Parashat Emor

Defiled for the soul: touching the body of a dead person (made more explicit in v. 11). The preceding context (20:27) forbade attempts to communicate with the dead (compare Deut. 18:9-11). The Torah is about restoring the simple, innocent, complete trust in YHWH that Adam originally had, which does not need to seek understanding and security from other sources, especially the dead, from whom the breath of Elohim has been withdrawn. This priesthood exists to restore that wholeness, so one reason the following commands are given is to put another step between these cohanim and the dead. (Rabbi Ari Kahn) Like a Nazir, the Aharonic priests are to remain as far from death as possible. They are held to a higher standard because they have a special privilege of being the authoritative teachers of Torah, which is about life. Their job is therefore to impart life. They were anointed on the eighth day (Lev. 9:1), the day that represents moving on from death into eternity. But the word for "soul" in Hebrew very often connotes "life", not death. Because this wording does allow it, we can also read this as saying we should not let the affairs of ordinary life interfere with our service to YHWH. Yahshua referred to this as losing our lives for his sake (Mat. 10:39) and letting the dead bury their own dead. (Luk. 9:59-62; cf. 1 Kings 19:19-21; see also 2 Timothy 2:4) Among his people: That is, one who has other people who can attend to his burial. The rabbis have said that there is no greater act of love than to bury a poor man (though Yahshua said it was superseded by laying down one's life for a friend—that is, being buried instead of him).

In ancient Israel, it was the family's duty to bury a relative; there were no funeral homes, and one would certainly not entrust one's relative's body to a stranger. We honor our parents lass by handing them over to professionals and separating ourselves from death artificially by insulating ourselves from it. Then, everyone was much closer to death than we normally are in today's sanitized context, where even the slaughter of meat is out of sight to most. Sometimes burial societies have been formed to keep the care of the body within an Israelite context but to allow semi-professional persons to prepare the body more quickly, since Israelites with only a few exceptions have not been embalmed. (Rather than viewing the dead body, one therefore remembers the joyful times one had with the deceased while he was alive and well.) Israelite burial was most often in a cave and with the other members of one's family, rather than fully enclosed in the ground, due to belief in the resurrection. The priests are an exception. YHWH does not normally want religious duties to take precedence over our true responsibilities to our own families. (Mark 7:11) But an ordinary priest cannot even prepare his cousin, uncle, or aunt for burial; he is restricted to those seven types of relatives closest to him, which is his filial obligation. Honor for our parents comes before purity. And he does not even have to touch the corpse to be defiled; simply being in a room with a dead body renders one ritually impure. For this among other reasons, Jews have normally buried a body within 24 hours of death. Our mortality constitutes the greatest denial of our quest for perfection, so the priest who directs us toward perfection is to stay away from a dead body. (Rabbi Zev Leff, commenting on Psalm 82:6-7.)

It is the deadness of the corpse--which is now nothing but meat and bones, with no soul--that defiles a person. The whole community depends on the Levites being uncontaminated so they can enter the Temple to do their duty. One relationship that is conspicuous by its absence from this list is his wife! But this is something that is lost in translation, because the "relative who is close(st) to him" (v. 2) is interpreted by the rabbis to be one's wife. (Torath Kohanim 21:5) The term for "relative" means, essentially, one's "flesh and blood", and who is closer than the one with whom he becomes "one flesh"? (Gen. 2:24)

The priests are the ones to whom judgment is given when questions arise. (Mal. 2:7; Y'hezq'el 44:24) They must be especially unimpeachable. Leader: The Hebrew term is baal. It literally means master or husband in the sense of ownership or headship, not in the intimate sense. (Hos. 2:16) The same term was used for a group of pagan deities because their adherents directed the expression of intimacy with their gods to their priests or temple prostitutes, often even in homosexual practices. Since pagans reject authority, they collapsed the two aspects of marriage into only one. YHWH wants no mediator in this respect; His priests only assist us in drawing near, but He Himself is the one to whom we draw near in worship. Here the term of marital headship applies to the priest because he is the one who has to be faithful to the entire community, so he may not allow anything to contaminate him so that he can be there for them any time they need him. They are ultimately responsible for the actions and obedience of all of Israel. His people: even among Israel (a set-apart people) or more specifically, among the Levites, he is never to be "one of the sheep"; he is a shepherd, and is not to be involved in civilian affairs. (Compare 2 Tim. 2:4.) The Levites were substituted for the firstborn (Numbers 3:12), and both Israel as a whole (Ex. 4:22) and Efrayim in particular are called YHWH's firstborn (Yirmeyahu 31:9), so they are a picture of what Efrayim is called to be. We too must be careful not to partake of anything that prevents us from always being ready when it is time to serve Israel.

Make their heads bald: LXX, "You shall not shave your head for the dead with a baldness on the top." Edge: corner, side, or extremity; LXX, "the face of the beard". The general population of Israel is not to "mar" the edge of the beard in any way (19:27); the priest is particularly told not to shave it. Personal taste or creativity have no say here. He must continue to look like a complete man. No Israelite is to make a bald spot between our eyebrows for the dead. (Deut. 14:1) These practices, such as tattoos and cutting designs into one's body were pagan mourning rituals in order to remember the dead. This generation of priests had grown up in Egypt, where preparation for death consumed the greatest energies of one's life, especially among leaders, as proven by the thousands of mummified bodies found there in the past century of archaeology. But Israel is not to be a people that focuses on death, but on the Torah, which is life. (Deut. 32:47) So the priest may not engage in any mourning ritual—even "sitting shiva'", though it is not pagan, for any except these select, closest relatives to whom he has a special duty.

Profane: pierce, puncture, or "wound the Name": to misuse it, make it common, to represent Him wrongly, or to render His name of no effect by not using it at all, but always substituting euphemisms or translations for His actual name, YHWH. The priests have a job to do; they might be needed at any time, so they cannot be in a place where they are ritually impure. They cannot do what is common for everyone else to do, for a higher degree of separateness is expected of them. Fire and bread: They also tend the oil, the blood, etc.; why are only these two things mentioned? Fire represents YHWH's presence, and the bread from heaven (with which Yahshua identified himself, Yochanan 6:50) was to be gathered "a word a day". (Ex. 16:4) So bread is linked with YHWH's word (Deut. 8:3), and symbolizes the Body of Messiah—his community. They symbolically bring a united Israel into YHWH's presence, and teach the unity of YHWH to the people. As Moshe himself learned, there is no margin of error for the keepers of the symbols by which YHWH makes himself known. The Levites' fruit is offered to YHWH Himself, and others will eat of it in order to learn of Him, so what they present must be undefiled and the purest among the pure.

YHWH is getting into their "personal business"—whom they can marry, for whom they can bury, how they can mourn, which are all things with heavy emotional weight. He has a right to regulate even these; we have no right to feel any way we wish to feel. Whom the priests marry is everyone's business, because the whole community will be affected. Love and lust are very powerful things, as seen in Ezra's day when priests married foreigners, and the whole community is thus needed to hold them accountable to these high standards. It helps them to know that everyone else knows who they are supposed to be. Desecrated: by having had relations with anyone not qualified to be a priest. Even the wife of a priest must be beyond accusation, for she will also be the mother of his sons, who will also inherit his position. Even if she herself has been innocent, and the man who divorced her was a scoundrel, still there could be rumors, even if false, as to why he divorced her, so YHWH removes this possibility from the equation. Those who come from the upright are more likely to be upright. This is the standard for priests; the prophet Hoshea was told to do just the opposite to portray how serious Israel's spiritual condition was. The only way the invisible Elohim could be known at this point was by our seeing the lives of those He allowed into His presence--His "gatekeepers".

If we are to represent Him in His holiness, we, too, must be holy. But we must also recognize and honor the holiness in and be careful to treat as holy those whom YHWH has declared to be holy. We must recognize that these men are not to be defiled, and if we are unclean, it is our responsibility to avoid touching them with our uncleanness. In this day in which there is no Temple, common ways to express this setting apart are to allow a descendant of Aharon to be the first among any company to commence a matter or to be the ones who bring blessings at a meal.

Profaning her father: She might thus "de-frock" her father from his office as priest. The Aramaic says, "She has become degraded from the level of sanctity that is her father's." Only fire can purge anyone who profanes that lineage. She is actually assigned a place with Molekh. Israel is to make it as if she had never existed. It is not clear whether she was to be killed before being burned, though she probably was stoned, yet without leaving her under the pile. This severe a sentence should prove a great deterrent. But the only other situation in which one receives this sentence in Israel is one who takes his wife's mother as well as her. (20:14; Yehudah tried to render this sentence in Gen. 38, but he seems to have been presumptuous in doing so, because he was living in a pagan context and was not in a position to be priest in his family while his father was still alive.) But why are these acts so much more unpalatable to YHWH than other sins which we might find just as disgusting? Because in the latter case, the only result can be confusion. One's son could end up as his wife's brother! In the case here, the seed she carries could be anyone's, and she could bring an illegitimate child into the household of a priest. While one from nearly any "race" can enter the congregation of Israel under the right circumstances, the DNA of Aharon is one line YHWH demands must remain pure. And worse, she might be prostituting herself after the manner of a pagan temple, and this is something with which YHWH does not want His dwelling place associated.

