Parashat Mishpatim

(Exodus 21:1 - 24:18)

Legal procedures: ordinances, judgments, verdicts, or firm rulings (non-negotiables). Some rulings may vary from tribe to tribe or clan to clan, but not these. These are laws that will unify the whole society, and are to be weighed out equally to every Israelite. In its singular form,the term means "justice". Psalms 89:14 and 97:2 say righteousness and justice are the foundation of YHWH's throne. Putting YHWH first (the subject of the last chapter) is the precursor to our approach to one another, but now this is the focus. It must be in the right order. We must put YHWH first so we can serve one another, so we can put YHWH first. We are not allowed to judge our children, one another, or anything outside of these boundaries. The rulers of tens, fifties, etc., must make sure individuals do things this way. The majority of the Torah is such rules, though we tend to major on promises and prophecies. But they are both aimed at these. This is how to form community, rule community, and live together. This is the only way unity—or even life--can work. It is not just a spiritual system, but how to deal with one another. YHWH has already told us what is right. Walk in these, and you will be participating in the covenant being given on Mt. Sinai. The next Torah portion is about the building of His sanctuary, so this portion sets the stage for that. But He starts by dealing with possessions, because “where your treasure is, your heart will be also.” (Mat. 6:21)

The first judgment is about slavery! Does this not seem odd after the nation was just freed from slavery? Yet this shows that slavery was not only acceptable, but even expected, within Israel. Every people had slaves at this time. But why start with them? Because slaves have fewer rights and protections than anyone else. He finds the most vulnerable to abuse, and starts with them—the last people who would generally be considered in anything—whose opinion would seldom be sought, and who are most likely to be the brunt of injustice because of their social position. The least of us must be treated appropriately, for he is still Israel. If the foundation is not in order, the top will topple every time. The community must ensure that those who are most easily mistreated or neglected are not. A Hebrew slave: This does not apply to people from other nations who are captured in wars, etc., but would apply to anyone who became part of Israel's community, for "Hebrew" means "one who crosses over". A slave at that time was generally one who sold himself to pay a debt, needed money more quickly than he could normally earn it, had stolen something and could not afford to make the mandatory restitution, had made an arrangement in order to acquire land, was not intelligent enough to care for himself and there was no family to care for him, etc. He was more like an indentured servant or sharecropper than what we think of as a slave. He was a member of the household, not just of the house's holdings. He was almost like extended family, and in some cases did become a family member (see vv. 5, 8, 9). He thus has basic rights and a contract, as we see with Yaaqov and Lavan, only this code ensures better treatment than Lavan provided. Being a slave in Avraham's house was better than the condition of most other freemen in his time. (Compare the parable of the Prodigal Son.) We, too, are called slaves of Messiah (Romans 6:16-18), though he makes us freemen, and through him YHWH has adopted us as heirs who will sit on thrones. The seventh year: in the sabbatical pattern YHWH would set forth, no one would need a Hebrew slave this year because there was to be no active agriculture. This would also mean the buyer would be free from the obligation of caring for an extra person during this year in which he would not gain income from his crops. It was a time when everyone otherwise busy with the rigors of an agricultural lifestyle could stop and study Torah. This seventh year, like the Sabbath day each week, is a picture of the 1,000-year Messianic Kingdom, which comes after 6,000 “ordinary” years. It was not necessarily the seventh year of his own slavery; he would serve until the communal seventh year; i.e., if he sold himself into slavery six months before the shmittah year began, he would only be a slave for six months. No payment: by either party.

Alone: literally, "with his body". His wife must be released with him: Since he was not at liberty to provide for his own dependents while he pays off his debt through slavery, the one who benefits from his labor is the one responsible to provide for his family for the duration of his enslavement. (Hirsch)

This is the only way in which the Israelite man is made to feel the degradation of his enslavement. He can have this woman for only six years. Six is the number of the material world, like the six ordinary days preceding the Sabbath; seven is the number of freedom. Such a temporary marriage is forbidden to a free man, since it is only a physical union and not a spiritual one. (Hirsch) The relationships gained in one’s master’s house belong to the master. When he is no longer under this authority, he no longer has the use of that which he received from him. It is really a loan. If one must leave, he must forsake what has benefited him there, or he would be robbing his master. This has application spiritually. (Mat. 6:24) There are many applications for this standard: We have no right to argue from the Scripture, if we are not under the authority of Torah. Orthodox Jews speak in the name of the one who taught them, giving him credit, even if they hate him personally, if teaching others what he has taught them, for he is the one who “married” them to him. The fruit that comes forth from a given community belongs to that community. If one leaves, he must leave the fruit behind; it belongs to the master.

Repeatedly: or, truly, plainly, having said it with the intent of others hearing it (not just considering it, but a definite choice). Paul writes, "It was for the sake of freedom that Messiah set us free”; we are no one's slave, yet voluntary service to our teachers brothers and sisters, and our students is His deep desire. Note the order: the loyalty must primarily be to the master, because the family members might die or be married off to other tribes, and he could be left only with the master. The relationship to his wife could not come without a relationship to this particular master, just as the commandments about how to treat one another come after those about how we relate to YHWH. (ch. 20) We must love Him more than we love His household. Again, love means commitment, not necessarily a fond feeling. Of course, we can only live out our commitment to YHWH within the house, among the community He has placed us in. If one stays at the house and does not serve, he is also a thief, and no longer a servant.

The master cannot just pierce his ear, even if the slave has expressed this intent; it must be done through the official courts so there is no question. But he literally becomes attached to the house, at least for a few seconds! Some say they put an earring through the hole later as a symbolic reminder; this detail is not given in Scripture. How many people would be willing to do this today? It is not a temporary decision; once he made this choice, it could not be reversed. People do not tend to submit to authority like this today; if the preacher goes two minutes past noon, they go to another church! They want their ears tickled, not pierced! But this is a beautiful thing. Judges: LXX, "Judgment seat of Elohim.” (The term can mean “judges”, but ultimately they are under YHWH’s authority.) Ultimately this does apply to our loyalty to YHWH, which includes “forsaking all others”. (Yeshayahu 26:13) Yahshua said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." This reflects a step from loving Him for what He does for us to loving Him for His own sake. The time frame is not specified here, but in context it would appear to be the seventh year, when the slave has had enough time to get over the initial stigma of being a slave and has had ample time to see how benevolent his master is. (Mat. 20:25ff) He is not expected to make such an absolute commitment early on. After all, it may involve changing tribes as well as households. But when the relationship reaches maturity, he may see that it is truly a better choice to serve Him than to be “free” to be a master of his own house, where he serves only self. (Compare Mark 9:35; 10:44.) A great example of this can be seen in those who change their citizenship to Israel out of love for all it stands for, though they have many advantages to living where they do. The Master also becomes his brother, though he is still over him in authority. (Yochanan 15:14-15) He leaves all his other concerns behind. In contrast, if we choose to serve Mammon (in which Yahshua includes even worrying about basic needs like food and clothing), all we will be is enslaved, with none of the other benefits. The doorposts are both the place to which the blood of the Passover lamb was applied, and upon which Israel is commanded to inscribe the words of the Torah [instruction]. (Deut. 6) There would again be blood on the doorpost, reminding him that no matter whether enslaved, as an Israelite he was truly free. Our relationship to YHWH begins with the command to "hear", so the ear is the appropriate place to bear this reminder of Whom we have chosen to belong to. To commit to the house means to commit to the rulings of the house, which are written on the doorposts—to say, “I hear what you are saying!” But it has to be more than words; there must be action involved. Sh’ma means not just “hear”, but also “obey”. This may require more than speaking to him: “A servant will not be corrected by mere words, for though he understands, he will not respond.” (Prov. 29:19) It must be enforced; there has to be a price to pay for not responding to the words, or people often just “do not get it”.

Handmaid: LXX, "domestic [servant]". She would not be set free after six years as the male slaves would, but during the fiftieth-year "jubilee" (yovel), everyone goes free. But the probable reason she does not go free is seen in verse 8: he has paid her father for her with the view to eventually making her his wife. She can only be sold thus during the age when her father would normally provide for her, i.e., the age prior to puberty, when a woman would normally be paid the dowry herself. (Hirsch) She is thus only a servant until she reaches marriageable age, and if he then rejects her as unacceptable, she is to be set free. (v. 11)

Chosen her: betrothed her to himself; Aramaic, "kept her for himself". Treacherously: or faithlessly, offensively; Aram., "by his domination over her"; LXX: "trifled with her". He bought her intending to marry her; one would not sell his daughter to be a common slave as Gentiles might, but for the purpose of becoming a bride one day. She will be a servant, but this is not the main purpose. But if she did not please him, he must still keep her in his household, because he has humiliated her and prevented her from marrying another. Allow her to be redeemed: by her father, under whose jurisdiction she remains, since when she is of age he would not have a right to sell her anymore. (Hirsch) A foreign nation: Aramaic, "another man" or "a Gentile man". A father would probably only do this to his daughter if he was destitute, but this at least allows him to choose a reputable family into which to sell her, so she will be part of a worthy family. He thus assures that she will be well-fed and well-cared for. It was a pragmatic more than emotional approach, but he ensures that his daughter will have a husband when she comes of age.

Maimonides says this means he himself needs to outfit her with all that a bride needs, since normally her father would do this. Hirsch adds that the Torah normally gives the extreme examples to show that it covers everything up to that point. (Thus it begins with the rights of criminals and the lowest of the destitute, showing that the same rights apply to everyone else as well.) If his father has already rejected her (v. 8), the son might treat her with contempt, since she was now already a slave, so he must be reminded not to treat her with any less respect than the free woman he might later add to his harem (v. 10). She would still have the rights of a wife, even if neither the owner nor his son chose her as a wife. One cannot turn a Hebrew woman into a common slave; YHWH does not allow it. This is the protection of another vulnerable part of the nation.

LXX: "necessaries, apparel, and companionship". These are the conditions under which the Torah allows for polygamy if some feel it to be necessary, but it is never encouraged; the ideal is that "the two shall become one flesh". But this command was given because of how Leah had been treated.

These three: marry her, let her be redeemed, or give her to his son in marriage. It does not refer to the list of three things in v. 10, because if she is a wife, the only way she may be released is with a certificate of divorce. (Deut. 24:1, 3) Without payment: literally, "without silver", i.e., to her father, as compensation, or possibly to her owner, who may not sell her off to someone else just because he is not satisfied with her.

13. "But if it was not premeditated, but Elohim lets him fall into his hand, I will appoint for him a place to which he can escape.

