Acharei Mot
After the death — אחרי מות
Regular readings above are often interrupted with special readings on Jewish holidays, special Sabbaths, and Rosh Chodesh. Refer to the current Torah Portion Schedule for all these variations, and special portions.
Portion Summary
The twenty-ninth reading from the Torah and sixth reading from Leviticus is named Acharei Mot (אחרי מות), two words that mean "after the death." The title comes from the first words of the first verse of the reading, which say, "Now the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron" (Leviticus 16:1). Leviticus 16 describes the Tabernacle ceremony for the holy festival of the Day of Atonement. Leviticus 17 establishes general rules for sacrifice and sanctuary. Leviticus 18 lays down specific laws about permitted and forbidden sexual relationships.
Portion Outline
- Torah
- Leviticus 16:1 | The Day of Atonement
- Leviticus 17:1 | The Slaughtering of Animals
- Leviticus 17:10 | Eating Blood Prohibited
- Leviticus 18:1 | Sexual Relations
- Prophets
- Eze 22:1 | The Bloody City.
Kedoshim
Holy — קדושים
Regular readings above are often interrupted with special readings on Jewish holidays, special Sabbaths, and Rosh Chodesh. Refer to the current Torah Portion Schedule for all these variations, and special portions.
Portion Summary
The thirtieth reading from the Torah and seventh reading from Leviticus is named Kedoshim (קדושים), which mean "holy." The title comes from the words in Leviticus 19:2, which says, "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy." Leviticus 19 describes the holy community through a series of specific commandments. Leviticus 20 warns against the snares of sexual immorality and idolatry, mandating a death penalty for certain sins. Except in biblical leap years, Kedoshim is read on the same Sabbath as the previous reading, Acharei Mot.
Portion Outline
- Torah
- Leviticus 19:1 | Ritual and Moral Holiness
- Leviticus 20:1 | Penalties for Violations of Holiness
- Prophets
- Amo 9:1 | The Destruction of Israel
- Amo 9:11 | The Restoration of David's Kingdom
Acharei Mot-Kedoshim
After the death/Holy — אחרי מות/קדושים
Regular readings above are often interrupted with special readings on Jewish holidays, special Sabbaths, and Rosh Chodesh. Refer to the current Torah Portion Schedule for all these variations, and special portions.
Portion Outline
- Torah
- Leviticus 16:1 | The Day of Atonement
- Leviticus 17:1 | The Slaughtering of Animals
- Leviticus 17:10 | Eating Blood Prohibited
- Leviticus 18:1 | Sexual Relations
- Leviticus 19:1 | Ritual and Moral Holiness
- Leviticus 20:1 | Penalties for Violations of Holiness
- Prophets
- Eze 22:1 | The Bloody City
Do Not Do As They Do
He commands us to be a people set apart, easily distinguishable from the secular context around us. One of the most obvious ways in which we should be different is in the area of sexuality.
Photo by
Med Mhamdi on Unsplash
As the children of Israel traveled from Egypt to the land of Canaan, the LORD
warned the people of Israel not to imitate the ways of the Egyptians (do not
turn back to the evil of your past), and He told them not to learn the behavior
of the Canaanites (do not be seduced by new temptations).
You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes. (Leviticus 18:3)
The Egyptians and Canaanites practiced sexual immorality as if they were obeying a legal code. This is why the Torah says, “You shall not walk in their statutes” (Leviticus 18:3). Rashi explains that “their statutes” refers to matters etched into the fabric of the society—so basic to the culture that they are observed as if they are laws. He points to the entertainments found in “theaters and stadiums” as an example of pagan statutes. In other words, the statutes of the world are those reflected in the entertainment values of the world. We are not to walk in them. God’s people are supposed to be a completely different breed of people, “So that the land to which I am bringing you to live will not spew you out” (Leviticus 20:22).
In the first century, sexual immorality wove through the warp and woof of the Roman world. Devotees of the gods followed their mythological, sexual exploits and imitated their base behavior in temple rituals which, in some cases, even incorporated sanctified prostitution. Roman culture, for all its austere talk of moderation, indulged in all manner of perversity, lewdness, and depredation.
The apostles applied the laws pertaining to strangers in the midst of the people of Israel to the Gentile believers. Leviticus 18 specifically includes those strangers in its jurisdiction: “You shall not do any of these abominations, neither the native, nor the alien who sojourns among you” (Leviticus 18:26). Therefore, the laws that govern sexuality apply equally to Jewish people and God-fearing Gentile believers.
The apostles reinforced the ruling in their epistles. In passage after passage, the apostles exhorted the disciples to live lives set apart from the sexualized Gentile world and free from sexual immorality. The Gentile believers adopted Jewish standards of modesty, dress, and decorum. In the midst of the sexually charged atmosphere of the first century, the believers stood out as a people set apart. The apostle Peter observed, “[The other Gentiles] are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you” (1 Peter 4:4).
Face to Face
The Day of Atonement is a day for coming face to face with God. In a spiritual sense, we are to regard ourselves on that day as if we are standing in the holy of holies, face to face with the Almighty.
Concept
of seeing the light. (Image © Bistock)
On the day of Yom Kippur, the high priest came face to face with God. That is why he first brought incense into the Holy of Holies. The purpose of the incense was to create a cloud of smoke so he would not see the ark of the covenant and die. In this world, even our closest encounters with God are veiled and obscured. Paul says that "now we see in a mirror dimly" (1 Corinthians 13:12). He was referring to a brass mirror. Though it provided a reflection, it was not a sharp, clear reflection like modern mirrors provide. If the brass was not freshly polished, the reflection in the mirror became more dim.
Remembering that we do not see God clearly should help keep us humble. It should make us reluctant to criticize other people's theologies and their experiences with God. They may have perceived an aspect of the Almighty that we have not, or we may have found revelation that has been withheld from them. Neither of us is to be blamed for not seeing the whole picture. In this world, the whole picture is not available. Yeshua told the theologians of His day, "You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form" (John 5:37). That is why a true appreciation for the greatness of God excludes religious arrogance. The Apostle Paul exclaimed, "Now I know [only] in part, but then I will know fully" (1 Corinthians 13:12). Nobody on this side of the veil has apprehended absolute truth.
"No one has seen God at any time" (John 1:18), the Apostle John said. Nevertheless, John goes on to say that the only begotten Son of God has revealed Him. Yeshua says, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).
By clinging to Yeshua of Nazareth, we are spiritually carried with Him into the Holy of Holies. In Him we have a hope of sharing in the resurrection from the dead that He experienced. Paul reminds us that after the resurrection from the dead, we will see "face to face." In that day, we will step into the Holy of Holies of the true sanctuary, and there will be no cloud of smoke obscuring our view. We will see face to face.
"We have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Yeshua, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh" (Hebrews 10:19-20). This powerful truth, however, leaves us in the hazardous position of trivializing the awesome holiness and terror of almighty God. We must not allow this spiritual privilege of direct access to the Father to diminish our reverence for Him.
He shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony, otherwise he will die. (Leviticus 16:13)
A Personal Day of Atonement
The Day of Atonement teaches us about the distance between man and God. A person thinks, “I’m generally a pretty decent person. God isn’t really that upset with my sin.”
The Bible teaches that God cannot abide sin. All men are sinners, and therefore, all men are forced out of the presence of God. Just like Adam and Eve, who were forced out of the Garden of Eden, we are all separated from God.
On Yom Kippur, the high priest sacrificed a bull and a goat for sin offerings and carried their blood into the holy of holies. He sprinkled the blood of the sin offerings on the ark, on the veil and on the altar of incense. He did this to atone for the Tabernacle because of the sins, transgressions and ritual unfitness of the people:
He shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and thus he shall do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities. (Leviticus 16:16)
Our sin is as filth before the Almighty. Shame and disgrace ought to cover us every time we open our Bibles. We have sullied the very parchment of Torah with our sins and trodden on the shed blood of Messiah. Our worthy deeds are utterly eclipsed by our transgressions and sins. Yom Kippur reminds us that this is a real problem. The writer of the book of Hebrews says that “in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year” (Hebrews 10:3).
Salvation and relationship with God depend on a person acknowledging that he cannot make the distance. A man needs atonement. He needs a sacrifice for purification.
On Yom Kippur, the high priest set out to cross the distance between us and God by entering the Holy of Holies. The book of Hebrews teaches that, in the heavenly Temple, the death and resurrection of Messiah was the equivalent of the high priest’s entrance into the Holy of Holies on earth.
For Messiah did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. … He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. (Hebrews 9:24–26)
God has made a way of redemption for us through the death and resurrection of His righteous Son. For everyone who places faith in Him, there is redemption, salvation, and the forgiveness of sins. This is the hope of our faith: the forgiveness of sins through faith in Yeshua. To experience this forgiveness, we need to have a saving relationship with God through Yeshua, His Son.
Holiest Day of the Year
On the holiest day of the year, the holiest man in in the world entered the holiest place in the world.
Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year. Holy means “set apart for the divine.” All of God’s appointed times are set apart to the LORD, but the Day of Atonement is the holiest of all. It is set apart even from the other holy days. The sanctity of the other festival days prohibit work but permit food preparation.
On the Day of Atonement, no work at all is allowed, as the Torah says, “As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people” (Leviticus 23:30). No other annual holiday comes with such a dire warning.
All other Sabbaths and holidays are times of feasting and celebration. The Day of Atonement calls for self-affliction through fasting and abstinence. The LORD says, “If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people” (Leviticus 23:29). He sets Yom Kippur in a category by itself, making it the holiest day of the year.
The Day of Atonement is the day for drawing near to God, for seeking a personal, one-on-one encounter with God, for confession and contrition. Leviticus 16 describes the Sanctuary ceremony for Yom Kippur, a ceremony that involves the intersection of three spheres of holiness. On the holiest day of the year (the Day of Atonement), the holiest man in the world (the high priest of Israel) went into the holiest place in the world (the holy of holies).
According to the writer of the book of Hebrews, Messiah has become our high priest. He entered into the Holy of Holies in heaven—the actual throne room of God—and applied His own blood for atonement. He entered into the presence of God for us so that He might usher us in as well (Hebrews 9:11-12). Messiah is "a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the LORD pitched, not man" (Hebrews 8:2). Therein He applied the merit of His suffering, symbolized in His atoning blood.
In these ways, the ceremony of the Day of Atonement uniquely patterns the work of Messiah: His death, His sacrifice and the atonement of his blood. We boldly enter the presence of God because the blood of Messiah covers us. Today He stands interceding on our behalf before the throne of God, just like a high priest.
The Holy One of God
All of the commandments of Torah, in some aspect or another, reveal the holiness of Messiah.
An unrolled
Torah Scroll (Image © Bigstock)
The commandment “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2) has no upper limit, but the holiness of the Messiah exceeds that of any person. The holiness of the Messiah exceeds even that of Moses. In this way, the words “you shall be holy” apply uniquely to the Messiah. He directly shares in the holiness of God. This explains why the New Testament refers to the Messiah as “the Holy One of God.” The disciples applied that title to Yeshua. Even the demons recognized Him as the Holy One of God.
