Leviticus 6:8 - 8:36
Parashah Tzav

Yehovah’s instructions are not suggestions.

The altar was tended every day; obedience is a daily task.

A Brief Insight

Parashah Tzav continues the instructions for the offerings, focusing on the duties of the priests and the holiness required in serving Yehovah. The burnt offering was to remain on the altar continually, and the fire was never to go out, teaching constant devotion and obedience. Detailed instructions are given for the grain offering, sin offering, guilt offering, and peace offering, emphasizing that what is holy must be handled according to Yehovah’s commands. The parashah then describes the consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests, who are set apart for service through sacrifice, anointing oil, and blood. This portion teaches that approaching Yehovah requires obedience, reverence, and dedication, and that those who serve Him must be sanctified and prepared according to His instructions.

Read the Story as Told in Scripture

TORAH | LEV. 6:8 - 8:36

LEVITICUS 6:8

And Yehovah spake unto Moshe, saying, 9Command Aharon and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt-offering: the burnt-offering shall be on the hearth upon the altar all night unto the morning; and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning thereon. 10And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh; and he shall take up the ashes whereto the fire hath consumed the burnt-offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar. 11And he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes without the camp unto a clean place. 12And the fire upon the altar shall be kept burning thereon, it shall not go out; and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning: and he shall lay the burnt-offering in order upon it, and shall burn thereon the fat of the peace-offerings. 13Fire shall be kept burning upon the altar continually; it shall not go out. 

14And this is the law of the meal-offering: the sons of Aharon shall offer it before Yehovah, before the altar. 15And he shall take up therefrom his handful, of the fine flour of the meal-offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which is upon the meal-offering, and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savor, as the memorial thereof, unto Yehovah. 16And that which is left thereof shall Aharon and his sons eat: it shall be eaten without leaven in a holy place; in the court of the tent of meeting they shall eat it. 17It shall not be baken with leaven. I have given it as their portion of my offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as the sin-offering, and as the trespass-offering. 18Every male among the children of Aharon shall eat of it, as his portion for ever throughout your generations, from the offerings of Jehovah made by fire: whosoever toucheth them shall be holy. 

19And Yehovah spake unto Moshes, saying, 20This is the oblation of Aharon and of his sons, which they shall offer unto Jehovah in the day when he is anointed: the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meal-offering perpetually, half of it in the morning, and half thereof in the evening. 21On a baking-pan it shall be made with oil; when it is soaked, thou shalt bring it in: in baken pieces shalt thou offer the meal-offering for a sweet savor unto Yehovah. 22And the anointed priest that shall be in his stead from among his sons shall offer it: by a statute for ever it shall be wholly burnt unto Yehovah. 23And every meal-offering of the priest shall be wholly burnt: it shall not be eaten. 

24And Yehovah spake unto Moshe, saying, 25Speak unto Aharon and to his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin-offering: in the place where the burnt-offering is killed shall the sin-offering be killed before Yehovah: it is most holy. 26The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it: in a holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the tent of meeting. 27Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy; and when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment, thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled in a holy place. 28But the earthen vessel wherein it is boiled shall be broken; and if it be boiled in a brazen vessel, it shall be scoured, and rinsed in water. 29Every male among the priests shall eat thereof: it is most holy. 30And no sin-offering, whereof any of the blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the holy place, shall be eaten: it shall be burnt with fire. 

7 And this is the law of the trespass-offering: it is most holy. 2In the place where they kill the burnt-offering shall they kill the trespass-offering; and the blood thereof shall he sprinkle upon the altar round about. 3And he shall offer of it all the fat thereof: the fat tail, and the fat that covereth the inwards, 4and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the caul upon the liver, with the kidneys, shall he take away; 5and the priest shall burn them upon the altar for an offering made by fire unto Yehovah: it is a trespass-offering. 6Every male among the priests shall eat thereof: it shall be eaten in a holy place: it is most holy. 7As is the sin-offering, so is the trespass-offering; there is one law for them: the priest that maketh atonement therewith, he shall have it. 8And the priest that offereth any man’s burnt-offering, even the priest shall have to himself the skin of the burnt-offering which he hath offered. 9And every meal-offering that is baken in the oven, and all that is dressed in the frying-pan, and on the baking-pan, shall be the priest’s that offereth it. 10And every meal-offering, mingled with oil, or dry, shall all the sons of Aharon have, one as well as another. 

