Parashat Emor starts with (literal
translation) “and spoke - va’yomer - YHVH to Moshe, ‘speak – emor
- to the priests, the sons of A’haron’”
(21:1). The topics, with which Moshe was
commanded to address the cohanim/priests, had to do with their sanctity. The
first of these deals with defiling themselves with the dead (v.1), although in
Hebrew the word “dead” is missing, and can only be inferred from the context.
Perhaps this is a linguistic device intended to illustrate the defilement of
death, and thus is omitted (even) from the text. The titles of the previous two
Parashot, together with this one, form the sentence: “after the death of
the holy ones, say/speak…,” the “speaking” having to do, once again, with the
topic of death. The opening of our Parasha seems, therefore, to pick off
from the beginning of Parashat Acharey Mot (Lev. 16:1-2), which deals with the
aftermath of the death of A’haron’s sons, elaborating on the necessary conduct required
for the priests.
Parashat Emor also contains the well-known
chapter 23, which lists and specifies YHVH's appointed times. Chapters 21 and
22, on one end of the Parasha, deal respectively, as we have just seen, with
the priests' conduct of holiness, the sanctity of the offerings and the
handling thereof. It is interesting to
note the order; the sanctity of the priests ("they shall be holy to
their Elohim," 21:6) is followed by the sanctity of the offerings
(called "holy things," 22:3), followed by the sanctity of
the appointed times (chapter 23). The
other end of the Parasha is made up of chapter 24, whose themes are the perpetual
light ("ner ha'tamid" vs. 1-4), and the twelve
loaves that were to be set on the gold table (vs. 5-9). A brief account relating an episode during
which YHVH's name was profaned,*
as well as the resulting and immediate consequences, together with a series of instructions
for penalizing measures applicable in similar cases and a variety of offenses, seal
off Parashat Emor.
Chapter
23 is situated in the center of the Parasha, with verses 1 and 2 stating the
following: “YHVH spoke again to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the sons of Israel and
say to them, YHVH's appointed times ["mo'adim"] which you shall
proclaim as holy convocations [“mik'ra'ey kodesh”] - My appointed times are
these…'" Here we encounter the important terms, “mo’adim” and “mikra'ey
kodesh” (singular: “mo'ed” and “mikra kodesh”). Mo’ed stems from the
root y.a'a.d (yod, ayin, dalet), which is "appoint, design
or designate." Thus, in Amos 3:3 we read (literal translation):
"Do two men walk together unless it has been designated, or appointed for
them [to do so]?" The conjugation of the verb implies that someone else
was responsible for their meeting.
“Mo'ed,” as we see in the text before us, is
connected to a specific called-out and destined assembly, many times
termed “e'dah” (originating in the same root), which gathers or convenes
together. In 24:14 for example, the assembly, or “edah,” is told to stone an
offender. In T’hilim (Psalms) 82:1, “Elohim takes His stand in His edah.” The “appointed times,” therefore, relate to
an appointed group of people, but there is more…
“Tent of
[appointed] meeting” is “Ohel Mo'ed” (mentioned here in 24:3). A similar,
though not identical term is found in T’hilim (Psalms) 74:4 and 8,
where we read, “Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place… They have burned Your sanctuary." The
renderings of “your meeting place” and "sanctuary" here
are: “mo’ade’cha” “mo'adey El,” literally "your appointed
times” and “appointed times of El,” making evident
that Place and Time in the Hebrew mind are not always demarcated by a clear
boundary. Our text reveals the “three-strand cord” of place, time and people,
as it is held together by the sovereignty of the One who has appointed and
chosen them, and who is responsible for bringing about their interactions one
with the other. Finally, y.a-a.d is also to “establish a destiny,” and
so we read in Romans 8:29-30: “Whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed
to the image of His Son… Moreover whom He predestined, these He also
called…” (italics added). In the Hebrew translation of the Greek text,
“predestined” is of the root “ya’ad.” Who are the ones whom He foreknew,
predestined and called? As we have seen above (and will see later), the calling
and appointing has been and are Yisrael’s, thus establishing again (in context with
the above quote), that y.a-a.d refers not only to people, time and place, but
also to an eternal destiny (past, present and future).