In regard to His concealed, divine person, Yeshua is called the Holy One of God because His holiness originates with God. He is holy by virtue of His divine nature as the eternal Word of God. In regard to His physical person, the holiness of Yeshua results from His conception and birth. No other man has been born of a virgin. In regard to His spiritual power, His holiness flows from the anointing of the Holy Spirit that rests upon Him without measure. In regard to His ethical conduct, the Master derived His holiness from His imitation of the Father and obedience to the commandments. Inasmuch as the commandments are the definitions of holiness, Messiah is likewise defined by the commandments because He kept them. Therefore, He is uniquely able to fulfill the commandment “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2).
The commandments of God define holy conduct. All of the commandments of Torah, in some aspect or another, reveal Messiah. They each reveal some essential element of His person or character. The commandments are the will and wisdom of God. Yeshua says, “Not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42), and He says, “I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me” (John 8:28). Again, “I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love” (John 15:10).
These passages emphasize a direct relationship between the commandments and the person of Messiah, because the commandments are a direct revelation from God. They reveal godliness, as Yeshua said, “He who has seen me, has seen the Father” (John 14:9).
The Master compared himself to a son apprenticed by his father: “The Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner” (John 5:19). A son who learns by apprenticeship acquires the skills of the trade by watching his father’s work and carefully imitating it. He learns the tricks of his father’s craftsmanship and is one day able to do the same work that he has learned from his father. Likewise, Yeshua learned His trade from observation of the Father. In that way, He attained holiness from imitation of the Father, as it is written, “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.”
Working for Success
If you want a business venture to be successful, you need to squeeze every ounce of potential profit out of your production. That's just good business sense, right? The Bible disagrees.
The
"corners of the field" law have application outside of agriculture.
We all have fields that we work in. The idea is to leave a generous margin for
the needs of others. (Image © Bigstock)
The Torah gives specific commandments for farmers practicing agriculture in the land of Israel. God tells the farmer not to harvest the grain from the corners of his field. He tells the harvesters not to go over the crop a second time to capture produce they might have missed on the first pass. He tells husbandmen not to gather the fruit that falls from their vineyards and orchards on its own accord. Instead, they are to leave all of the secondary produce for the poor, the needy and the stranger to collect.
The businessman who conducts his operation in keeping with these biblical principles is not concerned only about his own personal success; he is concerned about the success of others as well.
It's not easy to leave the corner of a field unharvested, especially when you might be having trouble making ends meet yourself. How did the farmer find the resolve to follow this instruction? He had only to remember that the land did not really belong to him. He was only a sharecropper, so to speak, working the soil on God's land.
These laws provide the background for the story of Ruth, the great-grandmother of King David. Ruth was a destitute widow, living alone with her widowed mother-in-law, Naomi. When the wheat was ready for harvest around Bethlehem, Ruth went out with other poor women of the community to glean in the fields. She followed after the harvesters, picking up dropped sheaves and gathering the remnants that had been left behind. Gleaning is still permitted by law in modern Israel. Poor people are helped by it because they are permitted to pick as much fruit off the trees or from the ground as is needed when they walk through a field or an orchard.
These laws have application outside of agriculture. We all have fields that we work in. The idea is to leave a generous margin for the needs of others.
The sages point out that the Torah does not mandate how large the corners of the field have to be. A generous man might leave large corners standing for the gleaners while a stingy man might decide that a single stalk or two at the corner of each field is sufficient. In both cases, the man's field made a statement about his heart.
What 'Holiness' Looks Like
When a religious person conducts himself no differently than the common, ordinary people around him, he makes God look common and ordinary too.
Faceless
individual. (Image: Bigstock)
What does a holy person look like? Do you picture a priest or a nun? Maybe a preacher? Perhaps you imagine a Chassidic Jew with a full beard, side locks and black hat. Leviticus 19-20 contains the Bible's description of what holiness looks like.
The passage begins with the words, "Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy'" (Leviticus 19:2).One of the laws of holiness states, "You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another" (Leviticus 19:11).
Have you ever been ripped off by a religious person? It's not surprising when we are cheated by people of the world. But it is disconcerting when a professing Christian or an observant Jew deceives or financially abuses us. We expect more from the religious person than a secular person. We assume that a religious person will conduct his affairs in concert with his moral values. That makes the religious person different from the secular person. That's what being holy is all about.
The Torah says that when a religious person conducts himself without integrity, he profanes the name of God. The word profane is the opposite of the word holy. Holy means "set apart." Profane means "common and ordinary." When a religious person conducts himself no differently than the common, ordinary people around him, he makes God look common and ordinary too. He damages God's reputation. An unbeliever who steals, deceives, lies, perjures and swindles is unremarkable, but when a believer acts that way, he disgraces the faith and gives opportunity for unbelievers to say, "You see? He is just like us. I knew there was no substance to his God or his religion."
The sages understood the commandment, "You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him" (Leviticus 19:13) to be a prohibition against dishonest business transactions. As disciples of Yeshua obedient to God's Torah, we need to strive for scrupulous honesty, especially in matters of business.
Parashat Acharei Mot-Kedoshim - Leviticus 16:1-20:27
Series:
This week’s double portion of Acharei Mot and Kedoshim covers a lot of ground in a small amount of space. It covers the ritual of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), restrictions on where and how sacrifices can be made, proscriptions for the resident alien, a list of prohibited sexual relations, a stern reminder about honoring one’s parents, issues of social justice, a detailed explanation of how to love one’s neighbor, and a miscellaneous list of other commandments ranging from agricultural laws to prohibitions against sorcery and child sacrifice. Needless to say, there is a lot to absorb in this week’s dosage of Torah. Let’s take a look at one concept associated with Yom Kippur.
The focal point of the Yom Kippur service is the two goats. The first is designated as a sin offering, while the second carries with it the iniquities of the Children of Israel into the wilderness. However, most people are confused as to the purpose of the first goat. It is commonly thought that the sacrifice of this goat designated as a “sin offering” was for the purpose of removing sin from the Children of Israel. And passages in the book of Hebrews alluding to the Yom Kippur service complicate matters even further. However, if we look at the prescription for this goat within the Yom Kippur service, we find that it serves an entirely different purpose:
Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. (Leviticus 16:15–16)
Rather than being used to cleanse the people from their sins, the blood of the first goat of Yom Kippur was used for the purpose of “atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar” (vs. 20). It was used to remove the contamination of sins from the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, and the Bronze Altar (vs. 15–19).
The Tabernacle functioned something akin to a bridge or a gateway that served as a link between heaven and earth, allowing for the interaction between God and man, as it is written, “And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst” (Exodus 25:8). This portal, however, was susceptible to contamination. This corridor between heaven and earth was so important that it had to remain accessible, and therefore it had to be periodically cleansed. Every year the Yom Kippur ritual was performed in order to purge the Tabernacle and its furnishings from the accumulation of the “uncleannesses of the people of Israel” (vs. 19), in order that this bridge between God and man not be corrupted.
Since we live in a time when the Holy Temple is not functioning, it is easy to forget about the detailed process of purification undertaken each year to ensure the gateway to heaven would be free from any spiritual debris that might restrict the flow of the Divine Presence into this world. However, we can carry this reminder into our daily lives. The Apostolic Scriptures portray disciples of Yeshua as miniature temples who house the Spirit of the Most High and carry His presence into the world. Paul reminds the believers at Corinth:
Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? … For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16–17)
As disciples of Yeshua we are connecting points between heaven and earth. We can either aid the flow of holiness and godliness in this world, or we can obstruct it. If we allow the muck of the world to cling to us, then we will restrict the flow of Hashem’s Presence in this world. However, John reminds his disciples, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). If we do not harbor sin, but continually confess and forsake our shortcomings in the light of the Risen Messiah, we have an enormous potential to be a gateway to heaven that will flood the earth with the Divine Presence of our Creator.
Parashat Acharei Mot-Kedoshim - Leviticus 16:1-20:27
Series:
The Four Prohibitions
After detailing the instructions for the Yom Kippur service, the parashot of Acharei Mot and Kedoshim then hit a series of seemingly unrelated topics concerning a number of different things. For the contemporary reader, particularly to those of us from among the nations, these strange regulations seem completely out of the realm our modern lives. Outside of the obvious ethical principles of forbidden sexual relationships, what possible relevance do these seemingly antiquated ritual concerns have for us today?
In the days of the Apostles, something happened that had really never happened before, especially on the scale that the Apostles began to see. Because of the message of Yeshua going forth to the nations, particularly due to the ministry of the Apostle Paul, Gentiles began flocking to Judaism by the droves. Although this was a Yeshua-centric form of Judaism, nonetheless, it was an expression of Judaism that still found its identity in the Torah, the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, and in the local synagogues. It was expressly Jewish. Now, however, a great number of Gentiles had begun attaching themselves to the God of Israel through faith in the Jewish Messiah. Prior to this point of time, Gentiles who came near to the God of Israel were expected to undergo a formal conversion to become Jewish in order to complete their journey of faith. After all, how does a person explain that their religion is Jewish if they are not?
In Acts 15, the Apostles wrestled through this identity crisis for Gentile disciples of Yeshua. Did these Gentiles need to fully convert and become Jewish in order to be a part of this Jewish religion or not? They definitely could not remain like they were, because the pagan practices of their previous lives would surely lure them away from the new life they had found in Messiah.
In order to find wisdom for the situation, the Apostles looked to the Torah. When they got to our current parashot they found a section of the Torah that began to clarify their understanding of these new disciples who were not Jewish. They found a series of passages that were directed toward both “the native or the stranger who sojourns among you.” They found within these passages understanding to help the Gentile believers find their identity among the Children of Israel, and also discovered a baseline of Torah-instructions for their inclusion.
After “much debate,” James, the brother of the Master and the head of the Council of Jerusalem, made a formal declaration to resolve this tension, giving the Gentile disciples of Yeshua a list of what appears to be four prohibitions:
Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues. (Acts 15:19–21)
Each of these prohibitions placed on these Gentile disciples was based on language found in our current Torah portions binding the one who chooses to cast his lot with Israel to some of the basic standards as their Israelite brothers. First, they were to “abstain from the things polluted by idols.” This prohibition is alluded to in the prohibition to slaughter sacrifices outside of the context of the Tabernacle or Temple in Leviticus 17:1–9. The Torah specifically relates:
So they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they whore … Any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it to the LORD, that man shall be cut off from his people. (Leviticus 17:7–9)
The next prohibition outlined in Acts 15 is to abstain “from sexual immorality.” Since sexual immorality is a vague term that can include a number of things, the Apostles would have relied on the Torah’s definition in Leviticus 18 to define the parameters of sexual propriety.
The final two prohibitions are actually a single one expressed in an way that would ensure the disciples’ understanding of its scope. It was to abstain “from what has been strangled, and from blood.” Leviticus 17:10-16 details the prohibitions against the consumption of blood for both the native Israelite and the sojourner living among them. In Leviticus 17:10, we read, “If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people.”
What about the prohibition against strangled animals? In this same context of abstaining from blood, the Torah declares:
And every person who eats what dies of itself or what is torn by beasts, whether he is a native or a sojourner, shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening; then he shall be clean. But if he does not wash them or bathe his flesh, he shall bear his iniquity. Leviticus 17:15–16
This passage concerning “torn flesh,” is connected with the previous passages on abstaining from blood. One may not eat the meat of an animal that has not been properly slaughtered. In fact, the Mishnah uses this same terminology of strangling to refer to improperly slaughtered animals (see Chullin 1:2). Animals that have not been properly slaughtered and had the blood drained from them in the traditional method is considered meat that has been strangled and still contains the blood.