Greatest: that is, the high priest. He has an even higher standard to follow than the ordinary priests (compare Luke 12:48 and Yaaqov 3:1), and this position was one from which he had no option of resigning. One who has lost a relative has suffered the only true loss--that of contact with another's soul. For the high priest, there is an exception (v. 11), for he belongs to another world, and Yahshua took this seriously (Mark 3:33-34). His head shall not be uncovered (or unbound): His anointing is not to be something thoughtlessly exposed to the world at large to be trampled by swine. (Mat. 7:6) The Aramaic targum interprets this as, "He shall not let his hair grow wild", that is, as a sign of mourning. (Compare Y'hezq'el/Ezekiel 44:20.) Garments torn: usually done as a mourning ritual or if one witnessed something horrifying, but Aharon was told not to mourn even when his own sons were killed in front of him. The holiest garment of the high priest was designed so that it could not be easily torn. (Ex. 28:32) But he is not to tear any of his garments. The Talmud (in tractate Moed Katan) stipulates that at a blasphemy trial the presiding judge must tear his garments if the defendant incriminates himself. This tells us that it is the high priest's responsibility to not participate in this type of trial. (Compare Yochanan 12:46) Qayafa, the high priest who presided over Yahshua's trial, did tear his clothing. (Mat. 26:65) But it was not the high priest's job to be the judge of individuals, but, as a Levite, only to rule on matters of lifestyle [halachah] where there was ambiguity. Qayafa was indeed an illegitimate high priest, because it was to be a father-to-son dynasty of with succession only at the death of the father; by this time, the position was often going to the highest bidder, because the Romans had usurped authority over the Temple.

Dead body: This does not mean that of a sacrificial animal, but of a fellow human being. Father or mother: Not even this cardinal responsibility of every firstborn son applies to the high priest. But with no Temple or priesthood in place, why is this chapter significant to us today? Yahshua's brother Yaaqov, who succeeded him in his position as "king" in Israel, tells us that any teacher will be judged more strictly. (Yaaqov/James 3:1ff) Teaching is the role of the priest, so when we teach others, we are in one sense acting in the priestly role, and the responsibility to both judge and be judged applies, for we must answer for our students as well. To whom much is given, from him will much be required. (Luk. 12:48) When Yahshua told one of his disciples to let the dead bury their dead (Mat. 8:21ff), he might have simply meant that this man should not wait until his father died and was buried to come follow, since there was work to be done for the kingdom right away. But if the man's father had already died, then Yahshua held him to a standard as high as the high priest's, so those who leave all to follow Yahshua take on the sanctity of not just a priest, but the high priest. The Israel He rules is, after all, a "kingdom of priests" (Ex. 19:6). Once one has put his hand to the plow (a reference to Elisha burning the plow in order to sacrifice his father's oxen, feed the people, and follow Eliyahu, 1 Kings 19:19ff), if he looks back, he is not fit for the kingdom. Not just any Israelite may be a priest. Not just any priest may minister at the altar, and not just anyone may follow Yahshua, but only those with unquestionable commitment. This man must have done the right thing, for the next thing we read is that Yahshua and His disciples (including this one) got into a boat. (Mat. 8:23) There is a reason this is mentioned in this context, for no word of YHWH's is wasted. A boat is something that isolates one from security and from everyone and everything that is not in the boat, and sets him apart to whomever else is in the boat with him. (It is hard to be defiled by the dead when out in a boat!) They all have to paddle together to go in the right direction, and they have someone calling out the rhythm to tell them when their oar-stroke must fall to accomplish this goal. This is the job of the priest no matter how it makes him feel personally.

This does not mean he was to live in the sanctuary itself, but that even if he was told that his wife had died while he was in the midst of something that only he as the high priest could do, he had to finish the service; he could not delegate the work to someone else.

14. "'He may not take a widow, or a divorcee, or one defiled, or a prostitute, but must take a virgin from his own people as a wife.

Again, he is held to a higher standard of purity than even the other priests, who might be able to take a wife whom another man had known, provided she was not promiscuous (such as a widow). The high priest's wife must be above reproach since everyone looks to her husband as an example. This shows why Sha'ul (Paul) worked so hard to present to the Messiah a bride who was a pure, modest virgin bride. (2 Cor. 11:2) He will not marry a harlot, so we must be separated from any connection to the unfaithful assembly which he calls by such a name. (1 Cor. 6:16; Rev. 17, 19) And generally, Israelites were permitted to take more than one wife if they could afford to sustain them, but for the high priest, only one wife is mentioned. Part of the reason for this is that he was simply too busy for more than one. A parallel again came up in the second generation of Yahshua's followers: An overseer and a deacon (a menial servant who waits on tables as in Acts 6) is also to be the husband of only one wife at a time (1 Tim. 3:2, 12). But also, he is the closest one could see to YHWH in a man, and Israel as a whole is corporately one bride for YHWH; He does not have many individual brides. His own people: The LXX says, "from his own tribe", but this is only by tradition, because Y'hezq'el 44:22 explains that this means anyone from the House of Israel. The narrower ruling probably came about in order to build another "fence" so that the events of Ezra 10 would not be repeated. Aharon's father, a Levite, took a wife from the same tribe. (Ex. 2:1)

Desecrate his seed: i.e., treat it as common, sowing it among those not as set-apart as he, or scatter it among women other than his wife. One of his sons will be the high priest, and he cannot afford to have a bad reputation even if he did not earn it himself. But mixing Yahshua's teaching with the teaching of Babylon is the same thing; it has left us a defiled people. There has to be a rebirth. We are still not fit to be his bride. But his bride is a city built of many living stones, not just one individual. Only by putting away self and being committed to becoming an active part of this can we truly be purified.

17. "Speak to Aharon, telling [him], 'No man of your descendants throughout their generations shall draw near to offer the bread of his Elohim if there is a blemish in him.

Blemish: disfigurement or defect. This command is given not because YHWH is cruel or unfriendly, but because there must be a clear distinction between those who are serving His Temple and those who are not, i.e., who are focusing on their individual selves instead of the whole Body of Messiah. The rabbis say that if a blemished offering is not acceptable (Mal. 1:8), the one offering it should not be either.

Lame: or, having mismatched limbs; from the same root word as Pesakh (Passover), that is "skipping", i.e., hobbling, with one leg less sound than the other. This is the same idea as the next two categories: The term for "disfigured" literally means "flat-nosed" or "sunken-nosed"—in other words, truncated in some way. The nose is considered the seat of judgment, so if one is impaired in this way, he cannot fulfill his role properly. Deformed: literally, prolonged or over-extended--anything superfluous, too long; LXX, "with his ears cut". This may be why Yahshua healed the ear of the high priest's servant. (Yochanan 18:10) While the high priest at that time was not one truly qualified by his pedigree, apparently Yahshua either wished to simply uphold the office of the one who might have been next in line to act in the high priest's position were he to become defiled on Yom Kippur, or he felt that the servant was a man worthy of that position; otherwise it would make no difference whether he was disqualified to serve. It is not right to have the Body of Messiah have one arm much longer than the other (i.e., too much mercy and not enough judgment), because there is imbalance, nor should any of the giftings be emphasized over the others. This does not mean YHWH does not love these individuals or wants to belittle them, but because they are a picture of imperfection, they are not suitable to be "object lessons" in the sanctuary, and are thus not to be seen there, because the fact is, people look at His messengers, and by looking at the priests we are meant to understand His heart. His representatives must reflect His perfection, to show that we can achieve it as well—not as individuals, but as a corporate body; what one is lacking another supplies as we each strive to participate in His perfection. Even their garments are meant to be dazzling. He provided the best for them (v. 22), and the Talmud says these people were permitted to do certain jobs in the temple precincts, such as sorting the wood. Wood is a picture of men, and some of the wood brought in for Temple use had defects, just as they did, and they were the judges of which was suitable for the altar, and which could only be used for the hearth on which the bread was baked. They were in a higher position than most in Israel, but they were a picture of imperfection, a vivid reminder of the effects of the fall of Adam into sin, and thus were especially out of place in a place dedicated to teaching purity, holiness, and redemption from the curse. So they were hidden away. But a special promise is given to such people in Yeshayahu/ Isaiah 56:3-8, provided their heart is right, as well as their actions, despite their outward defects.

Broken leg: a picture of not walking in the Torah; broken arm: a picture of one with defective works. Clearly these two imperfections are only temporary if the bone heals properly. If his defect goes away, he is fit to serve. (Torat Kohanim 21:55) But there is the possibility the bone would not set properly, so it would be incumbent on the priestly father not to allow his sons to engage in unnecessarily-dangerous activities that would be likely to precipitate such a fracture.

Hunchbacked: a picture of one who does not walk uprightly or who cannot properly shoulder a burden. A spot in his eye: confusion, obscurity, disability; or, idiomatically, one in which something stands in the way of generosity. Others even say, "with unusually-long eyebrows"! Scabbed: LXX, "having a malignant ulcer". Scabbed or having a rash: or possibly, having severe eczema or a running sore (possibly even a ringworm). These again are qualities not allowed in an animal brought for sacrifice either (22:22), and associated with leprosy, a picture of wanting another's position. Crushed testicles: damaging to the seed; alt., missing, and thus unable to carry on the line of Israel into new generations. Only through the "Seed" (Yahshua) could deliverance come. Nothing less than a perfect body can depict the man in Ephesians 4, which does walk uprightly and in balance, is generous, lives up to its full potential, appreciates its assigned place, and wants to bear spiritual offspring. Corporately we have to become this man; individually, we only need to fulfill our particular role properly. The whole burden is not on individuals, but the entire community.

