Some commentaries are, quite frankly, run-of-the-mill after a while; others are like diamond rings, rare and exciting to give because you know you stumbled across something important to teach. This commentary is one of the latter. Here it is, my commentary on Tzav! Or listen to it!
Shabbat Shalom.
Our parashah for today is Tzav, or “Command!” and covers Leviticus 6:8 through 8:36 – though in Jewish Bibles, it is Leviticus 6:1 through 8:36 because of a difference in numbering. In this week’s reading, we encounter a series of sacrifices once again. This time, however, they revolve around the ordination of Aaron and his sons, at the time of the dedication of the Tent of Meeting.
By now, we are becoming familiar with the offerings this passage describes; sin offerings, guilt offerings, wave offerings, fellowship offerings and so on. Yet as I was studying through this week’s parashah, one element that stood out to me was the clear message about not eating fat.
Now, those who become exposed to the kosher concepts of clean and unclean meats usually grasp first and foremost the prohibition against the eating of blood. This is why there are procedures for “koshering” meat that including salting and soaking it to draw out the blood. However, trimming away the fat is just as important, as this week’s parashah makes clear. We read in:
Leviticus 7:22-25
The L-RD said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats. The fat of an animal found dead or torn by wild animals may be used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it. Anyone who eats the fat of an animal from which an offering by fire may be made to the
L-RD must be cut off from his people.
This passage reflects a similar passage from last week’s reading, which I’d like to review briefly before we dive into our study. We read in:
Leviticus 3:14-17
From what he offers he is to make this offering to the L-RD by fire: all the fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys. The priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma. All the fat is the L-RD’s. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood.
Now, the question that occurred to me is, why would the fat of an animal be prohibited by the L-RD for human consumption? Now, the reason for the prohibition against consuming blood makes sense; on a spiritual level, we know the Torah teaches that “the life is in the blood.” Even on a human level, we know that blood is unsafe for human consumption because it is part of the body’s waste disposal system. Diseases are frequently transmitted by blood, as well. Yet why is fat targeted by the L-RD to be prohibited as food?
To answer this question, I first turned to the Torah itself, which defines the fat as a “choice part” of any sacrifice. This helps to explain why it is reserved for the L-RD; just as the L-RD reserves the first-born in the Passover for Himself, requiring them to be ransomed back; just as He asks for the first fruits of the agricultural harvests, as a sign that we acknowledge the
L-RD’s place in our priorities; so, too, does he ask for the “choice parts” of an animal sacrifice, which includes the fat.
The Jewish Encyclopedia also indicates some other levels of meaning for the fat. We read as follows:
JewishEncyclopedia.com
It is held to indicate grossness and the wickedness of disposition (Job 15:27). A heart covered with fat is a sign of irresponsiveness and indifference (Psalm 17:10; 119:70). The fat of beasts is mentioned as rich food (Deuteronomy 32:14). Figuratively, fat connotes the choicest part of anything (of oil, Numbers 18:12; of wine, Number 18:12; of wheat, Deuteronomy 32:14, Psalm 81:17, Psalm 147:14).
This helps to answer the spiritual reasons why the L-RD reserves the fat for himself and does not allow it as food for human use. On a human level, it is also understandable, since animal fat is generally thought of as being more negative than positive for human consumption by most health experts.
Now that we have dealt with the question of the fat, I’d like us to turn our attention more closely to the purpose of this week’s parashah, which is the ordination of Aaron and the priesthood, at the time of the dedication of the Tent of Meeting.
This had to be a time of great anticipation for Aaron and his sons, a time of great humility. After all, it was only a few weeks ago that we read of how Aaron bent to the pressure of the people and made for them a golden calf to worship, calling to by the L-RD’s holy name, but exchanging the worship of the true God of Israel for a graven image of a created thing, a calf.
We remember that Aaron repented of his sin and was offered restoration, and now he is about to be ordained into the service of the L-RD. Surely he must have been humbled by the task that lay ahead of him. If he had any lingering doubts about the fullness of the L-RD’s restoration of him, certainly those doubts must have been washed away with the many offerings he and his sons were required to perform as part of their ordination.
You see, these sacrifices were never themselves what offered remission of sin; the law required them to be made as an annual reminder of sin, but the sacrifices themselves were a shadow of Messiah’s sacrifice. And here, it was a reminder to Aaron and his sons of the L-RD’s forgiveness through the work of the Messiah, though in their day, Messiah had not yet come.