These were the minimum points by which Gentile followers of Yeshua began their entrance into the community of faith. Have we all but forgotten these foundational principles of our Yeshua-centric faith? The Apostles thought it important enough to make a formal declaration. Maybe we should consider it important enough to re-evaluate our modern lifestyle and how it affects our witness of our faith in the Jewish Messiah.
Kedoshim
Series:
Leviticus 19:1-20:27
This week's Torah reading begins with God's telling Moses that they are to be holy:
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy." (Lev. 19:1-2)
The name of the portion comes from the instruction, "You shall be holy (kedoshim)." The word kedoshim means "holy" (plural). But what does it mean to be holy? A lot of things should be taken into account when we define what it means to be holy, but the primary aspect of holiness is defined through restrictions. This is why God gave the Children of Israel so many "thou shalt not" commandments. He set them apart from the pagan nations around them through restrictions in their conduct, showing that they were to be a holy people.
One way to understand what it means to be holy is to understand what it means to be "unholy." When many people think of something "unholy," they think of something wicked or evil. But that's not what it means. It simply means to be common or, to use King James terminology, "profane." So, if a person is unholy, it just means they are common and like anyone else. So, to be holy means that we are different from those around us. And one way we can be different, or holy, is to restrict or limit ourselves in the things that the Torah prohibits. But this is obvious. Anyone who studies the Scriptures can pick up on the fact that we are not supposed to engage in commerce on the Sabbath, speak ill of our brother, defraud our neighbor, etc. What is more of a challenge is limiting what is permissible. Our rabbis have taught, "What the Torah forbids is not permitted, but the permitted is not always necessary."
Do we really need that third helping of dessert? Do we really need over 300 channels on our televisions? Do we really need the dozens of video games covering our shelves? Do we really need that ... ? You fill in the blank. By not limiting ourselves in things that are permissible according to the strict reading of the Torah, we can often find ourselves in a position described by Nachmanides as "disgusting with the permission of the Torah." Even though we may be living strictly according to the "letter of the Law," we could easily find ourselves in a position where the beauty and the wisdom of the Torah begins to lose its luster because our eyes are clouded with the world.
Yeshua warns us against such things when he gives his series of "You have heard it said ... but I say to you." In many of these he places a fence around the Torah and reminds us that even though the Torah gives us the right to do such-and-such, it's not always in our best interest to do so, especially when it negatively affects a brother. As Paul reminded the believers at Corinth, "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be dominated by anything" (1 Corinthians 6:12). The next time you pass on that extra helping of dessert, or refuse to make a brother pay for damages he is responsible for, remember that you have just taken a step toward holiness and becoming a part of a holy people.
The Prophet from Galilee
The book of Yonah is a mysterious text. Most people are familiar with the “Bible story” but are not familiar with the actual text, nor the secrets of redemption concealed within its deceptively simple narrative. Every Yom Kippur the book of Yonah is read, focusing on themes of teshuvah (repentance). The hauntingly beautiful piyyut (liturgical poem) Unetaneh Tokef in the Machzorim for Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur says,
וּתְשׁוּבָה וּתְפִלָּה וּצְדָקָה מַעֲבִירִין אֶת רעַ הַגְּזֵרָה
“But Repentance,
Prayer, and Charity cancel the evil decree.”
Unetaneh Tokef
The book that best exemplifies this principle is the Sefer Yonah, calling out to all peoples to make teshuva, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.
A PROPHET FROM GALILEE
A Map of the Galilee. Derivative work of Original by Eric Gaba and NordNordWesCC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Many people are surprised to discover that Yonah appears in the Tanakh in the book of 2 Kings,
“He
restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah,
according to the word of HaShem, the G-d of Israel, which he spoke by his
servant Yonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher.”
2 Kings 14:25
According to the incredible book of Kol HaTor, this mission is linked to the Messiah ben Yosef,
“The
commandment to expand the borders is the mission of Mashiach ben Yosef as God
had told the prophet Jonah, who was on the level of Mashiach ben Yosef,
to restore the border of Israel (II Kings 14:25).”
Kol HaTor 2.36
We discover in 2 Kings that Yonah is from Gath-Hepher, which is located in the Galilee, about five miles away from the city of Nazareth. Gath-Hepher means “wine press of the digging,” and was in the tribal inheritance of Zebulun (Joshua 19:10-16). The Prophet Isaiah says,
“…In
the former time, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of
Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made it glorious, by the way of the
sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in
darkness have seen a great light. Those who lived in the land of the shadow of
death, on them the light has shined…”
Isaiah 9:1-3
The Gospel of Matthew applies this prophecy to Yeshua of Nazareth,
And
leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Kfar Nachum, which is upon the sea
coast, in the borders of Zevulun and Naftali: That it might be fulfilled which
was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, ‘The land of Zevulun, and the
land of Naftali, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles,
The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the
region and shadow of death light is sprung up.”
Matthew 4:13-16, cf.
Matthew 2:21-22
Matthew 21 says Yeshua is the prophet from Galilee,
“When
he had come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred up, saying, ‘Who is this?’
The multitudes said, ‘This is the prophet, Yeshua, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Matthew 21:10-11
The “anti-missionaries” of Yeshua’s day erroneous claimed,
“Search,
and see that no prophet has arisen out of Galilee!”
John 7:52
This is a stunning statement because Yonah came from the Galilee, but even more so, there is an amazing expectation among the Rabbis about the location from which the Messiah will arise. R’ Saadia Gaon (882 CE- 942 CE) records a tradition that Mashiach ben Yosef will arise in Galilee,
“[There]
will be the appearance in Upper Galilee of a man from among the descendants of
Joseph, around whom there will gather individuals from among the Jewish nation.
This man will go to Jerusalem after its seizure by the Romans and stay in it
for a certain length of time. Then they will be surprised by a man named
Armilus, who will wage war against them and conquer the city and subject its
inhabitants to massacre, captivity and disgrace. Included among those that will
be slain will be that man from among the descendants of Joseph…As a result of
what has happened to them, many will desert their faith, only those purified
remaining. To these Elijah the prophet will manifest himself, and thus the
redemption will come…only a few from among the Jewish nation – not many – will
gather about him…also that the man at the head of the Jewish nation will be
among the slain and that people will weep over him and bewail him is attested
by the Scriptural statement: And
they shall look unto Me because they have thrust him through, and they shall
mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son (Zech 12:10)…Next
let me say that in either case – I mean whether we do not repent and the events
associated with the Messiah descended from Joseph come to pass, or we do repent
and are able to dispense with them – the Messiah descended from David will
manifest himself to us suddenly. Should there be, however, a Messiah descended
from Joseph who would precede him, he would serve as a herald and as one who
puts the nation in proper condition and clears the way as Scripture says:
“Behold I send my messenger, and he shall clear the way before me (Mal 3:1). Or
he might be compared to one who purges with fire those members of the nation
who have committed grave sins, or to one who washes with lye those of its
constituents who have been guilty of slight infractions, as Scripture remarks
immediately thereafter: “For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s
soap.” (Malachi 3:2)
Saadia Gaon, Emunot v’Deot,
Book of Beliefs and Opinions, translated by Yale University Press, pg. 301-304
The parallels of this passage in Emunot v’Deot (Beliefs & Opinions) and the Gospels are numerous, and beyond the scope of this article to explore. In addition to this statement by the Gaon, the Zohar also says that Mashiach ben David will arise in the Galilee preceded by a Star in the East,
“The
glory of his majesty” refers to the Messiah when he shall reveal himself in the
land of Galilee; for in this part of the Holy Land the desolation first began,
and therefore he will manifest himself there first . . . and when the Messiah
shall have manifested himself, a star shall come forth from the East variegated
in hue and shining brilliantly…”
Zohar, Volume II, Shemot 7b, Soncino Press Edition, pg. 21
THE DOVE
The name “Yonah ben Amittai” name means “Dove son of Truth.” R’ Daniel Krentzman comments on Yonah’s name,
“Yonah’s
connection to this aspect of Mashiach ben Yosef may be hinted at in his name: “יונה“, which shares the same gematria
(with the concept of “כולל“)
as “סוד“.
Also, the gematria of “סוד“
when spelled out in miluy form: סמך וו דלת, is equal to that of
“Mashiach ben Yosef” (see Kol HaTor 2:98, and 2:148).”
R’ Daniel Krentzman, Yonah
as MBY [1]
Putting this in simpler terms, the word Yonah (71) is equivalent to the word Sod/Secret plus 1 (this method is called im hakollel, adding 1 for the value of the word itself). The word Sod when spelled out (this method is called milui or filling) is equivalent to 566, the value of the words ‘Mashiach ben Yosef‘:
משיח בן יוסף = סמך וו דלת < 1+סוד = יונה
Why is Yonah named “Dove”? The Vilna Gaon says,
“The
dove is a fitting symbol for the Jewish People and the neshamah, since it is
the only bird that does not struggle when it is about to be slaughtered. Like
the dove, the Jewish people give up their lives without a struggle in order to
sanctify the Name of God.”
The Book of Yonah: Journey
of the Soul, from the Vilna Gaon’s Aderes Eliyahu, Rabbi Moshe Schapiro,
Mesorah Publications, Ltd., Pg. 10
The commentary of the Gra here has echoes of Isaiah 53, which refers to Mashiach and Israel who are one. The Ohr HaChayim, R’ Chaim ben Attar, when commenting upon the sacrifice of the leper, links the two doves to the two Meshichim,
“We
have found that the first Mashiach will be from the tribe of Ephraim who will
nevertheless die while revealing himself; he will be followed by the Mashiach
descended from David. When the Torah speaks of G-d taking, “two birds which are
pure,” these words are similes for the two kinds of Meshichim….the words “to
slay the one bird” in this context are an allusion to the death of the first
Mashiach… he will die as an atonement for the sins of the people.”
Rabbi Chayim ben Attar, Ohr
HaChayim, translation by Eliyahu Munk – 5 vol. pg. 1107
The two doves of the sacrifice of the leper link to the two goats of Yom Kippur, over which lots are cast to determine which goat is for HaShem, and which goat is destined for the wilderness. The sailors with Yonah also cast lots, to determine who was responsible for the storm,
“So
they cast lots, and the lot fell on Yonah.”
Jonah 1:7
Like Yonah, Yosef’s brothers “cast lots” over his coat, (Genesis Rabbah 84:8) as lots were cast over the garment of Yeshua (Psalm 22:18, John 19:24). The sailors then threw Yonah into the sea (which represents nations, Rev 17:15).
THE GREAT FISH
“And
HaShem appointed a great fish to swallow up Yonah. And Yonah was in the belly
of the fish three days and three nights.”
Jonah 1:17
When Yonah was thrown into the sea, a large fish swallowed him,
“The
verse relates: “Hashem designated a large fish to swallow Yonah, and Yonah
remained in the fish’s innards for three days and three nights” (Yonah 2:1).
The unusual circumstance of G-d causing a giant fish to engulf Yonah is not
without deep significance. We see that when Yaakov gave his blessing to
Efrayim and Menashe, the children of Yosef HaTzaddik, he blessed them in
connection with the quality of fish; as it says (Bereishis 48:16): “…may they
proliferate like fish, within the land”. The Vilna Gaon taught (Kol HaTor
2:33) that the content of this blessing to Yosef’s sons essentially reflected
the spiritual qualities of Mashiach ben Yosef, stemming from Yosef HaTzaddik.