22. "'He may eat of the bread of his Elohim--of the most holy things, and of the [other] holy things.

This is his food (22:7) and he has no other livelihood. He shares in the rights of all Levites, so they will not be denied him, whatever his condition as an individual.

Profane: to make it less than it should be; simply to make is common rather than holy. Set-apart places: perhaps plural to remind us that Yaaqov, who was called a complete man, dwelt in tents (Gen. 9:27; 25:27), an idiom for being a student of YHWH's instruction under Shem. If one does not dwell in tents, he may not enter THE Tent.

Everyone had to know about it so that everyone would hold them accountable.

CHAPTER 22

2. "Tell Aharon and his sons to treat as sacred the holy things of the descendants of Israel so as to not profane My holy Name in [regard to] what they devote to Me; I am YHWH.

Treat as sacred: It means to "withdraw from, separate themselves from, abstain from touching, or hold oneself aloof from". It is an even more refined calling than simply being set apart, as all of Israel is called to be. It means to keep certain things at a distance. But this phrase can also mean to dedicate or devote oneself to the things set apart to YHWH. The term is from the same root as a Nazirite—one who abstains from certain things for a given time so he can dedicate himself to some particular service to YHWH. The priest is allowed to come closer to YHWH than anyone else, but because of this, the level of holiness required of the rest of Israel is not enough. He is to dedicate himself to the things that Israel has set apart to YHWH, but he must also handle them with care, because while he has a unique right to handle them, they belong to YHWH. And because there will be times when he is not the best example of holiness or perfection (as specified below so they are not left to private interpretation), there are times when he is not permitted to touch those things at all. How is this practical for us today, with no Temple and no active priesthood? Since Yahshua holds His followers—the court of the King--to many of the same standards of dedication required of the priesthood, this also tells us to pull our lives out of contexts others consider normal. But we, who have been in exile for so long, still have many Gentile-like habits and thought patterns to overcome. If we are not careful, we will defile those holy things. We have been given some time now to learn them before the Kingdom is fully restored, so that when the time comes to do them rightly, we will not "screw up". What we learn now will be on our "resumé" in the Kingdom, because when the king prepares to hire his officials, he will want someone who knows what he is doing. Many people see themselves as keeping their distance from the world and abstaining from sinful lifestyles, but it is not enough to avoid serving the evil inclination; they must also dedicate themselves to carrying out the positive commandments. I.e., do what is right rather than just not doing what is not right—and do it for the right reason, which is always to please YHWH. Doing right will benefit us and others, but if done for that reason, we lose the benefit, because we are not really keeping the commandment. The first thing He set apart is the Sabbath, then Israel itself, the Torah, His feasts, certain foods, then the Land of Israel and Yerushalayim, and more specifically, the Temple, the altar, and, as is the specific context here, the offerings—literally, the things that allow us to draw near to YHWH.

This reminds us to operate in fear, which is the beginning of wisdom, when handling things that do not belong to us, though we may indeed partake of them, as the priests did. They still had to be treated as YHWH's, because His Name was on them. These "holy things" are, in short, everything that is to be used in or at the Sanctuary. Each of them is a picture of some aspect of the Kingdom. While uncleanness is upon him: symbolic of using them for selfish ends. This is abusing them. These things are not about self, and those who use them must not be, either. The priests receive from them, but they cannot treat them like they are their own. They must treat them as YHWH would, and be in the right condition when they even touch them. If they do not take care of them, they will lose the privilege. There are only certain ways they can be approached. If the priests come near at the wrong time, they apparently cannot come back anymore at all. The service of YHWH is the inheritance of Aharon's descendants, and this was further sealed by the actions of Pin'has, who carried out this command better than anyone else, in YHWH's eyes, for he went to the extent of killing fellow priests who were defiling YHWH's holy Place. He got this right, so an eternal covenant was given to him and his descendants.

Not all unclean things are listed here, so the specific things that are mentioned here are to remind us to be especially on our guard against particular sins. Leprosy is associated with wanting another's position or authority. A discharge is a picture of a free-flowing mouth, whether it be complaining, gossip, or just giving too much information about what is holy to those who might turn out to be Israel's enemies (as Hizqiyahu did, 2 Kings 20:12ff). We need to weigh the profit of all of our words before we speak them. Uncleanness of a soul: that is, a dead body, for death is a picture of the opposite of the Torah, which is called our life. (Deut. 32:47) Death is utterly abnormal in the universe as YHWH intended it. And wasted seed is a picture of letting our children lead worthless lives by turning them over to the world or to their own wishes.

Swarming thing: LXX, "unclean reptile"; literally, "wriggling thing"—something that can slip away from you easily. Doctrines are things we try to take hold of, but as we grow in our Scriptural understanding, they must change. Unsound doctrines—things we must twist the Torah to invent--can certainly interfere with our drawing near to YHWH. Wriggling things can also depict people who are uncommitted, and becoming close to them can affect our commitment.

As long as he continues to put self first (which is what ritual uncleanness depicts), he cannot partake of any of the sacrifices (each of which is a picture of Yahshua). For leaders, the standard is higher; grace gives way to a penalty and finally "repossession" for those who continue taking advantage of it. The animal being brought is a picture of the one bringing it, so one who is selfish instead of having the community's interests at heart may not partake of another's drawing near to YHWH. But if he gets rid of what stands in the way, he can partake of another's ascension. To benefit from the community of Israel, one must not be involved in what stands in its way. Eating of them is the focus of this whole passage. The reason not to even touch is to avoid forgetting that it cannot be eaten by one in his condition. Bathes with water: a picture of getting back into the Torah and repenting. We need this cleansing more often as there are more "germs" around. This is a large part of our spiritual warfare.

When the sun goes down: By this time he must already have bathed. We prepare for the dark times (when the real test comes) by using the light to recognize what is wrong and taking steps to become selfless while there is still light. Woe to those who are still selfish when the time if Yaaqov's trouble comes, because the only light then will be the light that is in our assemblies, as during the plague of darkness in Egypt. This is his food: It cannot be withheld from him longer than until the end of that day, since it is his right to eat of it, but if he is hungry prior to that time, he must buy his own food elsewhere. Here he is eating from what represents all of Israel; eating it is becoming one with them, and we are not to partake of one another in a selfish way. (Laziness is the twin brother of selfishness, and if we take advantage of one another just because we are conveniently close by, we are missing the point of community.) Eating of what is holy while we are unclean is even worse than eating something unclean. The community of those drawing near is what feeds YHWH's servants; if you get to the point of no longer existing for this reason, we will all starve. This is all the more reason for all of Israel to be obedient. After the price is paid, there is a remedy available if the directions are followed correctly.

Died: literally, fallen away. Torn: understood to mean by a wild beast. It is a picture of being pulled in many directions, instead of being established in loyalty. We must not eat (share community) with those who die of themselves—that wither away, or who are ripped away by the doctrines of the Beast. (Compare 1 Cor. 5:11.) We are not to eat of what has not been killed by human hands. Rather, although all must experience some kind of death, what we want to partake of is the humane type of slaughter found in Israel, not a violent or horrible death. When we present ourselves as a living sacrifice and let go of the flesh, it is a beautiful and peaceful "death", and from it we step into the Kingdom.

This is what Sha'ul (Paul) was talking about when he wrote of "the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:1ff; James 1:15). Like the law of gravity, it is still in effect, but as the law of aerodynamics is also true and overrides gravity, because Yahshua has borne our penalty for falling short, we can draw near (the specific term for offering temple sacrifices) with full confidence (Hebrews 10:22). But if we fail to keep watch, we will certainly become guilty. If we continue to partake of selfishness, we will die (10:26), at least in terms of our relationship to Him. Sin will sneak up and kill us if we are not on guard. That is why Yahshua emphasizes being watchful more than anything else. The Mishnah tells us that in second Temple times, if a watchman guarding the gate fell asleep on duty, his clothes would be set on fire! We cannot fully arrive until the rest of Israel is together, but we cannot just close our eyes and wait, and expect it to come together by itself. YHWH uses many things around us to direct us toward it; we must be aware of what He is doing. We must also watch over one another if we want Him to watch over us. He does so to a higher degree than we can, but this does not relieve us of our duty. Before you ask Him to do so, ask yourself what you can do.

