anyone in most western countries. Even in Israel then, those “slaves” were considered part of the masters household and not as we understand the term today. The principle seems to be that all the produce of the time spent in the employ/service of another belongs to him. Then it could include the produce of a marriage.

Exodus 21:7-10 (ESV)  “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do.  If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her.  If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money." This speaks to fair treatment of those in our charge.

Exodus 21:12-14 (ESV) “Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death. But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee. But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die." Again, do not commit murder, including manslaughter. However self defense is excusable if the assailant dies.

Exodus 21:15,17 (ESV) “Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death. … “Whoever curses [Or dishonors, reviles] his father or his mother shall be put to death." The seriousness of honoring your father and mother is here emphasized in these extreme examples. Practically, today they should be disinherited by family and disfellowshipped in our assemblies.

Exodus 21:16 (ESV) “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death." Law against human trafficking. This should be reflected in our own laws, including the penalty; death!

Exodus 21:18 (ESV) “When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist and the man does not die but takes to his bed, then if the man rises again and walks outdoors with his staff, he who struck him shall be clear; only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall have him thoroughly healed. You are to be held responsible for the harm you do to others.

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Exodus 21:20 (ESV) “When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged. But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the slave is his money." Even bondservants (not “slaves”) should be avenged if killed by their master. No one because of position or title is above the law.

Exodus 21:22 (ESV) “When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm [so that her children come out and it is clear who was to blame, he shall be fined as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and he alone shall pay. If it is unclear who was to blame], then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe." Protection for the unborn and for the mother is absolutely required under the law.

Exodus 21:26 (ESV) “When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye.  If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth." We are held accountable for damages done to those in our charge.

Exodus 21:28-32 (ESV) “When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall not be liable. But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death. If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed on him. If it gores a man's son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule. If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned." No owner should benefit when his ox (or other property) kills another. He should be held accountable under our laws to both correct the problem (stone the ox) and for damages, and in the case of negligence for murder, if applicable.

Leviticus 25:39-43 (ESV)  “If your brother becomes poor beside you and sells himself to you, you shall not make him serve as a slave: he shall be with you as a hired worker and as a sojourner. He shall serve with you until the year of the jubilee. Then he shall go out from you, he and his children with him, and go back to his own clan and return to the possession of his fathers. For they are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves. You shall not rule over him ruthlessly but shall fear your God." “Your brother” refers to other Jews. A Jew is not to “own” other Jews as slaves. They were indentured servants, and treated as anyone else working for wages until their debt was paid or the Yovel. For us, this would mean Messianic believers first, then Jews and Christians. We take care of our own first, as they are brothers in The God of Israel.

Leviticus 25:44-46 (ESV)  As for your male and female slaves whom you may have: you may buy male and female slaves from among the nations that are around you. You may also buy from among the strangers who sojourn with you and their clans that are with you, who have been born in your land, and they may be your property. You may bequeath them to your sons after you to inherit as a possession forever. You may make slaves of them, but over your brothers the people of Israel you shall not rule, one over another ruthlessly. Goyim, those of the nations can be owned in perpetuity as slaves, but a Jew cannot own another Jew. We are to treat believers who work for us as God’s own first.

Leviticus 25:47-49 (ESV)  “If a stranger or sojourner with you becomes rich, and your brother beside him becomes poor and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner with you or to a member of the stranger's clan, then after he is sold he may be redeemed. One of his brothers may redeem him, or his uncle or his cousin may redeem him, or a close relative from his clan may redeem him. Or if he grows rich he may redeem himself." Sojourners in the land (Yisroel) are subject to the same laws as an Israelite who buys a Hebrew as an indentured servant. So foreign employers are subject to our laws when doing business here.

Leviticus 25:53-55 (ESV)  He shall treat him as a worker hired year by year. He shall not rule ruthlessly over him in your sight. And if he is not redeemed by these means, then he and his children with him shall be released in the year of jubilee. For it is to me that the people of Israel are servants. They are my servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. Those who work for us serve God first. Keeping them late on Friday, working them hard for little pay so they have nothing to give in His service is wrong.

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        Warfare

Deuteronomy 7:2c (ESV) … You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. Contextually this speaks of those we have conquered in His Name. We, with the Ruach share in Yeshua’s conquering of sin when we accepted Him. Therefore we should not compromise with sin. And when dealing with the world, I have a saying, “Never compromise with evil.”

Deuteronomy 20:1 (ESV) “When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. When faced with overwhelming odds, trust God.

Deuteronomy 20:2-4 (ESV)  And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’ We have chaplains. They should be men of courage and conviction, and should not be restricted in ministering to their charges.