Thus the aspect of “fish” and its conceptual associations are connected to
Mashiach ben Yosef. We thus find an example of this, in the gemara (Berachos
20a), where the progeny of Yosef are described as having the protective
spiritual quality of fish. It
was therefore appropriate that the fish be the medium that Hashem used to deal
with Yonah, the Mashiach ben Yosef of the time; and achieve everything that He
did, through it specifically.”
R’ Daniel Krentzman, Yonah
as MBY [2]
Yonah’s deliverance is symbolic of the resurrection,
“For
you threw me into the depths, in the heart of the seas. The flood was all
around me. All your waves and your billows passed over me. I said, I have been
banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple. The
waters surrounded me, even to the soul. The deep was around me. The weeds were
wrapped around my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains. The
earth barred me in forever: yet have you brought up my life from the pit,
HaShem my God. When my soul fainted within me, I remembered HaShem. My prayer
came in to you, into your holy temple. Those who regard lying vanities forsake
their own mercy. But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving. I
will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation belongs to HaShem.” HaShem spoke to
the fish, and it vomited out Jonah on the dry land.
Jonah 2:3-10
Some elements in the prayer of Yonah seems to echo that of King David,
“For
the waves of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The
cords of Sheol were around me. The snares of death caught me. In my distress I
called on the LORD. Yes, I called to my God. He heard my voice out of his
temple. . .He sent from on high and he took me. He drew me out of many waters…”
2 Samuel 22:1-51
R’ Krentzman says,
“Similarly,
in reference to Mashiach ben Yosef’s salvation, it says: “גואל משחת חייכי“, “Who redeems your
life from the pit” (Tehillim 103:4); (see Kol HaTor 2:25).”
R’ Daniel Krentzman, Yonah
as MBY [3]
As the weeds were wrapped around his head, so was the crown of thorns wrapped around the head of Yeshua. The Zohar elaborates on Yonah being a symbol of the Resurrection,
“In
the story of Jonah we have a representation of the whole of a man’s career in
this world. Jonah descending into the ship is symbolic of man’s soul that
descends into this world to enter into his body…just as Jonah ‘went down into
the innermost part of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep’. . . So ‘the
shipmaster came to him’, to wit, the good prompter, who is the general
steersman, ‘and said unto him: What do you mean that you are sleeping?
Arise, call upon your God’, etc.; it is not a time to sleep, as they are
about to take you up to be tried for all that you have done in this world.
Repent of your sins . . . For
the fish that swallowed him is, in fact, the grave, and so
‘Jonah was in the belly of the fish’, which is identified with ‘the belly of
the underworld’ (Sheol), as is proved by the passage, ‘Out of the belly of
the underworld (sheol) cried I‘. ‘Three days and three nights’: these are the
three days that a man lies in his grave . . .After that the soul ascends while
the body is being decomposed in the earth, where it will lie until the time
when the Holy One, blessed be He, will awaken the dead. A voice will then
resound through the graves, proclaiming: ‘Awake and sing, ye that dwell in
the dust…‘He will destroy death for ever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears
from off all faces; and the reproach of his people will he take away from off
all the earth‘ (Ibid. xxv, 8). It is of that occasion that it is written: ‘And
the Lord spoke unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land‘ .
. . Thus in the narrative of that fish we find words of healing for the whole
world…In a similar way the Land of Israel will in the future first be stirred
to new life, and afterwards the earth will cast forth the dead.”
Zohar, Volume II, 199a-b, Soncino Press Edition
MASHIACH BEN YOSEF
Yonah HaNavi is linked to Mashiach ben Yosef in Seder Eliyahu Rabbah [4], and as the son of the widow of Tzarfat who was resurrected by Eliyahu HaNavi. Benei Issachar says,
“It
is known that Jonah son of Amittai is Mashiach son of Ephraim.”
Benei Issachar, Tishrei 10,
28, cited in The Concealed Light, Dr. Tsvi Sadan, pg. 112
R’ Daniel Krentzman elaborates,
“According
to the midrash (Shocher Tov 26:7) Yonah was the son of the widow in
Tzarfat, who had died and had Eliyahu HaNavi bring him back to life (see Kings
I, chapter 17). This intimate spiritual connection between Yonah and
Eliyahu marked the beginning of Yonah’s reception of the spiritual potential to
manifest Mashiach ben Yosef in his lifetime; for Eliyahu HaNavi was, and is,
among those most connected to the qualities of Mashiach ben Yosef (see Shaar
HaGilgulim (הקדמה לב‘) and Kol HaTor
2:71). In addition to the deep spiritual connection that Yonah and Eliyahu
shared, as a result of Eliyahu resurrecting him, Yonah was also his disciple (Pirkei
Rabbeinu HaKadosh, Likkutim 3) and is even eventually described
as being equal to him (Mishnas R’ Eliezer 8). Elisha, who succeeded
Eliyahu and continued his spiritual mission, was a contemporary and teacher of
Yonah, who continued, as a result, to be privy to the reception of the
spiritual the qualities of Mashiach ben Yosef, from Elisha, who had received
them from Eliyahu. This is also the significance of the midrash which says that
Elisha “anointed” Yonah (Mishnas R’ Eliezer 8) which expressed that
Elisha “anointed” him as “Mashiach ben Yosef”.”
R’ Daniel Krentzman, Yonah
as MBY [5]
Like Yonah, Yeshua connected to Yochanan HaMatbil (John the Baptist) who was Eliyahu (Matt 11:14). The Jerusalem Talmud records an amazing insight connecting Yonah to the Holy Spirit on the last day of Sukkot,
“Jonah
b. Amittai was one of those who came up for the festivals [to Jerusalem], and
he came in for the
rejoicing of bet ha’shoebah, and the Holy Spirit rested on him.”
Jerusalem Talmud, Sukkah
I:4, Neusner Edition
Yeshua said on this day of Sukkot,
“Now
on the last and greatest day of the feast, Yeshua stood and cried out, “If
anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! He who believes in me, as the
Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.” But he
said this about the Spirit, which those believing in him were to receive…”
John 7:37-39
Like Yeshua, Yonah warned of Jerusalem’s impending destruction unless the generation repented. Pirkei de-Rebbi Eliezer says,
“G-d
send [Yonah] to destroy Yerushalayim, but when the people did teshuvah, the
Holy One, blessed be He, out of His great kindess reconsidered and did not
destroy [Yerushalayim. Since his prophecy was not fulfilled] the people called
him a false prophet.”
Pirkei de-Rebbi Eliezer,
Chapter 10, translated by R’ Avraham Finkle, Yeshivath Beth Moshe, pg. 25
Yeshua warns his followers ‘not to go among the Gentiles’ initially (Matthew 10:5), until the time was right (Matt 28:19). When HaShem tells him to bring his message of repentance to Nineveh, the enemies of Israel, he gets on a boat and attempts to flee to Tarshish.
“…HaShem
hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so
that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each
cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the
sea to lighten it for them. But Yonah had gone down into the inner part of the
ship and had lain down and was fast asleep.”
Jonah 1:4-5
The Gospels relate a story that is a direct echo of the book of Yonah,
“On
that day, when evening had come, he said to them, Lets go over to the other
side. Leaving the multitude, they took him with them, even as he was, in the
boat. Other small boats were also with him. A big wind storm arose, and the
waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled. He himself
was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up, and told him,
“Rabbi, don’t you care that we are dying?!” He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and
said to the sea, Peace! Be still! The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
He said to them, Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith? They
were greatly afraid, and said to one another, Who then is this, that even the
wind and the sea obey him.”
Mark 4:35-41, cf. Matt
8:24-27
Yeshua tells invites the disciples to go with him to the “Other Side.” In Jewish mysticism, the term Sitra Achra or “Other Side” refers to the realm of spiritual darkness and evil. In fact, when he reaches the destination, he encounters an army (legion) of demons and defeats them. In the generation of Yonah, Nineveh was the seat of spiritual darkness.
THE OTHER SIDE
“Arise,
go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim against it, for their wickedness
has come up before me…”
Jonah 1:2
There is a incredible 7th century apocalyptic text called Sefer Zerubavel, that links Nineveh with Rome, and reveals the keys to Redemption,
“A wind lifted me up between heaven and earth and carried me to the great city Nineveh, city of blood. . . [HaShem] said to me, ‘Go to the “house of filth” near the market-district,’ and I went just as he had commanded me. He said to me, ‘Turn this way,’ and so I turned. He touched me, and then I saw a man (who was) despicable, broken down and in pain.
That despicable man said to me: ‘Zerubbabel!? What business do you have here? Who has brought you here?’ I responded and said: ‘A wind from the Lord lifted me up and carried me to this place.’ He said to me: ‘Do not be afraid, for you have been brought here in order that He might show you (and then you in turn might inform the people of Israel about everything which you see).’ When I heard his words, I was consoled and regained my self-composure. I asked him, ‘Sir, what is the name of this place?’ He said to me, ‘This is mighty Rome, wherein I am imprisoned.’ I said to him, ‘Who then are you? What is your name? What do you seek here? What are you doing in this place?’ He said to me, ‘I am the Messiah of the Lord, the son of Hezekiah confined in prison until the time of the End.’
When
I heard this, I was silent, and I hid my face from him. His anger burned
within him, and when I looked at him (again), I became frightened. He said to
me, ‘Come nearer to me,’ and as he spoke to me my limbs quaked, and he reached
out his hand and steadied me. ‘Don’t be frightened,’ he said, ‘and let
your mind show no fear.’ He encouraged me, and said: ‘Why did you become
silent and hide your face from me?’ I said to him: ‘Because you said, “I
am the servant of the Lord, His Messiah, and ‘the light of Israel’ (2 Sam
21:17).”’ Suddenly he appeared like a strong young man, handsome and adorned.”
Sefer Zerubavel, translated
by John C. Reeves, Trajectories in Near Eastern Apocalyptic, A Postrabbinic
Jewish Apocalypse Reader [6]
This remarkable text deserves analysis.
- Nineveh, the city of
blood
Later, this is identified with Greater Rome, where Mashiach is imprisoned. Thus, this forms a connection with Yonah HaNavi who went to Nineveh. This pattern is an important concept in the Geulah: The Redeemer is concealed among the enemies of Israel. Today, the name of Mashiach is slandered as he is perceived to be within or part of Rome, but in truth, he is outside of its gates, waiting for Israel to be ready. All of this is in accordance with the principle, “The hands (the external) are the hands of Esav, the voice (the internal) is the voice of Yaakov.” Like Yosef HaTzaddik, Moshe Rabbeinu and Esther HaMalka, the Mashiach is concealed within the klipa of the enemies of Israel, that is Rome. - A Man, Despicable,
Broken Down and in Pain
Described in Isaiah 53, the suffering, Leper Messiah, concealed at the Gates of Rome. - “The House of Filth” – A
term for a “church” in Rome.
The Hebrew words for ‘House of Filth’ are בית התורף, a “term in medieval Jewish literature for a Christian church or cathedral.” [7] In this “house of filth” is a “marble stone in the shape of a maiden” (a statue of Roman idol given who is the mother of Armilus, the False Messiah. Note that this statue is what people call the “virgin Mary” but it is not the Miriam of the New Testament. - Messiah … confined in
prison until the time of the End.