One alienated: This might mean nothing more than one who is not a priest. Only the absolutely committed can truly partake of the ascension. If opened up for general consumption, it will be defiled. Guest: one who does not intend to remain with him; if he changes his mind about this, he will be a part of Israel. Hired servant: one who is in it only because he needs a job and will quit when he gets an offer of a better salary. If we insist on gaining from His service, then we have the means to buy food for ourselves elsewhere, whereas one who has left all for His sake and has no way to provide for himself will be provided for:

Money: literally silver. Those owned by the household may partake of the intimacy of the household. We have been purchased by a brother, so we can eat of his food. Yahshua is called our great High Priest. Silver is the price for blood (his included), and thus it symbolizes blood. Those purchased by his blood as slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:16) are not just permitted to eat of his bread—to partake of and participate in his Body—but are obligated to partake of Israel. If we refuse, there is nothing else left to nourish us Whether we can identify which tribe we are from or have joined from outside Israel, once he has purchased us, we have no choice but to be part of Israel. Anyone born in his house: Acts 16:31 also says those who believe and their households can be saved. Those with a permanent connection to the holy ones—who are never going anywhere else—may eat from what is cooked on the altar. So if you want to eat from the altar, become a slave to the high priest!

Estranged man: literally, one known to you, and thus taken to mean any Israelite who is not a priest. When she becomes part of another household, the privileges of the priestly household are lost to her. Figuratively, it pictures one who acts as a stranger--who has given up any connection to the community and chosen to connect herself to something foreign instead; i.e., an apostate. YHWH treated Qayin in this way. Contributions: or, elevated things. By assuming many pagan ways, the church thus left its set-apart calling and until its children began to see themselves again as Israel, they were not allowed to partake of the deepest intimacies of YHWH.

She does not permanently bear her husband's identity unless she gives him children, in which case she remains connected to his house, because it continues after his death. Paul echoes this thought in 1 Timothy chapter 5.

Rashi says he does not pay in money, but by a substitution of non-consecrated fruits, which then in turn become elevated. Note that he cannot simply say, "Oops! Sorry, it was an accident!" and be relieved of the penalty. Even if he only took one bite before he realized what he was doing, he must repay with an entire animal, plus more (1/5 of its monetary value). He must give back to the priest more than he cost him.

We must not allow those who should not be eating—who refuse to wash the self off themselves with the Torah--to eat of that which is dedicated to YHWH. "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." (Mat. 15:26)

"Committing trespass by eating...": Sha'ul (Paul) likewise warns of eating in an unholy manner the meals that were meant to bring us together into community. (1 Cor. 11) In his scenario, "bearing the guilt" meant becoming sick and even dying.

18. "Speak to Aharon and his sons, and to all the descendants of Israel, and tell them, 'Any man of the house of Israel or of the proselytes in Israel, who brings his offering near for any of his vows or any of his free-will offerings that they bring near to YHWH for an ascending offering--

19. "'to be favorable [it must be] a healthy male of the oxen, sheep, or goats;

To be favorable: that is, accepted by YHWH. Though a freewill offering, there are still parameters around what may be offered. In some matters there is leaveway; YHWH accepts love from our hearts, but He forbids us from offering what does not meet His standards. Just because Constantine dedicated the Feast of Ishtar (Easter) to what he thought of as YHWH, does not mean He is obligated to accept it; He will not accept Sunday worship as equivalent to the Sabbath, which He Himself prescribed. "To obey is better than sacrifice." (1 Shmuel 15:22)

21. "'And when a man brings near a slaughter of peace offerings to YHWH to mark off his vow as separate, or a freewill offering from the herd or the flock, to be acceptable it must be completely sound, without any defect in it.

To mark off his vow: LXX, "to discharge his vow". Acceptable: or pleasing. He will not accept second-best.

Mutilated: or maimed; LXX, "with its tongue cut out". A scratch: LXX and Targum Onqelos, "warts", or, with a split eyelid or lip. The picture is that YHWH does not accept "lame" excuses. Do not wait until you are too tired from everything else to give Him your time, for what is left over is usually of the lowest quality, after everything else has been picked over.

Overstretched or stunted: with either overextended/superfluous/overgrown or dwarfed/ contracted members, or possibly even having a missing or extra limb. LXX, "having lost an ear or had its tail cut off". We can give YHWH gifts that are not perfect from our excess, but where a promise has been made, only what is perfect is allowable. And even this one exception, allowed only for absolute necessities, is only allowed in an offering mainly to be eaten by the giver and those whom he chooses to share with; only a token portion goes to the priest. And Rashi even says this animal itself is not brought to the altar; rather, it can be sold and the proceeds donated to the maintenance of the Temple. Animals with the defects described above cannot even be sold for Temple use—just as a dog cannot—though they could certainly be eaten by anyone but priests.

The Aramaic and Greek translations say this verse specifically deals with injuries to the testicles. Even though it is not going to reproduce anymore, but is only to be killed and eaten, YHWH does not want it, because it is a picture of the lack of fruitfulness, which goes directly against the first command YHWH gave to Adam. The reason is that what you offer represents yourself; if you do not intend to bear fruit in the Kingdom, but only to enjoy for yourself, then do not bother offering yourself for YHWH's service.

If an outsider wants to contribute to Israel, but is not willing not give his best, YHWH would prefer not to have his contribution. This raises the bar, for how can we accept any less from our own people? Corruption: or disfigurement. Because the one who was disfigured beyond any other man has redeemed Yerushalayim, those who bear YHWH's vessels are again able to depart from the nations with enough leisure to be able to avoid touching anything unclean. (Yeshayahu 52:9-14)

This clarifies the command not to boil a kid in its mother's milk (alt. translation: raise it up on its mother's milk—i.e., let it grow to maturity, if it is to be offered as a firstfruits offering, Ex. 23:19) But no animal may be killed before it has experienced one Sabbath. The eighth day is a picture of the time when we, too, will be ready to be fully offered unto YHWH after having reached our full potential after the Kingdom is complete.

In Revelation 12, the enemy tries to do just this to the woman, Israel, and her child, the Messiah. Just as one may not take both a mother bird and its eggs to eat, the hope of continuity must not be taken away. We must not discourage our brothers. This is also why YHWH says He will not punish the sons for what their parents have done. YHWH always made sure a seed was left as a remnant during our exile so repentance would be possible. On the same day: literally, in one day, or "on day one"-- a hint that Sunday worship is not acceptable to YHWH.

Of your own free will: or, for your delight; i.e., not done under duress or out of a sense of guilt. If you are not glad to bring it, do not "fake it", for it will not count as a true offering, and will only be wasted.

Here there is no provision for the second day as there has been in other similar passages. This is His ultimate preference. After we turn it over, it is no longer ours, so why should we be concerned whether any of it is "wasted"?

32. "and you must not profane My holy Name. Rather, I will be treated as holy among the descendants of Israel. I am YHWH, the One who is setting you apart,

Profane: literally, poke full of holes. We must be careful that our actions do not dishonor our Father. He wants to express love to His children without wrath, but He cannot do so if we do not follow His instructions. We must not diminish His reputation by associating it with anything unholy—anything that is not the Kingdom.

Again, this reminds us not to be like the Egyptians, for YHWH has taken us from that context into one in which we can know Him. If we want, though, we must do it the way He described here.

CHAPTER 23

2. "Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall inform them of the appointed times of YHWH, which you must proclaim--holy rehearsals. These are My appointed seasons:

If the only part of the Torah we had was this chapter, we would have enough to be able to draw near to YHWH. Appointed times: that is, appointments. Each of the spring festivals indeed coincided with an important event in the life of the Messiah in his first coming. It stands to reason that the fall festivals also signify on what day the prophesied events that are yet to be fulfilled may take place. But they are not just appointments for Him, but for all of Israel. The term also means fixed or agreed-upon times. YHWH has fixed the times for these, for they are His, though He allows us and even requires us to participate in them, which is part of the enacting of the covenant between Him and corporate Israel. If you want to be part of His covenant, you must agree to them. And we must show up at the right time—not the most convenient day nearest to them—or we will not find Him there. But if we call one another together at the right time, we can come with the expectation that the Director will be there to meet us, because He made the appointments. The term “appointed” is even used of becoming engaged for marriage. This is exactly what YHWH intends for us, and He gave us many occasions to rehearse for the wedding. Today, without the Temple, we can only do rehearsals for the Rehearsals, yet they bring us one step closer in our training. The root word for “rehearsals” is "calling out", which coincides with "ekklesia", the assembly that Yahshua came to call back out of the Gentile world and back into the covenant of Israel. And no one can do a rehearsal on his own; he can only practice. If we only show up for some of the rehearsals and not all of them, we will not be in the play; our understudies will be instead. And merely being present in body is not enough, if our attention is not fully engaged. But as we do show up for the rehearsal and gather in unity with our whole selves turned over to Him in worship, we are indeed rehearsing for the Kingdom.

