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Tishrei 22, 5763 / Sept 28, 2000
Tishrei 19, 5766 / Oct 22, 2005
Tishrei 19, 5769 / Oct 18, 2008
Tishrei 15, 5772 / Oct 17, 2011
Tishrei 17, 5775 / Oct 11, 2014
Tishrei 17, 5778 / Oct 7,
2017
Tishrei 15, 5781 / Oct 3,
2020 - First Day of Hag Sukkot / Feast of Tabernacles
:
Tzav / Command
SCRIPTURES (should be read first)
Commentary:
This portion concerns the
(olah) elevation offerings and the (minchah) meal offerings. It
commands the priests how to perform their duties relating to these offerings. (Chatas)
sin offerings and (asham) guilt offerings will be next week’s subject.
We are given
this time to also build treasures here for eternity! Yeshua said, “Do not store
up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where
thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or
steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew
6:19-21).
Abel, Noah,
and Abraham made elevation offerings that were a pleasing aroma to Yahweh – long
before written instruction (Torah) was given through Moses from Mt. Sinai.
Genesis 4:4 Abel,
on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat
portions. And Yahweh had regard for Abel and for his offering;
Genesis 8:20-21
Then Noah built an altar to Yahweh, and took of every clean animal and of every
clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. Yahweh smelled the
soothing aroma; and Yahweh said to Himself, "I will never again curse the ground
on account of man, for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth; and I
will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.
Genesis 22:13 Then
Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the
thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for
an elevation offering in the place of his son.
During Tabernacle and
Temple times, three fires burned continually on the large Brazen Altar in the
courtyard. They were the large fire where the offerings were burned, the small
fire for incense from which coals were taken into the sanctuary for the incense
service, and the wood fire from which burning wood was added to the large fire
as necessary. These fires burned continually for 116 years in the Tabernacle
courtyard, before the Temple was built.
During most
of the fourth millennium, at the Holy Temple, every morning and evening there
was an elevation offering of one lamb – the "continual" offering on the altar.
On every Sabbath an additional two lambs were offered, between the morning and
evening offering.
This is the
order for the Temple activities:
(V.10) First
in the morning, the High Priest must go into the mikvah and then put on his four
required garments. He would then take a scoop of ashes from the previous day’s
offering off the altar using a special golden shovel, placing the ashes by east
side of the ramp to the Altar.
(V.11) Then
He must remove his priestly garments and remove all of the excess ashes
accumulated on the altar.
The daily
morning offering (one lamb) and the Sabbath offerings (two lambs) preceded any
Festival offerings.
On this third
day of Hag Sukkot, there were additional Festival elevation offerings: eleven
bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs, all without defect, each accompanied by
a specific bread offering and wine offering.
These animal
offerings are entirely burned upon the altar (that is, the meat), sending up a
pleasing aroma to God.
(V.14)
With the two
daily and two Sabbath offerings, each of the lambs was accompanied by bread made
from one omer (3 quarts) of fine wheat flour mixed with ¼ hin of pure olive oil,
salted, with frankincense added after baking (Numbers 15:3-5).
For this
Festival day, with each of the eleven bullocks, the bread offering was made from
3 omers (2 gallons) of fine wheat flour mixed with ½ hin (1/2 gallon) of pure
olive oil, salted, with frankincense added after baking (Numbers 15:8-9).
With each of
the two rams, the bread was made from 2 omers of flour mixed with 1/3 hin of oil
(Numbers 15:6-7), and with each of the fourteen lambs, the same as the daily and
Sabbath offerings.
This is all
besides the sin offering, which was a goat. These were all communal offerings.
There were no
personal offerings on Sabbaths or Festivals. This
goes along with the word spoken through Isaiah, “desisting from your own ways,
from seeking your own pleasure, and speaking your own word” (Isaiah 58:13) on
the Sabbath. It also complies with the word given through Jeremiah, “do not
carry any load on the Sabbath” (Jeremiah 17:21), since any personal offerings
would need to be brought in on the day they were offered. This is the reason
that stricter Jewish groups today do not pronounce the personal blessings of the
Shemoneh Esrei on the Sabbath, though we may find reason to differ.
