Tzav (Command) Vayikra (Lev) 6-8
Torah Portion: Tzav (Leviticus) Vayikra 6:1-8:36
Haftorah Reading: Jeremiah 7:21-44:23
Tonight we will look at the sacrifices again. Why do you think G-d has us go back over these for the second time? What is different in this portion from the one last week? This week we look at the sacrifices from the perspective of the priest who is taking the offering from the person and going through the process of presenting it on the altar. Last week we read about the person bringing the offering.
Vayikra (He Called) Lev 1-5
Torah Portion: Vayikra (And He Called) Leviticus 1:1-5:26
HafTorah: Isaiah 43:21-44:23
Tonight we begin the third book of Torah. In English we call it Leviticus, a word coming from Greek and Latin and meaning, “Pertaining to the Levites.” By contrast, in Hebrew it is named Vayikra or “And He called.” Interestingly, this is the first book studied in religious elementary schools. In fact, even in Yeshua’s day, this would have been His first book of study.
Vayikra Leviticus 1-5
Torah Portion: Vayikra Leviticus 1:1-5:26
HafTorah: Isaiah 43:21-44:23
Here we begin the third book of Torah known in English as Leviticus or pertaining to the priests. It is a hand book for the priests who served G-d and the people, in the Mishkan and later in the Temple. So why take the time to study a book concerned with instructions about a system that no longer exists? I pray that as a nation of priests (I Peter 2:9) we will be able to grasp what these verses say to us as believers today.
Pinchas Bamidbar (Numbers) 25-30
Torah Portion: Pinchas (Bamidbar) Numbers 25:10-30:1
HafTorah: I Kings 18:46-19:21
NT Matt 26:1-30, John 2:13-22, Acts 2:1-21
In this Torah portion we see another census being taken of the men 20 years old and up, who can go to war. In fact this census takes up Numbers 26:1-65, an entire chapter. For your information if we look at the census in Numbers 1 and compare it to this one at the end of their journey we notice the total number stays almost the same. Chapter I total was 603,550 and here in chapter 26 it is 601,730. Not much change in the total. However, when we look closer we see that seven of the 12 tribes went up in population and five went down. But the tribe of Shimon went from 59,300 to 22, 200. This is a drop of over 60%. What could have caused such a drop? Sages believe it may be connected with the sin of Zimri. The story of Zimri precedes this census. He belonged to the tribe of Shimon. Whatever the reason it began the fulfillment of Jacob’s prophecy in Genesis 49:7. The tribe of Shimon was eventually be absorbed by the other tribes of Israel.
Tazria Lev. 12-13
Torah Portion: Tazria Vayikra Lev. 12-13
HafTorah: II Kings 4:42-5:19
NT Matt 8:1-4, 11:2-6
This week we continue on with the laws of clean and unclean which began in chapter 11 with clean and unclean animals. I want us to begin our time with what it means to be clean or unclean. The word in Hebrew, tahor, can also be found in Psalms 51:10 where David prays to G-d to, “create in me a pure/clean heart.” So clean denotes something pure and unblemished. Tami, in Hebrew would be the opposite. If you will notice this is the same word used for the sacrifices. They had to be tahor, no blemish or spot could be found. In Torah this term is used to denote if a person would be able to take part in the Sanctuary worship or to come in contact with any holy object. It had nothing to do with sin but rather was a physical issue. It was usually dealt with by the passage of time (usually until evening) and passing through the waters of mikvah. It in effect excluded a person from experiencing the presence of G-d in the Mishkan or Temple. So these laws pertained to the things of the Sanctuary. which is here being used for the first time. These laws had nothing to do with the person’s heart condition, yet they are used in both Hebrew scripture and the New Testament to symbolically refer to issues of morality. So we hear David speak of a Tahor heart. In the New Testament, Yeshua does the same in Matt. 5:8. So as we go on I want us to keep these things in mind as we explore clean and unclean.
Shemini (Eighth) Lev 9-11
Torah Portion: Shemini (Eighth) Vayikra Lev. 9:1-11:47
HafTorah: II Sam 6:1-7:17
Tonight we read and study the Torah portion of Shemini or eighth. This eighth day was at the conclusion of the seven day training period for Aaron and his sons. Eighth in Torah has special significance. It usually is connected with something that transcends the ordinary but is still connected to that which it transcended. Here the priests had been practicing their role in the Mishkan. Now was the time to step out of practice into reality. If you think about it Yeshua rose on the eighth day or what became know as Sunday. He, with His resurrection, entered another realm. This realm was that for which He came. He was to take His place at the Father’s side and intercede for us. So this eighth concept can help us further understand the order of G-d. Yeshua was not separated from what had gone before, His people, His land, but entered the spiritual world, which is that which should be the pattern for our physical life.
Vayikra (And He Called) Lev 1-5
Torah Portion: Vayikra (And He Called) Lev. 1-5
HafTorah: Isaiah 43:21-44:23
Tonight we begin the third book of Moses. In English we read Leviticus which is a Greek word meaning relating to the Levites. At the time of Yeshua it would have been called Torath Ha Kohanim. It is basically the laws and rules dealing with sacrifices and the duties of the priests.