Shabbat Shalom Natsarim Mishpahah!
I pray you are enduring during this time! Personally, my life has not changed much during this crisis. My work has been busier than ever, people coming in and going out in multitudes. No so called, “social distancing” in my town really. The only new thing I noticed this week was the erection of a large white tent for testing, the only problem is there are no cars in the parking lot and no people around either. However, I live in a very small town of population around 400 so that could be why. How are things in you area of the world? I really would love for you to share at the bottom of this post!!
In this Parashah, however, are detailed and comprehensive directions for the priests, regarding the offerings that were mentioned earlier. This teaches us that when a heavenly revelation is given to us, we do not receive everything at once. First a general picture is given and thereafter the Spirit brings out more details about those things that were revealed generally. The Torah was written in harmony with the way that the human mind works. The mind does not function linearly, but circularly. This means that when a theme is presented to us, our minds do not follow this theme in a linear pattern, but it advances circularly, or rather in a spiral formation. It advances a bit on one theme and then goes back over the same theme again to while bringing out more details. Then it goes on to another theme, which is related to the first theme, and then it goes back again and gives more details to one of the themes that were addressed earlier, and so on.
Three times the Torah repeats the importance of not allowing the fire on the altar to go out. In order for fire to keep burning, three elements are necessary: flammable material, oxygen, and heat. If one of these is lacking, fire cannot burn. The fire that was on the altar in the tabernacle had fallen from heaven. The priests had the task of keeping that fire burning at all times. The heat was in the flames and in the burning coals. Oxygen came from the air around it. Wood was the only thing that needed to be added.
That teaches us how important it is to keep the heavenly fire burning on the personal altar that each one of us has within. Every morning more wood must be placed on the fire.
What is wood?
Wood is the product of the life and death of a tree. It is written that the Torah is a tree of life, see Proverbs 3:18. The Mashiach also compared himself to a tree, see Luke 23:31; John 15:1. This teaches us that the flammable material that keeps the flame alive in our hearts is the Torah and the Messiah. The life and death of the Messiah Yahusha has created enough fuel for us to burn for eternity in the presence of the Eternal. Every morning more fuel must be added to the fire in the heart so that we can burn constantly before the Eternal.
Fuel is added to the fire through prayer, praise and studying of the Scriptures, which all those who are faithful engage in each morning. The only way to keep the heavenly fire burning in our lives is to keep adding more fuel. It must be a daily activity.
There is oxygen in the air. The Hebrew word for wind is ruach. We know the Ruach is “Spirit”. This teaches us that the Spirit of the Eternal; is oxygen for spiritual fire. If the Spirit is lacking in our prayer and reading, the fire will die out. Neither should you let heat be lacking in your dedication to the Eternal. Heat symbolizes the love and intensity of our zeal, in Hebrew kavanah. As, Natsarim and Followers of the WAY, in Messiah we are all priests unto Yahuah! Just as the light, kodesh (holiness), and sanctity of the Mishkan was maintained by daily service, so too our lives are to be maintained and
marked by a constant “performance of the mitzvot,” that is, a consistent
surrendering to HIS light and holiness! Soon, Yahuah will pour forth HIS last days FIRE that ignite is Servants with power to do mighty works and usher in the Last Harvest of Souls! We must be preparing to carry this unusual anointing FIRE or it can consume us, do to the requirements YaH has for one to be given this intense FIRE!
Korban=offering/sacrifice (pl=korbanot)
• Olah=burnt offering (lit. that which goes up)
• Mincha=gift; offering (later referring to the Afternoon prayer session)
• Chatat (also chataat)=sin offering
• Mitzvah=commandment; good deed (pl. mitzvot)
• Chatzer=courtyard in front of the Tabernacle
• Mishkan=Tabernacle
• Asham=guilt or trespass offering
There are two different kinds of offerings when it comes to their level of consecration. There are “highly consecrated” offerings, in Hebrew kodshei kadashim, and there are offerings with a lower level of consecration, in Hebrew kadashim kalim.
These are the highly consecrated offerings:
- Olah – the ascension offering
- Minchah – the meal offering
- Shelamim tzibur – the peace offering of the people
- Chatat – the sin offering
- Asham – the guilt offering
These are the offerings with a lower level of consecration:
- Shelamim yachid – the peace offering of the individual
- Todah – the offering of thanksgiving
- Bechor – a first born male animal
- Ma’aser behemah – the tenth of animals
- Pesach – the Passover offering
The offerings that had a high level of consecration and were for eating could only be eaten by the male priests in the tabernacle or in the court of the tabernacle. These animals had to be slaughtered on the north side of the altar. The offerings that had a high level of consecration and were for eating could only be eaten by the male priests in the tabernacle or in the court of the tabernacle. These animals had to be slaughtered on the north side of the altar. The offerings that had a lower level of consecration and were for eating, the priests and their families could eat either in the court of the temple or within the walls of Yerushalayim. These animals could be sacrificed anywhere in the court area. Any remains from the individual peace offerings and the Passover offerings could be eaten by any Israelites within the consecrated city; men, women, and children who were ritually clean.
1st Month/ 11th Aviv / April 4
Tzav- Give An Order
Leviticus 6:1(8)-8:36
Jeremiah 7:21-8:3, 9:22(23)-23(24)
Hebrews 9:11-28
And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, Wayyiqra 6:1
And Aharon and his sons did all the words that יהוה had commanded by the hand of Mosheh. Wayyiqra 8:36
Thus said יהוה of hosts, the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, “Add your ascending offerings to your slaughterings and eat meat. Yirmeyahu 7:21
“And death shall be preferred to life by all the rest of those who remain of this evil people, who remain in all the places where I have driven them,” declares יהוה of hosts. Yirmeyahu 8:3