Those who dealt with the
offerings were required to display purity and wear clean, appropriate attire
during their service. It was to be changed to other attire for menial labor
(such as taking out the ashes). This was even the case for worshippers entering
a synagogue: there was a mikvah near the entrance.
Jeremiah
mentions that God did not instruct Israel about sacrifices on the day that they
left Egypt (though offerings began long before) – that instruction to them came
later, to apply when the Tabernacle was built. But, God did instruct them to
obey His voice, saying that He would then be their God and they would be “His
people.” Here we can see God’s priority for us: obey! We can ask questions
later.
Psalm 73
The offerings
are ordinances to teach us spiritual truths; they are part of the counsel of
God. David said, “With Your counsel You will guide me, and afterward receive
me to glory.” The offerings help show us the way to glory.
Mark 12
Yeshua said
that the greatest commandment of all was to love God with all our heart . . . ,
and our neighbor as ourself. Again, this has to do with obedience, not just
lovey-dovey feelings. The commandments were given to show us how to love God and
neighbor.
The entire
community of God’s people was to contribute for the elevation offerings. They
represent God’s people being spiritually elevated toward God.
We have this
time of life to elevate ourselves spiritually, as the elevation offerings
represented.
We may do
this by learning of God’s ways, and growing in faith.
We do this by
prayer; in prayer we seek to know His will, and we seek His provision for
fulfilling His will.
We do this by
being thankful. We are instructed to give thanks in all things. We can learn to
offer thanks for everything our heavenly Father provides for us – before we use
it. We can learn to bless Yahweh afterwards for prosperity. We learn by
practice.
We
do this by learning an attitude of respect for holy places and holy things –
those which are dedicated to the worship of Yahweh.
Readings:
"Blessed are You, Yahweh our God, King
of the Universe,
Who chose us from among all peoples by
giving us Your Torah.
Blessed are You, Yahweh, giver of the
Torah."
Reader 1*
Amen. 8 Then
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 9 "Command Aaron
and his sons, saying, 'This is the law for the elevation
offering: the burnt offering itself shall remain on the
hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the
fire on the altar is to be kept burning on it. 10
The priest is to put on his linen robe, and he shall put on
undergarments next to his flesh; and he shall take up the
ashes to which the fire reduces the elevation offering on
the altar and place them beside the altar. 11
Then he shall take off his garments and put on other
garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean
place. 12 The fire on the altar shall be kept
burning on it. It shall not go out, but the priest shall
burn wood on it every morning; and he shall lay out the
burnt offering on it, and offer up in smoke the fat portions
of the peace offerings on it. 13 Fire shall be
kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out.
Reader 2*
Amen. 14 'Now this is the law of the grain offering: the
sons of Aaron shall present it before Yahweh in front of the altar. 15
Then one of them shall lift up from it a handful of the fine flour of the grain
offering, with its oil and all the incense that is on the grain offering, and he
shall offer it up in smoke on the altar, a soothing aroma, as its memorial
offering to Yahweh. 16 What is left of it Aaron and his sons are to
eat. It shall be eaten as unleavened cakes in a holy place; they are to eat it
in the court of the tent of meeting. 17 It shall not be baked with
leaven. I have given it as their share from My offerings by fire; it is most
holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. 18 Every male
among the sons of Aaron may eat it; it is a permanent ordinance throughout your
generations, from the offerings by fire to Yahweh. Whoever touches them will
become consecrated.'"
Additional
for Sabbath Day during Tabernacles:
Exodus
34:22-23
Reader *
Amen.
22 “You
shall celebrate . . . the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. 23
Three times a year all your males are to appear before Lord Yahweh, the God of
Israel.”