The “holy convocations,” as mentioned, are “mikra'ey
kodesh.” The root k.r.a (kof, resh, alef) makes up the verb “to call”
even though the "convocation" - the assembling - is made up of
people. The calling, therefore, is what designates the “mikra kodesh.” “Mikra,”
like the term we examined above, is also related to place, as is illustrated by
Yisha’yahu (Isaiah) 4:5: "Then YHVH will create over the whole area of Mount Zion
The first "appointed day" – the
“Shabbat” - is also the prototype upon which all the others are established
(ref. 23:3). It speaks of rest, trust, and faith directed toward the Heavenly
Father (a topic we dealt with at length in Parashat Yitro – Exodus 18-20).
The mo’ed, which starts the annual cycle, is
to be celebrated on the first month of the biblical calendar (the month of
Aviv). The 14th day of that month is designated as YHVH's Pesach (Passover),
whereas the next seven days are called the Feast of Matzot (Unleavened Bread). The root p.s.ch (pey, samech, chet), which we
examined in Parashat Bo (Exodus 10-13:16, in 12:11), means to “pass or skip
over.” The lamb’s blood was
smeared on the Hebrews’ doorposts, thus covering and protecting the sons of Yisrael
from YHVH's arm, which dealt severely with the Egyptians. It was by virtue of that blood that YHVH
“passed” or “skipped over” the dwellings of the Israelites. The wider scope of
the principle set in motion here is the atoning blood of the Lamb of Elohim,
that covers and protects the redeemed from sin’s death sentence.
Next is the Feast of Matzot, or Chag
HaMaztot (plural of “matza,” which is a thin, wafer-like cracker
baked without yeast). “Chag” is feast, whose root, ch.g.g (chet,
gimmel, gimmel), means “to circle” (e.g. Ps. 107:27),
thus pointing to the cyclical nature and annual reoccurrence of YHVH’s feasts
and appointed times. As we have already
seen in Parashat Bo, the root m.tz.h (mem, tzadi, hey) means “to drain or
squeeze out” to the very last drop of water. Yeast can only be activated in an
accommodating environment (that is, in water). Since yeast, or leaven, is likened to the sin
which leavens or puffs up the whole lump (Gal. 5:9), water may be compared to
the environment, which enhances it. The "old leaven" (1 Cor. 5:8)
being sin, in the form of the deeds of darkness (Rom. 13:12), wickedness (1st
Cor. 5:13) and more, is removed as the redeemed are constituted "holy
matzot; for Messiah, our Pesach [lamb]… has been sacrificed" (1st Cor.
5:7). Notice that aside from “matza,”
unleavened bread is also called “lechem oni,” translated “bread of affliction”
(Deut. 16:3). Yeshua, who is the “Bread of Life” (John 6:35), was born in the
House of Bread (Beit-Lehem) and was in Beit Onya (Bethany
"Then YHVH spoke to Moses saying,
‘Speak to the sons of Israel
The land and its fruitfulness, or lack
thereof, was to reflect Yisrael's relationship with YHVH, as it is "a Land
for which YHVH your Elohim cares; the eyes of YHVH your Elohim are always on
it, from the beginning even to the end of the year" (Deut. 11:12). The
Cycle of the Feasts "from the beginning even to the end of the year"
is partly designed for this purpose.
Thus, if the rains come in their due season, watering the ground which
responds to the seed (ref. Hos. 2:21,22), it can indicate that the Nation of Yisrael
is walking with their Elohim, "who keeps for us the appointed weeks for
the harvest" (Jer. 5:24). In that
case, all is well and the Counting of the Omer can begin. Conversely, the
consequence of disobedience and sin is drought (Lev. 26:18-20, 26, for
example), which means that there is no barley, no sheaves and nothing to count.
That, in turn, will affect the next
mo'ed, which is Shavu'ot. The mo'adim, the Land and the relationship with the
Almighty are all linked together, making the life of the Hebrew person
inseparable from his Elohim, his Torah, his land and community. The omer,
therefore, affects the celebration of Shavu’ot. It also signifies total
dependency on YHVH, and speaks of His control over the natural and spiritual
causes.