So do these sacrifices hold any relevance for us today? After all, they were meaningful while the Temple was standing, but the popular sentiment among believers today is that Yeshua’s sacrifice replaced all that and made all these things irrelevant. Right?
About the only way you’ll hear most believers talk about the sacrifices described in this week’s parashah is as something that will happen during the time of Jacob’s Troubles – the time of the Tribulation – and even then, they never talk about it in a positive light.
But is that the proper view of these sacrifices? Is this part of the Torah done away with? The answer, of course, is, “No.” Yeshua Himself said this in:
Matthew 5:17-18
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
Heaven and earth are still here, right? And that means nothing has disappeared from the L-RD’s Torah. So why are the sacrifices not offered anymore, if it’s not because of Yeshua’s sacrifice being greater?
It’s because the sacrifices were performed in the Temple, and the Temple is no longer standing in Jerusalem. Why? Because the Romans came in year 70 of the Common Era and destroyed it. If it were still standing, the Jewish system of sacrifices would continue to this day. They will also be conducted in the millennial kingdom because we know that everything the L-RD established here in the Torah was a reflection of His kingdom.
With the Temple destroyed, we can praise God that Yeshua is our fully sufficient sacrifice, so does the future re-establishment of the sacrificial system mean that Yeshua’s sacrifice is not sufficient? Not at all! Listen to this in:
NIV Hebrews 10:1-8
The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming–not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when Messiah came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am–it is written about me in the scroll–I have come to do your will, O God.’ First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them” (although the law required them to be made).
That is why the sacrifices will start up again when the Temple is re-established; because they will serve the same purpose … to fulfill the requirements of the Law, to serve as a reminder of sin, and to be a reminder of Yeshua’s perfect sacrifice; just as it was then, so will it be in the kingdom.
So the sacrifices are as relevant for us today as they were in the time of Moses and Aaron. They mean the same thing; they themselves are not the source of our forgiveness, but they are a reminder of what is the source of our forgiveness. The only reason they are not practiced today is that the Temple no longer stands, but they will be practiced again in the world to come, and will serve to remind us of all the L-RD has done.
And all of this ties in to the ordination of Aaron and his sons. As we read in:
Leviticus 8:33-36
Do not leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for your ordination will last seven days. What has been done today was commanded by the L-RD to make atonement for you. You must stay at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting day and night for seven days and do what the L-RD requires, so you will not die; for that is what I have been commanded.” So Aaron and his sons did everything the L-RD commanded through Moses.
Just as Aaron and his sons spent a full seven days in the Tent of Meeting, in the presence of the L-RD, as part of their ordination, what this week’s reading holds for us is a reminder that in order to serve the L-RD, we all need to spend time in his presence, with constant reminders of all he has done for us surrounding us at all times, so that we know from where our forgiveness comes; it comes from our fully sufficient sacrifice: the Messiah Yeshua.
Shabbat Shalom.
My Tzav Commentary
Monday, April 6th, 2009
Some commentaries are, quite frankly, run-of-the-mill after a while; others are like diamond rings, rare and exciting to give because you know you stumbled across something important to teach. This commentary is one of the latter. Here it is, my commentary on Tzav! Or listen to it!
Shabbat Shalom.
Our parashah for today is Tzav, or “Command!” and covers Leviticus 6:8 through 8:36 – though in Jewish Bibles, it is Leviticus 6:1 through 8:36 because of a difference in numbering. In this week’s reading, we encounter a series of sacrifices once again. This time, however, they revolve around the ordination of Aaron and his sons, at the time of the dedication of the Tent of Meeting.
By now, we are becoming familiar with the offerings this passage describes; sin offerings, guilt offerings, wave offerings, fellowship offerings and so on. Yet as I was studying through this week’s parashah, one element that stood out to me was the clear message about not eating fat.
Now, those who become exposed to the kosher concepts of clean and unclean meats usually grasp first and foremost the prohibition against the eating of blood. This is why there are procedures for “koshering” meat that including salting and soaking it to draw out the blood. However, trimming away the fat is just as important, as this week’s parashah makes clear. We read in:
This passage reflects a similar passage from last week’s reading, which I’d like to review briefly before we dive into our study. We read in:
Now, the question that occurred to me is, why would the fat of an animal be prohibited by the L-RD for human consumption? Now, the reason for the prohibition against consuming blood makes sense; on a spiritual level, we know the Torah teaches that “the life is in the blood.” Even on a human level, we know that blood is unsafe for human consumption because it is part of the body’s waste disposal system. Diseases are frequently transmitted by blood, as well. Yet why is fat targeted by the L-RD to be prohibited as food?
