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Tevet 16, 5763 / Dec 21, 2002
Tevet 14, 5766 / Jan 14, 2006
Tevet 14, 5769 / Jan 10, 2009
Tevet 12, 5772 / Jan 7, 2012
Tevet 12, 5775 / Jan 3, 2015
Tevet 12, 5778 / Dec 30, 2017
Tevet 11, 5781 / Dec 26, 2020
Emor el haKohanim /
Speak to the Priests
SCRIPTURES (should be read first)
Previous chapters of
Leviticus dealt with requirements that the people be holy. This chapter
deals with requirements for the priests: a higher standard of holiness applied
to them.
(V.10) During the time of
the First Temple, the high priest was consecrated to the priesthood by being
anointed with the special oil; during Second Temple times, the holy anointing
oil was not available, and the high priest was consecrated by donning the eight
vestments.
(V.17) The Torah requires
that the Temple be beautiful, that the offerings be perfect, and that those who
perform the service be unblemished.
In 1 Timothy, Paul
expresses similar standards concerning those officiating in the
synagogue/church. The synagogue is an extension of the Temple of the Holy One.
“Overseer” is from the Hebrew Sheliach
Tzibbur – Messenger of the Congregation, or LXX and NT Greek Angeloi tas
Ekklesias – Angel of the Church. This is one of ten offices of the
synagogue. An overseer oversees the reading of the Torah: he stands next to each
reader, and corrects, on the spot, any mistakes in the readings. He first brings
the message from God (the Torah portion from the Temple) each week and chooses
seven men to read it. This is why God told John, in Revelation, to give His
messages to the “angels of the churches”: the messengers, “angels,” would choose
readers to give the messages to the congregations, and they would “oversee” the
readings.
The Talmudic qualifications for an overseer are:
mastery of Hebrew language and Torah cantillation (trup), hence called a
Cantor (Hazzan);
mastery of Hebrew blessings (required for readings), hence called Master of
Prayer (Baal Tefilah);
and other qualifications found in Shulhan Arukh and 1 Timothy 3:1-10.
Paul tells us that one desiring to oversee must
meet standards of holiness. He needs to have attained a level of maturity in the
faith (not a new convert), having his household in order (marriage and
children), being respected in his community (hospitable, not contentious), and
knowledgeable of God’s Word enough to teach. He must not be a seeker of
financial gain, nor be conceited. And he must be tried – not a novice. This, of
course, means there must be practice.
Likewise deacons and deaconesses must be
faithful, temperate, not seekers of financial gain, not given to gossip or
slander. These are selected in groups of three in each synagogue, to collect
alms, and make a professional determination of who is really needy, and
distribute accordingly.
Ezekiel 44
The priests “shall also keep My laws and My
statutes in all My appointed feasts, and sanctify My Sabbaths.”
“You shall also give to the priest the first of
your dough to cause a blessing to rest on your house.”
Psalm 85 was
apparently written concerning the then current return of Israel from Babylonian
captivity to rebuild the Holy Temple. But it is also seen as prophetic of the
final redemption.
A sign of God’s favor is
rain and abundant crops from the land.
(V.2) Yahweh favored His
land with the return of the exiles, but His ultimate favoring of His land is yet
to be seen, when Yeshua reigns over the earth from Jerusalem. He “returned the
captivity of Jacob”, but the previous return was temporary, whereas the future
return will be permanent. “Jacob” is used here (instead of “Israel”), because
the nation was not in its position of glory.
(V.3-4)Yahweh forgave His
nation their iniquity, and atoned for their sin. He withheld the entirety of His
wrath, and retreated from His anger. But it would return for their continued
sin, and the Temple would again be destroyed. Not until the final redemption
will atonement be complete, and wrath totally ended.
(V.9) For then He will
speak peace to His nation, and to His devout ones, and they will not return to
folly!
(V.11) Then it may be
said, “Kindness and truth have met”: when Israel is redeemed, and delights in
truth, being the light to the nations, then Yahweh’s kindness will be fully
shown upon them. “The remnant of Israel shall do no iniquity, nor speak lies,
neither shall deceitful language be found in their mouth” – Zephaniah 3:13.
“Righteousness and peace have kissed”: when Israel is made righteous, the Prince
of Peace will reign. Yom haKippurim represents the time when the ancient church,
called Israel, will be purified to dwell with Messiah.
(V.12-13) Then, “Truth
will sprout from the earth,” and “Our land will yield its produce.”