On Shavu'ot the focus is on "a new
grain offering to YHVH" (23:16), also termed "first fruits of the
wheat harvest” (Ex. 34:22) called bikkurim, deriving from the
word “b'chor” – “firstborn.” Note that this word does not appear in
connection with the waving of the first barley sheaves (v. 10), where “resheet”
(that is, “beginning,” "first" stemming from “rosh” –
“head”) is used instead. Yisrael is
declared "holy to YHVH, the first - "resheet" - of His
harvest" (Jer. 2:3). Hence, both of
these special times (the Counting of the Omer and Shavu'ot) are a reminder to
Yisrael that as YHVH's firstborn (Ex. 4:22), they too belong to Him. Messiah is
called the “resheeta” (1cor. 15:20, 23 Aramaic New Testament), the “beginning,”
just as is “the first of the Omer,” which is waved for our “acceptance.”
The Feast of First Fruit (Bikkurim/Shavu’o t) has also been fulfilled by
Messiah, when He sent the Spirit of Holiness so that we may be the
“bikkurim” – the “first fruit” who were “brought forth by the word of truth”
(James 1:18). Interestingly, on Shavu’ot two loaves baked with leaven are to be
waved (23:17,20), making it obvious that these signify YHVH’s two peoples who,
unlike His Son, are not yet totally without sin.
Intertwined in this mo'adim ‘inventory’ is
an important insertion, which lends another dimension to the feasts and to the
life of the sons and daughters of Yisrael. It reads as follows: “When you reap
the harvest of your land, moreover, you shall not reap to the very corners of
your field nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them
for the needy and the alien” (23:22 italics added). The reason given for
this injunction, albeit a very short one summarizes it all: "For I am YHVH
your Elohim." We found a similar injunction in last week’s portion
(Kdoshim), in 19:9-10, which was preceded by the declaration: "You shall
be holy for I YHVH your Elohim am Holy" (19:2). YHVH’s heart, His
character and deeds express His holiness. He desires to bestow upon His people
this kind of holiness, while they, in turn, are to live accordingly.
From the first month through the third - we
now move to the seventh, which is replete with mo'adim, starting with the first
day. (Rosh Chodesh - "head of the month," the usual term for the
first day of the month, is not used here.) The "first day" of the
seventh month is to be a “shabbaton,” a Shabbat-like day, and also a “mikra
kodesh” - a "holy convocation" (23:24). It is to be a “zich'ron
tru'ah,” that is, a day dedicated to remembering and to making a
“sound or a blast.” “T'ruah”
is a generic noun; it is not used exclusively for this day of
remembrance, thereby shrouding this mo’ed with some obscurity. The raising of
human voices, or the blowing of a shofar (ram’s horn), or a silver trumpet can
all produce the “t’ruah” sound. The combination of 'jarring' the communal
memory and the emphasis on sound could possibly be in preparation for the tenth
day of the month, the most solemn of all the feast days, “Yom HaKippurim,”
literally "Day of the Atonements" (v. 27). The sound of the alarm is intended, therefore,
to help the People of Yisrael recall the greatness of their Elohim, His deeds
and commandments, as well as their own responses and shortcomings. In other
words, it is a call to self-examination leading to repentance. Since “tru'a”
signifies a number of different calls and alarms (e.g. Num. 10:5, 6,9,10) “…blessed
is the people who knows [understands, discerns] tru'a [the specific sound and
its intent]; O YHVH they walk in the light of your countenance!" (Ps.
89:15).
The Day of Atonement is a mikra kodesh,
"on exactly the tenth day" (23:27) to commence on the previous
evening (according to verse 32); and "it is to be a Shabbat
Shabbaton" - a Shabbat of Shabbats. What else singles out this day? In addition to
a total cessation of labor, it is also to be a time of "affliction of the
soul." To “afflict" here is “(ve)ee'ni'tem,” the root
being a.n.h (ayin, noon, hey), shared by the adjectives “humility” or
“self-denial.” Yisha’yahu (Isaiah) 58 clarifies for us the kind of affliction
YHVH is referring to: "Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a
man to afflict/humble [ah'not] himself? Is it for bowing one's
head like a reed and for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you
call this a fast, even an acceptable day to YHVH? Is this not the fast, which I
choose: to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and
to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your
bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor [ah’ni, the same root]
into the house…?" (v. 5-7 emphases
added). Thus, he who truly afflicts himself is not necessarily engaged only in
ceremonial acts, but, rather, empathizes with the afflicted and comes to their
aid. Lastly, a quick glance back to Pesach will remind us of the "bread of
affliction" - lechem oni - literally "bread of affliction or humility,"
which is another name for the “matza,” as we already noted above. Lechem Oni,
therefore, is a fitting title for He who is the "Bread of Life," the
Pesach's Matza, who is also described in Z’char’yah (Zechariah) 9:9 as "humble
- ah'ni - and mounted on a donkey."
