An Investigate Look Into the Hebrew Scriptures

Hebraic Insights is now Cutting to the Root!

Scriptures

Leviticus 6:1 – 8:36

Haftara:
Jeremiah 6:21-8:3; 9:22-23

Please note that some English Bibles start this portion from verse eight. There is sometimes a disparity between translations. I use the Hebrew Bible for my verse indications etc.

Chapter 6 and 7 relate to the offerings that were mentioned in last weeks portion: the olah (burnt offering), minchah (meal offering), the shlamim (peace offering), chatat (sin offering) and the asham (guilt offering). Torah teaches Aaron and his sons additional laws relating to the sacrificial service.

6:3 The first two Temple services of the day were tromat hadeshen, the separating of the ash. This entailed removing a portion of the previous day’s ashes from the Altar and then placing two logs of wood on the main Altar fire.

6:5 "The fire shall never go out." The Tabernacle was used for about 116 years, during which the fire burned continuously, yet the Altar’s thin copper layer never melted and its wooden structure was never charred.

6:17 This is the north side of the Altar.

6:19 In Lev. 10:17 we learn that the priests, by eating the sin offering of the people, were bearing their sin and symbolically removing it from them. This was also part of their maintenance, or what Scripture call their inheritance. In the second Temple period, this was abused as non-Levites were being placed in the priestly office just so that they could gain a secular provision. This sounds very familiar!

6:20 "What ever touches the flesh becomes holy." Through coming into contact with Messiah, our supreme sacrificial Lamb, we also become holy.

6:21 An earthen vessel is used here as a metaphor for a person, just as YHVH created us from earth. Thus in the metaphorical sense, a "vessel of earthenware" in which a "sin offering was cooked" refers to the person in whom the sin offering was "cooked." He becomes so part of the sin that it is engrained in his very being – just as the flavor of something cooked in a pot remains within the pots walls. For one whose character is absorbed in the way of sin, the solution is to break the pot! Remorse over one’s wrongdoings to the point of a "broken" heart is a key ingredient of repentance.

7:8-10 The parts of the offering that go to the Cohenim are divided among all who were at the Tabernacle and were eligible to perform the service, not only those who actually did so.

7:12 Someone who survives a life-threatening crisis is to bring a todah, or thanksgiving offering, to express gratitude to YHVH. From Psalm 107, David’s hymn of gratitude, the Sages (Berachot 54b) derive that survivors of four categories of danger are required to bring an offering: a desert (or other potentially hazardous) journey, dangerous imprisonment, serious illness or a sea voyage.

7:20, 21, 27 The term "the soul will be cut off" (venecharta hanefesh) refers to the type of punishment, kares,which includes excision of the soul and premature death.

7:22-27 In terms of this prohibition, the "fat" means only the fatty tissue of sheep goats and cattle that would be placed on the Altar on the case of offerings.

7:27 Here is the reiteration of the prohibition of the consumption of blood.

7:30 The wave offering is performed with the parts of the peace offering that will be placed upon the Altar, and with the parts that will be presented as a gift to the Cohenim. They are waved in all four directions, and then lifted and lowered. These motions signify that YHVH controls existence everywhere, in all four directions as well as above and below (R’ Hirsch).

At the end of this chapter it is good to have summary of all the offerings that where required of Moses and the people on Sinai:

1. Asham (Trespass Offering), to be guilty, or liable to punishment. In this sacrifice the guilt was considered as being transferred to the animal offered up to YHVH, and the offerer redeemed from the penalty of his sin.

2. Isheh (Fire Offering), probably from ashash, to be grieved, angered, inflamed. This points out the distressing nature of sin, or its property of incensing Divine justice against the offender, who deserves burning for his offense, and made use of this sacrifice to be freed from the punishment due to his transgression.

3. Havavim (Iterated or Repeated offerings), from yachav, to supply. The word occurs only in Hosea 8:13, and probably means no more than the continual repetition of the accustomed offerings, or continuation of each part of the sacred service.

4. Zevach (A Sacrifice), a creature slain in sacrifice, from zavach, to slay. The altar on which such sacrifices were offered was termed ‘mizbeach’, the place of sacrifice.

5. Chag (A Festival),  an annual occurance, from chogeg, to celebrate a festival, to dance round and round in circles.

6. Chatat and Chatah (Sin Offering), from the Hebrew chet, to miss the mark. People are continually aiming at and seeking happiness, but they do not seek it in YHVH. The Scripture represents them as missing their aim, or missing the mark.