Not premeditated: or "If he had not lain in ambush". This is a “heat-of-passion”, spur-of-the-moment killing. If an unplanned death occurs, YHWH takes responsibility because of His sovereign plan of whom should be preserved. There are no "accidents", for He is in control of everything. Spilling a fellow human's blood is serious, and a relative of the deceased has a right to demand blood in return, but cities of refuge, a marvelous picture of Yahshua, our refuge from death's claims on us, were set up throughout the Promised Land, where a case could be tried calmly rather than suffering vengeance in "hot blood". This will be detailed later in the Torah, because at this point no one in the nation is in a position to establish them. If he can make it to the city of refuge before a rightful avenger of blood can kill him, he must still be tried and if it is proven to be unplanned, he still must remain in that city until the high priest dies or he himself dies, whichever comes first. (Numbers 35:11ff) So his life is basically “over” anyway. If one’s temper gets the best of him, he is still held responsible for his emotional outbursts; no one can plead “temporary insanity” without paying for it in one way or another. We cannot blame it on our emotions, so we had better get them under control.

Acts presumputuously: literally, seethes arrogantly; Aramaic, "schemes". This murder is now premeditated. Deceit: or treachery; Aram., "design". Based on the juxtaposition of this verse with v. 13, the altar was seen, once the Temple was built, as a place one could go to appeal for his life, much like the cities of refuge. David’s son did this, and his appeal was respected at that point. (1 Kings 1:50-53) But this killer had actually premeditated the murder, but then pretended it was an accident, thinking no one would dare to harm him in a holy place—much like the churches in mafia movies. But there is no place for the selfish to hide. We go to the altar to seek forgiveness, but if we planned out the act, we have no right to expect forgiveness. For willful sin, there is no atonement available, even from the place of mercy—except in the resurrection, if one repents before the justice is carried out, as it still must be. (Hebrews 10:26-30) No matter what, he will pay the price in his body; he cannot get out of it. The only atonement for willful bloodguilt is the killer's own blood. Even if he frequents the holiest of places, he is not exempt from justice. This sentence was carried out by King Shlomo in the case of Yo’av. (1 Kings 2:28-35) One would have to go to the altar anyway to make a trespass offering for involuntary manslaughter. Or, we could interpret this as meaning even the priests, who are the only ones who are actually permitted to serve at the altar, are not protected by their social status. We see many death-row inmates try to claim that a “jailhouse salvation experience” should exempt them from execution. Men are not given the right to commute a sentence or grant clemency when YHWH has defined what justice in a particular case is. (Hirsch)

This pertains not to a small child, but one who is of age to know what he is doing. Some commentators also limit the meaning of "strike" to an aggressive blow that draws blood and shows intent to injure or insult. It does not apply to self-defense. The reason it is so serious is that a parent is a picture of YHWH in microcosm, and one who rebels against Him has no hope of recourse. The rabbis claim that this sentence has never been carried out in Israel. This also applies to anyone who is in the role of a father or mother to you.

Kidnaps: literally "steals"--as if the man had no more dignity than any other piece of property! This does not apply to one who was sold (or has sold himself) as a slave (to pay off a debt). Modern slavery was more often a case of kidnapping than in the case of ancient Israel, and was therefore unjust. Found possessing him: or "in his power". Thus it behooves one to check carefully into where the slave he buys has come from. This demands walls and gates on the part of the leadership of each community as well; in Israel, there is not to be free passage in and out for strangers. A man: LXX, "one of the children of Israel". The family of Israel already knew what it was like to have a favorite son (Yoseyf) kidnapped by his brothers. We are meant to learn from the patriarchs’ mistakes. The same punishment is meted out for deceitful murder (v. 14). It is interesting that these are the only two courses of action Yoseyf's brothers considered in regard to him. In the Greek translation, verses 16 and 17 are in reverse order, probably because of the continuity between 15 and 17.

A curse is not what we commonly think of as "profanity", but pronouncing damnation or calling spiritual forces to come against a person. The word can also mean "to esteem lightly"—not taking them seriously, the exact opposite of the fifth commandment ("honor/give weight to your father and mother"). It includes simply not paying attention to them—not giving authority to them, letting their words go "in one ear and out the other". This context tells us that if we do not recognize their authority and do what they tell us to do, it is on the same level as kidnapping or murder. At the most ancient level, it means disregarding the lesson of what Adam and Chavvah lost—the relationship YHWH wanted with us, His deepest desire. And it applies to those who are our “parents” (leaders and teachers) in Israel, who have poured their lives out for our sakes. (1 Cor. 4:15) Of course, honor to our ultimate Father, YHWH, takes precedence over honor of our more immediate fathers.

Fighting: The nuance here is the assumption that the men are of equal standing, and are thus able to argue with one another. It could not apply to a small child who could not understand what he is doing. There are different rulings for slaves and masters; to rule rightly is to be able to see and understand the distinctions and what affects what is just in each case.

By his own power: includes using a supportive device like a cane or crutch, if this was what he normally used prior to the assault. (Hirsch) His convalescence: the value of his lost time or recovery expenses. YHWH instituted the first "workmen's compensation" and "disability benefits" here, but the responsible party is the one who pays, not the government. You can slap someone if he deserves it (unless he is one in authority over you, v.15) , but if you hit him with a fist or anything that could be considered a weapon, you have taken on a major responsibility.

Avenged: Aramaic, "punished [by decapitation]". But the Hebrew text does not tell us how; it is the judge’s job to decide how. It may depend on why he was beating his slave. Was it because he would not listen to what his master said? What was the slave worth? Was he one who “mouthed off” at his master? Was he lazy? Then the fine would not be much, since he was his anyway (v. 21). But if he was a craftsman with amazing skills, one might decide to cut the master’s hand off. Some servants are worth more than other servants, and if those who are of little use are beaten to death, the sentence would not be as severe. This is why YHWH does not specify the extent of the punishment.

Survives: literally "stands". His own wealth: literally, silver; i.e., the one who earns him money, or the one he paid money for. The root from which the word for silver comes means “to yearn for”. This is a foreign concept in our day, but consider the Source. This is YHWH’s own idea. Of course, it applies to non-Hebrews, because Hebrews are to be freed every seventh year. (v. 2) But it shows that some value is placed upon all life.

Delivered, yet no harm done: LXX, "born imperfectly formed", and it is the opposite in v. 23. Assessors: evaluators or estimators. (Compare Deut. 32:31.) The husband decides on the punishment, and the judge makes it a ruling, and possibly adds a fine to it as well. The following verses are also in the context of the aborted infant, but may have wider application as well:

24. "eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

25. "burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

Burn: or "scar". Bruise: or lash. Since injuring the other person does not restore the eyesight of the afflicted one, nor can he give him his own eye, by tradition the fine is monetary compensation for its value, as assessed by the judges, except in the case of murder, where the entire personality has been destroyed,and thus the murderer must pay with his own life. But what a deterrent! And sometimes there cannot be monetary value placed on a loss. Or if the perpetrator has no money, this does not mean he is free from obligation; he might lose a literal eye in tha case. Matt. 5:38-39 (a clarification of the Torah, also spoken upon a mountain) does not repeal any of this. Doing what is best for him and for the community is what "love your enemy” means, and what is best for a selfish, careless person is to be taught through his own loss the value of other people's well-being. But this must not be over-interpreted to mean one has a right to hit back at those in authority. This was spoken in the context of a nation occupied by a foreign power, a dilemma they had gotten themselves into by asking Rome for help centuries earlier, which Rome never did without “strings attached”. The whole nation was thus enslaved, and had to do what their self-chosen “master” said.

Thus an eye holds the equivalent value to liberty. In other words, a servant's eye is worth a servant. The same holds true for a tooth:

This seems strange if one could be held guiltless if he survives only a few days before dying (v. 21), but it is very demeaning to put one’s eye out, let alone crippling. But why one tooth, when he has many more of them? Teeth were clearly seen as very important. Ancient breads were very coarse, often having charcoal or small stones in them, so teeth would wear down very early in life. As proven by Egyptian mummies, people’s tooth enamel was almost completely gone by the age of 25. False teeth were not as easy to come by, especially for a slave. So to lose a tooth was to lose what would sustain life.

An ox that is stoned is not killed in a manner acceptable [kosher] for consumption. (Compare 22:31) There is often also a connection between animals' character and their acceptability as food. E.g., a pig is not something we want to be like, so we do not make it a part of us; a cow, however, is an example of selectivity in its diet and rumination on YHWH's word (Psalm 1:2). An ox with such a lack of self-control, however, is not a worthy example for us. On the prophetic level, one of the four living creatures that depict Yahshua in the Temple is an ox--a servant and bearer of burdens. He said we must "eat his flesh" (Yochanan 6)--i.e., make the good news of his redemption part of us. An ox is also the offering brought in place of the high priest on the Day of Atonement. But the Counterfeit Messiah, "the wicked priest", is not useful for anything.

In times past: literally, "from yesterday and the third day"; i.e., "the day before yesterday". Confined: literally, keep it fenced in or guarded. If someone wants the privilege of owning such treasures, he is also responsible for how they affect others. We are responsible for what we have control over, and for what we know. If we knew this might be a problem, but did nothing to prevent it, and knowingly exposes others to danger, it cannot be blamed on someone else. YHWH honors one who says “I am guilty” over one who says, “But so-and-so also shares in the fault!” The latter attitude already cost us Paradise. This guarding also applies to placing limits on those under our responsibility whom we know have weaknesses in certain areas and could be easily tempted.

Ransom: or, sin-covering. In some cases, one is allowed to ransom his life rather than be killed for the crime, but it is up to the judge to determine if the situation warrants it.

A son or daughter: Aramaic, "an Israelite man or woman". The family of the person killed, or the local judge, decides whether they want him to pay more damages than just the ox itself.

Yahshua was thus sold for the price of a slave. (Zech. 11:12-13; Matt. 26:15; 27:3, 9) For a free man, the rate can vary according to the judgment of the court (v. 30), but for a slave, a price is fixed, so that one may not under-value his worth. (Hirsch) The price set is the highest value of redemption of a woman's self-imposed vow. (Lev. 27:4).

Yahshua alluded to rescuing such animals when he spoke about what activities were allowable on the Sabbath. Why are such pits mentioned? Becvause it was very common in ancient Israel. Anywhere archaeologists have discovered Israelite settlements, they have been identifiable by the many pits dug there; they were used for storage of grain, dried fruit, etc., when lined with stone. Different shapes and depths were used for different purposes, often even under the floors of their houses. Others were used for latrines, and possibly some for trapping animals.

The man's penalty is that he buys something nearly useless because of his own carelessness. He could not eat the ox, because if it dies without being bled properly first, it is not kosher; he could assumedly still use its hide for leather.