To answer this question, I first turned to the Torah itself, which defines the fat as a “choice part” of any sacrifice. This helps to explain why it is reserved for the L-RD; just as the L-RD reserves the first-born in the Passover for Himself, requiring them to be ransomed back; just as He asks for the first fruits of the agricultural harvests, as a sign that we acknowledge the
L-RD’s place in our priorities; so, too, does he ask for the “choice parts” of an animal sacrifice, which includes the fat.
The Jewish Encyclopedia also indicates some other levels of meaning for the fat. We read as follows:
This helps to answer the spiritual reasons why the L-RD reserves the fat for himself and does not allow it as food for human use. On a human level, it is also understandable, since animal fat is generally thought of as being more negative than positive for human consumption by most health experts.
Now that we have dealt with the question of the fat, I’d like us to turn our attention more closely to the purpose of this week’s parashah, which is the ordination of Aaron and the priesthood, at the time of the dedication of the Tent of Meeting.
This had to be a time of great anticipation for Aaron and his sons, a time of great humility. After all, it was only a few weeks ago that we read of how Aaron bent to the pressure of the people and made for them a golden calf to worship, calling to by the L-RD’s holy name, but exchanging the worship of the true God of Israel for a graven image of a created thing, a calf.
We remember that Aaron repented of his sin and was offered restoration, and now he is about to be ordained into the service of the L-RD. Surely he must have been humbled by the task that lay ahead of him. If he had any lingering doubts about the fullness of the L-RD’s restoration of him, certainly those doubts must have been washed away with the many offerings he and his sons were required to perform as part of their ordination.
You see, these sacrifices were never themselves what offered remission of sin; the law required them to be made as an annual reminder of sin, but the sacrifices themselves were a shadow of Messiah’s sacrifice. And here, it was a reminder to Aaron and his sons of the L-RD’s forgiveness through the work of the Messiah, though in their day, Messiah had not yet come.
So do these sacrifices hold any relevance for us today? After all, they were meaningful while the Temple was standing, but the popular sentiment among believers today is that Yeshua’s sacrifice replaced all that and made all these things irrelevant. Right?
About the only way you’ll hear most believers talk about the sacrifices described in this week’s parashah is as something that will happen during the time of Jacob’s Troubles – the time of the Tribulation – and even then, they never talk about it in a positive light.
But is that the proper view of these sacrifices? Is this part of the Torah done away with? The answer, of course, is, “No.” Yeshua Himself said this in:
Heaven and earth are still here, right? And that means nothing has disappeared from the L-RD’s Torah. So why are the sacrifices not offered anymore, if it’s not because of Yeshua’s sacrifice being greater?
It’s because the sacrifices were performed in the Temple, and the Temple is no longer standing in Jerusalem. Why? Because the Romans came in year 70 of the Common Era and destroyed it. If it were still standing, the Jewish system of sacrifices would continue to this day. They will also be conducted in the millennial kingdom because we know that everything the L-RD established here in the Torah was a reflection of His kingdom.
With the Temple destroyed, we can praise God that Yeshua is our fully sufficient sacrifice, so does the future re-establishment of the sacrificial system mean that Yeshua’s sacrifice is not sufficient? Not at all! Listen to this in:
That is why the sacrifices will start up again when the Temple is re-established; because they will serve the same purpose … to fulfill the requirements of the Law, to serve as a reminder of sin, and to be a reminder of Yeshua’s perfect sacrifice; just as it was then, so will it be in the kingdom.
So the sacrifices are as relevant for us today as they were in the time of Moses and Aaron. They mean the same thing; they themselves are not the source of our forgiveness, but they are a reminder of what is the source of our forgiveness. The only reason they are not practiced today is that the Temple no longer stands, but they will be practiced again in the world to come, and will serve to remind us of all the L-RD has done.
And all of this ties in to the ordination of Aaron and his sons. As we read in:
Just as Aaron and his sons spent a full seven days in the Tent of Meeting, in the presence of the L-RD, as part of their ordination, what this week’s reading holds for us is a reminder that in order to serve the L-RD, we all need to spend time in his presence, with constant reminders of all he has done for us surrounding us at all times, so that we know from where our forgiveness comes; it comes from our fully sufficient sacrifice: the Messiah Yeshua.
Shabbat Shalom.
Tags: diamond rings, Torah commentary, Tzav
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