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Parashah Shmini

by with No Comment Leviticus

The name of this parashah means “eighth,” and refers to the “day after” Aaron and his sons completed the seven-day inauguration process of their priesthood… Interesting that this eighth day is mentioned, isn’t it? We always associate the seven-day cycle with the biblical worldview, but the number eight also has a special role.

Perhaps the most prominent appearance is that of the “eighth day,” after the seven days of Sukkot, which undoubtedly has an interesting parallel with the priestly consecration. Another instance is that of brit milah (circumcision), which is performed on the eighth day of life for every male in Israel, symbolizing entry into the covenant of Abraham. In light of these instances, we can gain a deeper understanding of the meaning of this parashah’s name.

Other important events include the death of two of Aaron’s sons for offering “strange fire,” additional purity laws for priests, and the official list distinguishing between clean and unclean animals.

Both the laws established for priests, who were required to have a higher standard of holiness, and the simple laws directed to all the people (such as dietary laws), constitute specific parameters established by the Creator regarding what purity and holiness mean to Him.

In times when multiple churches and denominations establish subjective parameters of holiness according to the time and geography in which they develop, it is essential to learn those commandments that the Messiah Himself confirmed to us; they will not pass away until heaven and earth pass away.

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Parashah Tzav

by with No Comment Leviticus

This week’s parashah is called “Tzav” which means “ordinance” and contains teachings that can have various practical applications in our daily life that we will see later.

Although rituals and sacrifices are no longer carried out due to the absence of the Temple in Jerusalem, and the inactivity of the priestly service in Israel, this portion of Scripture can inspire us to seek meaningful disciplines in our own lives, such as daily prayer, observance of the Sabbath and participation in the Feasts of the Almighty, among other commandments.

The principle of generosity and charity is also important to highlight. The concept of sacrifice and service to others can inspire us to extend a helping hand to those who are most in need. This reflects the value of our faith in helping those less fortunate and in building a more caring and compassionate community.

A call to devotion!

Tzav highlights the importance of devotion and service to Yehovah. This can be a motivation for us to look for ways to improve our personal relationship with our Father through the study of Scripture, personal reflection and service to others.

Spiritual cleanliness is an important aspect to be rescued in this weekly reading, since the laws of ritual purity remind us of the importance of maintaining spiritual and moral purity in our lives. This can involve important actions such as introspection, repenting of our faults and seeking forgiveness in order to maintain a healthy relationship, first and foremost with our Creator and with others.

Reflection

While it is true that this portion highlights the importance of observing certain commandments and precepts of Yehovah regarding sacrifices and ritual purity, it must be remembered that obedience is paramount for Yehovah, as the prophet Samuel told King Saul when he disobeyed Yehovah’s direct order to kill Agag king of Amalek and all the Amalekites, “obedience is better than sacrifice”. 1 Samuel 15:22

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Parashah Vayikra

by with No Comment Leviticus

Vayikra, means: And He called. The book begins with the letter vav, a conjunction that gives us the idea of continuity with the story of the Exodus. To comprehend this book it is important to understand the problem that it is trying to resolve. The Hebrew word for offering is korbán, whose root is the Hebrew word karav, which means to approach. That is to say that a person brings a korbán with the purpose of approaching Yehováh.

Just imagining the scene where all the sacrifices we are about to study were carried out, produces an unconscious rejection in us; thinking about the priests cutting the animal’s jugular vein to collect its blood and then opening it up to remove its organs, and carrying out all the other procedures, makes us want to go to the New Testament where we see that Yeshua has put an end to the system of sacrifices.

However, it is very important to discover that the purpose of Yehováh was not simply to order sacrifices in order to perceive the smell of burnt flesh, but that by such means He was showing the people of Israel the need for a Messiah who would make atonement for all of us. Then we begin to understand that the “fragrant aroma” was in a sense a shadow of the significance that the work of Yeshua would have for the Father, because in him he was reconciling his people and redeeming what had been lost.

As we begin our journey through this book, let us not lose sight of the fact that, regardless of our personal preferences, what we are going to find are the procedures ordained by Yehovah for relating to Him. As we can verify from the dawn of humanity, Yehovah instructed human beings to present offerings to Him, as we see recorded in the story of Cain and Abel. Later we see that this practice spread as humanity dispersed and generated civilizations and cultures that practiced the offering of sacrifices to their deities. Today it is not possible to present sacrifices of any kind because the House of Yehovah does not exist, and neither Jews nor Christians can perform them because such a practice results in a violation of the Torah.

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Parashah Pekudei

by with No Comment Exodus

In the 7 days of Creation there is a progression from nothing, before Genesis 1:1, until all of Creation was completed, after 6 days. Man was the pinnacle of Creation, the crown. That is why he was created last, when everything else had already been created for his benefit.

Eventually, humanity fell, not just Adam, but every subsequent generation, until corruption filled the world and humanity was eliminated in the Flood (with the exception of Noah and his family).

Abraham was chosen by the Creator to begin a spiritual path that would reach its maximum expression with the revelation at Sinai to all the people of Israel.