Pirkei Avot
(Ethics of the Fathers): Torah Study vs. Earning a Livelihood
“In many places in Jewish Literature, the Sages
extol the virtues of supporting oneself. We learned above, ‘Love work and
despise high position’ (1:10). We will also learn below, ‘If there is no flour
(read, dough), there is no Torah; if there is no Torah, there is no flour’
(3:17). King David wrote in Psalms (128:2), ‘When you eat the fruits of your
labors, you are fortunate and it will be good for you.’ The Talmud (Berachos 8a)
adds, ‘you are fortunate’ - in this world, ‘and it will be good for you’ - in
the World to Come. The Talmud (Pesachim 113a) tells us further, ‘One should flay
carcasses in the marketplace and earn a living. He should not say I am a Priest,
I am a great man and such work is beneath me.’ Finally, the Sages obligate a
father to teach his son a trade (Talmud Kiddushin 29a).
The Sages also
forbid earning money *from* one's Torah knowledge. We will learn below ‘Do not
make the Torah a crown to aggrandize yourself or a spade to dig with (4:5).’ The
Torah is ours to study and acquire, but not ours to market. Maimonides (Mishne
Torah Hil' Talmud Torah 3:10) does not pull his punches: ‘Whoever thinks he will
study Torah and not work and will be supported from charity, profanes God's
Name, shames the Torah, darkens the light of knowledge, causes harm to himself,
and takes his life from this world, for it is forbidden to derive benefit from
the Torah in this world.’ ”
The following Scriptures do not contradict what is
stated above. There is a distinction between a flock giving honor, and a worker
requiring wages. In the latter case, an extreme may be seen where a “pastor” or
“rabbi” goes where he can negotiate the highest salary; this is using the Bible
both to aggrandize oneself (with a title), and as a spade (to make monetary
gain).
1 Timothy
5:17-18
17
The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially
those who work hard at preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture
says, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing,” and “The laborer is
worthy of his wages.”
1
Corinthians 9:6-18
6
Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working? 7
Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard
and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk
of the flock? 8 I am not speaking these things according to human
judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these things? 9 For it
is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not
muzzle the ox while he is threshing.” God is
not concerned about oxen, is He? 10 Or is He speaking altogether for
our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in
hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. 11 If
we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from
you? 12 If others share the right over you, do we not more?
Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we
will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know
that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who
attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? 14 So
also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from
the gospel. 15 But I have used none of these things. And I am not
writing these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be
better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one. 16
For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under
compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. 17 For if I
do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a
stewardship entrusted to me. 18 What then is my reward? That, when I
preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full
use of my right in the gospel.
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.
1 Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons
of Aaron, and say to them: 'No one shall defile himself for a dead person among
his people, 2 except for his relatives who are nearest to him, his
mother and his father and his son and his daughter and his brother, 3
also for his virgin sister, who is near to him because she has had no husband;
for her he may defile himself.
Reader 2*
Amen.
4 'He shall not defile himself as a relative by marriage among
his people, and so profane himself. 5 'They shall not make any
baldness on their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any
cuts in their flesh. 6 'They shall be holy to their God and not
profane the name of their God, for they present the offerings by fire to Yahweh,
the food of their God; so they shall be holy.
Reader 3*
Amen.
7 'They shall not take a woman who is profaned by harlotry,
nor shall they take a woman divorced from her husband; for he is holy to his
God. 8 'You shall consecrate him, therefore, for he offers the food
of your God; he shall be holy to you; for I Yahweh, who sanctifies you, am holy.
9 'Also the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by
harlotry, she profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire.
Reader 4*
Amen.
10 'The priest who is the highest among his brothers, on whose
head the anointing oil has been poured and who has been consecrated to wear the
garments, shall not uncover his head nor tear his clothes; 11 nor
shall he approach any dead person, nor defile himself even for his father or his
mother; 12 nor shall he go out of the sanctuary nor profane the
sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on
him; I am Yahweh.
Reader 5*
Amen.
13 'He shall take a wife in her virginity. 14 'A
widow, or a divorced woman, or one who is profaned by harlotry, these he may not
take; but rather he is to marry a virgin of his own people, 15 so
that he will not profane his offspring among his people; for I am Yahweh who
sanctifies him.'"
Reader 6*
Amen.
16 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 17 "Speak to
Aaron, saying, 'No man of your offspring throughout their generations who has a
defect shall approach to offer the food of his God. 18 'For no one
who has a defect shall approach: a blind man, or a lame man, or he who has a
disfigured face, or any deformed limb, 19 or a man who has a broken
foot or broken hand, 20 or a hunchback or a dwarf, or one who has a
defect in his eye or eczema or scabs or crushed testicles.