King Shlomo made a similar ruling in the case of two women who had a living and a dead baby. (1 Kings 3)

He trades a living ox for the dead one. This is the equivalent of the modern, “You break it; you’ve bought it!” This chapter is emphasizing personal responsibility—the very thing that in modern courts, people try hard to avoid, even hiring lawyers to avoid it! People are permitted to blame almost any misdeed on the fact that they were once abused as a child, were angry, were in a bad environment, or whatever the excuse. Psychologists tell us that we are not guilty, but we must learn to own it when it is true, and find ways to deal with it—making it nonexistent rather than denying it or hiding it. We are just starting to scratch the surface here; the rest of the Torah will keep expounding on this theme. The man whose pit a donkey fell into probably never even thought about the possibility, and that was the problem. We need to think about how what we do affects other people, what the possibility for trouble or abuse is, not to the point of paranoia, but realistic consideration. Last time we did the thing, there may not have been all the same factors in play. We must consider how our words or actions will affect the return of Israel as a whole. And that is how YHWH started this off—consider how even the most vulnerable are affected. If I take such a course of action, how will it affect the children? The widow? We have to take responsibility not only for our actions, but for our neighbor’s as well. We might say, “He should not have let his donkey be wandering through my property anyway!” But we need to assume things will not always be as they “should”. None of this sounds “religious” at all. Yet this is still about coming near to YHWH. He is speaking about us becoming the kind of people in whose midst He would not mind dwelling, and He does not want to dwell among irresponsible people. He is telling us how to put our house in order, so that it might be His house.

22:3 shows that for a stolen animal that is kept alive, the fine is double its value. Animals need to be put out to graze and thus are more susceptible to being stolen, as a higher degree of trust is involved in leaving them in someone else's care, unlike objects secured in one's home. (Hirsch) An ox is worth more than a sheep; only a king or high priest (both very wealthy) are ever required to bring one as an offering. It may be more highly valued because while a sheep does provide wool, an ox can accomplish work for its owner as well. In modern days, this would be like stealing a tractor. This thought continues into the next chapter.

CHAPTER 22

Breaking in: literally, digging. No one is held liable for his death because in the darkness no one could tell whether or not he was armed, or whether he was friend or foe; the killing is assumed to be self-defense, because whatever the tunneler was using to break in could assumedly be used as a weapon as well. He brings his own death upon himself. YHWH finds it acceptable to kill a thief if caught in the act, though it is not mandatory to do so; however, no other punishment is prescribed if he is caught, since he has not yet stolen anything, so it might actually be advantageous to the rest of the community if he is killed, since he would not then come back to rob someone else.

If the sun has risen: Aramaic, "if the eye of witnesses falls upon him", i.e., the matter is clear. This does not mean that he is breaking in in broad daylight, but that the evidence is found that incriminates him, such as a poor man suddenly becoming wealthy or the owner recognizing his property in the other’s possession. If it does not become known until later that something has been stolen, the thief may not be tracked down and killed. He may only be killed if he is caught in the act on your property. Otherwise the owner is counted a murderer. Settle: make a just satisfaction; Aram., "render compensation"; YHWH's definition of a just restitution is found in verse 4. But he is taken before the judges for the sentencing. Every death sentence except an avenging of a relative’s death must be pronounced by the court. If criminals today were sold into slavery rather than having their “room and board” paid in prison, there would be many fewer robberies! And they would not be a concern that the thief would come back to rob the same household again. And even if he is not caught, he has sold his own soul and diminished himself, for each time one repeats a crime, he becomes more callous and comfortable with doing it again. to do. Note that the context is stealing livestock (v. 3), so this is probably a theft in the field rather than a house, though in ancient Israel the lower level of a house, open to a courtyard, was often where animals were kept at night, while the family slept upstairs or, in hot weather, on the roof. Yahshua warns about watching to be sure the thief does not come (Mat. 24:40-46). Flocks and herds are often a picture of the people under our care or authority. In Scripture, stealing, especially at night, is linked with idolatry and adultery (Iyov/Job 24:14; Hos. 7:1-4; Yirmeyahu/Jer. 2:26) So spiritual thieves use adulterous doctrines, which involve bringing paganism back into Israel. Ideas like “the Torah has been done away with” pry the door open. Yahshua identifies Himself as the door (Yoch. 10:1-7), noting that the thief never enters through him. They rarely think of themselves as thieves, but when they present him in non-Hebraic terms, adding pagan concepts to what Scripture really says about who Yahshua is, the institutional Church steals many sheep from Israel.

While flock owners might seem backward to some today, these animals are true wealth if the power or monetary system should crash; one could survive on them for quite a long time. To be a proper deterrent, the loss one would incur when caught must exceed the potential gain he would have from what he stole. If he would trouble his neighbor by taking one needed possession from him, two are taken back from him. This whole chapter is an elaboration on the command to “love your neighbor as yourself.” YHWH does not leave it up to us to decide “what love means to me”. He defines what it means. It means to take responsibility for fixing what you broke. We cannot walk in Torah if we are not willing to take responsibility for ourselves and one another. Everyone must be involved for this to work. If we catch someone doing wrong, we have an obligation to testify before the judges. Today many use the excuse that they are victims and the crime is therefore not their fault; they were abused as a child or are affected by “urban rage” or “temporarily insane”. Psychologists work to prove one is not guilty, in which case no one has to know whether they are actually innocent or not! They even try to remove the evidence from one’s heart. But this is not the way of Israel. Not feelings, but deeds, are what must be understood and judged, however politically incorrect this may seem today, for we do not serve our feelings, but serve YHWH by serving one another with proper actions. One must not only return what was stolen, but compensate the owner for the trouble it caused him in the meantime to not have it. Moreover, one has also robbed his brother of an important intangible: your relationship with him; he can no longer count on you to be a trustworthy neighbor. One can steal another’s reputation, and it is nearly impossible to undo this damage. The difference here from 21:37, where more animals must be returned, is that in this case the actual original animal is recovered, rather than a “reasonable facsimile”.

Even if the damaged produce was of very poor quality, one must bring his best as compensation (after the very best that is already due YHWH, per Malakhi 1:11ff). This could also metaphorically apply to letting the animal nature in ourselves run wild and free. Note that he needs to do more than simply restore the items actually lost; he gives his best in order to restore the relationship with his neighbor as well.

Breaks out: it refers to an existing fire that spreads beyond the control intended by the one who started it, even if he started it simply to keep himself—or someone else--warm. In legal terms, fire represents any inanimate property set in motion by ordinary natural forces but which can then do damage, e.g., a knife left on the roof which harms someone when blown down by the wind. (Hirsch) Yaaqov (James) speaks of the tongue as a fire. Once gossip gets started, it burns out of control, and the one who began the rumor or slander is the guiltiest party (see v. 17), but a non-verbal gesture that casts doubt on someone’s integrity can do just as much damage. Or simply unnecessary things that we say which may cause heat between us; if you are not sure of what you are speaking about, do not say it! Our actions also must be contained; we are to entrust what we are given only to faithful persons. Some “fields” may need to be burned, but be sure you have the authority to do so and know what you are doing; we are responsible for the fires we kindle.

7. "If no thief is found, the owner of the house shall be brought before the judges [to determine] whether he laid his hands on his neighbor's possessions.

This assures that not only do the guilty pay, but the innocent are recognized publicly as such. Judges: literally elohim, and this can include YHWH as well (in the LXX it is translated as such), but since He is the one who gave authority to the courts in Israel, there is no practical difference between the two interpretations. Their ruling may not be overturned. If judges are not just, there results the situation David spoke of in Psalm 69: “Though I have stolen nothing, I still must repay it.” Thus it behooves us to have righteous judges. What they bind or loose on earth must be what has already been bound or loosed in heaven (literal reading of Mat. 16:19 and this agrees with the use of these terms in the Mishnah).

Liability: or, trespass. To clarify, he both loses the animal he stole and pays two more in addition. Zakkai, who had deceitfully overcharged people, went well beyond what was required and paid back fourfold (Luqa 19:8), and Yahshua said this proved that salvation had truly come to his household. If he had only done what was required, the incident would not even be worthy of mention. (Luqa 17:10) YHWH may have paid him back double for this, because if the great sage Yochanan ben Zakkai was his son (and he lived at the right time to be), then his name was honored not just by those who use the “New Testament”, but by Jews as well.

10. "an oath of YHWH must be [made] between them both that he has not laid hands on his neighbor's possessions, and its owner must accept this, and he will not [need to] make restitution.

Both: The owner himself must also swear that he has not secretly come and done something to the animal in order to get his neighbor in trouble. These oaths were made at the altar of sacrifice (2 Chron. 6:22), and would be calling down YHWH's judgment upon himself if he were lying, so it is assumed that an Israelite fears the consequences of this and is thus trustworthy when he swears the oath—which is required; one may not simply say, “I give you my word” in this case. If someone says he did not do it, but actually did, YHWH Himself will make sure he loses much more than if he just made the designated repayment. Accept this: LXX, "hold him guiltless".

He should have taken measures to guard it. This goes beyond the physical; we must be sure someone’s trust is not stolen away if it is entrusted to us either. When someone gives you the privilege of being trusted, it is your responsibility to become trustworthy.

Torn: LXX, "seized". Evidence: Aramaic, "witnesses"; "bring him to witness the prey". This holds in cases where the wild beast is too strong for the one being paid to keep the animal to risk trying to rescue it.

Therefore it is not wise to borrow something that is near death or too easily damaged unless one can afford to replace it, in which case it would be better to buy his own.

I.e., it has been paid for already; Aramaic, "the loss is covered by the hiring fee." If the owner is present, it is assumed that he would be watching out for what happens to his own goods.

Betrothal is legally much more binding than our engagement today, and to seduce a betrothed woman would be considered adultery, which has its own consequences. Pay her dowry: the word has the sense of hurrying or eagerly striving to intimately possess someone (Hirsch)--i.e., he should be as ardent to pursue the right legal proceedings as he was to lie with her in the first place. If he talks a girl into sleeping with him, he had better be able to afford whatever price her father might demand, for he has already made her his de facto wife.

Refuses: the character of this seducer is such that YHWH allows the father to decide whether he really wants his daughter to have such a husband, and what her violation is worth. He pays for his deed, whether he gets to keep her as a wife or not, because one who thus "deceives" an innocent, inexperienced woman (as the LXX puts it) really deserves nothing.

Sorceress: the term is feminine, probably because a woman, who had less authority in ancient society would be more likely to try to use other means to influence outcomes. This is not to be tolerated in Israel, but is counted as a form of witchcraft, which is attempting, by any means, to influence a person or situation over which you have no true authority. It is a form of rebellion. But the term literally means a "whisperer". This points to a broader meaning. Gossip also "enchants" people and the tone of voice colors their opinion of those whispered about. Secrecy gives it a mystical aura and people feel that they are privy to special knowledge and become arrogant about this as well. This can even be done by implanting ideas through questions rather than overt statements, as the serpent in the Garden did. (Gen. 3) The context of verse 19 also suggests that this may be someone who is enticing someone away to worship a strange deity.

This is one way in which the land of Kanaan was polluted, and the reason the Israelites had to purify it by destroying the people infected with what this practice brought.