This revelation included detailed instructions for building the Tabernacle. This system of connection between man and the Almighty is the way back to Eden. That is to say, to the union that man once had with the Creator.

That is why we will find fascinating connections within the Tabernacle itself, which refer us to the Divine Creation.

These are just some of the parallels I found and I recommend that you invest time in studying this section of the Torah to look for more. In fact, I will leave you with the following questions to consider in your personal studies or with your study group:

  • How do you see the principles of Creation reflected in the structure and function of the Tabernacle? How can this understanding enrich your perspective on the purpose and sanctity of space and time in your spiritual life?
  • How do you find (or where would you position) the role and mission of Yeshua in the infographic diagram above?
  • Reflecting on Yeshua’s role as High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16) and the idea of Shabbat as a time of rest and connection with the Creator, how can we incorporate these principles into our lives to foster a sacred space and a time of spiritual renewal on a regular basis?
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Parashah Vayak’hel

by with No Comment Exodus

Since ancient times, Yehovah has shown a great desire to be close to his people, Israel. When the Israelites wandered through the desert after being freed from Egypt, the Most High gave them detailed instructions for building a special place where He could dwell among them. This place was the Tabernacle, a kind of portable sanctuary, symbolizing the continuous presence of God among his people. The idea was that, despite being on a long and difficult journey, the children of Israel would always have the Almighty close by, guiding, protecting and blessing them.
The Tabernacle was more than a structure; it was a tangible sign of our Father’s desire to live among his people, to be accessible to them. This desire extended beyond simply being worshipped from afar; it involved a close and constant relationship with Israel.
Even centuries later, this divine desire for closeness was reiterated through the words of the prophet Ezekiel. In chapter 37, Yehovah promises that he will establish his sanctuary among his people forever, saying:

My sanctuary will be among them; I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

This promise was a powerful affirmation of the Almighty’s eternal commitment to Israel. Through Ezekiel, God was reminding His people that, regardless of time or circumstance, His desire to live among them would never change.

Both in this section of the book of Exodus and in the Gospels, the importance of generosity and community collaboration is emphasized. In this parashah, we see how the people of Israel come together in the same spirit to carry out this project: The Tabernacle. This goes hand in hand with the teachings of Yeshua during his ministry related to instructing the people about the importance of sharing with others, especially those most in need.

A figure of the Messiah: This portion also reminds us that the Tabernacle is a type of Yeshua since it was the place where the presence of the Most High was manifested to his people Israel. In the same way, the Father manifested his divine Presence when…

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only begotten son), full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

Furthermore, the promise that we find in the book of Ezekiel not only reaffirms the special relationship between Yehovah and Israel, but also points towards a future where the presence of the Almighty will be even more direct and personal for all generations to come through the figure of the heir to the throne: Yeshua the Messiah.

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Parashah Ki Tisa

by with No Comment Exodus

Our portion for this week begins with instructions regarding the census. This fact has an important significance because it allows us to see the equality of all souls before our Creator and Father: there is no difference in terms of economic status, ancestry, education, appearance, training, connections or experience.
The census was taken to determine the potential of the nations to go to war; and this offering or tax was no guarantee of their lives or that they would be successful in battle. Whether they won or lost, Yehovah decreed that Israel should pay a ransom for their own souls during the census, thus showing the seriousness with which Yehovah regarded the loss of human life.
The payment was to be made annually, and was practiced until the time of the Babylonian exile under Nebuchadnezzar, when it was suspended. It was later re-established by Nehemiah when they returned from exile, but Hadrian, the Roman emperor, prohibited it in 135 CE. Now that Yisrael has returned to its land, this practice was re-established on March 23, 1997.

WE ARE NOT BETTER THAN AARON

Despite having made the decision to follow Yeshua, we still retain within us the impulse to do what seems good in our own eyes, something we have been accustomed to doing for so many years, and we easily tend to reject the guidelines provided by our Father Yehovah in an almost natural way.

We fill ourselves with reasoning and act exactly as Eve did in Eden: “we see things, they seem good to us, we find them pleasant, and we proceed to act” without giving much importance to our actions and much less to their consequences.

Such was the case of Aaron. Fortunately he repented in time and the forgiveness for him and his family was so complete that he was kept in the position he had received of being second only to Moses and, even more, he was appointed High Priest in the service of Yehovah!

When there is true repentance and actions that demonstrate it, Yehovah forgives and moves forward with His plan for us. This is wonderful grace.

But let’s not forget the lesson: A serious commitment to obedience is required of us; it is what our Father expects. In the process of obeying, there will always be a multitude of rationalizations such as: “It seems that I am the only one who is into this, because most people do something else”; or … “I feel weird acting this way”, etc. But Yehovah hopes that our will controls such impulses and thoughts and that we intelligently decide to follow his instructions, commandments, laws, decrees, statutes, testimonies and so on. By acting in this way, we will be showing him that we trust in his words, that we consider ourselves his people and above all that we really love him.

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Parashah Tetzaveh

by with No Comment Exodus

In the Garden of Eden, Adam, the first man, was in communion with the Creator and heard His voice. There was nothing he had to do to establish that connection with Yehovah because he lived in His presence.

