"Command Aaron and his sons, saying,
‘This is the law of the burnt offering…’” (Lev. 6:9), are YHVH's words to Moshe
at the beginning of our Parasha, named after the imperative form for "command" - "tzav." "The law (of the burnt offering)" is rendered
"torah," making the usage
of this word here, “binding instructions.” This is one of several examples of
the way this multi-faceted term is utilized. But before attending to the
subject matters included in the Parasha, let us pause and look at an all
important word that appeared three times in last week’s Parashat Vayikra (in Lev.
4:3, 5, 16, being its first appearing in Scripture), and once in ours (6:22).
This word is “mashi’ach,” translated “anointed.” In Hebrew, however, there
is a clear distinction between “anointed” in verb form (such as in 6:20), which
is literally “to coat with oil,” as well as the adjective form such as in
Sh’muel Bet (2nd Samuel 3:39) where David declares: “And
I am weak today, though anointed (“mashu’ach”) king,” AND the noun:
“Mashia’ch.” In order to illustrate
the difference we can take, for example, the verb “to appoint.” An “appointed
person” is an adjective, whereas “appointee” is classified as a noun.
Similarly, “mashi’ach” is not someone who has been merely smeared or coated
with oil, whether for a singular function or functions, or even for a permanent
position or calling. “Mashi’ach’s” function and nature, his very being, are embodied
in his person. And even though this term was used regarding the priests (or the
people of Yisrael - “m’shi’chim” – plural,
in Ps. 105:15), these were obviously not The Messiah. Yet this rendering was employed with the long
term view to the coming of the one and only “Mashi’ach” – the Anointee, if you will.
Back to the Parasha’s topics: the main one
being the listing of the various offerings, with added specifications. The
interaction and connection that exists between them is one more feature introduced
in the Parasha. Thus, we read about the meal offering - "mincha" (in 6:17b). “…It is most
holy, like the sin offering, and like the guilt offering" (italics
added). In verse 25, it says about the sin offering ("chatat")…"This is the law [torah] of the sin offering: In
the place where the burnt offering
is killed, the sin offering shall be killed before YHVH" (italics added).
Likewise, regarding the guilt offering ("a'sha'm"): “In the place
where they kill the burnt offering, they shall kill the guilt offering"
(7:2, italics added), and again in 7:7…"As a sin offering is, so [is] a guilt offering. One law [torah] is for them. The priest
who makes atonement by it, it is his"
(italics added).
In summation, the meal offerings' holiness is identical to that of both
the sin and guilt offerings, all of which are denoted by the term "kodesh kodashim" - holy of holies – i.e. the "holiest of all." The animals for the
sin and guilt offerings are to be killed in the same place as the burnt offering. Similarly, both the sin and guilt offerings
are to have one "torah,"
according to which they actually belong
to the priest who makes the atonement of these two offerings. Thus, status
(of holiness), place, and ownership are the three common elements
shared in some way by all four of these offerings.
These same three attributes may be quite easily related to the person of
Yeshua, to what He has accomplished, and hence to the benefits that we derive
thereby:
1.
Holiness: “The
Holy One and the Just” (Acts 3:14 in reference to Yeshua, italics added).
"According as He chose
us in Him before the foundation of the world, for us to be holy and without blemish before
Him in love" (Eph. 1:4, italics added).
2.
Place: "I am going to prepare a place
for you" (John 14:2, italics added).
3. Ownership by the Priest: " I am the
Good Shepherd, and I know those that are
mine, and I am known by the ones that are mine" (John 10:14,
italics added). "I guarded those
whom You gave to Me" (John
17:12, italics added). "Of those whom You gave to Me, I lost not one of them" (John 18:9, italics
added). “Seeing then that we have a
great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Yeshua the Son of Elohim”
(Hebrews 4:14).
Following the instructions for the
"guilt offering" is the "torah
of zeva'ch sh’lamim,” or “the law of the sacrifice peace offerings”
(7:11-21), which appears to stand on its own. However, its conspicuous
placement after the mention of the "guilt offering" may be
significant. Last week we noted that the "guilt offering" (as
mentioned in Parashat Vayikra), was accompanied by reparations for damages
incurred (5:6-8). Peace and reconciliation cannot take place before one is
relieved of one's guilt (through YHVH’s provision, such as making good for
damages). We also noted that "sh'lamim" is of the root sh.l.m, meaning "complete or whole," as well as "peace, reconciliation
and payment." But the
actual term for "peace offering" - sh'lamim - is rendered in the
plural form. This is not surprising, as this type of sacrifice includes three differing
aspects or categories: thanksgiving, oath and a freewill offering
(7:12-16).
Thanksgiving is "toda," from the root y.d.a,
connected to "hand" or “arm”
(and confession, as we observed last week). Interestingly, in quite a few cases
carrying out a vow is conveyed as "paying the vow/oath" - "shalem neh'de'r" - making use of both these terms (“peace/whole/pay”
and “oath”) together (e.g. 2 Sam. 15:7; Ecc. 5:4; Is. 19:21*; Jonah 2:9). The
freewill offering is termed "n'dava," which is a word we encountered in Parashat Trumah (in Ex.