11And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace-offerings, which one shall offer unto Yehovah. 12If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour soaked. 13With cakes of leavened bread he shall offer his oblation with the sacrifice of his peace-offerings for thanksgiving. 14And of it he shall offer one out of each oblation for a heave-offering unto Yehovah; it shall be the priest’s that sprinkleth the blood of the peace-offerings. 

15And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his oblation; he shall not leave any of it until the morning. 16But if the sacrifice of his oblation be a vow, or a freewill-offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offereth his sacrifice; and on the morrow that which remaineth of it shall be eaten: 17but that which remaineth of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire. 18And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings be eaten on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it: it shall be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity. 

19And the flesh that toucheth any unclean thing shall not be eaten; it shall be burnt with fire. And as for the flesh, every one that is clean shall eat thereof: 20but the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings, that pertain unto Yehovah, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from his people. 21And when any one shall touch any unclean thing, the uncleanness of man, or an unclean beast, or any unclean abomination, and eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings, which pertain unto Yehovah, that soul shall be cut off from his people. 

22And Yehovah spake unto Moshe, saying, 23Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Ye shall eat no fat, of ox, or sheep, or goat. 24And the fat of that which dieth of itself, and the fat of that which is torn of beasts, may be used for any other service; but ye shall in no wise eat of it. 25For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by fire unto Yehovah, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people. 26And ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of bird or of beast, in any of your dwellings. 27Whosoever it be that eateth any blood, that soul shall be cut off from his people. 

28And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, 29Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, He that offereth the sacrifice of his peace-offerings unto Jehovah shall bring his oblation unto Jehovah out of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings: 30his own hands shall bring the offerings of Jehovah made by fire; the fat with the breast shall he bring, that the breast may be waved for a wave-offering before Jehovah. 31And the priest shall burn the fat upon the altar; but the breast shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. 32And the right thigh shall ye give unto the priest for a heave-offering out of the sacrifices of your peace-offerings. 33He among the sons of Aaron that offereth the blood of the peace-offerings, and the fat, shall have the right thigh for a portion. 34For the wave-breast and the heave-thigh have I taken of the children of Israel out of the sacrifices of their peace-offerings, and have given them unto Aaron the priest and unto his sons as their portion for ever from the children of Israel. 

35This is the anointing-portion of Aaron, and the anointing-portion of his sons, out of the offerings of Jehovah made by fire, in the day when he presented them to minister unto Jehovah in the priest’s office; 36which Jehovah commanded to be given them of the children of Israel, in the day that he anointed them. It is their portion for ever throughout their generations. 

37This is the law of the burnt-offering, of the meal-offering, and of the sin-offering, and of the trespass-offering, and of the consecration, and of the sacrifice of peace-offerings; 38which Jehovah commanded Moses in mount Sinai, in the day that he commanded the children of Israel to offer their oblations unto Jehovah, in the wilderness of Sinai. 

8 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, 2Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and the bullock of the sin-offering, and the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread; 3and assemble thou all the congregation at the door of the tent of meeting. 4And Moses did as Jehovah commanded him; and the congregation was assembled at the door of the tent of meeting. 5And Moses said unto the congregation, This is the thing which Jehovah hath commanded to be done. 

6And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water. 7And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the skilfully woven band of the ephod, and bound it unto him therewith. 8And he placed the breastplate upon him: and in the breastplate he put the Urim and the Thummim. 9And he set the mitre upon his head; and upon the mitre, in front, did he set the golden plate, the holy crown; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 

10And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them. 11And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its vessels, and the laver and its base, to sanctify them. 12And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron’s head, and anointed him, to sanctify him. 13And Moses brought Aaron’s sons, and clothed them with coats, and girded them with girdles, and bound head-tires upon them; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 

14And he brought the bullock of the sin-offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the bullock of the sin-offering. 15And he slew it; and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured out the blood at the base of the altar, and sanctified it, to make atonement for it. 16And he took all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul of the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat; and Moses burned it upon the altar. 17But the bullock, and its skin, and its flesh, and its dung, he burnt with fire without the camp; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 