Sacrifices: This includes partaking of what someone else slaughtered to false elohim. We cannot partake of YHWH’s table as well as the table of demons (1 Cor. 10:19), so it is best to build fences such as not eating with such people at all, so that we do not have to wonder whether the meat we are invited to eat has been offered to idols. Destroyed: or put under the ban, excommunicated, isolated; literally, dedicated to destruction--not necessarily executed, but sent "outside the camp", where he is exposed to all the dangers with no recourse to the community's protection (given over to destruction, rather than being destroyed directly); YHWH then arranges for how that one is to be destroyed. Paul counsels much the same thing when he orders one who is guilty of incest and proud of it to be "turned over to haSatan for the destruction of his flesh", so that he might repent. (1 Corinthians 5:5) However, the Aramaic here reads "put to death", and the LXX interprets it the same way.

A foreigner: either a temporary inhabitant, or a newcomer to the community who does not have inherited rights. I.e., “What goes around comes around”, and all the more as Israel returns, we must be careful not to crush people by putting too much of a burden on them all at once (Acts 15), though of course we cannot let them bring pagan practices onto our territory either. We also do not want to let a newcomer be slack about changing where they can change, but we must always remember that we came from a situation where our fathers, too, had inherited lies, and that YHWH let us learn at a reasonable pace as well.

Humiliate: by making them feel their dependent position, i.e., their lack of protection. (Hirsch) The prohibited act is related linguistically to "dumbness", since the widow has lost her public voice when her husband has died; she has no one to speak directly for her. A woman has an internal need to have a ruler (Gen. 3:16), and she should not become calloused to this; by Genesis 3’s definition, a widow has lost that which she desires. In Jewish tradition, for a limited time a mourner is permitted special privileges such as walking out the “in” door of the Temple grounds so that others may notice and offer their condolences and alms, because, unlike those who have merely lost property, this person has suffered the loss of connection with another soul, and only they have thus truly lost anything. Even rich widows and orphans can be more easily taken advantage of and abused than other people. One of the very reasons YHWH exiled Israel was because they failed to obey this command. (Yirmeyahu 7:6; 22:3, 15) They have a special place in YHWH’s heart, and He will avenge anyone who mistrates them even if no human authority catches them. Remember that in Israel, if one has a son or a brother-in-law, one is not considered completely a widow, and if one has a grandfather or an uncle, one is not truly an orphan, because there is someone designated to care for him or her. A child with a mother but no father, however, still has no covering, and the community is responsible to plead their cause. Even in his very terse definition of pure religion, Yaaqov (James) includes the proper treatment of widows and orphans. (Yaaqov 1:27) So this shows how much importance YHWH places on this command.

The literal text is more poetic: "If he cries crying, I will hear hearing!" This is a common Hebraic means of emphasizing a point.

Does He sound serious about this? No court system is even included in this equation. This is poetic justice at its best: the punishment fits the crime. Take care of the weaker ones, or someone stronger than you will pick on you and you'll learn how it feels. YHWH has a special concern for the weak and helpless. In Psalm 94, the wicked are defined specifically as those who oppress the widow or fatherless (Y’hezq’el/Ezek. 22:6ff says it is as bad as profaning the Sabbath), and Yeshayahu (Isaiah) makes the opposite point. (1:17, 23) Yaaqov (James) 1:27 says pure religion is largely defined by caring for them in particular when they need it. The responsibility for their protection falls on the whole community, because the “you” and "your" here are plural. If one mistreats the weakest elements, it affects how YHWH treats us; the whole congregation will suffer attack. We are to make sure they receive the same justice as everyone else—no more, but no less. This is speaking of those who are truly in a position to do nothing for themselves. One should not feel entitled to long-term handouts or ask for more than is offered, but be grateful for what one receives, knowing it is a privilege, and that she should give back to the community in whatever way possible. The weak need to be strengthened, not to be kept in a position of weakness so that they are a constant drain on society. The Torah never encourages laziness. Taking without giving at all is nothing but another form of thievery.

My people: YHWH emphasizes that the ones who might otherwise be taken advantage of are His special possession and not to be trifled with. Extortioner: Aramaic, "pressing creditor". "Poor" here includes anyone who has suffered a loss and has a right to restitution. (Hirsch) Because the world is not what He originally designed it to be, and is no longer friendly toward the weak and powerless, He takes up their plight in an especially watchful manner. He is readier to punish those who prey on them. The word for “lend” means to join or unite by intertwining, possibly because both parties are partaking of the same resources. Thus lending of possessions is meant to unify people, not divide them as it would if these two prohibitions are ignored. Acting as an extortioner is different from charging interest. It means harassing hims as a creditor (money-lender) does in regard to when he will be paid back. But this is not to say that the borrower can feel that he does not have to pay back the principal just because there is no interest. Luke 6:33ff builds on this verse in particular, strengthening its meaning. But if someone has been very helpful to you, you probably owe them a lot anyway, and if you can give rather than lending, so that one who is truly weak financially is not obligated, this might be all the better for the relationship.

The background for this is that the square outer garment with only a slit cut for the head, on which one wears his tzitziyoth (Num. 15:38ff), would not be worn while working so that it would not get dirty, because it also doubled as a blanket. Note that it is the responsibility of the holder to go return it; he should not wait until the owner comes begging for it, humiliating him even further. All of these things assume that the other party is from a different extended household; if one borrowed from one in the same family, he would actually be borrowing from himself. But how much better is it if we are trustworthy people so that no one needs to take anything from one another as a pledge.

Outcries for justice seem to be especially efficacious in bringing YHWH's "hand" to bear on a situation of need. It is as if they "make waves" in the heavenly realms in a special way. On the metaphorical level, the Torah is the outer garment over the reborn Adam; we need it in order to guard our ways when darkness falls. (Ps. 119:105) Yahshua shrewdly advises us, if someone takes our shirt, to suggest that he take our coat also, for this will cause one who is a true brother to be ashamed of what he has done and rise to the occasion of doing his duty to obey this command.

Make light of: or "slight". Neither the lowly nor the mighty are to be despised; this comes out more clearly in the early part of chapter 23. Judges: literally Elohim ("mighty ones"),which can refer to spiritual beings (compare Yehudah/Jude 8) as well as the creator, but Paul condenses the two ideas into one in Acts 23:5, and interprets it as "a ruler of your people". Curse: or speak negatively about in any sense. This command is about respect for leadership. We should even show respect for those on our own level simply because they are also Israelites; how much more the leaders, even when they are not “sitting in the gate” for judgment, but in any context where we might meet them. There is more profit even in the joking of the wise than in the sincerity of a fool. Disrespect is contagious, but we must show every appreciation for sound, righteous judgement when we have it. If you think something he says is not to be taken seriously, ask him about it in private to be sure. In Israel, the elder is one who is most learned and takes the most responsibility for his fellows, not necessarily the oldest.

Delay: hesitate, procrastinate; LXX, "keep back". If it is in your power to help others, we should not hold back what we have which could meet their need (Prov.3:27), if the only reason we are keeping it is for our own security down the road—a need which may never even come about. (Luke 12:21) Vintage: or juices, but can also mean tears, which would indicate that we should not be too slow to confess our sins. It also applies to the firstfruits of our energies; they should be devoted to the Kingdom before they are offered anywhere else. And remember that a tithe is not a gift; it is simply turning over to YHWH what is rightfully His. A gift is what is over and above the required amount.

Israel is called YHWH's firstborn (4:22), and it includes all who truly worship Him in spirit and truth. The Holy Spirit, which inspired the Torah (the milk of the Word), is like our mother who brings the second Adam's body--a people set apart from the legacy of the fallen Adam--to life during seven millennia. When all is complete, on the "eighth day--the age to come--all will be presented to the Father as a finished gift. Given: Aramaic, "separated", the rabbinic term used for "skimming off" the first of the fruits. We must not wait until it is comfortable to let it go, but turn it over as quickly as possible. This verse also sets the stage for the proper interpretation of 23:19.

People set apart: Hirsch, "men of holy calling", i.e., having a higher responsibility to be pure and undefiled than perhaps might be required of other people. Our hliness is directly linked to what we eat or do not eat. The Hebrew term for "torn" is treifah, meaning "ripped into pieces", but even more basically "snatched away". But it has also come to have the broader meaning of any type of meat that is not kosher. It is only unclean beasts that tear other animals like this. The Hebrew word for "glad news" is also the same as "meat" here, so on a deeper level this indicates a Gospel that people who have not kept themselves pure have gotten their hands on and divided the parts they thought valuable from the parts they had no use for—or changed it to suit their own interests, as ritual uncleanness is most often a picture of selfishness and wanting the positions YHWH has granted to others than themselves. Dogs are never found in an Israelite camp, so this is not necessarily to be taken literally. "Dogs" is often an idiom for Gentiles, which Yahshua picked up on in Matt. 15:26. A parallel command says we can sell to non-Israelites an animal that dies a natural death, but not eat of it ourselves. (Deut. 14:21) In other words, the people who wish to be the pure gift set apart for the Father (v. 30)--the forerunners, the altar built first of uncut stones (Exodus 20:24) rounded by the "living" (running) water of the Word rather than the later temple made of stones--valuable material yet reshaped by human implements--should leave such a "Gospel" to the Gentiles and not partake of it ourselves, for it has been torn apart by “the Beast”. It will benefit them more than their former paganism, but it is not pure enough for those who really want to be holy. Back on the literal level, the sages say that dogs are given this meat as a reward since they did not bother the children of Israel during the Exodus. (11:7)

CHAPTER 23

Bear: take up, support, assist, or carry on. Aramaic, "listen to"; LXX, "receive". Hirsch says it includes even taking it into your mind for consideration. Put in your hand: Supporting a false rumor is tantamount to being an accessory to murder. False: "vain", "empty", "nonexistent"; literally, a worthless hearing (anything which has no basis, or, even if true, something in which there is no benefit in listening to it). Is it worth repeating? Most things we hear are not, and in such a case, we should also warn the one who told us. A wicked one: The second consideration is the source of the report. Even if it is true, if we extend the report’s coverage area, we are joining hands with everyone who has repeated it before we do. Do they have the right motives in passing on this report? If not, we should not “hold hands” with them. Violent: or malicious; interestingly, the Hebrew word is hamas, the very same word used for a Palestinian terrorist group today.

Hirsch renders this, "You shall not follow an exact majority to give an adverse decision, neither shall you vote, when there is a controversy of opinions, in such a way that one would go against his own opinion, so that the verdict should always be according to the majority." This precludes a mob mentality, in which people get caught up in the anger of the moment and later no one considers himself responsible for his actions. But someone did throw a match on the fire, and truly anyone who played a part is as responsible for going along with evil as the one who started it. We must not say what the majority wants to hear or assume it is right just because the majority agrees. No one’s opinion but YHWH’s counts. Y’hoshua and Kalev were an excellent example of obedience to this command. We must not even be swayed by persons we respect if they are opposing the Torah or one of our brothers. Even in Israel, the majority can be wrong, or YHWH would not have directed this command to us. This occurred during Yahshua’s trial.

