[The obvious questions we should be asking by this time are: if YHWH devoted a whole book-length on instructions regarding the Tabernacle, the Levitical Priesthood that would take care of it and the offerings/sacrifices (animal and produce)—-
- why are we—who are living in this day and age—-no longer fulfilling these requirements?
- Were they simply for the newly freed Hebrew slaves and the strangers among them?
- Or is there any truth to the Christian claim that it is because Jesus Christ fulfilled the “Law”, hence there is no more need to continue the sacrifices?
In view of the context — the exodus, the Sinai experience, what we understand is this: it was YHWH’s accommodation to the religious culture of the times, a graphic and dramatic lesson separating—
- the sacred and the profane,
- holy and unholy,
- pure and impure,
- illustrating the difference between the set-apart distinct people of YHWH and the rest of the nations
- not only in laws but also in worship.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. wrote:
“Men are idolaters, and want something to look at and kiss and hug, or throw themselves down before; they always did, they always will; and if you don’t make it of wood, you must make it of words . . .”
[quote featured in Who do you choose to follow יהוה or man https://www.hearoyisrael.net/]
As early as the story of Cain and Abel, offering/sacrifice, whether animal or produce, was man’s way of relating to an authority higher than humankind.
P&H explains that sacrificial worship is both “an elementary and a universal fact in the history of Religion.”
The existence of animal sacrifice as a virtually universal custom of mankind from times immemorial proves that the expression of religious feeling in this form is an element of man’s nature and, therefore, implanted in him by his Creator. To spiritualize this form of worship, free it from cruel practices and unholy associations, and so regulate the sacrificial cult that it makes for a life of righteousness and holiness, was the task of monotheism.
In heathen Semitic religions,
- sacrificial worship was cruel, often requiring human victims.
- It was foul—licentious rites being an essential element in many kinds of sacrifice.
- It was immoral—covering crimes and deliberate iniquities against fellowmen.
- It was irrational—steeped in demonology and magic.
In absolute contrast to this degrading heathenism, the TORAH banishes everything cruel, foul and unholy from the sacrificial cult. Moreover, the sphere of efficacy of sacrifice is strictly limited; and, with a few specified exceptions (Lev. VI, 1-6, 20-26), sacrifice atones only for sins committed unwittingly, if no human being suffers by them; viz. if restitution precedes the sacrifice. ‘A deliberate moral obliquity is not to be obliterated by sacrifice. It must be punished under the penal law or forgiven by repentance, and for the individual there is no other means of atonement’ (Montefiore).
Definitely, Israel had to be weaned from idolatry; the freed slaves had already shown how easily they could succumb to that urge by making the Golden Calf just because they had not seen Moses in 40 days. The Tabernacle and later the Temple provided the means for their transition with the institution of the offerings/sacrifices but let us not forget the more important purpose of theTabernacle and the Temple — no matter how humble or magnificent it was, this was the visible dwelling place of Israel’s God, His Presence right in their midst. Their worship tendency and focus, formerly directed to gods they had been exposed to in Egypt were being redirected to the True God. In effect, the idea is — keep the customary ways of worship for a time of transition, but add the distinct touch of the God they had met on Sinai.
These 2 chapters describe the consecration of Aaron and his sons and the inauguration of the Sanctuary/worship. When the Priests and the Israelites satisfied all the requirements as recounted in these chapters, YHWH shows His approval by, as usual, the dramatic visual of fire from Heaven that consumes their initial offerings.
Translation is EF/Everett Fox, The Five Books of Moses; commentary from AS/Artscroll Tanach and P&H/Pentateuch and Haftorahs, ed. Dr. J.H. Hertz. Highlights and reformatting ours.]
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Leviticus/Wayyiqrah’ 8
1 YHVH spoke to Moshe, saying:2 Take Aharon and his sons with him, the garments and the oil for anointing, the bull for the hattat-offering, the two rams and the basket of matzot;
3 and the entire community, assemble at the entrance to the Tent of Appointment.