The first appointed time when YHWH allows us to meet Him is the Sabbath, and we could therefore deduce that it is the most important; in any case it is the most frequent. The first and most basic of His appointed seasons is the seven-day cycle, because it rehearses the seven millennia of history, the seventh of which is the Kingdom, when we will cease from our labors, and harvesting (gathering its citizens) will no longer be permissible. Calling-forth: Though it may be better to do it poorly than not at all, the Sabbath cannot be properly celebrated unless we are gathered. Indeed, an Aramaic targum interprets the meaning as, “You should be assembled.” We cannot carry out its full symbolism when alone. We can only prove we are brothers if we are gathered whenever the community is gathered. Work: i.e., remunerative or which meets earthly needs; the opposite of service to one another. The best way to avoid the former is to put our full focus on the latter by remaining assembled. If thoughts of personal gain start knocking, find someone to serve! And the assembly in particular is what is to be served, for it is the clear context here. The term, at root, means something done as a representative of another, for it is related to the word “messenger”. In all your dwellings: or, wherever you live. This is not an excuse to stay home, because the word actually means not just “places of settling” but “places of sitting”, which includes sitting together in the gathered assembly. This is what begins to define “us” as Israel. For YHWH: It belongs to Him, so do not accuse someone of ruining “your Sabbath”. It does not exist for the purpose of serving you. Yahshua said the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mk. 2:27), because everything created after man (who was created the sixth day) was created with man in mind, and he was made responsible to tend it on YHWH’s behalf. It is a gift to man, but it must be used in the proper way, or it will be of no benefit. We can only experience it if we enter into it and do it the way YHWH prescribes. We are not faithful as its keeper if we simply dismiss it as useless or replace it with something of our own making! The only way we can have a Sabbath is to carry it out. If we are faithful to do so, He will come sit among us. (Z’kharyah 2:14)

We cannot stop with the Sabbath, or we are just another denomination, rehearsing but having nothing lined up to practice for. Announce: Make sure the presence of the Aviv barley and the sighting of the new moon in Israel are clearly communicated, so that everyone can show up for the appointment on the right day. (Torath Kohanim 23:146) If we remember to announce them to others, we are not likely to forget to keep them ourselves. The Hasidic masters say that each of them is a tool for “calling forth” a gift of spiritual nutrition, for specific things are especially accessible as we arrive at these junctures each year: embedded in Passover is the gift of freedom and the understanding of what it really means. The Torah can be especially called forth at Shavuoth, Yom Truah is a time when the Kingdom is the special focus, and repentance is most available at Yom Kippur.

Passover: specifically not the day or the meal, but the slaughtering of a particular lamb. Between: from a root word meaning "discernibly distinct". Evenings: possibly between the two evening oblations, that is, between 3:00 p.m. and sunset. But most literally the term means "mixtures" or "transitions"--i.e., so "between the evenings" means the time after there is a noticeable difference marking the fact that day is waning and the time there is a noticeable transition from dusk to darkness, i.e., around sundown, the end of the fourteenth, since the lamb must be kept until the fourteenth before slaughtering it. But the etymology of “between the evenings” is “distinguishing the mixings”. When we can tell the difference between what YHWH has made and what man has mixed in (especially as seen in the Church), our Passover (that is, the death of Messiah, 1 Cor. 5:7) can truly serve YHWH’s purposes.

This week begins with the Passover seder as the sun sets on the 14th. You shall eat: a positive command which is just as important as the command not to eat anything leavened. To emphasize that, this time He does not even mention the part about eating no leaven, as in Ex. 12. It is little help to refrain from evil influences if we do not also partake of what is unleavened. (Compare Mat. 12:43-45.) Fifteenth: the full moon, a symbol of Israel at its zenith of reflecting YHWH. The way to write the number”15” in Hebrew spells “Yah”. Every time the moon is full One of the reasons we eat no leaven during this time is because we are “between the mixings” (v. 5): We used to be mixed with Egypt or whatever modern equivalent held us captive to its agendas. Now we have disengaged from that, but we are on the way to being mixed into a new “loaf of bread” that is the picture of the Kingdom. So we need a time of heightened awareness of which we are allowing ourselves to be mixed with, and to do that we must draw back from the picture of what permeates. At this time leaven is a picture of sin, especially pride, which makes us appear more than we really are. At any other time, it is a picture of the Kingdom (which is also intended to permeate every aspect of our lives, Mat. 13:33; see note on verse 17 below), because that is the mixing we want to be part of.

Work of service: This is a combination of the two different Hebrew words for work, so it makes us pause and examine what is meant. It is essentially “service for pay”. The type of work done by the Levites in the Temple on all the holy days is described the same way (1 Chron. 23:28), because what Israel brings to YHWH is their pay. But here it refers to labor that serves anything other than YHWH and His community—and that includes not serving self. (Compare Ezk. 33:30-31; Yochanan 6:27) On Passover we are permitted to act like the priesthood in that we deal with the blood of the lamb ourselves, but never for pay. At any other time we are overstepping our rights to deal with the blood. This time it teaches us, so the “pay” is in the doing.

According to Exodus 12:16, the only permissible labor on the high days of the festivals( other than the Sabbath and Yom Kippur) is that which has to do with the preparation of food.

10. "Speak to the descendants of Israel, and you shall tell them, ‘When you enter the Land which I am giving to you, and have reaped its harvest and brought in the omer--the beginning of your harvest--to the cohen,

Reaped its harvest: literally, "cut off its cutting-off". The work of an evangelist (Eph. 4) is to sever the grain from the field (which Yahshua says represents the world)--the first of a series of procedures involved in making bread (something YHWH can use) out of many grains of wheat. Omer: the dry equivalent of about two liters; more precisely the measure of the final processed results of one sheaf of grain. According to the Mishnah, 16 pounds of harvested grain, after being fully processed, produce five pounds of sifted flour. This reminds us of Gideon's sifting down his army at YHWH's command--and becoming a formidable barley loaf! An omer was deemed by YHWH to be the appropriate measure of “manna” that an average person could eat in one day. (Ex. 16:16-18) So it symbolizes one person, and is thus a picture of bringing oneself to be turned over to YHWH for the process of becoming useful to His community.

Sabbath: the next weekly sabbath that falls after the Passover, according to the Tzadduqim (Sadducees). The P'rushim (Pharisees) interpreted it as the "high sabbath", the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. But in that case it would be the Hebrew term “shabbaton”. Nonetheless the rabbinical reckoning has followed the Pharisaical.

14. "‘Now you may not eat bread, roasted grain, or fresh ears [of barley] until this very day, until you have brought the offering to your Elohim. [This is] a never-ending statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling-places.

You shall not eat: i.e., eat nothing from the new harvest until the firstfruits are offered. And any type of barley that is planted after this must not be eaten until the firstfruits are brought a year later. We must wait until the door opens again for this type of offering. YHWH left no loopholes: He did not just say “fresh grain”; it may not be eaten in any form until He has been brought His portion. And this does not just apply to the harvest. We should not use for our own benefit any form of increase we receive (whether in finances, skills, honor, knowledge, or strength) until we have recognized YHWH for it and acknowledged our responsibility to use it for His community. This very day: or "selfsame" day, but the word used literally means "bones", which immediately reminds us of Y'hezq'El/Ezekiel's vision of dry bones coming back together again. This fits perfectly, because this is the day on which the counting of the measure--the time of a Body, which is also called "one bread", growing into a mature person--commences. "Until you have brought the offering": Yahshua is called the Firstfruits (same as Firstborn in Hebrew) of the resurrection, and this was the "very day" his "flesh and bones" rose from the dead. The Body--to be gathered in from the lost sheep scattered throughout the world in many "dwelling-places"--could not be born until the Head was.

16. "‘until the day after the seventh sabbath. Count fifty days, then bring near to YHWH a fresh food offering.

Passover is the barley harvest; Shavuot ("weeks" or simply “sevens”) is the wheat harvest, so whenever barley is mentioned in Scripture, it falls during this season: the story of Ruth, where it is specified clearly, and Gid'on's victory and Yahshua's feeding of the 5,000, where it is implied. Fresh: or new, i.e., from the new harvest. This time it is not barley, but wheat, which is much more refinable than barley, which remains more coarse no matter how it is sifted. These fifty days are a time to transform us into more refined, so we can more easily be mingled into a unified “loaf” for YHWH to enjoy:

Wheat flour was more costly than the barley more commonly used in ancient times. By tradition, the two tablets of stone (which thus correspond with these two loaves) were brought down from Mt. Sinai on this very day of Shavuoth. Dwelling-places: again, this can also include our places of assembly, not necessarily individual households. It may have been brought by tribe or clan or possibly each group that had eaten the Passover together. Fine: In Second-Temple times it was sifted 13 times. Leavened: this is why they had to be a wave offering; no leaven can be offered on the altar. Leaven is often a picture of sin. Yahshua, who was sinless, was offered first. But here, it depicts the complete permeation of the Kingdom in our lives so that we come to full maturity as His unified household. (Mat. 13:33) One loaf represents the kingdom of Yehudah, to whom he came first, and the other, the "lost sheep of the House of Israel", the sheep of the "other flock", who were scattered among all nations. This is why Paul told us to remove the old leaven (1 Cor. 5:7)—so that the right kind of leaven could have its full effect.

It does not say to burn them, though that is what was literally done, but rather to bring near those who ascend to YHWH; thus it can also refer to the people who are brought back into the Land as the dry bones, along with the Head (or firstfruits), since a person who immigrates to Israel is indeed called an "ascender". Each blood sacrifice had its bread offering, coinciding with what we are to become--"one bread and one body"—to correspond with Yahshua's blood that was shed.

20. "‘And the priest shall wave them, in addition to the bread of the firstfruits, [as] a wave offering before YHWH in addition to the two lambs; they are holy to YHWH for the priest.

For the priest: Who but Yahshua is called our great high priest? And as the prince in his Kingdom, he will indeed offer the sacrifices on the festivals. (Y'chezq'El/Ezekiel 45:7-22)

22. "‘Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not completely reap the corner of your field, nor shall you gather up the gleaning of your harvest; you shall leave them for the needy and for the sojourner; I am YHWH your Elohim.'"

