"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. The usage of
the term “the torah of the…” offering/sacrifice, instead of when “a person” or
“a soul” offers or sacrifices, indicates that here the issue at hand is the
work of the priests as it pertains to sacrifices and offerings, and not to the
general public as we saw last week.
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 several 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, with the main one being the listing of the
various sacrifices/offerings, with added specifications. The interaction and
connection that exists between them is one more feature introduced in this
Parasha. Thus, we read about the meal offering - "mincha" (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 sacrifices/offerings.
These
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). “In Him
we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28 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 italics added).
Following the instructions for the "guilt offering" is the
"torah of zeh’vach 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, in Parashat Vayikra, we noted that the "guilt
offering" 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, vow and a freewill offering
(7:12-16).
Thanksgiving is "toda",
from the root y.d.a (yod, dalet,
hey) connected to "hand"
or “arm” – “yad” (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. “Vow” 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 (even as
the priests were to wear this crown) 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? (Ref. Zech. 6:13. See also Hebrew Insights into Parashat
Va’yechi, re Genesis 49:26).
"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 was to partake of the peace offering, he had
to 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).
Some more on “zeh'vach sh'lamim" (sacrifice of peace offerings) and
its above-mentioned traits… 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" (vs. 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 – m’lot. 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’ha’ron 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”). This charge takes us back to Sh’mot
(Exodus) 40:34-38, and seems to actually be a continuation of the said passage
which describes the coming down of the cloud of glory upon the completion of
the Mishkan.
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)
Notes:
.
“Then YHVH will be known to
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.,
. Gill Commentary, On Line Bible.