18And he presented the ram of the burnt-offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram. 19And he killed it; and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about. 20And he cut the ram into its pieces; and Moses burnt the head, and the pieces, and the fat. 21And he washed the inwards and the legs with water; and Moses burnt the whole ram upon the altar: it was a burnt-offering for a sweet savor: it was an offering made by fire unto Jehovah; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 

22And he presented the other ram, the ram of consecration: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram. 23And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood thereof, and put it upon the tip of Aaron’s right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot. 24And he brought Aaron’s sons; and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot: and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about. 25And he took the fat, and the fat tail, and all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul of the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right thigh: 26and out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before Jehovah, he took one unleavened cake, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and placed them on the fat, and upon the right thigh: 27and he put the whole upon the hands of Aaron, and upon the hands of his sons, and waved them for a wave-offering before Jehovah. 28And Moses took them from off their hands, and burnt them on the altar upon the burnt-offering: they were a consecration for a sweet savor: it was an offering made by fire unto Jehovah. 29And Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave-offering before Jehovah: it was Moses’ portion of the ram of consecration; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 

30And Moses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron, upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons’ garments with him, and sanctified Aaron, his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him. 

31And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons, Boil the flesh at the door of the tent of meeting: and there eat it and the bread that is in the basket of consecration, as I commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat it. 32And that which remaineth of the flesh and of the bread shall ye burn with fire. 33And ye shall not go out from the door of the tent of meeting seven days, until the days of your consecration be fulfilled: for he shall consecrate you seven days. 34As hath been done this day, so Jehovah hath commanded to do, to make atonement for you. 35And at the door of the tent of meeting shall ye abide day and night seven days, and keep the charge of Jehovah, that ye die not: for so I am commanded. 36And Aaron and his sons did all the things which Jehovah commanded by Moses. 

PROPHETS | MAL. 3:4 - 4:6

4Then shall the offering of Y’hudah and Yerushalayim be pleasant unto Yehovah, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years. 5And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the sojourner from his right, and fear not me, saith Jehovah of hosts. 6For I, Yehovah, change not; therefore ye, O sons of Ya’akov, are not consumed. 

7From the days of your fathers ye have turned aside from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith Yehovah-Tzva’ot. But ye say, Wherein shall we return? 8Will a man rob God? yet ye rob me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9Ye are cursed with the curse; for ye rob me, even this whole nation. 10Bring ye the whole tithe into the store-house, that there may be food in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith Yehovah-Tzva’ot, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before the time in the field, saith Yehovah-Tzva’ot. 12And all nations shall call you happy; for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith Yehovah-Tzva’ot. 

13Your words have been stout against me, saith Yehovah. Yet ye say, What have we spoken against thee? 14Ye have said, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept his charge, and that we have walked mournfully before Yehovah-Tzva’ot? 15and now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are built up; yea, they tempt God, and escape. 

16Then they that feared Yehovah spake one with another; and Yehovah hearkened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared Yehovah, and that thought upon his name. 17And they shall be mine, saith Yehovah-Tzva’ot, even mine own possession, in the day that I make; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. 18Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. 

4 For, behold, the day cometh, it burneth as a furnace; and all the proud, and all that work wickedness, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith Yehovah-Tzva’ot, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. 2But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings; and ye shall go forth, and gambol as calves of the stall. 3And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I make, saith Yehovah-Tzva’ot. 

4Remember ye the law of Moshe my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, even statutes and ordinances. 5Behold, I will send you Eliyahu the prophet before the great and terrible day of Yehovah come. 6And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers; lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. 

GOSPEL | MT. 17:9-13

And as they were coming down from the mountain, Yeshua commanded them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen from the dead. 10And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Eliyahu must first come? 11And he answered and said, Eliyahu indeed cometh, and shall restore all things: 12but I say unto you, that Eliyahu is come already, and they knew him not, but did unto him whatsoever they would. Even so shall the Son of man also suffer of them. 13Then understood the disciples that he spake unto them of Yochanan the Immerser. 

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