He is concealed in a church full of idolatry and filth. In the Talmud, it speaks of Yeshu boiling in filth. Most take this to be a negative statement against Yeshua. In fact, it can be seen as just the opposite. He is not literally there, it is his name, sunk in the depths of Rome’s idolatry. - I hid my face from him
This seems to be an echo of Isaiah 53:3, “He was despised as one from whom men hide their face.” When Zerubavel hides his face from the Mashiach, who becomes “angry.” Why? Because this delays the Redemption. Very few can behold the truth of the Mashiach concealed in Edom. This is why he says, “Come nearer to me. Why do you hide your face from me?” - Do not be frightened.
He reaches out his hand, touches Zerubavel and says, “Do not be frightened.” Yeshua says these exact words in Revelation 1:17. - Suddenly he appeared as
a strong young man
He had no appearance that we would desire him, but the eyes of Zerubavel were opened to see the spiritual reality: This man is indeed the Mashiach of HaShem.
LIGHT TO THE NATIONS
“He
said to them, I am a Hebrew, and I fear HaShem, the God of heaven, who has made
the sea and the dry land.”
Jonah 1:9
R’ Krentzman says,
“Yonah,
after receiving his instruction to rebuke the city Ninveh, realizes that the
people of Ninveh may repent and as a result, effect heavenly accusation and
retribution against the Jewish, who have failed to repent from their evil ways.
Because of his intense love for the Jewish people Yonah did not wish to be the
medium through which such retribution would befall them. He therefore refuses
to fulfill Hashem’s command and instead charters a ship to sail to the land of
Tarshish. When a miraculous storm threatens to sink the ship, the sailors
aboard ask Yonah: “Where do you come from? What is your land? And of what
people are you?” Yonah replies: “עברי אנכי”,
“I
am a Hebrew”… (Yonah 1:8-9). t is not by chance that Yonah’s
reply is similar to that of Yosef
HaTzaddik, who, in identifying with Eretz Yisrael and the children of
Yaakov, said: “כי גנב גנבתי מארץ העברים“, “I was kidnapped from the land of the
Hebrews…” (Bereishis 40:15). This comes to hint at Yonah’s manifestation of the
spiritual qualities of Yosef as a respective Mashiach ben Yosef of his
generation.”
R’ Daniel Krentzman, Yonah
as MBY [8]
One mission of Yonah HaNavi was to bring the message of repentance to the nations. By reason of a kol v’chomer, if the nations, even the Ninevites, repent, how much more should Israel repent. The Kol HaTor explains,
“Admonish to repent – not only
Israel, but also the other nations, in the line of the prophet Jonah, who
was the Mashiach ben Yosef in his generation, as is written: (Isa.
2:4) “He will admonish many peoples.”
Kol HaTor 2.75
R’ Krentzman comments,
“The
Vilna Gaon teaches (Kol HaTor 2:75) that one of the missions of a
respective Mashiach ben Yosef is to be a: “מוכיח לתשובה“,
that is, to give rebuke and spur the masses to repent. This furthers the goal
of tikun olam by having people remove themselves from tumah and
sin and return to serving Hashem and doing good in the world; eventually to the
extent that the rectification can be done for the sin of Adam and Chava, in Gan
Eden. Therefore many Mashiach ben Yosefs were involved in giving rebuke
and encouraging repentance throughout Jewish history. This form of “rebuke” of
Mashiach ben Yosef is not limited to the Jewish people alone but can also apply
to the nations of the world.”
R’ Daniel Krentzman, Yonah
as MBY [9]
Like Yonah before him, the nations will listen to the message of Mashiach ben Yosef, as Midrash Rabbah explains,
“R.
Tanhuma said: The king Messiah will come for no other purpose than to teach the
nations of the earth thirty precepts, such as those of the Booth, the
Palm-Branch and the Tefillin. But all the children of Israel will be taught
precepts of Torah by the Holy One Himself, blessed be He, for it is said ‘All
thy children shall be taught by the L-rd’ (Isa. 59:13). Why not by the Messiah?
Because of the Messiah it is said ‘Unto him shall the nations seek.’
Midrash Tehillim, Psalm 21,
translated by Rabbi William Braude, Yale University Press, pg 292
THE MAN FROM THE SEA
In the apocalyptic text of 4th Ezra, it speaks of the Mashiach, who, like Yonah HaNavi, rises out of the sea,
“After
seven days I dreamed a dream in the night, and behold a wind arose form the sea
and stirred up all of its waves. And I looked, and behold this wind made
something like the figure of a man come up out of the heart of the sea. And I
looked, and behold, that man flew with the clouds of heaven and wherever he
turned his face to look, everything under his gaze trembled, and whenever his
voice issued from his mouth, all who heard his voice melted as wax melts in a
fire…..After this I looked and behold, an innumerable multitude of men were
gathered together from the four winds of heaven to make war against the man who
came up out of the sea. . . all who had gathered together against him, to wage
war with him, were much afraid, yet dared to fight. And behold, when he saw the
onrush of the approaching multitude, he neither lifted his hand no held any
spear or weapon of war, but I saw only how he sent forth from his mouth as it
were a stream of fire, and from his lips a flaming breath, and from his tongue
he shot forth a storm of sparks….and fell on the onrushing multitude which was
prepared to fight and burned them all up, so that suddenly nothing was seen of
the innumerable multitude but only the dust of ashes and the smell of
smoke…After this I saw the same man come down from the mountain and call to him
another multitude was was peaceable. Them many people came to him, some of whom
were joyful and some sorrowful, some of them were bound, and some were bringing
others as offerings…”
4th Ezra, Chapter 13,
translated by, pg. 553-554
TIKKUN OLAM
R’ Krentzman describes the tachlit, the purpose, of mission of Mashiach ben Yosef,
“This
is because, as discussed above (see Introduction), the need for the
mission of Mashiach ben Yosef came about as result of the sin of Adam. In
theory, had Adam not sinned and brought about tremendous spiritual damage to
himself and the world, there would not have been a need for the tikun olam
efforts of Mashiach ben Yosef, in every subsequent generation. Mashiach ben
Yosef thus comes to rectify that damage and return mankind to the state of Adam
before the sin.”
R’ Daniel Krentzman, Yonah
as MBY [10]
Returning to the Dove, the Zohar says,
“Who
has seen the brilliant radiance of that Torah scroll, all luminous light? Its
letters, flames of fire in four colors of the supernal world….No one can endure
them except the Messiah. ..a crown of pure gold – splendid, precious, hidden
invisible now; inlaid and embedded with all kinds of gems – destined to be
placed on the head of King Messiah when he ascends that tower…At the moment he
begins to read, another aperture will open, from which will emerge the dove
sent by Noah in days of the Flood, as is
written: ‘He sent out the dove’ (Gen 8:8) – the renowned one, which the ancients did not mention and
whose identity they did not know (ולא מלילו בה קדמאי ולא ידעו מה היא); but from here she went forth and
fulfilled her mission. . . no one knew where she had gone – but she returned to
her place…And she will take the crown in her mouth and place it upon the head
of King Messiah.”
Zohar 3:164b, Rav Metivta,
translated by Daniel C. Matt, Pritzker Edition, Volume 9, pg. 83
In the footnote, Daniel C. Matt points out the parallels of this passage with the immersion of Yeshua in the water, with the Dove descending upon him. After this anointing of the Spirit, Yeshua began to call out, “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near,”
“An
evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to
it except the sign of the prophet Yonah. For just as Yonah was three days and
three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three
days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise
up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at
the preaching of Yonah, and behold, something greater than Yonah is here.”
Matthew 12:39-41
As we approach Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, let us heed these words, the Voice of Rebuke, that we may be inscribed in the Book of Life, in the merits of Yeshua. As the Machzor says,
וּתְשׁוּבָה וּתְפִלָּה וּצְדָקָה מַעֲבִירִין אֶת רעַ הַגְּזֵרָה
“But Repentance,
Prayer, and Charity cancel the evil decree.”
Unetaneh Tokef
REFERENCES
1. R’ Daniel Krentzman, Ari Goldwag, Geulah Perspectives, Yonah as MBY
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. “Did you not ask
the widow of Zarephath for hallah, the dough offering due to a priest,
Saying .“Make me of the dough offering a little cake first, and bring it
forth unto me, and afterword make thee [a cake] for thee and for thy son.” (1
Kings 17:13)? Elijah replied: The son [I was referring to] was Messiah the son
of Joseph.” Footnote: The prophet Jonah was, said to have been the son
of the widow of Zarephath…was also an incarnation of Messiah son of [the Tribe
of] Joseph, who was to precede Messiah son of David.”
Tanna Debe Eliyyahu, Seder Eliyyahu Rabbah, Jewish
Publication Society, pg. 217
5. R’ Daniel Krentzman, Ari Goldwag, Geulah Perspectives, Yonah as MBY
6. Sefer Zerubavel, translated by John C. Reeves
7. Trajectories in Near Eastern Apocalyptic, A Postrabbinic Jewish Apocalypse Reader, John C. Reeves, Society of Biblical Literature, pg. 52: “Jellinek has the correct reading “” . . . as Yassif points out, the former is a term in medieval Jewish literature for a Christian church or cathedral. See also Dan, Sippur ,38; Moshe Idel, Messianic Mystics, 347, n.9; Biale, “Counter-History,” 139.”
8. R’ Daniel Krentzman, Yonah as MBY
9. Ibid.
10. Ibid.
11. The Talmud makes a strange remark,
“Rabbi
Yochanan related: One time we were travelling by ship and we saw this fish
which had raised its head out of the water. His eyes resembled two moons and he
nafitz(spouted out) water from his two nostrils like the two rivers of Sura.”
Bava Batra 74a
Rebbe Nachman comments,
“We
saw this fish’ – This is the tzaddik who is called a fish, as is known (MeOrey
Or, dag) ‘he naFitZ (spouted out) water from his two nostrils’ – This
alludes to the two Messiahs, whom the gentiles will seek out and be drawn to.
As is written (Isaiah 2:2), “All the nations shall flow unto him.” And this
is: ‘the two rivers of Sura’ – SuRa alludes to the gentiles, on account of
their idolatry,as in (Exodus 32:8, “SaRu (they strayed) quickly from the path.”
[The gentiles] are embodied in two nations: Esav and Yishmael. And through
these two Messiahs – who are the two nostrils, corresponding to “The breath of
our noses, the Mashiach of God” (Lamentations 4:20) – [the gentiles] will be
redeemed, and they will be drawn to them to learn the word of God.”