Deuteronomy 20:10-11 (ESV)  “When you draw near to a city to fight against it, offer terms of peace to it. And if it responds to you peaceably and it opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall do forced labor for you and shall serve you. Aways try for peace first, and if your enemy surrenders treat them accordingly; fairly, honorably, and with a degree of compassion. But they are the enemy, and should be treated accordingly as well.

Deuteronomy 20:12-13 (ESV)  But if it makes no peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it. And when the Lord your God gives it into your hand, you shall put all its males to the sword, Belligerent forces are treated more sternly.

Deuteronomy 23:9 (ESV) “When you are encamped against your enemies, then you shall keep yourself from every evil thing.” Not being home where everyone can see you does not mean you can do as you please. If we expect God to fight with us, we must remain a holy, set apart people.

Deuteronomy 23:12 (ESV) “You shall have a place outside the camp, and you shall go out to it. And you shall have a trowel with your tools, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig a hole with it and turn back and cover up your excrement.” Latrines should be established outside the camp when in the field militarily.

        Environment

Genesis 1:26-27; 2:15 (ESV) Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created *man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. … The Lord God took the *man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. *The Hebrew word for man (adam) is the generic term for mankind, and becomes the proper name Adam.* We have a responsibility before God to care for our environment.

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Relations

        God

Exodus 15:26b (ESV)  “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.” This is a promise from our Eloah, our Mighty One (Neh 9:17), and He will not fail us. This could be taken as a commandment for us too. Listen to Abishter, and do right in His eyes.

Exodus 34:26- (ESV) then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the Lord's side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’” In choosing whether to serve YHVH Elohim, the Lord Your God (Gen 27:20) or family and friends, we are to cut off all others and serve our Elohim.

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Leviticus 19:12 (ESV) You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. Treat the name of God with utmost respect

Leviticus 24:16 (ESV)(P)  Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death. While we cannot stone blasphemers today, we certainly can cut them off from our congregations.

        Family

Deuteronomy 5:16 (ESV) “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” Honor- respect your parents, uphold your families reputation. I believe this includes all in our lineage, as well as close relatives.

Deuteronomy 14:1 (ESV) “You are the sons of the Lord your God. You shall not cut yourselves or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead.” Do not deface your body when in mourning.

Deuteronomy 21:18,21a (ESV) “If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, … Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst,” Again, we cannot stone our children today. However we can disown them for just cause. We’d also disinherit them, because this mitzvah would take precedence over the one of including all children in the inheritance. It wasn’t that long ago that your families good name could mean everyone’s survival. It still may effect you in ways you never suspect. So allowing one rebellious child to jeopardize the entire family is irresponsible.

        Intermarriage

Deuteronomy 7:3 (ESV) You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, Jews are not supposed to “marry out.” We as believers in Messianic Judaism should marry neither Jews nor Christians, and certainly not unbelievers. Now, I married both (a Jewess and one who does not believe in MJ, but who did convert to Christianity). I can tell you that causes problems. However I did that prior to becoming Messianic, and Rav Shaul instructs if we are already married not to divorce because of that.

        With Relations

Usually said to be a proscription against sexual relations, I would say “uncover nakedness” goes further, to include no lude or inappropriate behavior. Note the difference in most of the verses and in vss. 22 & 23 where it says "lie with." Men work with men, and so see each other's "nakedness" all the time. And animals are always naked. Given the distinction between “uncovering nakedness” and “lieing with,” I would infer there is much more to uncovering nakedness than just the act of sex. This in mind, much of the following is pretty self explanatory:

Leviticus 18:6 (ESV) “None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord.

Leviticus 18:7 (ESV) You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness.

Leviticus 18:8 (ESV) You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife; it is your father's nakedness.

Leviticus 18:9 (ESV) You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether brought up in the family or in another home.

Leviticus 18:10 (ESV) You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son's daughter or of your daughter's daughter, for their nakedness is your own nakedness.

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Leviticus 18:11 (ESV) You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife's daughter, brought up in your father's family, since she is your sister.

Leviticus 18:12 (ESV) You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister; she is your father's relative. 

Leviticus 18:13 (ESV) You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister, for she is your mother's relative.

Leviticus 18:14 (ESV) You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother, that is, you shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt.

Leviticus 18:15 (ESV) You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son's wife, you shall not uncover her nakedness.

Leviticus 18:16 (ESV) You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife; it is your brother's nakedness.

Leviticus 18:17 (ESV) You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, and you shall not take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are relatives; it is depravity.

Leviticus 18:18 (ESV) And you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive.