4 Moshe did as YHVH had commanded him. The community assembled at the entrance to the Tent of Appointment.
5 Then Moshe said to the community: This is the thing that God has commanded to be done.
6 Moshe brought-near Aharon and his sons and washed them with water;
7 he put on him the tunic, he girded him with the sash, he clothed him in the coat, he put on him the efod-vest, he girded him with the designed-band of the efod, investing him in it,
8 he placed on him the breastpiece, he put into the breastpiece the Urim and the Tummim,
9 he placed the turban on his head, he placed on the turban, in front of his face, the plate of gold, the sacred-diadem of holiness, as YHVH had commanded Moshe.
10 Then Moshe took the oil for anointing and anointed the dwelling and all that was in it, making-them-holy.
11 He sprinkled some of it on the slaughter-site, seven times, anointing the slaughter-site, all its vessels, the basin and its pedestal, to make-them-holy.
12 He poured some of the oil for anointing on the head of Aharon, anointing him, to make-him-holy.
[AST: There are two kinds of anointment. A King is anointed to invest him with the spirit of power —but a Kohen Gadol is anointed to elevate him to a station of holiness (Haamek Davar).]
13 Then Moshe brought-near the sons of Aharon, he clothed them in coats, he girded them with sash(es), and wound them caps, as YHVH had commanded Moshe.14 He brought forward the bull of the hattat-offering, and Aharon and his sons leaned their hands upon the head of the bull of the hattat-offering,
15 and he slew (it). Moshe took the blood and put it on the horns of the slaughter-site, all around, with his finger, (thus) decontaminating the slaughter-site; and the blood he poured out at the foundation of the slaughter-site. So he made-it-holy, for effecting-purgation upon it.
16 Then he took all the fat that is about the innards, the extension of the liver, the two kidneys and their fat, and Moshe turned (them) into smoke on the slaughter-site.
17 The (rest of the) bull, its skin, its flesh and its dung, he burned in fire, outside the camp, as YHVH had commanded Moshe.
18 Then he brought-near the ram for the offering-up; Aharon and his sons leaned their hands upon the head of the ram,
19 and he slew (it). Moshe dashed the blood against the slaughter-site, all around.
20 Then the ram he sectioned into its sections, and Moshe turned into smoke the head, the sections and the suet.
21 Now the innards and the shins he washed in water, and Moshe turned the entire ram into smoke upon the slaughter-site. It (was) an offering-up, for a soothing savor, it (was) a fire-offering for YHVH, as YHVH had commanded Moshe.
22 Then he brought-near the second ram, the ram for giving-mandate. Aharon and his sons leaned their hands on the head of the ram.
23 and he slew (it). Moshe took some of its blood and put it on the ridge of the right ear of Aharon, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the thumb-toe of his right foot.
24 Then he brought-near the sons of Aharon, and Moshe put some of the blood on the ridge of their right ear, on the thumb of their right hand, and on the thumb-toe of their right foot; then Moshe dashed the blood on the slaughter-site, all around.
25 He took the fat-the broad-tail and all the fat that is about the innards, the extension of the liver, the two kidneys and their fat, and the right thigh;
26 and from the basket of matzot that was before the presence of YHVH he took one cake of matza and one cake of oil bread, and one wafer and put (them) on the fat-parts and on the right thigh.
27 He placed all (of them) on the palms of Aharon and on the palms of his sons, and they elevated them as an elevation-offering, before the presence of YHVH.
28 Then Moshe took them from their palms and turned them into smoke on the slaughter-site, along with the offering-up. They are mandate-offerings, for a soothing savor, it is a fire-offering for YHVH.
29 Then Moshe took the breast and elevated it as an elevation-offering, before the presence of YHVH, from the ram of mandating-for Moshe it was a portion, as YHVH had commanded Moshe.
30 Now Moshe took some of the oil for anointing and some of the blood that was upon the slaughter-site and sprinkled (it) on Aharon, on his garments, on his sons and on the garments of his sons with him; (thus) he made-holy Aharon, his garments, his sons and the garments of his sons with him.
31 Moshe said to Aharon and to his sons: Boil the flesh at the entrance to the Tent of Appointment, there you are to eat it, along with the bread that is in the basket of mandating, as I have commanded, saying: Aharon and his sons are to eat it!