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov,
Likutey Moharan 16:1, Breslov Research Institute, Volume II, pg. 373
MIRROR IMAGES
YONAH |
YESHUA |
|
From
Gath-Hepher in Galilee |
From Nazareth
in Galilee |
|
Named
Yonah ben Amittai |
Is connected
to the “Dove”, is the “Truth” |
|
Mashiach ben
Yosef |
Likened to
Yonah HaNavi |
|
Fell asleep in
a boat during a storm |
Fell asleep in
a boat during a storm |
|
Sailors were
frightened of death |
Disciples were
frightened of death |
|
Sacrificed
himself to save the sailors |
Sacrificed
himself to save the world |
|
Sea was calmed |
Sea was calmed |
|
The Dove does
not struggle when it is being sacrificed |
Like a lamb he
was led to the slaughter |
|
Lots were cast |
Lots were cast |
|
Was in the
belly of the fish (symbolizing Sheol) 3 days, 3 nights |
Was in the
belly of Sheol 3 days, 3 nights |
|
Weeds were
wrapped around his head |
Crown of
thorns wrapped around his head |
|
Is brought up
from the pit |
Is brought up
from the pit |
|
Nineveh = Rome |
Rome |
|
Is the Voice
of Rebuke |
Is the Voice
of Rebuke |
|
The nations
listen to him and make teshuva |
The nations
listen to him and make teshuva |
|
The Holy
Spirit descended upon him on the Last Day of Sukkot |
Last Day of
Sukkot and the Holy Spirit |
|
Foretold
Jerusalem’s destruction |
Foretold
Jerusalem’s destruction |
|
Was called a
“False Prophet” |
Was called a “False Prophet” |
|
Resurrected,
“Behold your son lives.” |
“He is
not here, he is alive.” |
Acharei Mot: Secret of the Scarlet Thread
Posted by Ben Burton on May 5, 2016 in Articles, Festivals, Gematria, Messiah, New Testament, Parashot, Prayerbook | 3 Comments
In Parashat Acharei Mot (Leviticus 16:1–18:3), we read of the deaths of Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aaron, after they brought “strange fire.” The words Acharei Mot mean “after the death.” In this sidra, we also read of the awesome day of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the holiest day in the year. What is the connection between the two concepts? The Midrash explains,
א״ר חייא בר אבא בא׳ בניסן מתו בניו של אהרן ולמה מזכיר מיתתן ביום הכפורים אלא מלמד שכשם שיום הכפורים מכפר כך מיתתן של צדיקים מכפרת
“R. Hiyya b. Abba stated: “The sons of Aaron
died on the first of Nisan. Why then is their death mentioned in connection
with the Day of Atonement? It must be to teach that as the Day of Atonement
effects atonement, so the death of the righteous effects atonement.”
Leviticus Rabbah 20:12, Soncino Press Edition
This concept of מיתתן של צדיקים מכפרת (mitatan shel tzaddikim mekapparet), the death of the righteous atones is an important principle in Torah. This idea is specifically cited with regard to Miriam, Aharon, the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash. The Tzaddik par excellence is typified by Yosef, who resisted the temptations of Egypt and remained faithful to HaShem despite unfathomable conditions of idolatry and immorality. The book of Proverbs explains the importance of the Tzaddik,
צַדִּיק יְסֹוד עֹולָם
“The Tzaddik is the foundation of the world.”
Proverbs 10:25
The earth, and by extension the universe, exists because of the Tzaddik. In Genesis, we read of Yosef HaTzaddik being sold by his brothers to Gentiles,
“Yehuda said to his brothers, “What
profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, and lets sell
him to the Ishmaelites, and not let our hand be on him; for he is our brother,
our flesh.” His brothers listened to him. Midianites who were merchants passed
by, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the
Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. They brought Joseph into Egypt.”
Genesis 37:26-28
Even though he was sold into Egypt the heart of spiritual depravity, the Midrash Rabbah highlights the ability of HaShem to bring light out of the darkness,
“R. Samuel ben Nahman commenced thus: ‘For I
know the thoughts that I think toward you, says HaShem (Jer. 29:11). The
tribal ancestors were engaged in selling Yosef, Yaakov was taken up with his
sackcloth and fasting, and Yehuda was busy taking a wife, while the Holy
One, blessed be He, was creating the light of Messiah: thus, And it came to
pass at the time, etc. ‘Before she travailed, she brought forth’ (Isa.
66:7). Before the last who shall enslave [Israel] was born, the first
redeemer was born, as it says, ‘And it came to pass at that time.”
Genesis Rabbah 85:1, Soncino Press Edition
The Ramban, R’ Moshe ben Nachman (1194 CE -1270 CE), summarizes a teaching from the Midrash Tanchuma,
Wall painting of the Ramban , at the wall of Akko’s Auditorium. Author: Chesdovi. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Wikimedia Commons.
“I will tell you a principle, which you
should keep in mind throughout the coming passages regarding the lives of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is a major principle, which the Sages mention
succinctly when they said,”Everything that occurred to the Patriarchs is a sign
(or portent) for their descendants.”
Ramban on Genesis 12:6, Mesorah Publishers, pg 293
The Artscroll commentary to the Ramban explains,
“Whenever the Torah records an incident that occurred in the Patriarch’s personal lives, it is because that event foreshadowed some parallel event that would affect the Jewish people in the future.”
R’ Ari Kahn of Aish.com elucidates this important idea,
“In order to understand the significance of
the teachings in Genesis generally, and in this Torah portion specifically, we
must introduce the concept of ma’aseh avot siman
l’banim, which literally translates “the actions of the
forefathers serve as a portent for their descendants.” Put another way, history
repeats itself, or, in theological terms, Jewish history is Jewish destiny.”
R’ Ari Kahn, M’oray HaAish: Vayeshev, Light of Messiah, Aish.com [1]
The echoes of the Sale of Yosef have resonated throughout history, and come to a climax on Yom Kippur. R’ Ari Kahn comments,
“Indeed, it seems difficult to argue that the
brothers were not guilty of this act of perfidy. Jewish tradition refers to the
sale of Yosef as a stain on the collective conscience of the entire nation – a
stain that much of Jewish practice and Jewish history is geared toward
cleansing. The Rambam notes that a goat is always brought as a sin offering on
holidays, and ties this offering directly with the goat’s blood with which
Yosef’s coat of many colors was stained by the brothers. The goat is a symbol
of the treachery which continues to haunt the collective, a blot on the
integrity and unity of the entire nation. On holidays, when we gather as a
family, we bring the sin offering with the blood of the goat in order to
attempt to bring about healing for the sale of Yosef at his brothers’ hands. In
fact, our sages associate some of the most cataclysmic events in Jewish history
with our collective guilt for the sale of Yosef: The martyrdom of Judaism’s ten
greatest scholars, retold in the Yom Kippur liturgy each year, is said to be a tikkun
for the sale of Yosef. It seems an inescapable conclusion that Jewish
theology considers the brothers guilty of the sale, and senses the
repercussions of that episode throughout our history.”
R’ Ari Kahn, M’oray HaAish: For a Pair of Shoes, Aish.com [2]
If what happens in Genesis has prophetic ripples into Jewish history, what event is foreshadowed by the brothers selling Yosef to the gentiles? It is important to note that all humanity is guilty before HaShem. And it is for Israel, and yes even the world, that Mashiach ben Yosef came. R’ Daniel Krentzman remarks on this incredible cosmic mission,
“The need for the mission of Mashiach ben
Yosef came about as result of the sin of Adam. In theory, had Adam not sinned
and brought about tremendous spiritual damage to himself and the world, there
would not have been a need for the tikun olam efforts of Mashiach ben Yosef, in
every subsequent generation. Mashiach ben Yosef thus comes to rectify that
damage and return mankind to the state of Adam before the sin.”
Yonah the Navi as Mashiach ben Yosef, Daniel Krentzman, pg. 10 [3]
The Ben Ish Chai, R’ Yosef Chayyim (1835 CE – 1909 CE), comments on the dispute between R’ Dosa and the other Sages (Sukkah 52a), as to the meaning of Zechariah 12:10,
“There is a dispute in the Gemara as to the
reason for this incidence of great mourning in the future. Some say it is on
account of the slaying of the Messiah descended from Joseph, a tzaddik who will
pave the way for the coming of the Messiah descended from David. . . Actually,
both opinions are true…the people will mourn the death of the Josephian Messiah
“because they have stabbed him” – because it is their sins that will cause him
to die, as it is written, “He was crushed because of our iniquities (Isaiah
53:5). This is similar to the mourning over Yoshiyahu. . . the people will weep
over him because their sins are what caused his death. Therefore when we say,
“May you speedily establish the throne of David within [Jerusalem].” (daily
liturgy), we are praying that he not be killed. The Arizal explained that the
“throne of David” refers to the Josephian Messiah, who is the “throne” or base
of power, for the David Messiah (Sha’ar HaKavanot 37a).”
Ben Ish Chai, Ben Yehoyada, Days of Peace, Yeshivat Ahavat Shalom
Publications, pgs. 114-115
Page from מדרש אלה אזכרה (Midrash Eleh Ezkerah), Constantinople, 1620.
THE TEN MARTYRS
In the Machzor for Yom Kippur, as encapsulated in the piyyut Eleh Ezkerah (These I will remember), and on Tisha b’Av in Arzei Levanon (The Cedars of Levanon), we read the story of עשרת הרוגי מלכות Aseret Harugei Malchut, the Ten Slain by the Government. It speaks in detail regarding the death of the Ten Martyrs at the hands of the Romans, in words hauntingly reminiscent of Yeshua’s suffering in the Gospels. Although their deaths did not take place at the same time, the section in the prayerbook seemingly combines all of the events into one. The story begins as follows,
“After the destruction of the Temple, the
impudent of the generation said “what loss have we suffered? After all, we
still have scholars amongst us who teach us His Torah and mitzvot.”
At once God put the idea in the heart of the Roman emperor to study the
Law of Moses with the wise men and elders. He began with Bereishit and
continued until they came to this verse: וגונב איש ומכרו ונמצא בידו מות יומת : A man who kidnaps another and sells him
into slavery and is found with the victim, that man should surely die
(Shemot 21:16). Upon reading this verse he commanded that his palace be
filled with shoes. He then called for ten sages of Israel to be brought
before him, had them seated on golden chairs, and challenged them thusly:
“What is the law regarding a man who kidnaps his brother and sells him
into slavery?” They replied “The Torah states that such a man must be put
to death.” “If so,” continues the Emperor, “you are all obligated to die.”
“Why?” they asked. “For the sale of Yosef, who was sold by his brothers.
Had the brothers been present I would have judged them, but as they are no
longer alive, you shall bear the sins of your forefathers.” The rabbis
asked for three days in which to seek a defense to the charges. Then they
prevailed upon Rabbi Yishmael the Kohen Gadol to recite the Divine Name
and ascend to Heaven to see if such a decree against them had be n sealed by
the Almighty. Rabbi Yishmael accepted the mission and reported back that
the decree was indeed ordained in Heaven. In the end, the Sages were
publicly executed by the Romans.”
Eleh Ezkerah, cited in The Ten Martyrs, Dr. Deena S. Rabinovich [4]
The text then describes their deaths in detail. R’ Yishmael plays a major role in the text of Sefer HaHeikhalot, sometimes called in English “3rd Enoch,” which deals with the transformation and description of Metatron. Regarding the names of the tzaddikim, the names sometimes differ. One list of the names is as follows:
- Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha the High Priest
- Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel Hazaken
- Rabbi Chanina ben Tradyon
- Rabbi Akiva ben Yosef
- Rabbi Yehudah ben Bava (Sanhedrin 14a, Avodah Zarah 8b)
- Rabbi Chutzpit HaMeturgeman
- Rabbi Yeshevav HaSofer
- Rabbi Elazar ben Shammua
- Rabbi Chanina ben Chachinai
- Rabbi Yehudah ben Dama
The Midrash comments on the Ten Martyrs, each of whom stand in for the Ten Brothers who sold Yosef,
אמר ר’ יהושע בן לוי לא נמשכו עשרה
הרוגי מלכות אלא בחטא מכירתו של יוסף.