7. Cofer (The Expiation or Atonement), from the Hebrew capar, to cover. It is used often to signify the atonement or the pardon of iniquity.

8. Mo’ed (An Appointed Annual Festival), from the Hebrew ya’ad, to appoint or constitute. As these feasts were instituted in commemoration of some great event or deliverance, such as the deliverance from Egypt, this then differentiates between a chag and a mo’ed.

9. Miluim (Consecrations or Consecration Offerings), from the Hebrew mala, to fill. Those offerings made in consecrations, of which the priests partook, or in the Hebrew phrase, "had their hands filled," or which had filled the hands of them that offered them.

10. Mincha (Meal Offering), from the Hebrew nach, to rest or settle after working. It generally consisted of things without life, such as green ears of corn, full ears of corn, flour, oil, and frankincense and may be considered as having its name from that rest from labor and toil which a man had when the fruits of the fall were brought in. The jealousy offering was a simple mincha, consisting of barley meal only.

11. Mesech and Mimsach (A Mixture Offering), or mixed libation, called a drink-offering, from the Hebrew masach, to mingle.

12. Maseet (An Oblation), things carried to the temple to be presented to YHVH, from the Hebrew nasa, to bear or carry, to bear sin.

13. Nedava (Free-will or Voluntary Offering), from nadab, to be free, liberal, princely. An offering not commanded, but given as a particular proof of extraordinary gratitude to YHVH for especial mercies, or on account of some vow or engagement voluntarily taken.

14. Nesech (Libation or Drink Offering), from the Hebrew nasach, to pour out. Water or wine poured out at the conclusion or confirmation of a covenant.

15. Olah (Burnt Offering), from the Hebrew alah, to ascend. This offering, being totally consumed, ascended as it were to YHVH in smoke. In most other offerings the Cohen, and often the one bringing the offering, had a share, but in the wholly burnt offering all was given to YHVH.

16. Ketoret (Incense Offering), from katar, to burn, (i. e. the frankincense and other fragrances used as a perfume in different parts of the service).

17. Korban (The Gift Offering), from karav to draw close to or approach. Korban is the name for a kind of offering that gives us access to YHVH. Yeshua was the ultimate Korban.

18. Shlamim (Peace Offering), from the Hebrew shilem, to complete, make whole.

19. Todah (Thank Offering), from the Hebrew yadah, to confess. Offerings made to YHVH with public confession of his power, goodness, mercy, etc.

20. Tenufa (Wave Offering), from the Hebrew naf, to stretch out. An offering of the first-fruits stretched out before YHVH, in acknowledgment of his provision. This offering was moved from the right hand to the left.

21. Terumah (Heave Offering), from the Hebrew word ram, to lift up. The offering was lifted up towards heaven, as the wave offering, in token of the kindness of YHVH in granting rain and fruitful seasons. As the wave offering was moved from right to left, so the heave offering was moved up and down. In both cases this was done several times. These offerings keep alive in us a sense of our dependence on the provision of YHVH for our needs.

8:2 The Hebrew word kach ("take") suggests that Aaron was to be won over as he felt unworthy of the task.

8:12 Aaron and his sons had not been anointed until now. There are two kinds of anointment. A king is anointed to be invested with a spirit of power, but the Cohen haGadol is anointed to holiness. Aaron is anointed before the sacrifices are slain, but in the case of the Cohenim the application of blood precedes the anointing.

8:23 Moses slew the sacrifice as Aaron and his sons were not yet established in their office.

8:33-36 The Torah prescribes isolation at the end of this parasha. As the long awaited consecration of the Tabernacle draws near, YHVH instructs that Aaron and his sons stay outside of the Tabernacle for seven days. Despite the separation that YHVH commands, we are confronted by a striking irony. YHVH clearly states the benefit of the separation "that you may no die." Aaron and his sons faithfully adhere to the command, but in just over a chapter, at the height of the consecration, two of Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu offer a strange fire which resulted in their death.

Rabbi Nachman comments that Nadav and Avihu did not do as "YHVH commanded Moses," but rather they added something of their own. YHVH commands them to separate for 7 days to prepare for the consecration of the Tabernacle. In their detachment they lose sight of their role to lead the community and instead offer up their own fire. This fire was brought on the eight day. Was it this extra day of isolation that pushed them over the edge? The sages support this idea.

We must remember to balance our (sometimes necessary) isolation in the quiet of the Tabernacle within us with not forgetting about the lives of our families, friends and our community at large.