This week’s Parasha opening verse: "Now
YHVH spoke to Moses after the death [“acharey mot”] of the two sons of
Aaron, when they drew close to YHVH, and died" (Lev. 16:1, literal
translation, emphasis added) stresses "drawing close" to YHVH AND
"death." Thus, in verse 2 we read, "Tell Aaron… not to come [just]
at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is
on the ark, lest he die…” (italics added). This is the solemn introduction
to the long and detailed account of the necessary preparation and
sanctification process of the High Priest’s entrance to the Holy of Holies,
culminating with: “This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh
month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no
work at all… For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to
cleanse you that you may be clean from all your sins before YHVH. It is a
Sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a
statute forever… This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make
atonement for the children of Israel
The term “atonement” in its various forms
(which includes “kaporet” – translated “mercy sit,” but in Hebrew is rooted in
k.p.r – “to atone” as we saw in Ex. 25:17), is repeated many times over in
chapter 16, and so is the blood of the atonement, with which many of the items
mentioned were to be sprinkled. What is the purpose of sprinkling blood on
inanimate objects? “So he shall make atonement for the Holy [Place], because of the uncleanness
of the children of Israel
In 16:2 we encounter the expression “inside
the veil - parochet - before the mercy seat - kaporet." The veil – parochet is made up
of the same letters as “kaporet.”[1] The rest of verse 2 says, "I will
appear in the cloud above the mercy seat - kaporet." Thus, the rendition
of mercy seat and the veil in the same verse makes for an alliteration (kaporet
and parochet), underscoring the connection of these two articles and the
position of the mercy seat within the veil, where the High Priest may enter
only under very strict and special conditions. “Parochet,” stemming from p.r.ch
(pey, resh, kaf), means both “separating” and “covering,” together with
“kaporet,” point to the ‘cure’ for sin by the covering provided and the separation required.
After readying himself and making a sin
offering as atonement for his own person and household, the High Priest was to
take two male goats, which he was to obtain from the congregation. These two were
to be placed "in front of YHVH" at the opening of the Tent of Meeting
where lots had to be cast for them, "one lot for YHVH and one lot for
Aza'zel" (ref. 16:5-10). The goats mentioned here are “s'eerim”
("hairy ones," sa'eer = "hairy"). The casting
of lots is "goral," which is of the root g.r.l. (gimmel, resh,
lamed), meaning "stone or stony place," since
the lots were comprised of stones shaken after being put into a piece of cloth
or a container [2]. Thus, in Matthew 27:35 we read the following about Yeshua:
"Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it
might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, 'They divided My garments
among them, and for My clothing they cast lots'" (Ps. 22:18). In the same
chapter of Matthew (v. 15-17 and 21b) we read the following: "Now at the Feast the governor was
accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. And at
that time they had a notorious prisoner called Yeshua Bar Abba (Barabbas). Therefore, when
they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, 'Whom do you want me to
release to you? Bar Abba, or Yeshua who is called Messiah?'… They said, 'Bar
Abba!'" The verdict was pronounced. The goat on which YHVH's lot fell was
to be a sin offering, as it is written: "Elohim by sending His own Son in
the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh"
(Rom. 8:3b).
The other goat was to be for Aza'zel
(sometimes translated “scapegoat”). “Aza’zel” is a compound word, made
up of the word “az” (ayin, zayin), meaning “strong,” but can also be read as
“ez” – goat, and “azal” (alef, zayin, lamed) - “that which is used
up,” or “is no more.” This goat that was “to be no more,”
was sent to the wilderness by the hand of a suitable ("eeti,"
meaning “timely”; "et" = the "right or appointed
time") person (ref. 16:21). Thus, Yeshua Bar Abba the criminal and
counterfeit of Yeshua the Son of the Father, stood in proxy, as it were, for
the goat that was allowed to live for the purpose of being sent to the
wilderness, or “eretz grzera” ("land of separation,"
16:22) with all the sins and iniquities.