Reader 7*
Amen.
21 'No man among the descendants of Aaron the priest who has a
defect is to come near to offer Yahweh's offerings by fire; since he has a
defect, he shall not come near to offer the food of his God. 22 'He
may eat the food of his God, both of the most holy and of the holy, 23
only he shall not go in to the veil or come near the altar because he has a
defect, so that he will not profane My sanctuaries. For I am Yahweh who
sanctifies them.'" 24 So Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons and to
all the sons of Israel.
"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."
Ezekiel 44:15-31
Reader 8*
Amen.
15 "But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept
charge of My sanctuary when the sons of Israel went astray from Me, shall come
near to Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer Me the fat
and the blood," declares Lord Yahweh. 16 "They shall enter My
sanctuary; they shall come near to My table to minister to Me and keep My
charge. 17 It shall be that when they enter at the gates of the inner
court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and wool shall not be on them
while they are ministering in the gates of the inner court and in the house.
18 Linen turbans shall be on their heads and linen undergarments
shall be on their loins; they shall not gird themselves with anything which
makes them sweat. 19 When they go out into the outer court, into the
outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments in which they have
been ministering and lay them in the holy chambers; then they shall put on other
garments so that they will not transmit holiness to the people with their
garments. 20 Also they shall not shave their heads, yet they shall
not let their locks grow long; they shall only trim the hair of their heads.
21 Nor shall any of the priests drink wine when they enter the inner
court. 22 And they shall not marry a widow or a divorced woman but
shall take virgins from the offspring of the house of Israel, or a widow who is
the widow of a priest.
Reader 9*
Amen.
23 Moreover, they shall teach My people the difference between
the holy and the profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the
clean. 24 In a dispute they shall take their stand to judge; they
shall judge it according to My ordinances. They shall also keep My laws and My
statutes in all My appointed feasts and sanctify My Sabbaths. 25 They
shall not go to a dead person to defile themselves; however, for father, for
mother, for son, for daughter, for brother, or for a sister who has not had a
husband, they may defile themselves. 26 After he is cleansed, seven
days shall elapse for him. 27 On the day that he goes into the
sanctuary, into the inner court to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his
sin offering," declares Lord Yahweh. 28 "And it shall be with regard
to an inheritance for them, that I am their inheritance; and you shall give them
no possession in Israel-- I am their possession. 29 They shall eat
the grain offering, the sin offering and the guilt offering; and every devoted
thing in Israel shall be theirs. 30 The first of all the first fruits
of every kind and every contribution of every kind, from all your contributions,
shall be for the priests; you shall also give to the priest the first of your
dough to cause a blessing to rest on your house. 31 The priests shall
not eat any bird or beast that has died a natural death or has been torn to
pieces.”
Psalm 85 (To be sung.) For
the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 O Yahweh, You showed favor to
Your land; You restored the captivity of Jacob. 2 You forgave the
iniquity of Your people; You covered all their sin. Selah. 3 You
withdrew all Your fury; You turned away from Your burning anger. 4
Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause Your indignation toward us to
cease. 5 Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your
anger to all generations? 6 Will You not Yourself revive us again,
that Your people may rejoice in You? 7 Show us Your lovingkindness, O
Yahweh, and grant us Your salvation. 8 I will hear what the God
Yahweh will say; for He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones; but
let them not turn back to folly. 9 Surely His salvation is near to
those who fear Him, That glory may dwell in our land. 10
Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed
each other. 11 Truth springs from the earth, and righteousness looks
down from heaven. 12 Indeed, Yahweh will give what is good, and our
land will yield its produce. 13 Righteousness will go before Him and
will make His footsteps into a way.
1 Timothy 3
Reader 10* Amen. 1
It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it
is a fine work he desires to do. 2 An overseer, then, must be above
reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable,
able to teach, 3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle,
peaceable, free from the love of money. 4 He must be one who manages
his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity
5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he
take care of the church of God?), 6 and not a new convert, so that he
will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil.
7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church,
so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
Reader 11* Amen. 8
Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much
wine or fond of sordid gain, 9 but holding to the mystery of the
faith with a clear conscience. 10 These men must also first be
tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. 11
Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful
in all things. 12 Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good
managers of their children and their own households. 13 For those who
have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great
confidence in the faith that is in Messiah Yeshua. 14 I am writing
these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; 15 but in
case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct
himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the
pillar and support of the truth. 16 By common confession, great is
the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in
the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the
world, taken up in glory.
"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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