The
other aspect of the Day of Atonement, the “kippurim” or “kapara” of the root
k.f.r (kaf, fey, resh), with its primal meaning, "to cover," we have
examined a number of times (particularly in Parashat Noach – in Gen. 6:14). The
ultimate sin-covering and forgiveness was epitomized in the life and atoning
death of Yeshua, who became the final sacrifice and ransom for all (ref. 1 Tim.2:6).
We
are still in the seventh month. On the 15th day, the Feast of Succot - Booths
or Tabernacles - is to be celebrated for eight days. The first day is to be a holy
convocation, on which no work is to be preformed. This feast is to be kept
"when you have gathered in the crops of the land" (23:39), and is
therefore another one of those special times, during which the Israelites are
reminded of the connection that the Land and its produce bear to their
relationship with their Elohim. They are also enjoined to dwell in “succot”
(“booths”) "…for seven days…so that your generations may know that I had
the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of
Egypt" (vs. 42, 43). This is the only mo'ed after which there is an eighth
day. Aside from being a mikra kodesh, it is also described as an “atzeret,”
translated "solemn assembly" (v. 36). The root a.tz.r
(ayin, tzadi, resh) means, "restrain, hold back, refrain,"
as well as "to rule, possess and to check." "Solemn," in reference to the
"assembly" is no doubt a development of "restraint,"
denoting the importance of the day.
“Succa” (singular for “succot”) stems
from the root s.ch.ch. (sah'mech, kaf, kaf), meaning to “cover, protect
or a (temporary) shelter.” Its
primal root is to “weave together" (for example, "You
have woven me - tesukeni - in my mother's womb," Ps. 139:13).
"Succa" is also a "thicket." Besides being
translated as a literal shelter for men and animals, this word is used
figuratively; especially known is the “fallen succa - dynasty - of David,"
which YHVH promises to restore (Amos 9:11, Acts 15:16). The "mercy
seat" - kaporet - in the Holy of Holies was covered by the wings of the
Cherubim, which are described as “covering the mercy seat with their wings” (Ex.
25:20). The term "covering" in this instance utilizes “soche'chim,”
which shares the same root as “succa.”
While Succot brings together several aspects
and reasons for the mo'adim, it also points to future events. As we noted
previously, Succot is the only feast that is followed by an eighth day (which
seems to stand on its own). A full (and prophetically complete) unit of days is
always comprised of seven days. The eighth day, therefore, signifies a new
beginning. The restoration of David's “dynasty,” or “house,” when compared to a
succa clearly indicates that the Feast of Succot is yet to have an even greater
fulfillment. On the day that…"the Branch of YHVH will be beautiful and
glorious… there will be a succa to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge
and protection from the storm and the rain," is an exciting future promise
found in Yisha’yahu (Isaiah) 4:2, 6.
Shabbat, by commemorating the Creator’s work
and His redemption of the Hebrews from bondage and their everlasting covenant,
lays the foundation for the mo'adim; whereas the mo'adim illustrate the various
phases of the life and path of faith. At
the same time Shabbat, being the epitome of rest and cessation of all
self-effort, is also a foreshadowing of the coming Kingdom. Thus, it
represents, as well as stands for the destination of the Believer's path, and
hence it is twofold; while being a foundation, it is also a tangible image of
the goal. In this way the Shabbat may be compared to Messiah Yeshua, in that He
too is the foundation, the Root, as well as the Branch - both a Beginning and an
ultimate Destination (ref. Revelation 22:16).
*
The word used there for “profaned” is
“yikov”(root k.v.v, kof, vet, vet) and means “to bore a hole.” Thus, as we saw
last week, when examining the verb ch.l.l, which also means to “profane or
desecrate,” such an act constitutes ‘hollowing out’ or ‘making empty’ (implying
meaninglessness) that which is of greatest import, seriousness, and sacredness.
Some of the word definitions were gleaned from:
The New Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Lexicon, ed. Francis
Brown, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody ,
Mass.
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, ed. R. Laird
Harris, Moody Press, Chicago, 1980.
Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew, ed. Matityahu
Clark, Feldheim Publishers, Jerusalem ,
New York.1999.