Ruth, a "type" of the Northern Kingdom's return through Yahshua's acting as kinsman-redeemer, benefitted from this law; a way was made for her to survive, though Naomi had lost the link to her inheritance. But Boaz did more than he was required to. The level of one's generosity was often measured by the size of the corners he left in his field. In general, reaping is done in a circle, which represents the annual festival cycle. If it is followed, the poor are truly cared for, and those who pass through the Land see that, in contrast to and to make amends for the evil report the ten spies gave, this Land does not devour its inhabitants, but provides bread without price and no one lacks. He wants His Land to be honored. If the field is a square, it will have four corners left, resembling the horns of the altar. Yahshua says the field represents the world, and Yeshayahu/Isa. 11 says YHWH will gather the outcasts of both houses of Israel from the four corners of the earth. Yahshua told his disciples to gather what was left over of the barley loaves he had multiplied. In Kefa/Peter's vision that opened the door for Gentiles to join the commonwealth of Israel, the sheet was let down by its four corners. Our tzitziyoth (fringes with a thread of blue to remind us to obey "heaven's" commands) are also to be placed on the four corners of our garments. (Num. 15:38) How large is a corner? It depends how generous one is. The Land belongs to YHWH, and the more we leave, the more it takes care of the stranger, widow, or orphan. How great do you want YHWH’s reputation to be?

24. "Speak to the descendants of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month, on the first of the month, you shall have a high sabbath--a reminder, an awakening blast, a holy rehearsal.

Seventh month: This day is often called Rosh ha Shanah (the head of the year), but only on the civil calendar; YHWH changed Aviv to the first month for the holy festival calendar. The biblical name for this day is the Feast of Trumpets, or the Day of the Awakening Blast. This puts the focus on the heavenly rather than the earthly. Reminder: a warning that the Day of Judgment is about to come after only nine more days. Awakening blast: or shout, ear-splitting acclamation. This day has long been associated with the resurrection of the dead in Jewish tradition. One of its events is called the "last trump", and Sha'ul (Paul) tells us that at that time indeed the dead will be raised, so it is a reminder of this as well, to give us hope. It is likely to actually be on a Rosh haShanah (the modern name for the Feast of Trumpets, meaning "head of the year"). This is the only festival that falls on a new moon, which is never predictable, because it commences only when the new moon is actually sighted. Thus this is called the "hidden day". One way of describing it was "no man knows the hour or the day", so when Yahshua said this his hearers would immediately know which festival he was talking about without actually saying it, just as if someone in pagan culture said, "when the stockings were hung by the chimney with care." But if one is watching for the signs (as with watching the moon), he can estimate fairly closely when it will appear. It is also the day of the coronation of our King. (Psalm 98:6)

Work of service: the normal Temple ceremonies which continued every sabbath and on the other festivals; on this day, the focus is completely on blowing the trumpets and this one offering. It may correlate with our works being tested by fire so they will survive on the great Day of Judgment "Bring...fire": in the original Hebrew, there were no vowel points, and the word for "fire offering" is spelled exactly like "woman" or "wife", so on the deeper level it tells us that when we suppress our own appetites, we can bring YHWH a bride, because when we get our eyes off ourselves, we can become one body. (See note on v. 30.)

27. "Firmly on the tenth of this seventh month there shall be the Day of Atonements [coverings, sealings-over]; you shall have a holy rehearsal, and you shall humble yourselves, and bring to YHWH an offering made by fire.

Rehearsal: also a "calling together" (convocation). On this high holiday alone is the same level of strictness of the sabbath observed, and even more so. Humble yourselves: often translated "afflict your souls", which is taken to mean a complete fast. It could just as well read "suppress your appetites", so this is a legitimate interpretation, especially in light of Yesh./Isa. 58:3. This is why "no work at all", not even preparation of food, is allowed. Traditionally, one also does not bathe or anoint one's body with fragrances. When Yahshua said to do these things while fasting, he was referring to a personal fast, which is more than is required, but this one is a corporate fast required of everyone in the community, so no one has to humbly hide the fact that he is fasting. It could also mean "be busy about your soul" (considering what motivates us and wherein we have failed and need to repent), not with things of the body, which is why all of these are set aside and left unattended--so there can be complete concentration on repentance. At the end of Yom Kippur, we are to bring an offering to YHWH, but first Yahshua tells us to get things right with our brothers, and leave the offering until then. (Matt. 5:24) By Jewish tradition, He will not forgive us on this day if the human victims of our sins have not already forgiven us. Doors are opened on this day in the heavenlies to give us the power to overcome our sins, but if we do not calculate the appointed day according to His sign in the New Moon, we will miss them.

29. "For any person who is not humbled on this particular day shall be cut off from his people,

Humbled: On this day it is especially honorable to confess our sins, to establish the fact that this is always honorable. Confession is done with the mouth, but repentance can only be proven by our actions. But again, the term also means “busy”, so here the “Boss” is saying, “Get busy or you’ll get fired!” (See v. 27.)

"Particular": Heb., etzem, which means "selfsame/essence/substance", but more commonly "bone", "body member", or "binding together". So this is a day for bringing Yoseyf's bones back to the Land (Gen. 50:25; Y'chezqel/Ezekiel 37) after they have been dead to their identity and separated individually to themselves. When they become un selfish and are reunited with Yehudah, they will form one body who is a bride for YHWH (37:20; v. 27 above). Banish: cause to stray away, or destroy. He is like the one who comes to the wedding feast without the proper garment and is cast into the "outer darkness", away from where all the joy is. (Matt. 22:13)

Working on this day is an abomination, because at this point it is too late to change the sentence for this year. If we have not repented by now, additional efforts will be futile, and we must “lie in the bed we have made”--or rest in the fact that our sins are covered because of what Yahshua has done, because this day foreshadows the final Day of Judgment. On this day alone is it possible for willful sins to be forgiven, and on this day alone does the high priest make atonement in the holiest place for the entire community as a whole unit. How does it bind us together? See Yeshayahu/Isaiah 58.

This is the only festival actually called a "sabbath" rather than a Shabbaton ("high sabbath"). Thus there are 53 sabbaths in a year. (Passover is not, thus precluding the Pharisaical interpretation as in verse 11.) Evening: that is, sunset. The ninth: the evening of the ninth actually begins the 10th of the month, since, as we see in the creation account, the day begins at evening, in darkness, just as we begin our lives in the dark womb, and the Day of YHWH will begin with wrath and great terror on the earth. Days overlap in Hebraic thought, so if we do not begin as it is still the ninth, we will miss the beginning of the actual Day. Yoseyf's dream tells us that the moon symbolizes a woman (his mother), and thus it represents the bride of YHWH as well. A bare sliver of moon is visible on the Day of Trumpets. By the evening of the 9th, the moon is 2/3 full, yet still needs to be further clothed until we reach the fullness of joy at the next festival, Sukkoth, on the 15th. These festivals include the opening of gates, so symbolically we are entering gate after gate, progressing higher and higher through the various courts, getting closer to the Temple itself, which we finally reach at Sukkoth, when there is total revelation. But the number 10 symbolizes a complete congregation, so on the 10th we should be putting our own selves away, thus enabling our joy to be made complete.

Also: this passage is linked to the one before it. One reason we strive to purify our souls on Yom Kippur is to be ready for Sukkoth, which is called "the season of our joy".

35. "On the first day there shall be a holy gathering: you shall do no servile labor.

36. "Seven days you shall bring a fire offering to YHWH; on the eighth day, you shall have a holy rehearsal, and you shall burn the fire offering unto YHWH. It is an affectionate farewell; you shall do no servile labor.

Affectionate farewell: continuation, extension, detaining for an extra day, or closing encore. Now called the "Eighth Conclusion" [Sh'mini Atzeret], this day is a separate festival added onto Sukkoth, since technically it only has seven days. In more recent times, a ninth day (sometimes celebrated concurrently on the eighth) called "Rejoicing in the Torah" has been added. This is the day on which Yahshua called out loudly in the temple that if anyone was thirsty for living water (a symbol of the Torah as interpreted and applied through the spirit, not just the letter), they should come to him and drink. (Yochanan/John 7). Holy rehearsal: an ingathering of the flock, because atzeret also means to assemble and enclose, as in an embrace or in a sheepfold. It suggests retaining what has been accomplished during the seven days—a prophecy of the world to come after the Kingdom. It would seem one could work during the intermediate days, but how can one be part of bringing the offering in Yerushalayim on those days if he is somewhere else? We learn most if we assemble for the whole week.

Proclaim: or summon the people for.

All we have left by which to remember these offerings is the community table, which Yahshua, the Qumran community, and much later the Rabbis, all correlate with the altar. How did they know? Because even before there was an altar (which did not come about until after the Passover), YHWH gathered us to eat together. In Egypt, altars were behind closed doors and no one but their priests knew about them; Yithro the priest taught Moshe and Aharon how to use one. In Goshen, the first slaughter was one we all ate from, not just the priests. What we did before we had an altar is what we can do whenever none is accessible to us. Yahshua prepared us for the day when the Temple would not be present by telling us that the “body” and “blood” (which corresponding to the animals offered previously) could be reasonably substituted in the meantime by all of us eating and drinking together in unity. Even after the actual altar is restored, the community table is like the altar because only certain kinds of animals can be on it. But right now, the only Sabbath offering we can bring is a meal eaten together in unity, so do not eat of it without remembering the Temple and YHWH’s bringing us out from Egypt. What He “eats” is our joy at who we are because of Him and our dwelling together in unity.