25:2). The root n.d.v. speaks of
generosity and free giving. “Oath” as "neh'de'r” (n.d.r) is
connected to another root, n.z.r, which is the root for "nazarite," being the adjective for 'he who is bound by a neh'de'r - oath' (see for example
Numbers 6:2). The root n.z.r also appears in our Parasha.
In 8:9, toward the end of the Parasha, we
read about the consecration of A'ha'ron and his sons: "And put the miter
on his head, and on the miter, on its front, he put the golden plate, the holy
crown; as YHVH commanded Moses." The "holy crown" here is "nezer
ha'kodesh," the “crown of holiness.” Since the nazarite
is a person who is "consecrated
or dedicated," the root n.z.r appears to be a fusion of that
which pertains to a priestly ministry and at the same time also referring to a
crown, an item associated with royalty. Does the term “nezer,” therefore,
allude to the office of king-priest, particularly as it was to be fulfilled in
Yeshua (see Zech. 6:13)?
"As to the flesh of the
sacrifice of the thanksgiving peace offerings, it shall be eaten in the day of
his offering. He shall not leave of it until morning" (7:15). This idea
engendered a variety of comments on the part of the sages and rabbis.
Maimonides, writing in The Guide for the
Perplexed- part 3, proffers the following reason: “‘The offerings must all
be perfect and in the best condition, in order that no one should slight the
offering or treat it with contempt’. And according to Sefer haHinuch: ‘There is an allusion [here] to our trust in
God; a man should not begrudge himself his food and store it for the morrow,
seeing that God commanded to utterly destroy sanctified meat after its time,
when no creature - man or beast - is allowed to partake of it.’” This point of
view is comparable to the way the Israelites were supposed to regard the manna.2 Notice
that the Pesach lamb also had to be consumed without leaving its remains
overnight (Ex. 12:10). In addition, if
the offerer is to partake of the peace offering, he must himself be ritually
clean or else be cut off from his people (ref. 7: 20, 21). Similarly, in 1st
Corinthians 11:20-34, we read that those who were breaking bread together
were not to do so “unworthily, [such] that one will be guilty of the body and of the blood of
the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and
let him drink of the cup; for he who is eating and drinking unworthily eats and
drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord" (v.
27-29).
Still on “Ze'vach sh'lamim" and its
above mentioned features… This offering may be seen as an analogy to Yeshua's perfect
(shalem) and "one [time] offering… [that] has perfected the ones being sanctified for all time" (Heb.
10:14, italics added), who are thereby able "through Him… [to] offer up a sacrifice of thanksgiving to Elohim always, that is, the fruit of the lips…” (Heb.
13:15, italics added).
"Any person who eats any blood, even
that person shall be cut off from his people" (7:27). In last week's Hebrew
Insights we looked at Vayikra 17:11, regarding the “blood which makes atonement
for the soul." It also says there that, “the life is in the blood."
And while Mankind - "adam"
- is of the earth ("adama"), he is also of blood, which is "dam." Man cannot partake
of the very substance which is divinely designed to both give him life AND
cover his sin and iniquity.
In
chapter 8, dealing with the consecration of the priesthood, one of the words
used for "consecration" is "milu'im"
(v. 22, 28,29,31,33), of the root "m.l.a"
(mem, lamed, alef), meaning "full, to
make full or fulfill,” and by implication "consecrate," as is seen in verse 33:
"…until the days of your consecration
– mi’lu’ey’chem” are fulfilled – melot. For He shall consecrate – ye’maleh - you seven
days" (italics added). The connection of "maleh" (singular form)
to consecration seems rather obscure. Yet when looking at the items pertaining
to the act of consecration, in verses 25 and 26, all of which were to be placed
on the palms of A'ha'ron's hands and his sons’, we get a glimpse of the
connection between 'making holy' and 'full.'
This is how it is described in the Gill Commentary: "And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron, and in the hands of his
sons," [&c.], which accounts for the use of the phrase, filling the
hand for consecration." Gill goes on to say - "For all the above
things of the ram, bread, cakes and wafers were put into their hands when
consecrated, denoting their investiture with their office: all things are in
the hands of Messiah, relative to the glory of God and the good of his people.
Their persons are in his hands, and all grace and blessings of it for them; a
commission to execute his office as a priest is given to him. And as it was proper that he also should have
somewhat to offer (Heb. 8:3), his hands are filled, and he has a sufficiency
for that purpose, as Aaron and his sons had."3 And
to that we add: “And out of His fullness we all received, and grace on
top of grace. For the Torah was given through Moses, and grace and truth came
through Messiah Yeshua" (John 1:16,17, italics added).
The Parasha ends with A’haron and sons doing
as they were commanded, that is sitting for a complete seven days and
nights at the door of the Tent of Meeting, thus fulfilling the “charge of YHVH” (8:35) for their
sanctification - “milu’im” (again, literally, “fullness” or “completion”).
Lastly, another interesting encounter with
the term “fulfill” or “fulfilling” by the “hand” is found
in Divrey Hayamim Bet (2nd Chronicles). At the inauguration of the (first)
Temple
Notes:
*. “ Then YHVH
will be known to Egypt Egypt
2. New Studies in Vayikra Part 1, Nechama Leibowitz, trans. Aryeh Newman.
Eliner Library, Department for Torah Education and Culture in the Diaspora.
Hemed Books Inc., Brooklyn ,
N.Y.
3. Gill Commentary, On Line Bible.