After being expelled, from the earliest times, Adam’s descendants sought that connection with Yehovah through offerings and sacrifices.

Passing through our patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and specified in the Torah itself, the intention of the Almighty was for Israel to be a Kingdom of Kohanim (Priests), but given the circumstances, only Aaron and his descendants were the ones who carried out that ministry.

And what is a kohen (priest)? A kohen is someone whose mission is to establish a connection between the Almighty and the rest of the people. And to carry out that mission, the kohen must maintain a state of ritual purity that is above the level of ordinary people. In fact, the initiation ritual, which appears in this parashah and is complemented in Leviticus 8, required candidates to remain for seven days in the Tabernacle while daily sacrifices were offered, they were sprinkled with blood and anointed with oil.

The cohen (priest) in Israel had a crucial role in the spiritual life of Israel. Yeshua fulfilled a similar role outside the Temple in a period in which the corruption of the priestly caste was rife, and the Temple was in its final decades before its destruction by the Romans.

Today, 2000 years later and still without a Temple or priestly service, but having the example of Yeshua and the advice to follow in his footsteps, it is a good exercise in our spiritual development to consider how we should act on a day-to-day basis if we were to take the priestly role in our lives seriously, becoming a connection between the Creator and our circles of influence.

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Parashah T’rumah

by with No Comment Exodus

The Hebrew word “terumah” means “offering”. In this context, it refers to the voluntary contributions that the Israelites were to make for the construction of the Mishkan – Tabernacle. Yehovah instructed Moses to invite the people to bring specific materials, such as precious metals, fabrics, animal skins, wood and oils, among others, for the construction and the elements of the sanctuary.

Also detailed are the designs and materials necessary for the construction of the Ark of the Covenant, the Table of Showbread, the golden Menorah, the Altar of Incense, the Altar of Burnt Offering and the Mishkan enclosure itself. Each of these elements had a specific purpose in the future service of the Temple and symbolized various aspects of Yeshua’s role and Yehovah relationship with his people.

Just as the Israelites contributed their resources in the past to the construction of the Mishkan, we believers are called to offer our gifts and talents for the building of the Kingdom of Yehovah on earth. Yeshua himself, throughout his ministry, taught and exemplified the value of giving oneself in service to others and in the expansion of love, truth and justice.

To reflect

The Tabernacle is the meeting place between Yehovah and the people of Israel, a figure of the presence of the Almighty that is fully manifested in Yeshua. He is described as the “Tabernacle” that dwelt among us (John 1:14), being the place where Yehovah and man meet in perfect harmony. In other words, Yeshua is the way to reconciliation with our Father, and his sacrifice on the cross represents the perfect fulfillment of the system of sacrifices and offerings prescribed in the Torah.

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Parashah Mishpatim

by with No Comment Exodus

Yehováh delivered the Royal Law on Mount Sinai. It is very important to understand that when we use the expression “The Royal Law”, it is because we are referring to the Law of the King or of the Kingdom, that is to say that it belongs to the Royalty of Yehováh; that is why it is of an unparalleled category.
Later in these chapters, Yehovah, the King, begins to hand down more detailed ordinances through Moses, which have to do with the new condition of a people who until now did not know what it was to be free. No. It is not the total absence of an authority that makes us free, but obedience to the laws established by that Supreme Authority.

The instructions we receive from Yehováh our Father encourage us to look out for the needs of others, rather than protecting our own. This philosophy clashes with that of the present world, where the permanent emphasis is on demanding respect for “our rights” to the point of totally ignoring our duties or obligations.

As we progress through the Torah, you will notice that nowhere does Yehovah, our Father, instruct us to adopt such a position; on the contrary, he will always be reminding us of the importance of taking care of those around us: parents, family, friends, etc., who may be in need.

The best role model for us is Yeshua, who modeled a role of servant or caretaker not only with his disciples but with all his contemporaries, when he healed them, provided them with food, instructed them and prayed for them, even to the point of death. Think about it: If Yeshua had demanded his rights, where would you and I be?

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Parashah Yitro

by with No Comment Exodus

At this point in the Exodus narrative we find Moses taking on the monumental task of judging the people of Israel. Sitting from morning to evening, Moses attended to the disputes and conflicts among the Israelites, seeking to impart justice according to divine will. His dedication to this task, while admirable, also showed the limitations of a single individual in the face of the complexities of governing and administering justice for an entire nation.

There is a change of course when his father-in-law, Jethro, gives him some excellent advice. This key moment will mark the beginning of a more structured judicial system, laying the foundations for the future legislation found in the giving of the Torah.

In Jewish thought it is understood that:

“The Torah considers any judge who judges with absolute truthfulness, even for a single hour, as if he had become God’s partner in the work of Creation.”

Talmud, Shabbat 10a

It is interesting that the Creator did not wish to judge each individual ‘personally’, but rather it was His will that men learn the ways of His justice and then be able to judge themselves.

Just as man was created in the image and likeness of the Creator, who is Judge and Sovereign of all Creation, so too must man learn how to execute justice in an impartial and responsible manner.