Favor: show partiality; LXX, "spare". Justice is not to be influenced by either greased palms or pity for the underdog just because the rich corporation can afford to pay and the plaintiff is poor. Truth and the merits of the case itself are to be the only deciding factors. But since there is another command regarding the needy in v. 6, the word for poor here could be taken to mean “weak” or “slack”; i.e., do not support a case that someone does not have strong evidence to back up. For example, an accusation with only one witness is never accepted in Israel, especially if it is against one of the elders YHWH has constituted.

These next few laws are simply common decency. Encounter: the term has the sense of being unexpected. Who one's "enemy" is is delimited by the parallelism of the next verse: it refers to someone within your own camp who has something against you; not, for example, the Amaleqites, with whom YHWH has sworn eternal enmity. YHWH will deal with outsiders and their evil deeds; they are technically not sinning, because they are not under the Torah and therefore have no target to miss. This is referring to enemies within Israel—someone whose personality just does not mesh well with yours, or someone with whom you may be competing. Maybe his ox is competing against yours for the prize at the fair; you must not let it fall into danger so that you would have an advantage. Neither may you follow the temptation to slaughter it and eat it since it would brig you revenge on someone who has done you wrong. In the most direct context, it is the one bringing a lawsuit against you. In any case, you do not have the optionm of not getting involved. YHWH has seen fit that you know about the situation, so it is your responsibility to d something about it. A donkey represents someone who can be redeemed (13:13; 34:20), and taking pleasure in its suffering will certainly come back upon one’s own head. And mystically, this is thus speaking of helping a fellow Israelite regain control of his thoughts or actions which have become unrestrained, causing him to go astray. Bearing one another’s burdens even though you do not get along with this person will most likely improve the relationship with him, because he has at least seen evidence that you are committed to him because he is a fellow Israelite.

At least have pity on the animal, who has no say over who its master is. The animal is overloaded, and if it remains off its feet for very long, its internal organs will be under too much strain and it will die. Yahshua added that it was even permissible to do such kindnesses on the Sabbath. (Luke 14:5) This is also the context for Yahshua's command to love our enemies. When he speaks of someone compelling you to go one mile (Mat. 5:41), he is probably referring to someone reminding you that the Torah requires you to lighten his donkey’s load, and of course, your enemy will not be able to carry the load by himself, but will need help. Yahshua is telling us not to just do the minimum of how far the rabbis might have determined this law requires, but to help him carry the load as far as he needs you to.

Perverting justice can include refraining from judging someone as he deserves simply because he is poor. But if he is needy, you also pervert justice if you do not do something to meet his need if it is in your power to do it. (Prov. 3:27; compare Yaaqov 2:1-9.) The way Israel provides for the needy is to tithe into storehouses administered by the Levites for refugees, widows, or orphans. Those who were handicapped were given a place by the elders where they could sit and beg, so that those who had something to give would know where to find them. This is the honorable thing to do rather than just sit home in laziness, and it allows others to be blessed for their act of giving.

Fraudulent matter: or, lying word. This in itself slaughters the innocent and righteous—maybe not always literally, but it kills their reputation, which is worth far more than wealth (Prov. 22:1; Qoheleth/Eccles. 7:1), so this is a worse sin than robbing him! It often begins with greed or envy of another, and gradually builds until one is convinced that the only right course of action is to destroy the honor of the one he envies. Righteous: Aramaic, "one who had already been dismissed by you from the lawsuit". In Israel, an accusation is assumed to be in error if there are not at least two reliable witnesses. The last phrase could read, "I will not declare the wicked to be righteous", i.e., acquit him. Throughout Scripture we find three classes of people and three sets of books: the wicked, the sinners (or neutral, as yet undecided), and the righteous. From the last it seems one can be blotted out, for righteous people like David pray to not be removed from it. Everyone must eventually be erased from the middle one, though YHWH shows these great patience. He gives them an occasion to repent, and encourages them to do so. This is symbolized by the rituals for those who seem to have leprosy, before it is certain. (Lev. 13) Those who are in the first book have been declared by YHWH to be "vessels fit for destruction", beyond the hope of ever repenting. Pharaoh tried to get out of this book and be forgiven at one point, but he had already gone too far, and YHWH Himself hardened his heart. (10:16-20) This verse seems to tell us that once one is inscribed in this book, he will never again be given an occasion to become righteous (see Revelation 22:11). Yahshua said to forgive 490 times, but YHWH Himself finally brought judgment on Israel after 490 years of patience. Let us not test the limits of His mercy. Compare the command to "flee youthful lusts"(2 Tim. 2:22) and the maxim of running to carrying out YHWH's commandments.

Bribe: literally, a gift, lest one try to claim that is all it was. This can apply to a witness as well as a judge. It includes failing to speak out against wickedness in the lives of those from whom one gains livelihood. It can extend far beyond finances to being pressured into any form of compromise by the threat of harm or deprivation. When you give in, you become just like those who lured you into it. Even flattery or a smile can be a bribe as well. Clear-sighted: or "discernment". Causes to waver: or, overturns. People tend not to speak the truth if there is a financial reason to remain silent.

Foreigner: or sojourner, one traveling through who sees the Torah being practiced and wants to know more. (Deut. 4:6) A hallmark of Avraham and his children is hospitality. In the desert, one is likely to die without it, and we must not “gouge” those who truly need our help. This applies to anyone who is in our land, unless he has come to rob you. (And Ya’el even showed hospitality to Sisera before killing him!) Remove anyone from immediate danger, and do not deny them a place among us if they want to live the way we do. While among us, he must live by our rules, but go above and beyond what is required in order to be kind to the seeker. Many will find out that they are indeed the lost sheep of the House of Israel.

The Land must not be oppressed either by being asked to produce every year. It needs its rest too.

Let it rest and lie fallow: or "allow it to relax and withdraw (your hand), leaving it untended". Normally the poor are allowed to eat the deliberate remnants left on the edges of the field, but in the sabbatical year they may eat the choicest of the crops. It is in essence not one's own during that year. The owner too may eat what grows by itself, but may not harvest more than is immediately needed. We would expect everyone in Israel to rejoice in having this year-long respite and an occasion to catch up on study, especially of the Torah, but it was not practiced the first time around, assumedly because people simply could not believe that YHWH would keep His word. The catch is that obeying this requires a deep level of trust in YHWH to make provision for us in other ways, since we will not be paid either. However, if the people have been righteous, the sixth year would have produced an abundance like the manna on the sixth day, so they would not even depend on these “volunteer crops”. Thus this, just like the first weekly Sabbath (16:4), is a test of what our hearts really believe. Staying busy also lets us avoid our brothers and sisters, and the scrutiny of our own hearts; this therefore gives an occasion for an extended Yom Kippur (in which we pay attention to our souls rather than our bodies) as well. It is a time to leave behind all that we were and focus on who we are to become. Even the animals get to enjoy rest--a perfect picture of the coming Messianic Kingdom. Vineyard and olive grove: This does not necessarily include other fruit trees, though it is doubtful that they should be tended with the same degree of attention as usual, for the above-mentioned reasons.

The emphasis changes from the year to the week, but the pattern remains the same. Scripture sayd creation was accomplished by YHWH’s word, and string theory scientists are now saying that everything is indeed built from sound vibrations. Desist: If we cannot stop when YHWH says to stop, how will He trust us to move forward when He says “go”? Refreshed: based on the word for "breathed upon" (see Yochanan/John 20:22), and related to the word for soul. There is a Hebrew tradition that on the Sabbath one receives a second soul, and this text is its basis. Such concern for the animals that work for us is unique to Torah among ancient writings. It does not say "so that YOU may rest", but if one's slaves and animals could rest, how much more their owner? This rest refreshes and re-creates us. Have a break: It is a time to not be concerned at all about our wealth, and actually relax. Again, this is completely unique to Israel; the Greeks even called the Jews lazy because they had a day off each week!

Be watchful: or "guard these sayings". Another elohim: Aramaic, "the abominations of the nations". This is not as easy as one might imagine. In English, we are naming pagan elohim more often than we realize it. The days of our week are named after Roman gods, and the concepts of fate, destiny, chance, luck, fortune, and even the word “good”, all stem from not only the names but the ideas of pagan deities. We think of the name "God", as we pronounce it, as only a translation, but it sounds exactly like "Gad", the god of "fortune" (Yeshayahu/ Isa. 65:11 in Hebrew), so use of this term is at best questionable, since it did refer to a pagan deity whose name is meant to be obliterated. (This does not apply to the tribal name Gad, which has a different meaning and is never used in the context of a deity. It also does not mean we cannot read aloud the names of other deities if they appear in the Scripture, but the idea is to distance oneself as far as possible from anything having to do with the idol.) YHWH has revealed His name; why must we use substitutes if we are careful only to use His name in the most reverential manner?