32 What is left of the flesh and of the bread, in fire you are to burn (it).
33 Now from the entrance to the Tent of Appointment you are not to go out, for seven days, until the time of fulfilling the days of full-mandating. For seven days (it takes) to fill your hands (in mandating).
34 As has been done this day, YHVH commanded to be done, to effect-purgation for you.
35 At the entrance to the Tent of Appointment you are to stay, day and night, for seven days; you are to keep the charge of YHVH, so that you do not die, for thus I have been commanded.
36 And Aharon and his sons did all the things that YHVH had commanded by the hand of Moshe.
Wayyiqrah 9
1 Now it was on the eighth day,(that) Moshe called Aharon and his sons and the elders of Israel,
2 and he said to Aharon:
Take yourself a calf, a young of the herd, as a hattat-offerings, and a ram as an offering-up, wholly-sound,
and bring-them-near, before the presence of YHVH.
3 And to the Children of Israel you are to speak, saying:
Take a hairy-one of goats as a hattat-offering
and a calf and a lamb, year-old ones, wholly-sound, as an offering-up,
4 and an ox and a ram as a shalom-offering,
to slaughter before the presence of YHVH,
and a grain-gift mixed with oil;
for today, YHVH will make-himself-seen by you!
5 So they took what Moshe had commanded, to the front of the Tent of Appointment,
and there came-near the entire community, standing before the presence of YHVH.
6 And Moshe said:
This is the word that YHVH has commanded (that) you do,
that the Glory of YHVH may be seen by you!
7 And Moshe said to Aharon:
Come-near to the slaughter-site and sacrifice your hattat-offering and your offering-up,
effecting-atonement on behalf of yourself and on behalf of the people,
and sacrifice the near-offering of the people, effecting-atonement on their behalf,
as YHVH has commanded.
8 So Aharon came-near to the slaughter-site
and slew the calf for the hattat-offering that was his.
9 Then the sons of Aharon brought-near the blood to him,
he dipped his finger in the blood and placed (it) on the horns of the slaughter-site.
The (remaining) blood he poured out at the foundation of the slaughter-site.
10 Now the fat and the kidneys and the extension from the liver, from the hattat-offering,
he turned into smoke on the slaughter-site,
as YHVH had commanded Moshe;
11 the flesh and the skin he burned in fire, outside the camp.
12 Then he slew the offering-up,
and the sons of Aharon handed the blood to him, and he dashed it against the slaughter-site, all around.
13 The offering-up they handed to him in its sections, as well as the head,
and he turned (them) into smoke upon the slaughter-site.
14 He washed the innards and the shins,
and turned (them) into smoke, along with the offering-up, upon the slaughter-site.
15 Then he brought-near the near-offering of the people.
He took the hairy-goat for the hattat-offering that was the people’s,
he slew it, and he sacrificed-the-hattat-
16 Then he brought-near the offering-up, sacrificing it according to regulation.
17 Then he brought-near the grain-gift, filling his palm with some of it;
and he turned it into smoke upon the slaughter-site-aside from the morning offering-up.
18 Then he slew the ox and the ram of the slaughter-offering of shalom that was the people’s;
the sons of Aharon handed the blood to him,
and he dashed it against the slaughter-site, all around,
19 along with the fat-parts of the ox and of the ram:
the broad-tail and what covers the kidneys, and the extension of the liver.
20 They put the fat-parts over the breasts
and he turned the fat-parts into smoke on the slaughter-site;
21 the breasts and the right thigh, Aharon elevated as an elevation-offering, before the presence of YHVH,
as he had commanded Moshe.
22 Now Aharon lifted his hands toward the people, and he blessed them,
then he came-down from sacrificing the hattat-offering, the offering-up and the shalom-offering.
23 Now Moshe and Aharon had entered the Tent of Appointment;
when they came out, they blessed the people,
and the Glory of YHVH was seen by the entire people.
24 And fire went out from the presence of YHVH
and consumed, upon the slaughter-site, the offering-up and the fat-parts;
when all the people saw, they shouted and flung themselves on their faces.
AST: Their offerings would bring about the descent of a Heavenly fire, which represented God’s appearance among the people (v.24, Rambam).
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