Leviticus 18:19 (ESV) “You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual uncleanness.

Leviticus 18:20 (ESV) And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor's wife and so make yourself unclean with her.

        Children

Leviticus 19:29 (ESV) “Do not profane your daughter by making her a prostitute, lest the land fall into prostitution and the land become full of depravity.” Don’t teach your children to be sexually immoral.

        Homosexuality

Leviticus 18:22 (ESV) You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. Proscription against homosexuality.

Deuteronomy 22:5 (ESV)  “A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.” Cross-dressing is not allowed. This could apply to assuming each others roles as well, unless necessary (death or divorce of a spouse, one spouse refusing to assume their role, etc.). Do not usurp the role of the other spouse

        Bestiality

Exodus 22:19 (ESV) “Whoever lies with an animal shall be put to death.” Bestiality is forbidden, and should be severely punished.

Leviticus 18:23 (ESV) And you shall not lie with any animal and so make yourself unclean with it, neither shall any woman give herself to an animal to lie with it: it is perversion. Proscription against bestiality.

        Disease

Numbers 5: (ESV)  “Command the people of Israel that they put out of the camp everyone who is leprous or has a discharge and everyone who is unclean through contact with the dead. [Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases]” This is a tough one today. There is no Temple or Mishkan to defile. However the laws of defilement were never specifically done away with; just we lost the primary reason for them when the Temple was last destroyed. We must still be cognizant of defilement of our congregations and families, particularly today with the pandemic. Fortunately it isn't as bad as we thought, however care must be taken around the most susceptible: the elderly, those with other health issues, or those who are sick, etc. Our freedom is important, but with that freedom comes responsibility for others. 

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[alon]

Halacha

        General

Deuteronomy 5:19 (ESV) “‘And you shall not steal.” Self explanatory.

Exodus 20:17 (ESV) “You shall not covet … anything that is your neighbor’s.” Meaning anyone in your community, or that of greater Israel. For our purposes, I think it means anyone else, period. חָמַד châmad, to delight in, desire, lust after. It’s theirs, be happy for them and move on.

Deuteronomy 5:21 (ESV) “‘And you shall not covet your neighbor's wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’ Class envy is one of the main socialist tools being used today to destroy America and much of the free world. Had we but been more diligent to teach our children and youth this commandment. Though a national problem, observance starts in our own communities. Do not covet what your neighbor has.

Exodus 20:15 (ESV) “You shall not steal.” Pretty clear, and relates to the above commandments.

Exodus 13:14-15 (ESV) And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ We are to understand what this all means and teach it to our children. And while we do not do animal sacrifices until the Temple is rebuilt, we still should redeem our firstborn.

Deuteronomy 4:9 (ESV) “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children—" Be diligent in learning the mitzvoth and keeping them, and pass them on to your children.

Deuteronomy 6:7 (ESV) You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. His Torah is to be on our lips and heart, and we are to speak of it all day; teach our children Torah.

Deuteronomy 32:46b (ESV)  “Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law.” We are to teach this law to our children.

Genesis 17:11-12 (ESV) You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring,  If you are male and joined to God’s family, you must be circumcised.

Exodus 13:1-2, 12-13 (ESV) The Lord said to Moses, “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.” … you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord's. Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. We are to kill or redeem all firstborn. “Sons” often means “sons and daughters.” So this could be taken either way (“sons” or “sons and daughters”), but contextually it would seem to mean “sons” (males) as the distinction was made. As murder is both immoral and illegal, our firstborn children should be redeemed if we belong to a community of believers.

Exodus 13:16 (ESV) It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.” Generally thought to be fulfilled by the mitzvah of teffillin. However could also mean to keep Hs mitzvoth with you always.

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Exodus 20:12 (ESV) “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” To honor our parents is to obey them, also do not speak ill of them. It can mean to forgive them. “That your days may be long” speaks not only of our immediate parents, but our entire family lineage.

Leviticus 19:3a (ESV) Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, We are to highly regard our parents. H3372 יָרֵא yârêʼto fear; morally to revere; to frighten. revere- To regard with awe, deference, and devotion.

Exodus 20:13 (ESV) “You shall not murder.” Deuteronomy 5:17 (ESV) “‘You shall not murder.” Some translated this “Thou shalt not kill.” The Hebrew term here is רָצַח râtsach, meaning to murder. However the Hebrew understanding of this concept includes things we call manslaughter- causing human death through carelessness or negligence. And the command obviously would not prohibit justifiable instances of taking a life.