Celebrate: literally, "dance in a circle". The cycle is the repetition of the feast each year, and the word for “year” itself is based on "folding over" or "duplication". (See note on 12:14.) As in a spiral notebook, the cycles keep us coming back to the same plane, but also keep us moving forward or upward. The word for times" here is really "feet" or “legs” (regalim) or "paces", thus literally, "three feet ". Why feet? Because the men are to walk to Yerushalayim for a pilgrimage at these times. A stool with three feet is the most stable available, even if one of the legs is shorter than the others. Yeshayahu/Isaiah 52:6 raves about "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the one who brings glad news." Nahum 1:15 repeats this, then immediately ties the feet to the feasts:"O Judah, keep your solemn feasts, perform your vows." Feet and mountains are again linked in Yeshayahu 58:13-14... "If you turn your foot away from ... doing your own pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy [day] of YHWH, honorable... then... I will cause you to ride upon the heights of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Yaaqov your ancestor." Passover (Heb, pesakh) comes from a root meaning "to skip" (also related to feet), since the death angel "skipped over" the houses with the blood on them (ch. 12). So keeping these feasts is an integral part of the "good news". In Romans 10:15, when Paul quotes Yeshayahu 52:6, we derive additional insight from the Greek text: "How beautiful" means "belonging to the right hour or season"--a definite, revolving, returning time--in other words, the festivals, which in Hebrew are called "set times" or "appointments" (v. 15). In the conceptual Adam Qadmon, a "man" who symbolizes the repair and reconstruction of the shattered image of YHWH that the first Adam lost (an imagery Paul uses frequently), its feet are the part of the body that is called the Kingdom (malkhut). Yahshua the Messiah is the head of this "last Adam", and we are being called together to be and to function as his body. Ephesians 1:22 tells us (in context of his being the Head) that YHWH has put all things under Yahshua's feet. Compare I Corinthians 15, which links Adam to all enemies being put under Yahshua's feet. This is what the Kingdom accomplishes. But since the beginning, a counterfeit "Man" has also been under construction, also built from the head downward. Idols have always been an integral part of pagan religion which sets up substitutes for the restoration that YHWH has been patiently and carefully constructing. Images of YHWH are forbidden because He is building one true image, of which Yahshua is the firstfruits. ("Head"--rosh--is related to "first"--rishon in Hebrew, because it is the part of the child that is normally birthed first.) As we go along, we see the deterioration into inferior materials, and finally, its downfall is the "feet of clay" (mixed with iron--having some strength and some relation to what went before, but really no cohesion, since the selfishness of today's "evolved humans" indeed causes the kingdom to be divided against itself). The feet are the point of contact between the two kingdoms. The stone which later grows into a mountain (the true Kingdom that fills the whole earth) strikes the feet of the counterfeit kingdom which has always been aspiring to a united world on the wrong basis, and shatters it. The foundation of the idol turns out to be the house built on sand, but the one who obeys the Messiah's word is building on the solid rock. The Kingdom also begins when Yahshua's FEET stand on the Mount of Olives. (Zech. 14:4. This is in the context of Yerushalayim/Jerusalem becoming a burdensome "stone", 12:3.) The reconstruction of this fallen Adam--the repair and salvage of the human race, this interruption in history, revolution, and new beginning --is the work that Yahshua began. This is part of the Good Tidings of great joy that the angels told the shepherds in Beyth Lechem. (Luke 2:10) This theme is actually from the liturgy of Sukkoth, one of these "pilgrim feasts", during which Yahshua was born. Colossians 2:17 says: The festivals and holy days are "a shadow of things to come, and the substance belongs to Messiah." Hebrews 8:5 and 10:1 show that the Temple service and the Torah are also such "shadows". If you want to see the shape of something, a shadow is an excellent place to start, because it gives you an accurate outline without the complication of the other details just yet. In fact the word used there for shadow (skia in Greek) can actually mean a sketch or an outline also. The fullness is seen only in Yahshua, but the festivals give you the parameters of what the revelation about him will entail--like the curbs on a road. They are the "lines" outside which we must not color! The Glad News of the Kingdom is often seen as the salvation message, and that is indeed part of it, but it is just the beginning. The linking of the feasts with feet begs the question, "You have stood up [been raised from the dead]; now where will you walk?" The engine has been restarted, but now it is time to drive. And you need directions. "Faith without works is dead." (James 2:20) In Romans 10, after quoting the "beautiful feet" passage, Paul goes on to say, "But not everyone has obeyed the Glad News." The Gospel, then, is also a commandment, and we have already seen what it is: "Keep the feasts, perform your vows." Vows were performed only in the Temple, so it is our teacher also. Paul reiterates the command to keep the feast in the New Testament--"not with the old leaven...but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (1 Corinthians 5:8).

Keep: more properly, guard—a much stronger term. Paul reiterates the command to keep the feast in the New Testament--"not with the old leaven...but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (1 Corinthians 5:8). Aviv: springtime, or when the heads of barley are green and nearly ripe. The city Tel Aviv is named after this month. A tel is the archaeological term for a mound of debris over an ancient city, so the city's name suggests what the whole Land of Israel now is: something fresh and green arising out of an ancient ruin. In vain: or "empty-handed". Our thanks are not complete until we put our hand to them and do something to demonstrate our gratefulness. And a thanks offering is above and beyond the required offerings. YHWH made it easy on us by putting two of the festivals right after the firstfruits are harvested. But it also refers to coming only out of a sense of duty, because then we are really not affected by it; He wants us to come in expectation of what He intends to teach us through it. Only the circumcised may participate in the Passover, because this is a symbol of the cutting away of the layers of flesh around our “heart” so it can become tender and be changed and open to the whole community of Israel. If someone is not even willing to wear the symbol, how can the reality be there either?

Feast of Harvest: Shavuoth; Feast of Ingathering: Sukkoth. Turn of the year: or the "going out", "departure", or "proceeding forth". It is actually two weeks into the beginning of the year, but the Hebraic mindset considers the whole transitional time from one year to the next as part of each. In Hebraic thought, times overlap one another rather than one stoppng before another begins. It is also the end of the growing season, marked by the harvest. Produce: literally, "work" or “deeds”. Thus it depicts the reaping of the benefits or consequences of our actions.

"Times" here is from a different than in verse 14; it means "strokes", as in a rhythmic beat. The footsteps of time keep going at the same speed, but on three of the beats, you have an appointment and must not be out of rhythm. The reason “males” are required to come (other than the logical reasons of expectant or nursing mothers not traveling or women having more occasions for ritual uncleanness) is that there is a symmetry to the three “legs” that approximates the male body: the first and third are seven days long, while the middle of the three is only one day. The second is about sowing (v . 16), which is exactly the purpose of the male procreative organ which is between his legs. This is not at all like the pagan festivals which used lewd fertility rites to coerce the gods to provide for them. In Israel sexuality is limited to one’s spouse—a picture of holiness that touches our everyday lives. Sowing seed is also a picture of the giving of oneself for others. The other two festivals emphasize community/commitment to YHWH’s people and receiving the reward for our deeds. (vv. 15-16) Therefore two of the “legs” carry us forward and one perpetuates the nation of Israel.) Hirsch renders “three times a year” as "With every fresh progress in the course ofthe year" (at the commencement of the spring, the beginning of the harvest, and its end). Zola Levitt found that every significant aspect of the development of a human fetus falls on one of the appointed feasts if the child is conceived on the first of this month of Aviv. If the proper moment is missed, the time of life is past; it is like coming to a classroom two hours late; you can study there on your own, but the teacher will not be present. On these appointed beats, you may enter the dance. It is interesting that many who now follow YHWH's calendar were first drawn into it by celebrating a Passover seder and seeing the rich depth of meaning that rarely comes out in a mere "communion" service, which is a memorial thereof. Males: from the word for "remember", so Hirsch says it means the adults, who are in the position of passing the chain of tradition along to the next generation.

This is the same pattern as with the manna. Leaven is a picture of sin during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, but all of the time it is a picture of what permeates. YHWH does not want anything that is borught to His altar to be “puffed up”—that is, to appear to be more than it really is. Blood is "the life of the flesh"; the two pictures cannot mix. (See Web Hulon’s “Why Kosher?” for more detail about this.) The word for leavened bread actually means "sour" in Hebrew, suggesting that a feast cannot be mixed with a sour attitude either. "Fat" is actually "cream" or "fertile abundance", i.e., the choicest or best. Do not give Him leftovers after we have decided what we want for ourselves. Therefore we should not leave the celebration until the morning arrives, for the festivals begin at sundown; we must give our all in joyful worship as soon as His appointment begins. "Be left over" can be translated "pass the night" or "lie overnight", suggesting the common pagan festivals which included lewd fertility rites. The fertility that comes from YHWH will not be attained in this way. The LXX adds a preface to this verse: "When I shall have cast out the nations from before you, and shall have widened your borders..."

I.e., do not wait until the firstborn of your flock animals is weaned to offer it as the firstfruit sacrifice; 22:30 specifies that it be offered up on the eighth day of its life. This is saying, in a diffeent way, “Do not delay! Do it as soon as possible!” "Raise" here could also literally mean "boil", and milk represents the Torah (Heb. 5:12-13; 1 Kefa/Peter 2:2; 1 Cor. 3:2) -the initial instruction YHWH gave, and which we are to pass along to lay the foundation for each new generation. This also teaches us not to overwhelm new followers of YHWH with the Torah--i.e., not placing all the requirements on them at once, but teaching bit by bit as the Apostles counseled in Acts 15. Exodus 16:23 makes a clear distinction between baking and boiling; only the latter is forbidden here.

"Place" could really read "site of resurrection". This has a metaphorical sense in that He promises to guide us safely from the evils that could destroy our faith, until we reach the Kingdom and are forever safe from them all. But, speaking in context of the House of YHWH (v. 19), this "place" often refers to the Temple Mount, which is right between the site of Yahshua's resurrection and the Mount of Olives, which is full of graves. When Yahshua returns and his foot [mystical shorthand for the Kingdom] stands on that mountain, it will split in two (Zech. 14:4)--a vivid symbol of his triumph over death. He is this messenger in the prophetic sense, the firstfruits of the resurrection, sent ahead to prepare the place for us. (Yahshua confirms this in Yochanan/John 14.) But in the immediate sense, the messenger was simply Y’hoshua.

Be observant: from the same word as "guard you" in v. 20, i.e., "If you pay attention to Him, He will pay attention to you." Listen to his voice: compare Deut. 18:18. Adam was cursed (Gen. 3:17) because he obeyed his wife’s voice instead of YHWH’s. The Garden of Eden was at the same location as the “place” mentioned in v. 20; Israel’s obedience in conjunction with the Second Adam (Messiah) will repair the damage done by Adam. The specific type of rebellion mentioned in conjunction with entering the Land (Y’hoshua 24:18-20) is again that of turning away to serve other elohim. He will not carry away the guilt: This is speaking of Yahshua, as confiermed in Hebrews 10:26 and the fact that the Aramaic translates “voice” here as "Memra" (Living Word), commonly considered the same as the Messiah. There may be forgiveness, but there will be a price to pay, in this life, if not in terms of our position in the Kingdom, as with David after his sin with Bathsheva. If we know better, we cannot simply claim Yahshua's blood and squeeze by, scot-free. My Name is in his innermost part: Y’hoshua means “YHWH is salvation”. The longer version of Yahshua's name is Y’hoshua, the first part of which is a form of YHWH's name. The continuity with Yochanan chapter 14 continues here, as in verse 13 Yahshua says we may ask in his name.

This sounds much like His blessings to their forefathers: "Those who curse you I will curse." Note that the Messenger's voice reveals what YHWH says--precisely Yahshua's descriptions of himself, especially in Yochanan's account. His voice...all that I say: these two concepts are one and the same. Yahshua also makes such equations in Yochanan 14:15, 21-23; 16:27, since he spoke only what he heard from the Father. Thus, although he is not the Father, everything he says lines up perfectly with the Father's will.

24. "You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them. Nor shall you act like they do. Rather, by all means you shall pull down and completely smash their pillars,

"Pillars": Heb., matzevoth--tall stones standing upright--often as phallic symbols--to signal places of pagan worship, precursors to the steeples that were left on churches that took the place of pagan temples when the great syncretism took place under Constantine in direct disobedience to this command, which tells us to distance ourselves from the mere lifestyles of pagans (going far beyond mere imitation of their worship methods, which is specifically forbidden in Deut. 12:2-4, a parallel passage to this one). The church may have obeyed the first of these three commands, but did very poorly at maintaining the latter two. “Pillars” can also mean "stumps", indicating that the peoples of this land were to be cut down to the level from which they could never grow back. But the root word behind “pillars” is “to firmly establish”. Metaphorically, then, this refers to anything that is :”written in stone” for a pagan religion, whether it is based on the same Scriptures or not. Anything pagan religions have firmly established is not merely to be ignored, but attacked (unless they are customs stolen from Israel, as is sometimes the case with the established church).