40. "And you shall take for yourselves on the first day, the fruit of majestic [ornamental] trees, [date] palm branches, and boughs of trees with interwoven foliage, and willows of the brook, and shall rejoice before YHWH your Elohim for seven days.

Fruit of majestic trees: traditionally, the citron (better known by its Aramaic name, etrog), which looks like a large, bright lemon. Interwoven foliage: traditionally, the only one that best meets this requirement is the myrtle (hadassah). These four constitute what is called a lulav, held together and waved in four directions, symbolizing the reuniting of the community that constitutes the image of Elohim from the north, south, east, and west. Long willow branches were also gathered in a valley west of Jerusalem called Motzah ("the source"), and carried in a swishing motion all the way to the temple, where they circled the altar of burnt offerings seven times (on the seventh day as Yehoshua had done at Yericho) and then built a sukkah [booth or hut] out of them over the top of the altar. Trees represent people, so these different species prefigure the gathering of many kinds of people into YHWH's Temple of living stones.

Dancing in a circle: the wave offering itself may have been a gracefully-choreographed dance. Revolving around His cycles of creation, starting with the Sabbath, keeps us ascending on the spiral staircase that leads us closer to Him. He reiterates that we are to do so in the seventh month, because as soon as the Northern Kingdom separated from Yehudah, Yarav’am moved it to the eighth. If you participate in Constantine’s “changing of the times and laws”—worshipping on Sunday instead of the Sabbath, celebrating the moveable “Easter” rather than the fixed Passover, etc.--, you are doing no better.

Live: literally, "sit", not necessarily sleep, though this is traditional. Temporary dwellings: Hebrew, sukkoth. But it is being in them during the days, not the nights, that counts. Home-born: literally, "springing up from the native soil" or "growing spontaneously in(to) Israel"; most who live in Israel or are part of its community at large were not born there. Deuteronomy 16:14 tells us that this includes slaves born in the household. In another sense, it could refer to those who are of Israelite stock, though not born in the Land, who "spring up" from among the nations unexpectedly as they are doing in these last days. Sukkoth is one festival that will certainly be celebrated in the Messianic Kingdom and all nations will be required to send representatives to Yerushalayim for it. (Z'kharyah 14:16-19).

Yet literally they lived in tents, not sukkoth. But YHWH dwells in a "sukkah of darkness and thick clouds" (Ps. 18:11), so the sukkah was present with them within the Tent of Appointment. Living in the sukkah is training for living in His presence as the community of His people. As we see in Gen. 33:17, a sukkah is a place for livestock, and He sees us as His flocks following one shepherd, which is what His tent is all about.

CHAPTER 24

2. "Command the sons of Israel, and they shall bring to you clear, crushed olive oil for the illumination, to cause a lamp to continually ascend.

This chapter begins differently from most. YHWH does not merely say. “Tell them” this time; He uses a military term related to His favorite title for Himself, YHWH Tzva’oth—Master of Armies. The only other time YHWH uses this phraseology is in the parallel to this passage, Exodus 27:20. Somehow this oil in the lamp is related to military victory. We do not see Moshe on the front lines as a literal soldier like Y’hoshua, but while Y’hoshua was already the clear leader on the ground, Moshe commanded him while he was alive. He himself has proven to yield to YHWH quickly, no matter how far-fetched the thing he is told to do, but a great leader must also exert his authority and make sure the people do what YHWH has commanded. He may not do it himself; he must delegate this, even if he thinks he could do it better. If he brought it himself, YHWH’s command would be violated. He must place high expectations on the rest of the people. There is something important about Israel bringing this oil, and they do not merely bring it to the Sanctuary; they must bring it directly to him. This was a test for him to, for he could certainly imagine that they would think he planned to keep it all for himself. But he would never get anywhere in leading a nation if he begged them rather than giving orders. He is not to leave any door open for them to say, “No.” YHWH did not start mentioning the consequences of not obeying His commands until the people started rebelling, because “if they do not” was never an option He left. If given a choice, we usually choose the easiest, most self-serving option, so there is what the authority says, period. This had to be a specific kind of oil—not whale blubber, bitumen, or petroleum. It must be olive. The oil for sanctuary only came from the first pressing--only the finest virgin oil with no pulp in it, when the oil is not yet clouded by the flesh of the olive, for only what is given willingly is acceptable. But olives do not just gush with liquid when scratched open like plums do. The oil has to be pressed out of them. In ancient times, the olives were often put in mesh bags and tightened down with a giant screw. But this particular oil is to be crushed (literally, beaten down violently) as in a mortar and thus “finer than what is obtained from an olive press” (Strong). It was often done with a giant wheel in a track, driven by a donkey harnessed to the axle (much like a millstone). YHWH sees Israel as an olive tree, “lovely and full of fruit”. (Yirmeyahu 11:16) This in itself requires a long path to achieve. But for YHWH’s dwelling place, it is not enough to simply bear fruit; even this fruit must bear fruit—the oil. We, the individual “olives”, or descendants of Israel, have to have pressure applied to us if we are to be of any use to YHWH. Trials test the genuineness of our confidence in YHWH (1 Kefa/Peter 1:6ff) and make us mature. They allow us to ascend closer to YHWH, and thus are really a source of joy to thank Him for. (Yaaqov/James 1:2ff) We should not see them as a negative thing or punishment, and should approach with a spirit of expectation, not fear, because the result of our obedience is more pressure that will bring us closer still. Yahshua was our forerunner though His suffering in the garden of Gath-sh'maney [which itself means "wine press of oils"]—on none other than the Mount of Olives. He was someone who enjoyed feasting, and was no masochist. He sweat great drops of blood there from the intense stress, long before anyone ever beat him physically, because this ultimate test of his willingness to obey YHWH at any cost was the real crushing. The later physical suffering was merely a result of this choice. The oil of this first pressing is transparent, a revelation of the true heart. When all that we do is as it appears, with no hidden motives, we can know we are not serving self, but providing YHWH’s house with a reflection of His light—and that is the purpose of this whole process. How do we know when our fruit is producing light? The true measure of its fruitfulness is whether it causes us to ascend closer to YHWH. There are many outward trappings—uncut beards, tzitziyoth, etc.—that could appear to be the fruit of obedience to Torah, but if we are not moving closer to Him and His people, it might as well be inedible wax fruit. The first thing YHWH did with the light He created (Gen. 1:3) was to separate it from the darkness. It is this separated light, with no darkness in it, that He wants. It will reflect our separation from the world. In Hebrew, the word for the tree and the fruit are the same. The word here for “oil” means something shiny, and indeed an olive tree’s leaves are silvery on the underside, so when the wind blows, the whole tree sparkles, and hence has been nicknamed the “light tree” for this reason as well. Thus the foundation is as solid, for we cannot expect to derive light from what is actually darkness, when He has given us so many things full of light with which to start. "Lamp" here specifically refers to the central column of the menorah, from which all the other candles on it are lit. It is also known as the "servant", because the rest depend on it and are lower than it. Yahshua is called "the firstborn among many brethren", and he was "the greatest" who knelt down to serve them just before he poured out his life for them. Thus he is exalted as the most important of the perpetual lights in the heavenly temple. The menorah is therefore a picture of YHWH’s Servant (Yeshayahu42:1) and his “branches” (Yochanan 15:5) But though He is the light of the world (Yochn. 8:12), He also said we are the light of the world. (Mat. 5:14) Like “oil”, the Hebrew word for "olive" is based on a word for "brightness"—both reminders of what Adam was like before his fall, and what Yahshua has made it possible for us to corporately become again. Continually: without interruption. While one of the lamps was being cleaned and its wick trimmed, the rest were kept burning. Considering how our actions will affect one another and putting our fellows above ourselves is not to be a one-time event, but who we are to be all of the time. This oil must keep being brought so there is always light.

Arrange: literally, set in rank as in battle formation. Again, a military term is used. When we praise YHWH, when we serve one another, when we are transparent with one another with the proper motives, we are making this lamp burn and making war on the darkness. If we just do it to feel great about ourselves, it is as if we were going to battle without a weapon, and we will end up defeated at best. The purpose of a congregation set in order is to make war on and undermine the authority of any enemy of YHWH (not just “the devil” but the Gentile side of our nature, anything that, like Pharaoh, will not let go of us, anything we do not need to be part of anymore) so that whatever is not of Him has less and less control over us. Our actions must prove to any satan (prosecuting attorney or adversary) that we are not guilty of whatever they accuse us of. Lust for money, power, or recognition will also hinder us from putting forth light. Many other things in the Torah become ritually clean at evening. The setting in order is done as night—the time when the darkness has the most power—approaches. (Lk. 22:53) No one would be in the Temple at night, so he had to make sure the fire did not go out before someone came in to tend it again in the morning. The woman in Proverbs 31 “whose lamp does not go out by night” is, on one level at least, a poetic description of the Tabernacle, YHWH’s dwelling place which in turn is a picture of His bride.