Additional
for Fifth Day of Tabernacles:
Numbers
29:26-28
Reader *
Amen. 26 'Then on the fifth
day: nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect;
27 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for
the rams and for the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance; 28
and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual elevation offering
and its grain offering and its drink offering.
"Blessed are You, Yahweh our God, King
of the Universe,
Who in giving us Yeshua, the Living
Torah, has planted everlasting life in our midst.
Blessed are You, Yahweh, giver of the
Torah."
"Blessed are You, Yahweh our God, King
of the Universe,
Who selected good prophets, delighting
in their words which were spoken truthfully.
Blessed are You, Yahweh, Who chose the
Torah, Your servant Moses, Your people Israel,
and the prophets of truth and
righteousness."
Jeremiah 7:21-27
Reader 3*
Amen. 21 Thus says
Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “Add your elevation offerings to your
sacrifices and eat flesh. 22 For I did not speak to your fathers, or
command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning
elevation offerings and sacrifices. 23 But this is what I commanded
them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people;
and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with
you.' 24 Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in
their own counsels and in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went
backward and not forward. 25 Since the day that your fathers came out
of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the
prophets, daily rising early and sending them. 26 Yet they did not
listen to Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck; they did more evil
than their fathers. 27 You shall speak all these words to them, but
they will not listen to you; and you shall call to them, but they will not
answer you.”
Psalm 73 (To
be sung.)
A Psalm of Asaph.
1 Surely God is good to Israel,
To those who are pure in heart! 2 But as for me, my feet came close
to stumbling, my steps had almost slipped. 3 For I was envious of the
arrogant as I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 For there are no
pains in their death, and their body is fat. 5 They are not in
trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like mankind. 6 Therefore
pride is their necklace; the garment of violence covers them. 7 Their
eye bulges from fatness; the imaginations of their heart run riot. 8
They mock and wickedly speak of oppression; they speak from on high. 9
They have set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue parades through
the earth. 10 Therefore his people return to this place, and waters
of abundance are drunk by them. 11 They say, "How does God know? And
is there knowledge with the Most High?" 12 Behold, these are the
wicked; and always at ease, they have increased in wealth. 13 Surely
in vain I have kept my heart pure and washed my hands in innocence; 14
For I have been stricken all day long and chastened every morning. 15
If I had said, "I will speak thus," behold, I would have betrayed the generation
of Your children. 16 When I pondered to understand this, it was
troublesome in my sight 17 Until I came into the sanctuary of God;
then I perceived their end. 18 Surely You set them in slippery
places; You cast them down to destruction. 19 How they are destroyed
in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors! 20 Like a
dream when one awakes, O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their form.
21 When my heart was embittered and I was pierced within, 22
then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. 23
Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand.
24 With Your counsel You will guide me, and
afterward receive me to glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but
You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. 26 My flesh and my
heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed
all those who are unfaithful to You. 28 But as for me, the nearness
of God is my good; I have made Lord Yahweh my refuge, that I may tell of all
Your works.
Mark 12:28-34
Reader 4*
Amen. 28 One of the
scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them
well, asked Him, "What commandment is the foremost of all?" 29 Yeshua
answered, "The foremost is, 'Hear, O Israel! Yahweh our God is One; 30
and you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul,
and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' 31 "The second
is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other
commandment greater than these." 32 The scribe said to Him, "Right,
Teacher; You have truly stated that He is One, and there is no one else besides
Him; 33 and to love Him with all the heart and with all the
understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as himself,
is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." 34 When Yeshua
saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, "You are not far from
the kingdom of God." After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more
questions.
"Blessed are You, Yahweh
our God, King of the Universe,
Rock of Ages, righteous
throughout all generations.
You are the faithful God,
promising and then performing, speaking and then fulfilling,
for all Your words are true
and righteous.
Faithful are You, Yahweh
our God, and faithful are Your words,
for no word of Yours shall
remain unfulfilled;
You are a faithful and
merciful God and King.
Blessed are You, Yahweh our
God, Who are faithful in fulfilling all Your words."
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