The root g.z.r (gimmel, zayin, resh) is literally “to cut off, remove,
decreed.” And while it was decreed
that the unrepentant Bar Abba would be cut off and removed from
the Father with his sins (see Is 59:2), Pilate was the timely person
who facilitated the whole prophetic process and scenario. Yet, it also says about the “Suffering
Servant” of Yishayahu (Isaiah) 53:8:
“For He was cut off [nigzar] from the land of the living”
(emphasis added). We see, therefore, that in spite of our above comparison of
Yeshua and Bar Abba, respectively, to the two goats, Yeshua also fulfilled the
role of the second goat, as is confirmed by 16:21: “Aaron shall lay both his
hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the
children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins,
putting them on the head of the goat...” (italics added). Yeshua Bar Abba,
although partially fitting the role of the goat that was sent to the
wilderness, definitely did not act the part of carrying vicariously sins and
iniquities for the purpose of their removal.
Whereas chapter 16 began with a strong
exhortation and command to the High Priest regarding time, place, and
procedures of coming before YHVH, chapter 17 enjoins the ordinary people not to
sacrifice according to their own whims, lest they should be suspect of
sacrificing to idols, or even be led astray and carry out such acts. And so we
read in 17:7: "They shall no more offer their sacrifices to demons, after
whom they have played the harlot…" "Demons" here is “s'eerim,”
again, the word that we have just encountered in the previous chapter for “male
goats.” Goat worship prevailed in Egypt
Parashat Acharey Mot is made up of four
sections. Aside from the part which leads up to Yom Kippur, and the section
regarding the right place for the offerings, there are two more sections
concerning the prohibitions of eating meat with blood (17:10-16), and incest (Ch.
18). In the four sections, all so different one from the other, one phrase is
repeated like a refrain (see the italicized words in the following): "In
the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls,
and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger
who dwells among you" (16:29 italics added); "…this shall be a
statute forever for them throughout their generations. Also you shall say to
them, ‘Whatever man of the house of Israel
"Stranger" is “ger,”
and originates from the root “gur” (gimmel, vav, resh), meaning "to dwell,
tarry, sojourn," as well as “to fear (see Ps. 22:23
for example: “fear Him all you offspring of Israel
The
last section of Parashat Ahcarey Mot deals, as mentioned, with the prohibitions
against incest and other sexual offences. It is sandwiched between statements
regarding the practices of the dwellers of the land which the Israelites have
just left, and the practices in the land which they were about to enter (see
18:3, 24-25). We just observed that YHVH’s people were enjoined to include the
strangers living among them, while here they are solemnly warned not to defile
themselves with that which their neighbors are defiling themselves (v. 27). We
see here a fine line of including the ones who choose to come into the
households of Yisrael, but of keeping firm and clear boundaries of separation
from other non-Israelites.
According
to Torah, when one comes in contact with anything which is (ritually) unclean,
one is contaminated by it. The converse, however, is not true; i.e., coming in
contact with that which is holy does not necessarily make one holy. The land, therefore,
by reason of the practices of its inhabitants would be subject to spiritual
contamination with the resulting consequences that “… the land [will] vomit you
out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before
you" (18:28). The following Parasha (Kdoshim) closes off with the same
warning, as part of the command to stay separate (ref. 20:22).
Finally, in 16:30 we read: "For on this
day He [some translations replace “He” with “the priest”] shall make
atonement for you, to cleanse you; for all your sins, before YHVH you shall be
cleansed," or “before YHVH you shall be purified,” or “before YHVH you
shall purify yourselves.” Here is a fervent call to appropriate by faith the
atonement enacted by the Almighty, and thus to receive the fulfillment of His
promise. However, without the High Priest, first and foremost, complying implicitly
with all of YHVH’s instructions this could not be achieved.[4]
[1] Notice the
"k" and "ch" here denote the same letter, i.e.
"kaf".
[2] The New Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Lexicon, Francis
Brown Hendrickson.
Publishers, Peabody , Mass.
[3] Online Bible, Gill Commentary
[4] Thirty verses relay the High Priest’s orders, versus one
verse with instructions for
the people.
the people.
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