Pure: possibly referring to pure gold or having been freshly cleaned, but the term is the same as for ritual purity, and it, like the “pure table” in verse 6, are again reminders to the priesthood to not touch them or enter here when they are in a ritually-impure state. They are arranged directly across from something else that they are specifically designed to cast light on:

Twelve loaves: one representing each of the tribes. Two tenths of an eyfah: that is, two omers, which symbolize two people, yet they are really one (like Adam before Chawwah was taken out of him). The loaves were shaped to imitate the two kh’ruvim that faced each other and were made out of a single piece of gold. Likewise, an omer is worth only half a sheqel, which is each warrior's temple tax, showing that another person must always be present for any of us to be complete. A sheqel is also a measurement of weight, so this shows us that alone no one carries enough weight, authority, or importance before YHWH, but united we do. Yahshua called himself the “bread of life” (Yochn. 6:48), and indeed his Body is made up of the twelve tribes of Israel (Yaaqov/James 1:1) in unity. In 1 Cor. 10:16-17, we are called “one bread” as well as “one body”.

Any way they are divided, whether by Leah’s 6 and the other 6 or by birth order, one of the rows (or stacks) will include Yehudah and the other will include Yoseyf—possibly the background for Y’hezq’El/Ezk. 37:16. The Temple Institute has interpreted this as separating the individual loaves from one another so that the fragile loaves will not be broken, as Rashi wrote. (See photo below.)

7. "And you shall put clear frankincense on the row, and it shall be the bread of remembrance, an offering made with fire to YHWH.

Pure frankincense: literally, transparent whiteness (a feminine term reminding us that we are YHWH’s bride). When we are truly a community again, we will remember—and become like—what Adam was before he fell (transparent instead of befleshed, so that light could shine out from him), and again accurately reflect the image of YHWH. When we do come to maturity and overcome the effects of Adam's fall through the power he has made available, Yahshua says we will "walk with him in white" (a symbol of righteousness, Rev. 3:4-5)

In the context of serving the sanctuary, something that could not be done anywhere else on the Sabbath (baking bread) was allowed and even required. In a sense this refreshing of the oil would symbolize the renewing of the covenant every Sabbath forever.

10. Now the son of an Israelite woman, being [also] the son of an Egyptian man, went out among the sons of Israel, and a man of Israel and the son of the Israelite woman struggled with each other within the camp,

The first man was not raised as a son of Avraham, though somehow he rode out of Egypt on the coattails of his mother. In contrast with Moshe, he is fighting against the wrong part of his heritage. He is listening to the Egyptian part of himself that echoes Pharaoh in saying, “Who is YHWH?” (Ex. 5:3) He is the genetic opposite of Ephraim and Menashe, the sons of Yoseyf and an Egyptian woman. Because their father was an Israelite, they could still inherit from Israel. The woman, once married to the Egyptian, becomes part of his nation, not vice versa. The former combination was redeemable; the latter was not. This depicts the struggle in the Messianic community between the hybrid church (which is part Hebraic, part pagan) and those who are totally Israelite in outlook. Those of us who were raised in the former face this challenge each day. Like Moshe, we need to kill off the Egyptian in us. Compare the five wise and five foolish virgins, both of whom were invited to the wedding. Those who ran out of oil (cf. vv. 2-4) could not participate. Like them, this man was not set in order, so he was not really part of the foregoing twelve loaves. He is loyal to two different camps.

Blasphemed: literally, pierced, hollowed out, or wounded. Took it lightly: One who says there is no power in YHWH’s name is not counted as a son of Avraham. Since he did not take YHWH’s name seriously, his own name was stricken fro the record; His name is not found in the Book of Life. Neither of these phrases should be taken to mean we should not speak YHWH’s Name. There are many commands to know and use His Name; cautious reverence is one thing, but total abstinence from its use obscures what He wants us to know about Himself. There is a clear death penalty for taking one's parents lightly (20:9) , and this may have been why his sentence was so severe. (v. 23) His only connection to Israel was his mother, and apparently he turned from whatever influence she may have had. On another level, if we take the meaning of the names, Shlomit means "peaceable", a picture of trying to make peace in an age when division is still the rule (since the tower of Bavel, and since Yahshua said he came to divide the chosen from those close to them who chose not to be holy). This woman avoided confrontation with her Egyptian husband at the expense of disciplining her son, which is apparently why he turned out like this. Divri means "my word" or "my business". Saying that what name we use for YHWH is our own business results in us taking his true Name lightly. It can also mean “wordy” (thinking all that was important was what he had to say, instead of listening—the cardinal command to Israel). As the daughter of wordiness, she would rather “talk things out” than do anything about her son’s rebellion, but Moshe did not bargain with Pharaoh. Talk with action is what brings true results. Dan means "judgment"—the kind of response that should have been her nature, but which she was not living up to. Because of this verse, tradition says that the Counterfeit Messiah spoken of by Daniel and other prophets will be from the tribe of Dan, and will be contending with the true Messiah.

13. So YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

14. "Bring the reviler outside the camp, and all those who heard [what he said] shall lean their hands on his head, and the whole congregation shall stone them.

Lean their hands on his head: treat him like the "scapegoat" Azazel (or any sin offering) and remove the sin from their midst. To refuse to put one’s hand in on this judgment is to be counted guilty of the same sin. Since she did nothing about him, someone else must, but they are not responsible for his death; his mother is. Note that the altar of incense, the other piece of furniture in the Holy Place, is not mentioned in vv. 1-9. This man had committed the “unpardonable sin” (Mat. 12:32). There was no interceding for him—the very thing the incense altar depicts. (Compare Heb. 10:26)

16. "And whoever wounds the Name of YHWH shall certainly be put to death. The whole congregation indeed shall throw stones at him. As it is done to a proselyte, so shall it be done to a native, if he blasphemes the Name: he is put to death.

Wounds the Name: literally, "pierces" or "punctures". One way that we can wound His reputation is by simply not believing what He says He will do. This violates the first commandment, and therefore puts out the rest of the candles as well. We certainly put holes in it by substituting other titles, especially "God", since it is specifically the name of a pagan Norse deity. (Ex. 23:13) YHWH takes this occasion to draw analogies that show just penalties for various injuries caused:

Thus we see that, since the penalty is the same, making light of YHWH’s name is the same as killing someone.

I.e., one for one--so the owner of the lost animal has what he had before. This does not refer to killing for food, but unintentionally yet carelessly killing a neighbor’s livestock.

20. "fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; however he has caused a disfigurement in another man, so shall it be done to him.

This is to limit the victim from trying to out-do the offense. In practice, whether rightly or not, a fair sum of money as compensation was usually exacted by the judges rather than literal wounds. When Yahshua mentioned this verse in Mat. 5:38, was he doing away with this ruling, as so many believe? He was no pacifist, for to refuse to fight those who come against Israel is treason and pure evil, though it may appear to be kind and understanding. The poor translation of “Do not resist one who is evil” has led to the horrible injustice of forgiving someone who kills one’s children. What made YHWH bring this up at all? Someone who had not been disciplined because his mother was a pacifist! A clue to understand that this is no contradiction is in the fact that he did not say, “It is written”, but “You have heard that it was said.” So he was referring to the attempt of some to apply this passage here when someone offends our pride by teaching us a lesson. In his own day intolerance not for sin but for variations in doctrine was all too common, and it led to unjust hatred for one’s brothers. He does not even mention physical wounds. A slap on the cheek was the prerogative of one’s master or teaching (Lam. 3:25ff; Yeshayahu 50:5), and was a reprimand, not a wound. Yahshua was saying “an eye for an eye” did not fit the context of rebellion against authority. This is not a time to strike back. The right response would be to humbly ask for further teaching to understand why the first blow offended your pride or why the loss of one’s possession was so important to us in the first place. I.e., say “Thank you that you care enough” rather than getting your hackles up.

Strikes: This may mean mortally, for in every other case here the punishment meted out is exactly what one has done to his fellow. But this is already stated in v. 17. Elsewhere the only time someone is executed for merely striking someone is if it is one of his parents. (Ex. 21:15) So Rashi deduces that this is also what is being spoken of here.

Consistent judgment will again be a prerequisite to our entering the Land permanently.

Stones: literally, "building material"--for the reviler had removed himself from being a "living stone". What YHWH had commanded: a reference not only to v. 14, but to v. 2 as well. This part of the chapter does not change the subject at all. Part of the crushing of being an Israelite, which makes the light shine brighter, is the subjection of our opinions to YHWH’s clear commands. The hardest thing to do is to kill an Israelite’s son, but no one was allowed to be “peaceable” when YHWH had given the verdict. Where the Torah is clear, our moralizing is only selfishness. Yahshua said that when we let our light shine through our works (and the Torah is called a lamp and a light in Ps. 119:105), men would glorify His Father. (Mat. 5:16) Hebraically, “glorify” means “give weight to” or take seriously—exactly the opposite of what this half-Israelite reviler did. By carrying out the sentence on someone who did not think his words mattered, people would again realize that YHWH was a force to be reckoned with, not ignored. Thus the chapter ends as it began. Once the command is given, no one has the right to an opinion; if we are to experience and promote justice, this is the sentence that must be carried out.