Leviticus 10:19 (ESV) And Aaron said to Moses, “Behold, today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, and yet such things as these have happened to me! If I had eaten the sin offering today, would the Lord have approved?” We should mourn for relatives.

Leviticus 19:9-10 (ESV) “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God." Tzedekah, charity, doing what is right and just is a commandment!

Leviticus 19:27 (ESV) You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard. Taken literally, we shouldn’t shave nor trim our beards. Contextually probably more refers to pagan haircuts of the time.

Leviticus 19:28 (ESV) You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord. We don’t mark up our bodies.

        Tumah and Taharah

Leviticus 11:24-28 (ESV) “And by these you shall become unclean. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening, and whoever carries any part of their carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. Every animal that parts the hoof but is not cloven-footed or does not chew the cud is unclean to you. Everyone who touches them shall be unclean. And all that walk on their paws, among the animals that go on all fours, are unclean to you. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening, and he who carries their carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; they are unclean to you." Ritual unavailability due to touching tumah (unclean) animals.

Leviticus 11:29-31 (ESV) “And these are unclean to you among the swarming things that swarm on the ground: the mole rat, the mouse, the great lizard of any kind, the gecko, the monitor lizard, the lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon. These are unclean to you among all that swarm. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until the evening." Laws of tumah ground swarming animals.

Leviticus 11:32-33 (ESV) And anything on which any of them falls when they are dead shall be unclean, whether it is an article of wood or a garment or a skin or a sack, any article that is used for any purpose. It must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evening; then it shall be clean. And if any of them falls into any earthenware vessel, all that is in it shall be unclean, and you shall break it. Laws of tumah for items.

Leviticus 11:34-35 (ESV) Any food in it that could be eaten, on which water comes, shall be unclean. And all drink that could be drunk from every such vessel shall be unclean. And everything on which any part of their carcass falls shall be unclean. Whether oven or stove, it shall be broken in pieces. They are unclean and shall remain unclean for you. Laws of tumah vessels.

Leviticus 13:45-46 (ESV) “The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp. A person who is tumah due to leprosy must publicize it, and live apart.

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Leviticus 11:36 (ESV) Nevertheless, a spring or a cistern holding water shall be clean, but whoever touches a carcass in them shall be unclean. Laws of tumah concerning a spring or cistern.

Leviticus 11: (ESV) And if any part of their carcass falls upon any seed grain that is to be sown, it is clean, but if water is put on the seed and any part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you. Laws of tumah for grains.

Leviticus 11:39-40 (ESV) “And if any animal which you may eat dies, whoever touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening, and whoever eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. And whoever carries the carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. Laws of tumah for dead beasts.

Leviticus 11:43 (ESV) You shall not make yourselves detestable with any swarming thing that swarms, and you shall not defile yourselves with them, and become unclean through them. Do not defile yourself.

Leviticus 15:2 (ESV) “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean. An unnatural (or natural) discharge makes a man tumah." Basically whatever he touches must be sanitized. Whoever touches him or items he’s touched is also unclean.

Leviticus 15:13 (ESV) “And when the one with a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count for himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes. And he shall bathe his body in fresh water and shall be clean." A man who has had a discharge must after 7 days without discharge wash his clothes and bathe.

        Obedience

Genesis 17:1b (ESV) “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,” A call to obedience.

Exodus 34:11a (ESV) “Observe what I command you this day. …” A command to obedience. We are to obey what Adonai tells us.

Leviticus 20:23 (ESV)  “And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I detested them.” We should not copy the religious practices, customs, dress, or speech of the pagans.

Deuteronomy 5:1 (ESV) And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them." In Judaism, to hear is to learn, and to learn is to do. So hear these instructions, and do them.

Deuteronomy 6:17-18a (ESV) You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies and his statutes, which he has commanded you. And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, … We are to painstakingly persevere in keeping the Mitzvoth.

Deuteronomy 29:9 (ESV) Therefore keep the words of this covenant and do them, that you may prosper [deal wisely] in all that you do. prosper- H7919 שָׂכַל śâkal: A primitive root; to be (causeatively make or act) circumspect and hence intelligent: - consider, expert, instruct, prosper, (deal) prudent (-ly), (give) skill (-ful), have good success, teach, (have, make to) understand (-ing), wisdom, (be, behave self, consider, make) wise (-ly), guide wittingly. Obey Torah, deal wisely, and prosper.

        Nidah

Leviticus 12:2b, 4-5 (ESV) If a woman conceives and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days. As at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. … Then she shall continue for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying. She shall not touch anything holy, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed. But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation. And she shall continue in the blood of her purifying for sixty-six days. Nidah, still applies today.

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