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). In both instances the verb used for “speak” is the same
one, a.m.r (alef, mem, resh).
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, with its themes of 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.d (yod, ayin, dalet), which is "appoint, design
or designate". Thus we read in Amos 3:3 (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. There are some who are of the opinion
that the word for witness “ed” masculine, and “e’dah” (feminine)
also originate from the same root. 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” and “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.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 rooted in “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.d refers not only to people, time and place, but
also to an eternal destiny (past, present and future). “Eternity” or “for ever”
is sometimes designated by the word “ad” (ayin, dalet), such as in
Tehilim 48:14 (‘ever”). “Mo’ed”, with a slight alteration, will be rendered as
“m’ad” – from eternity or “from of old” or “ever”, which takes us all the way
back to creation, as in B’resheet 1:14 the “seasons” in the original text are
rendered “mo’adim”.
The “holy convocations”, as
mentioned, are “mikra'ey kodesh”, with singular being “mikra”. 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”. In addition, these “holy
convocations” are also the special times that are synonymous with “mo’adim”.
And so, once again, the “calling” proves to be the common paradigm or
‘ingredient’ shared by the people and the appointed times during which they are
to convene.
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.u.g (chet ,
vav, 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 (ref. 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 who]… has been sacrificed" (1 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 intertwined, 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, their conditions and aftermath.
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, which
is derived from the word “b'chor” – “firstborn”. Note that in the
Hebrew bible this word does not appear in connection with the waving of the
first barley sheaves (v. 10), where, as we noticed above, “resheet”
(that is, “beginning” or "first", stemming from “rosh”
– “head”) is used. Interestingly, Yisrael
is declared "holy to YHVH”, and like Yeshua is also called “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.
The Feast of First Fruit (Bikkurim/Shavu’ot, see Ex. 34:22; Num. 28:26) 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). Shavu’ot’s two loaves that are baked with leaven (which
are to be waved, 23:17,20), signify that YHVH’s two peoples, unlike His Son, can
be still plagued by the power of sin.
Intertwined with 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 the “sound
or a blast” (that was first heard on Mount Sinai ,
Ex. 19:16). Yet, “t'ruah” is a generic noun, 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 may
also 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] the “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…?" (vs. 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, and 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, pey/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 subsequent 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 seven
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 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). After this mo'ed there is an eighth day, which
aside from being a mikra kodesh, is also described as an “atzeret”,
translated "solemn assembly" (v. 36). The root a.tz.r
(ayin, tzadi, resh) means, "to 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, kaflike Egypt
While Succot brings
together several aspects and reasons for all the other mo'adim, it also points
to future events (hence Shmini Atzeret). Succot is the only feast that is
followed by an eighth day (a day that stands 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. Being
placed at the end of the cycle of the feast, the solemn eighth day points to
that which is even beyond the feasts’ cycle…
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 is twofold; a foundation, but 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) of 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
Hebrew
Tools for Everyday Use
In the past we have focused
much on “daber” (d.b.r or d.v.r), being a common form of “speak” or “say” (and
have looked at the many derivations of this root). In our Parasha it occurs
several times as “speak” and “say”. However, this time we also meet up with “emor”
(“say”, “speak” or “tell” imperative, second person, singular, masculine). The
root a.m.r (alef, mem, resh) can be a reference to a more formal way of
“speaking”, signifying a greater emphasis on one’s words. In Modern Hebrew it
is often used as “tell”. In addition to “saying” and “speaking” our Parasha
text also touches upon the verb “to call”, although in its noun form - “mikra”
(translated “convocation”). In its infinitive form it is “li’kroh”, the root
being k.r.a (kof, resh, alef). The Feast of Unleavened bread, mentioned in
chapter twenty three’s “mo’adim hall of
fame”, is Chag Ha’matzot. “Chag” (or Hag or Khag) is the common reference to a
feast or a holy day (of which we have no shortage…). “Acceptance” occurs
several times in the current Parasha, but in Modern Hebrew “wanting” (not in a
sense of “lacking”, but rather “desiring”) is “li’rtzot”, of the root r.tz.h
(resh, tzadi, hey) and is of course used to a very great extent in everyday
speech. Finally, we have put much emphasis on “resheet” (especially in order to
underscore the fact that this is what the first of the barley harvest is named,
making a direct connection to Yeshua”), and thus we will see how it is used in
its modified form as “first”.
What
are you (masculine) saying?
Ma
ata omer?
What
are you (feminine) saying?
Ma
at omeret?
He
is speaking with the child
Hu
me’da’ber eem ha’yeled
She
is speaking with the brother
He
me’da’beret eem ha’ach
I
am (masculine) saying: “(have) a joyful feast!”
Ani
omer, “chag same’ach”
I
am (feminine) saying: “this is Sunday”
Ani
omeret, “hayom yom Rishon” (lit. day first)
What
do you (masculine, plural) want?
Ma
atem rotzim?
What
do you (feminine, plural) want?
Ma
aten rotzot?