Food and drink: literally, "bread and water", but the LXX adds "wine", and the Hebrew word for bread still means "meat" in Arabic, so it is a generic term for food as well. But bread is a picture of community and water is a picture of the Torah. Without either one, sickness will be prevalent in and among us. Sickness: or simply, weakness. But when we are sick, it is a reminder that we are in still exile when it is time to be taking steps to leave that exile behind. Turning back to these commands will speed up this work.

Miscarries: LXX, "is impotent". Fulfill: I.e., "let you live out the full number..." –that is, 120 years (Gen. 6:3).

Of course, we should expect the opposite of all of these things to be true if we do not keep our part of the covenant.

Hornets: the word is from the same root as "leprosy", probably due to the welt the hornet's sting causes.

30. "I will drive them out before you little by little, until you become fruitful and can possess the [whole] Land.

YHWH had a use for the people already living there, wicked though they were, because someone had to maintain the Land for Him, since his Land could not become desolate. Otherwise ordinary natural dangers would overtake us. As we give Him priority fully in one matter, He renews our minds and we have room for more. Each step gives us greater strength to take the next part of the territory. If all of our enemies were gone, but we did not have knowledge to fill the void, the wild beasts would take over. (Compare Yahshua’s statement about evil spirits in Mat. 12:43-45.) We must not just eradicate paganism, but must replace it with righteousness. This could also apply to those living in the literal Land of Israel today who have no promise from YHWH of inheritance there. The house of Judah does not yet fill the Land; when the house of Yoseyf comes back to fill it, other tenants will no longer be needed. This also has parallels with the "land" that we are to possess within the microcosm of our own lives. All our evil characteristics are not done away with at once, because in His sovereign plan He may need to use some of our rough edges before He renews our minds to the point at which they can be displaced for good, and informs our hearts that they have a new ruler now and they need to pay Him undivided homage. Also, the Apostles made allowances for those who were again finding out that they were Israel and wanted to come back to the covenant their ancestors forsook: they did not require complete observance all at once, but said we should learn week by week from Moshe's writings (Acts of the Envoys 15:20-21), and assumedly take on the obligations as we digest their meaning, so we can concentrate on really making each a part of ourselves. He has given us the present time to learn step by step how He expects us to live in His Land, so that this time when we arrive we will do things right.

YHWH would make it possible, and stands as our guarantor, but we have to lay claim to what He offers. This has never yet been completely fulfilled. In David and Shlomo’s time it came pretty close, but it awaits a yet more perfect obedience, and waits for the rest of Israel to join Yehudah so it will be possible.

Treaty: or agreement; literally, cut a covenant. His will cannot be accomplished through compromise. This applies to those whom the returning Israelites are displacing today. The entire world is focusing their energy against this command today through their emphasis on peace and tolerance (the opposites of holiness), but the peace treaties have only made matters worse for the Israelis. If we allow enemies to remain in the Land, we have to allow them to keep their minarets, which are one example of the pillars we were just told to smash. The worst of it is that a false elohim is still worshipped openly upon the site of YHWH's own Temple. YHWH is not a diplomat in these matters: He simplifies things greatly, saying in essence that the only agreement allowed them is to join Israel or leave. This verse also applies to allowing others to lay claim to ideas that belong to Israel—like “salvation”. No one else can be allowed to think they have a corner on the market. Do not let anyone else hijack YHWH’s promises to His people. He only has covenant with Israel.

David set an excellent example by not letting a giant “bad-mouth” YHWH. Snare: a trap or noose, by which you will hang yourselves. What He says is for our own good. Anything an individual Israelite does affects the whole nation. So even if you are able to survive in an environment of compromise, that is not the only consideration; if it affects the weaker brother adversely, you have no freedom to do so. (Rom. 14:10-21; 1 Cor. 8:11-13) Anyone not walking in obedience to these commands is not someone any Israelite should have intimate dealings with. (2 Cor. 6:14)

CHAPTER 24

Seventy: representative of the whole ‘House of Yaaqov” as they entered Egypt. (Gen. 46:27) Otherwise only the tribe of Levi would have been represented on the mountain. But they could only go so far. Yet the leaders were required to ascend first, and they may have been nervous because they now had to approach where they thought they would not have to go, after YHWH had accepted the people’s request not to have to hear from Him directly. But part of the calling of a leader is to take greater risks; they cannot wait for someone else to go first. The call to come higher is part of their responsibility, but it also adds to their honor. The most honorable things usually do not come easily. But being closer to YHWH is in itself a great reward. These men are worshipping YHWH on behalf of the millions who remain below. What we do often benefits the rest of Israel, many of whom do not even yet know who they are. When we keep the commandments, it brings about repair in more of Israel. The names of these men give us clues about how to come nearer: The last, and therefore lowest, is Avihu, which means “He is My Father”. Many think they accept YHWH as such, but it includes the acknowledging His authority over the whole household; what He says comes first, even before what our biological parents say. Accepting this enables us to ascend. The second step upward is Nadav, which means generous, but in a spontaneous, voluntary sense; if it is done out of a sense of duty or guilt, it is not truly generosity. If it does not come naturally, we have to train ourselves by forcing ourselves to be generous to those we find it hard to love. Generosity includes not just possessions, but time, knowledge and wisdom, or simply our attitudes toward someone. Just giving people the benefit of the doubt (while still holding them accountable) can help them ascend as well. The highest name listed among those who ascend is Aharon, which means “the light bearer”. His entire life was about others—representing Israel before YHWH and representing YHWH to Israel. His descendants were responsible to teach all of Israel—the best way to bring light. And 70 unnamed elders also took responsibility for Israel—which in itself also brings the Kingdom closer.

Only Moshe, representative of the Torah (and thus a prototype of Yahshua), could ascend all the way. He literally went up into the clouds as Yahshua did. The term used here for “come close” most often refers to sexual intimacy. That is not what is taking place here, but it is the best term in Hebrew for coming absolutely as close as one can get. Yahshua had the same kind of intimacy with the Father, being called YHWH’s son, and saying he was “in the Father” and the Father “in him” to the point that they are “one”. Such terms are understandable to people founded in Torah accounts such as this one, and greatly misunderstood if seen outside this context. Few ever come so close to YHWH. Even Moshe only did so sporadically. Yahshua lived his entire life in full surrender to YHWH’s will. Both did it on behalf of all of Israel. It was possible for them to ascend on the people’s behalf, but in no way does this mean it automatically caused them all to ascend as well. It did not relieve them of any responsibility, just as Yahshua’s success in being one with YHWH does not. We should never be satisfied to be just “one of the people”. Moshe’s closeness to YHWH may have covered them, but who wants to stay at the lowest place? How can we call ourselvces Yahshua’s followers if we do not actually follow him up, but only say that he did it all for us? All of Israel is called to be a royal priesthood! But being called and actually being it are two different things. When we actually do draw near, the Kingdom can come.

With one voice: they were acting "as one man". But they had only heard a small part of what YHWH had to say, and they already expressed willingness to obey it all. They would not turn out to be consistent in doing so, but it was honorable to make such a promise before they even knew all it would entail. Yet there is a warning in this: We should only hear His words if we intend to do what He says.

Wrote all the words...: This discredits the idea that the Oral Torah was given on the mountain but not written down until the second temple had been destroyed. However, Moshe was shown the plan of what the Tabernacle should look like (25:40), and undoubtedly the oral tradition did preserve much of the original understanding of the exact nature and meaning of many commandments, and is very instructive for us today who are returning to it after such a long absence. However, the written form we have today in the Talmud includes much duplicity of opinion and cannot be considered to be as authoritative as the words which Moshe wrote down. Being actually under the mountain symbolized the wedding canopy, and here the covenant was ratified. But how could they go underneath the mountain? Velikovsky cites the Talmud and Midrashim as describing the mountain as "quaking so greatly that it appeared as if it were lifted up and shaken above the heads of the people, and the people felt as if they were no longer standing securely on the ground, but were held up by some invisible force.” (This is what Yahshua was referring to when he said that if we trust in YHWH, we can say to this mountain, “Be removed.” We can fear YHWH without fearing His motives, and at that point it no longer becomes a threat but is a wedding canopy under which Moshe could later bring the people; see Deut. 4:11.) He concludes, “The presence of a heavenly body overhead caused this phenomenon and this feeling.” He also states that when Devorah (Judges 5:5) says the mountain melted, it was probably not speaking of a mere volcanic flow, but of the rock itself turning into a flowing mass. Psalm 18 tells us the very foundations of the hills were shaken. This juxtaposition of the mountain being held up and the sacrificial bulls in v. 5 was memorialized by the twelve molten bulls that supported the laver ("sea") in the Temple (1 Kings 7:44; 2 Chronicles 4:4). Twelve pillars: Aramaic, "monuments"; 12 such pillars have been found around Jabal al-Lawz in Saudi Arabia (photo shows the plateau where the elders would have waited while Moshe went up alone), the more likely site of the real Mt. Sinai. Such pillars were forbidden if they marked the worship-site of a nother elohim, but here they were merely a marker to show that Israel had been there.

Young men: Aramaic, "firstborn". Prior to YHWH's selection of Levites as His priests, the priests of Israel were the firstborn of each family. (13:2; Numbers 3:41) Yahshua is permitted to offer sacrifices on our behalf because, after the older order, he has the rights of a firstborn. But it was wise of Moshe to have the very young learn the practices that picture giving of oneself. The old who have grown up in Egypt can only learn and change to a certain extent, but the children who have not absorbed Egypt’s ways can more easily be established in the pure worship of YHWH. If the young are not taught to uphold the covenant, it will end with this generation. Ascending and peace are the only two kinds of offerings that have been brought to YHWH up to this time; they may have been the types that Yithro taught Moshe. Ascending offerings are often called burnt offerings, and they were indeed fully consumed, but this idea is not expressed at all in the Hebrew term, which instead puts our focus on the fact that the whole animal going “up in smoke” is a picture of our own ascending to YHWH. Peace: possibly better translated “completeness” offerings. In these, the blood and fat are offered to YHWH, but the meat is eaten in His presence. They have bulls in the wilderness, despite all their complaints about not having meat, because Moshe had told them that YHWH might require any or all of the animals they had, so they had not eaten of any of them before this. He provided manna so that the animals that could be used to express closeness to Him could be reserved for this purpose.

Notice that the same thing that he does to the altar, he does to the people; this shows that there is some symbolic connection between the two.