מדרש משלי פרשה א סימן יג
“Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: ‘The Ten
Martyrs were not dragged down for anything other than the sin of
selling Yosef (by his brothers).”
Midrash Mishlei 1:13 [3]
The Ten Martyrs died to atone for Israel based on the principle of mitatan shel tzaddikim mekapparet, ‘the death of the righteous atones’ as we mentioned above. The sale of Yosef is connected with the worst sin in the history of Israel: The sin of the Golden Calf,
יש בידכם בתחילה ויש בידכם בסוף, יש בידכם בתחילה “וישחטו שעיר עזים,” ויש בידכם בסוף “עשו להם עגל מסכה.” יבא שעיר עזים ויכפר על מעשה עזים, יבא עגל ויכפר על מעשה עגל
“You have in your hands [a sin] from the
beginning and you have in your hands [a sin] in the end. You have in your hands
in the beginning: “They [Joseph’s brothers] slaughtered a goat and dipped the
coat in blood” (Gen. 37:31), and you have in your hands in the end: “They have
made themselves a molten calf” (Ex. 32:8): Let a goat come and atone for an
action with a goat; let a calf come and atone for an action with a calf.”
Sefer Shemini 1, cited in Eleh Ezkerah: Re-reading the Asarah Harugei
Malkhut, Nachman Levine, Hakirah Journal
How is it possible to make a tikkun, a repair, for this? Obviously it requires a great atonement. There are cases where atonement requires the blood of the Tzaddik, as Rebbe Nachman of Breslov writes in Likutey Moharan,
“…Israel’s spilled blood contains many lofty
and hidden matters, be it blood spilled through embarrassment or other, actual
spilled blood. For there are very many fallen souls which have no elevation
except through the spilled blood of Israel; [that] of a great individual. In
some cases, they have no elevation except through actual spilled blood.”
Likutey Moharan, Volume II, 83:11, Volume XV, Breslov Research Institute, pg
225
The Breslov Commentary on this passage states,
“Rebbe Nachman teaches here that this is the
deeper reason – “the lofty and hidden matters” – that Israel’s blood has been
spilled time and again down through the generations. Whether through
embarrassment or murder, the spilled blood of the righteous – a “great
individual” – raises the fallen souls and brings to their rectification. The
Rebbe has already alluded to this spilled blood of a great individual in the
previous section, where he spoke of the tzaddik who must undergo “ritual
slaughter” so that God’s tasting his mitzvot is not the consumption of the limb
of a living creature….In Likutey Moharan 1, 260, Rebbe Nachman teaches that
there are times when, to gain forgiveness for the Jewish people, tzaddikim
sacrifice their name and honor and willing suffer embarrassment. Other times,
the truly great tzaddikim are required to make the ultimate sacrifice and give
their lives to effect forgiveness. This related to the tzaddik’s spilled blood,
and to the elevation of the very many souls which have fallen on account of
Adam’s blemish of the brit and due to the sins of mankind ever since…The only
way to effective unification when sins are prevalent is by the tzaddik’s
ultimate self-sacrifice. The righteous are required to accept judgment upon
themselves, giving up their lives for God. One such time is when the Holy
Temple was destroyed. Sin abounded then, and many souls became trapped in the
kelipot. The only possibility of releasing the fallen souls was by entering the
realm of impurity itself. The Ten Martyrs, all very great and pure tzaddikim,
undertook to do this. Accepting the judgment upon themselves, the Ten Martyrs
made the ultimate self-sacrifice, submitting their physical bodies to the realm
of the kelipot – the Romans, who tortured and murdered them. Through this
“exchange” (for the bodies of the tzaddikim were so holy, they were equivalent
to the souls of most other people), the Ten Martyrs rescued the trapped souls,
whose elevation, an arousal from energy below, brought about a unification of
the Holy One and His Shekhinah in the Upper Worlds…”
Commentary to Likutey Moharan II, 83:11, Volume XV, Breslov Research
Institute, pg 225-226
The Ten Martyrs gave their lives and submitted themselves via self-sacrifice to the worst klipah (shell, demonic force), that is Rome. Likutey Moharan continues,
“Self-sacrifice is in this category, as in
the case of Ten Martyrs who sacrificed their souls sanctifying God’s Name in
order to unite the Holy One and Shekhina. As is known, the main unification is
by self-sacrifice.”
Likutey Moharan 260, Volume XI, Translated by Moshe Mykoff, Breslov Research
Institute, pg. 285
We must ask why did HaShem choose the Ten Martyrs to atone for the sale of Yosef during the Second Temple period? What about this time frame was significant to exact the punishment for the selling of Yosef? Something happened during the Second Temple era that reminded HaShem of the selling of Yosef. There existed in the Second Temple era sinat chinam, a baseless hatred, which rose to the level of the sale of Yosef HaTzaddik. When one speaks of Yosef, it is ultimately refers to the Mashiach ben Yosef.
Perhaps there is an “Eleventh Martyr,” more exalted, hidden and concealed than the rest, who also submitted his life to the klipah of Rome in order to elevate the fallen sparks and redeem all of Israel and the world. Today, his name is slandered as he is perceived to be within or part of Rome, but in truth, he is outside of its gates, waiting for Israel to be ready. All of this is in accordance with the principle, “The hands (the external) are the hands of Esav, the voice (the internal) is the voice of Yaakov.” Like Yosef HaTzaddik, Moshe Rabbeinu and Esther HaMalka, the Mashiach is concealed within the klipa of the enemies of Israel, that is Rome. The Machzor for Yom Kippur has an amazing prayer that can be found in the Hebrew of the Artscroll Nusach Sefard Machzor for Yom Kippur, on page 860, 2nd paragraph, 7th line from the top. It is as follows in an older Machzor,
“Mashiach Tzidkeinu is departed from us. Horror has seized us, and we have none to justify us. He has borne the yoke of our iniquities, and our transgression, and is wounded because of our transgression. He bears our sins on his shoulder, that he may find pardon for our inquities. We shall be healed by his wound, at that time, the Eternal will create him (the Messiah) as a new creature. O bring him up from the circle of the earth. Raise him up from Seir, to assemble us the second time on Mount Levanon, by the hand of Yinon.”
Click here for higher resolution.
Some short notes on the passage,
- Our Righteous Anointed – Mashiach Tzidkeinu, Messiah our Righteousness, a quote from Jeremiah 23
- He has borne the yoke of our iniquities… – see our commentary on Isaiah 53
- He bears our sins on his shoulder – In a stunning statement, Messiah’s shoulders bear the sins of Israel, like a man who carries his cross (Genesis Rabbah 25)
- The Eternal will create him (the Messiah) as a new creature – through Resurrection
- O bring him up from the circle of the earth – Resurrect him from the grave
- Raise him up from Seir – Rescue him from Christianity, from the Gates of Rome to redeem us
- Assemble us the second time on Mount Lebanon – bring us again to the Land, to the Temple Mount
- By the Hand of Yinon – Yinon is a Name of Messiah, before the Creation. Its letters yud-nun-vav-nun allude to the Name of Messiah in the time to come, yud-kei-vav-kei.
SINAT CHINAM
As noted above, “Mount Levanon” is a term for the Temple, which means
“white” and was the source for the cedar beams which form its structure. The
Talmud asks, and answers, the question of why the Beit HaMikdash was
destroyed,
“Why was the first Sanctuary destroyed?
Because of three [evil] things which prevailed there: idolatry, immorality,
bloodshed . . .But why was the second Sanctuary destroyed, seeing that in its
time they were occupying themselves with Torah, [observance of] precepts, and
the practice of charity? Because therein prevailed hatred without cause.
That teaches you that groundless hatred is considered as of even gravity with
the three sins of idolatry, immorality, and bloodshed together . And [during
the time of] the first Sanctuary did no groundless hatred prevail? Surely it is
written: They are thrust down to the sword with my people; smite therefore upon
my thigh,13 and R. Eleazar said: This refers to people who eat and drink
together and then thrust each other through with the daggers of their tongue! —
That [passage] speaks of the princes in Israel, for it is written , Cry and
wail, son of man; for it is upon my people, etc. [The text reads] ‘Cry and
wail, son of man’. One might have assumed [it is upon] all [Israel], therefore
it goes on, Upon all the princes of Israel.”
Yoma 9b, Soncino Press Edition
Tractate Yoma details a series of unusual events preceding the destruction of the Temple,
“Our Rabbis taught: Throughout the forty
years that Simeon the Righteous ministered, the lot [‘For the Lord’] would
always come up in the right hand; from that time on, it would come up now in
the right hand, now in the left. And [during the same time] the
crimson-coloured strap would become white. From that time on it would at
times become white, at others not. Also: Throughout those forty years the
westernmost light was shining, from that time on, it was now
shining, now failing; also the fire of the pile of wood kept burning strong,14 so
that the priests did not have to bring to the pile any other wood besides the
two logs, in order to fulfill the command about providing the wood
unintermittently; from that time on, it would occasionally keep burning
strongly, at other times not, so that the priests could not do without bringing
throughout the day wood for the pile [on the altar]. . . .Our Rabbis taught:
During the last forty years before the destruction of the Temple the lot [‘For
the Lord’] did not come up in the right hand; nor did the crimson-colored
strap become white; nor did the westernmost light shine; and the doors of
the Hekal would open by themselves, until R. Johanan b. Zakkai rebuked them,
saying: Hekal, Hekal, why will you be the alarmer yourself? I know
about you that you will be destroyed, for Zechariah ben Iddo has already
prophesied concerning thee: ‘Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may
devour your cedars. . . Which was tied between the horns of the bullock.
If that became white, it signified that the Holy One, blessed be He, had
forgiven Israel’s sin. Cf. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as
white as snow (Isaiah 1:8, Rashi).”
Yoma 39b, Soncino Press Edition, cf Rosh HaShanah 31b
Note that the cause for the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash was sinat chinam, baseless hatred:
“But why was the second Sanctuary destroyed .
. . ? Because therein prevailed hatred without cause.”
Yoma 9b, Soncino Press Edition
Now we must ask ourselves the question, “Who was the prophet who warned Israel to repent prior to the Churban (destruction of the Second Temple)? While prophecy was generally acknowledged to be dormant at this time, the Temple’s destruction and the worst exile ever must have merited in some way to have a person of the level of Jeremiah or greater to warn and encourage repentance? There are two figures who stand out, Yochanan the Immerser and Yeshua of Nazareth, who preached,
“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at
hand!”
Matthew 3:2
This was an offer to Israel, if they repented, they would be worthy to receive Mashiach ben David in that generation. However, like Yosef HaTzaddik, he experienced sinat chinam, as he says,
“He that hates me hates my Father also. If I
had not done among them the works which none other man did, they would not have
sinned: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this
has come to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their
Torah, ‘They hated me without a cause.’