The book of the covenant: which he had just written down. (v. 4) We will do: or accomplish—a better focus, because doing alone does not mean we have completed the task. Listen: Aramaic, "accept". They had already said they would “do”. Now they agree to another step. The order is not listen and then decide whether to do. Rather, we obey because of Who He is, and then we listen to what the acting out of His commandments teaches us. Merely hearing the words does not mean we know the Torah. And keeping it just because He said so only takes us halfway. We need to pay attention to the actions it commands, for they are a door that opens us to knowing YHWH Himself (what He wants Israel to know about Him). It is a waste of time to ask why He tells us to do something, for we cannot know why until we experience it, and the understanding of the reason comes in the doing if we hear what He is saying through the command. One who is not applying himself to the actions can never fully understand any explanation of the reason. And it is a continuing cycle. By doing, we will hear the next step in His instruction, thus ascending to a higher level once again so we can “do” once again and grow closer to Him as we learn from it. Here our ancestors decided to accept His offer, and included us in the commitment. Though they later left the covenant, Yahshua made it possible for us to return to it. We cannot just go in; He is the door. He brings us back to the starting point so we could again be in the position of Adam in the Garden—and get further than Adam did.

Words: or "matters". This has all the elements of a renewal of the covenant He had made with Avraham. Dashed: or, scattered; the Aramaic adds "to atone". Yeshayahu 52:15 says the Messiah will sprinkle many nations. "Cut": In a typical near eastern covenant of that time, animals were cut in half and the two parties to the covenant walked between them to symbolize, "this is what should be done to me if I do not uphold the responsibilities I am taking on." (See Genesis 15) Indeed, the house of Israel was split in two because of not keeping it; it took Yahshua’s blood to renew the relationship. (Mat. 26:27-28) Blood is a picture of life, because the Torah is a covenant of life. Blood had already been thrown against the altar to symbolize YHWH’s acceptance of His part of the covenant. Now it is the people’s turn to declare that they will stake their lives on it as well. And a bull was one’s most valuable possessin in that day, so they are offering up to YHWH what would otherwise be their security.

Now they are finally ready to obey YHWH’s command in verse 1. They came as representatives also of the 70 nations (Genesis 10; Deut. 32:8) throughout which the descendants of Israel would be scattered, allowing some from all those nations to be grafted into the root of Avraham. (Genesis 12:3; Romans 11) But they could only come one step closer, and that only after the nation of Israel accepted the covenant which would make us a light to the nations.

Mighty One: Elohim in Hebrew, emphasizing the judging aspect of YHWH. The closer we come to Him, the more strictly we are judged and the more we are expected to judge others who say they want to come near. More is expected of the elders than the rest; only one small mistake kept Moshe himself out of the promised Land. Elohim’s feet are mentioned, and it was only the feet of the disciples Yahshua washed when he ratified the renewed covenant in his own blood. "Sapphire": from the word for "write" or "inscribe" and related to the word for "book" (sefer; this is also the term translated “recounted” in v. 3), recalling the Book of the Righteous (note on 23:7), for "clarity" here speaks in terms of purity. Yehezqel 1:26 says YHWH’s throne itself is made of a sapphire. "Essence" here can mean "body", "bones" or "limbs", and "members", which immediately calls to mind the Body of the Restored (Last) Adam, of which Yahshua is the head, and whose feet are His Festivals and Kingdom. We are becoming His Body as the dry bones rattle back together and form the whole of Israel, those born and grafted into the one tree with all its limbs, bound together as the joints and sinews find their proper place and begin connecting all the attributes of YHWH's image embodied in each one. They will finally take their place with him in the heavenlies yet standing on earth, and then (the only permissible image of) YHWH will be one (united back together) and His Name again one. (Zech. 14:9) This word for "body" is based on a root word meaning "vastly numerous", which was YHWH's promise of what Avraham's descendants--physical and metaphorical (Galatians 3:7)--would be (Gen. 22:17). Clarity: tradition says that before Adam and Chavvah fell, their bodies were covered with irridescence much like our fingernails, which would then be the only remnant of what was replaced by flesh.

Another parallel with Yahshua's covenant renewed at the feast of Passover. Nobles: those who withdrew or were reserved; set apart ones (a reference to these 70 who were specially called aside to come a step closer to YHWH than the rest of the congregation). Aramaic: "The leaders... were not injured, and they perceived the glory of Elohim, and they rejoiced in their sacrifices which were accepted. Like Hadassah (Esther), they knew they could die, but still went into the King’s presence, and were spared because their attitude was right. (Compare Yirmeyahu 23:4; Zech. 10:9, 10; Amos 9:9) It does not say they saw YHWH, for no one can (33:20), but they could see Yahshua, and this was as close to seeing YHWH as human eyes can stand.(Yochanan 14:9) Eating a meal together was the common way to enact a covenant in the known world at this time. Again, eating together is an act of intimacy; why else do a man and woman on a “date” always eat together? We see it in the meal Esau ate to seal the ceding of his birthright (Gen. 25), the peace treaty between Yitzhaq and Avimelekh (Gen. 26), the agreement between Yaaqov and Lavan (Gen. 31:43ff), and in the “last supper” in Matt. 26--a graduation ceremony celebrated with Messiah Himself. YHWH’s prescribed feasts and even our community meals on the Sabbath are expressions of our commitment to His covenant. If we read Exodus 20:11-12 without a break between “Remember the Sabbath” and “honor your father”, we see that in order to honor our Father, we have to keep the day of rest that He established. These meals are shared with YHWH, so we must bring Him our best.

Note that the others are still with Elohim when YHWH calls to Moshe alone. So some distinction is being drawn here between them. Here we see clearly that the Elohim that the elders had eaten and drunk with was distinct from YHWH Himself, yet was in some way one with Him. (Compare Yochanan 10:30 and 14:28) Torah means "instruction" rather than “law” as such. We cannot remain ignorant and still be Israel. We must keep His words alive by continually breathing them out to the rest of His people.

The last time we saw Y’hoshua, he was fighting for Israel against Amaleq. Now he suddenly (as far as the text is concerned) appears out of nowhere. On the physical level, he had probably simply accompanied Moshe from the start, but now he is a picture of the covenant being renewed and strengthened, for Y’hoshua is the same name of which Yahshua is a shortened form. Though he is a war hero in his own right, he attends menially to Moshe’s every need, in complete submission as his protégé and student. Moshe represents the Torah, and the two travel together because they are in agreement. (Amos 3:3) This tells us that wherever the Torah is, we will find the Messiah. He is so loyal to Moshe that they cannot be separated. YHWH did not mention bringing him, unless he is one of the 70, but Moshe assumes he should. After this, Y’hoshua is not mentioned until they come down (32:17), but he turns out to have been with Moshe behind the scene the entire time he was on the mountain. We could say no distinction is made between them. Yahshua also did not seek his own glory, placing our focus on the Father. (Yochanan 8:50) And as we return to the Torah, it seems more focus is placed on it than on him, but he was the only way we were able to get back, and every part of it speaks of him, though indirectly. (Heb. 10:7)

The "light-bearer" and the one whose name means "white linen" stand in Moshe's place as the final arbiters while he is on the mountain. These are the two men who held up Moshe’s hands while Y’hoshua fdought in battle. (17:10) Chuwr seems to have a higher priority here than even Nadav and Avihu, who were specifically summoned by name. Tradition says Chuwr was Miryam’s husband or son. He may have been the chief among the 70 elders, and in the same relation to Aharon as Y’hoshua was to Moshe. In any case, we see here an example of Yahshua’s emphasis on the fact that those who serve most are given the most authority in his kingdom. Wait here: This is also a reminder of what Avraham said to his attendants when he went to offer Yitzhaq on another mountain (Gen. 22). As we will see in chapter 32, many people below did not wait for Moshe, and did not survive to experioence the blessings of Torah, just as Sarah did not believe Yitzhaq would return to her though Avraham said he would, but rather acted out of her initial emotion and apparently left Avraham and died before Yitzhaq did indeed return.

YHWH had set His rainbow in the cloud to remind Him that destruction was not His goal, but restoration. (Yochanan 3:17) The rainbow is also a symbol of the restored Adam--all the scattered colors of the one white light brought back together again. Jewish tradition says Moshe put on this "new man" (since the Torah told how to rebuild him), and thus was not destroyed, and for this reason his face glowed when he descended again--because he was able to look YHWH in the face. He had become part of that new Adam.

This is a reiteration of the pattern of creation (which also took place through YHWH’s voice) and a wonderful prototype of the sabbath and the "seventh millennium", which will begin with a shout and a call from the one who left in a cloud (Acts 1:9) and who will come back with the "clouds" of witnesses (Heb. 12:1), to "come up higher" (Rev. 4:1) and converse with him (Rev. 3:20). But the "light-bearer" (Aharon), "white linen" (Chuwr), and the voice from a cloud, bring together all the elements of the time another "Y'hoshua" ascended a high mountain after six days, taking along the leaders he had chosen. (Mat. 17:1) The Sabbath is a time when YHWH reveals more of Himself than on other days, but notice that Moshe spent the other six days preparing himself for this, putting himself in a position to receive on this day. After each Sabbath, we should begin preparing for the next step which we will ascend on the next Sabbath. Notice that He spoke from within the cloud that concealed. Prov. 25:2 says it is YHWH’s prerogative to conceal a word, but kings have authority to uncover them; the Israelites were told to gather a word per day. (16:4) So though no physical manna is gathered on the Sabbath, a different type is. But this cloud had been formed when Israel said they did not want to deal directly with YHWH’s presence, but asked Moshe to intervene. We asked for it! The cloud protects, but it also obscures out view. We can only see Elohim (His rulings and judgments), but not His YHWH aspect; only Moshe got to see this, His merciful side, because only he dared to look beyond the cloud. If we come closer in order to hear what He is actually saying, and ask why we are doing what He says to do, we will get to YHWH, not just Elohim. The Torah is the cloud—it conceals YHWH from us, but it is the only place we can find Him. When we do not just do the right thing, but seek Him in the doing, we will find the heart of what He intends by it—and that part of the cloud lifts.

To them it looked like certain death, but not to Moshe, when he heeded the call to enter. So it is with the Torah. From outside it looks forebding--like it will burn us alive. Christians also say it will kill us, but then they build a counterfeit cloud—the excuse that “we only have to have it in our heart, not actually do anything”. The real cloud teaches us when we do what it says, through what we see, hear, smell, touch, and taste when the words become alive in us, and that is YHWH’s presence among us. Yes, parts of us are indeed burned up, but only the useless dross, and then we end up purer. It does consume us, but with life, not death, once we enter into it and continue walking in it. By tradition, the Torah was given on the day that would later become Shavuoth (Pentecost). Glory: literally, "weightiness" or importance, not necessarily brightness. It has more to do with YHWH’s authority than any appearance as such. Top: literally "head". A fire appeared to be upon the heads of Yahshua's followers at another Shavuoth many centuries later.

Into the mountain: probably in the cave where Eliyahu later had a similar experience fo YHWH. (1 Kings 19) Forty days and nights: This is how long it rained during the Noachian deluge, and how long Yahshua fasted in the wilderness to get ready for his temptation. Forty is the number of preparation and transition. What would be spoken in this cloud is meant to change Israel—to remove the Egyptian ways and slave mentality from us. YHWH took His bride out of the grasp of a rival lover, but it was not so she could remain far off, aloof as in the garments worn during the time a woman is “off limits” to her husband to tell him to keep h