John 15:23-25
Therefore, Yeshua came riding on a donkey, as Israel was unworthy to receive him, as the Talmud says,
“R. Alexandri said: R. Joshua b. Levi pointed
out a contradiction. it is written, in its time [will the Messiah come], whilst
it is also written, I [the Lord] will hasten it! — if they are worthy, I will hasten it: if
not, [he will come] at the due time. R. Alexandri said: R. Joshua opposed two
verses: it is written, And behold, one like the son of man came with the clouds
of heaven whilst [elsewhere] it is written, [behold, thy king comes unto
thee . . . ] lowly, and riding upon an donkey! If they are meritorious, [he
will come] with the clouds of heaven; if not, lowly and riding upon an donkey.”
Sanhedrin 98a, Soncino Press Edition
Kol HaTor identifies the Mashiach who rides upon the donkey as Mashiach ben Yosef. Yeshua rode into Jerusalem with shouts of the Hallel,
“They brought the young donkey to Yeshua, and
threw their garments on it, and Yeshua sat on it. Many spread their garments on
the way, and others were cutting down branches from the trees, and spreading
them on the road. Those who went in front, and those who followed, cried out,
Hoshia’na! Blessed is he who comes in the name of HaShem! Blessed is the
kingdom of our father David that is coming in the name of HaShem!
Hoshia’na in the highest!”
Mark 11:7-10
Four days later, Yeshua was sold for thirty pieces of silver, and delivered into the hands of the Gentiles – resulting in his death at Passover. As mentioned in the Talmud above, the scarlet thread finally ceased to turn white at the time Yeshua was crucified circa 30 CE. The scarlet thread, as explained in the above passage, miraculously turned white if HaShem forgave the sins of the people. If the thread did not turn white, then they were sad, as their sins were not forgiven. Forty years later, on Tisha b’Av 70CE, the Temple was destroyed, because of sinat chinam, baseless hatred, against Mashiach ben Yosef.
THE SCARLET THREAD
The book of Genesis speaks of the birth of twins, and one has a scarlet thread wrapped around his arm,
“It happened in the time of her travail, that
behold, twins were in her womb. When she travailed, one put out a hand, and the
midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, This came out
first.It happened, as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out,
and she said, Why have you made a breach for yourself? Therefore his name was
called Perez.[1] Afterward his brother came out, that had the scarlet thread on
his hand, and his name was called Zerah.”
Genesis 38:27-30
Throughout the Tanach, we see the scarlet thread woven throughout a grand tapestry,
- Tied upon the arm of Zerach
- Woven into the Fabric and Curtain of the Mishkan
- Part of the Garments of the High Priest
- Is used in the Purification of the Leper
- Connected with the Sacrifice of the Red Heifer
- Used to Save the life of Rachav
- Likened to the Lips of the Bride
The Midrash connects the thread of scarlet to the sacrifice Yom Kippur,
“THY LIPS ARE LIKE A THREAD OF SCARLET: this
refers to the crimson strip (on Yom Kippur). AND YOUR MIDBAR IS COMELY:
this refers to the scapegoat.”
Song of Songs Rabbah 4:12, Soncino Press Edition
The scarlet threads that form a warp and woof throughout the Hebrew letters of the Torah all find their culmination upon the back of Mashiach ben Yosef,
“They put a scarlet robe around Him.
And weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in
His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying,
“Hail, King of the Jews!”
Matthew 27:28-29
YAAKOV AND ESAV
In Genesis 37, we read that the brothers deceived Yaakov with the blood of a goat,
“They took Yosef’s coat, and killed a
male goat, and dipped the coat in the blood. They took the coat of many colors,
and they brought it to their father, and said, “We have found this. Examine it,
now, whether it is your son’s coat or not.” He recognized it, and said, “It is
my son’s coat. An evil animal has devoured him. Yosef is without doubt
torn in pieces.” Yaakov tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his waist,
and mourned for his son many days.”
Genesis 37:31-34
The Midrash comments,
“And they took Yosef’s coat, and killed
a he-goat (37:31). Why a he-goat? Because its blood resembles that of a human
being.”
Genesis Rabbah 84:19, cf. Targum Yonatan
The Zohar (I:185b) examines the passage in an astonishing light. [5] As Yaakov deceived his father Yitzhak with a goat, causing him to tremble, so he was deceived with a goat (via its blood), causing him to tremble. The passage of Yaakov dressing as Esav and going in to meet Yitzhak bears remarkable similarities to Yom Kippur. Rebecca spoke to Yaakov, and devised a plan to rescue the progeny and spiritual mission of Avraham from Esav, and includes an incredible detail,
“Go now to the flock, and get me from there two
good young goats. I will make them savory food for your father, such as he
loves.”
Genesis 27:5-9
Why does the text specify TWO goats? The book of Leviticus details the sacrificial offering on Yom Kippur as follows,
“Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering,
which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house. He
shall take the two goats, and set them before HaShem at the door of the
Tent of Meeting. Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats; one lot for HaShem,
and the other lot for the scapegoat. Aaron shall present the goat on which the
lot fell for HaShem, and offer him for a sin offering. But the goat, on which
the lot fell for the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before HaShem, to make
atonement for him, to send him away for the scapegoat into the wilderness.”
Leviticus 16:6-10
According to R’ Ari Kahn, Yaakov bringing the two goats to Yitzhak is an prophetic antecedent to Yom Kippur, in which the goats symbolize two twins, Yaakov and Esav. The Mishnah says,
“The two goats on Yom Kippur, the Mitzvah is
for them to be identical in appearance, size, and value, the two shall be
chosen together.”
Mishnah Yoma 6:1, Yoma 62b, cited in Chabad.org [6]
עשו = אדום = שעיר = שעיר
Seir = Sair = Edom = Esav
Hairy = Goat = Red = Esau
The Hebrew word for ‘goat’ is שעיר (sair) meaning ‘hairy’. This is one of the names of Esav, because he was hairy, hence his territory was called ‘Seir’, as Genesis states,
“Esau lived in the hill country of Seir. Esau
is Edom.”
Genesis 36:8
Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra makes an extremely cryptic comment on the passage,
“And if you are able to understand the
esoteric meaning of that which is after the word Azazel, you will also know the
esoteric meaning behind [the goat sent to Azazel] and the esoteric meaning of
its name – for there are “chaverim” (i.e. other parallel examples) for it in
Scripture. And I will reveal a little of the secret through a hint: When you
are thirty-three you will know it.”
Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 16:8 cited in Ramban, Leviticus, Mesorah Publishing
Ltd, pg. 411
The Ramban explains the passage as follows,
“Now Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra is “the man of
faithful spirit who conceals a matter.” But I will be the talebearer who
reveals his secret – for our Sages have already revealed it to us in many places.
The he-goat, this is an allusion to Esau, as it is stated, “But my brother Esau
is hairy man [שעיר] (Genesis 27:11)…”Now Ibn
Ezra has hinted to you that you will know the esoteric meaning of [Azazel] when
you get to the verse: ‘They shall no longer slaughter their offerings to the
demons, [which is the thirty-third verse after Azazel’s first mention. . . ”
Ramban, Leviticus, Mesorah Publishing Ltd, pg. 411
It may be a complete coincidence that the reference to “thirty-three” was the likely age of Yeshua’s death. The age of “thirty-three” was a hint, according to Ramban, to skip down to the thirty-third verse, where it says that Israel will no longer make offerings to “seirim” (that is, a type of a goat demon). However, Ramban does note that the secret meaning is that this is an allusion to Esav. This brings us to two important questions. Is the Ibn Ezra referring derogatorily to Yeshua of Nazareth, and is the “l’Azazel’ goat a sacrifice to a goat demon?
We will answer the last question first. We must first ask, who or what is “Azazel”? Rashi interprets the words as a “jagged place.” The text Apocalypse of Abraham says that “Azazel” is the unclean bird that tried to take away Abraham’s sacrifice. The text of 1st Enoch depicts Azazel as the corrupter of mankind,
“The whole earth has been corrupted through
the works that were taught by Azazel: to him ascribe all sin.”
1 Enoch 10:8
The Sages taught that Azazel is the celestial minister of Esav-Edom, i.e. the satan. The “goat to Azazel” has been misinterpreted as a “sacrifice” or an “offering.” This was not a sin offering, as it was not sacrificed, nor was it ritually slaughtered in the Temple. The Torah specifically prophibs this, which is cited by the Ibn Ezra,
“No longer will they offer sacrifices to the goat-demons, before
whom they prostitute themselves! This is a permanent regulation for them
through all their generations.”
Leviticus 17:7
The l’Azazel goat is sent to the wilderness, and if it returned, it was deemed a bad omen. So eventually, they took the goat to the wilderness and and kicked it off a cliff,
“He divided the thread of crimson wool, and
tied one half to the rock, the other half between its horns, and pushed it from
behind. And it went rolling down and before it had reached half its way downhill,
it was dashed to pieces.”
Yoma 67a, Soncino Press Edition
The wilderness and desert places are the domain of demonic forces, as Yeshua says,
“But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out
of the man, passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and doesn’t find
it.”
Matthew 12:43
The l’Azazel goat was like a messenger that returned the sins of the people back to their demonic source, away from Israel. This was as if to say, “no thanks” sin and the source of sin. Now for the second question. It is well known in Rabbinic literature that Esav refers to Christianity. R’ Ari Kahn states,
“The idea of the two goats is intrinsically
related to the personalities of Jacob and Esau, identical on the outside but so
different in terms of their essence…The idea of twins – twins who are opposites
– is a familiar theme in the Torah. The most famous twins in the Torah are, of
course, Jacob and Esau. They were complete opposites, one good, the other evil.
No one could ever confuse them. On the other hand, perhaps they did possess
some similarities. Rashi (Genesis 25:27) tells us that until the age of 13 they
were indistinguishable…”
R. Ari Kahn, M’oray HaAish, The Dangers of Ecstasy, Aish.com [7]
Click for full resolution. “Tiberius Nero…sent Valerius Gratus to be procurator of Judea, and to succeed Annius Rufus. This man deprived Ananus of the high priesthood, and appointed Ismael, the son of Phabi, to be high priest. He also deprived him in a little time, and ordained Eleazar, the son of Ananus, who had been high priest before, to be high priest; which office, when he had held for a year, Gratus deprived him of it, and gave the high priesthood to Simon, the son of Camithus; and when he had possessed that dignity no longer than a year, Joseph Caiaphas was made his successor. When Gratus had done those things, he went back to Rome, after he had tarried in Judea eleven years, when Pontius Pilate came as his successor.” Josephus, Antiquities 18.2.2
Yaakov and Esav were twins, but polar opposites in the spiritual world. Before Yeshua of Nazareth died, he also had a “twin.” The Gospel of Matthew says,
“They had then a notable prisoner, called
Bar-Abba. When therefore they were gathered together, Pilate said to them,
“Whom do you want me to release to you? Bar-Abba, or Yeshua, who is called
Messiah? For he knew that because of envy they had delivered him up.”
Matthew 27:16-18
In some manuscripts, Bar-Abba’s first name is “Yeshua.” This is stunning. Like the goats of Yom Kippur, and the two birds in the sacrifice of the leper, one was set ‘free’, and one was killed. Yeshua of Nazareth, the true ‘Bar Abba’ gave up his life, while the insurrectionist “twin” who lived by the sword was set free. Those who live by the sword are of Esav. We are warned by Paul,
“For if he who comes preaches another Yeshua,
whom we did not proclaim, or if you receive a different spirit, which you did
not receive, or a different good news, which you did not accept, you put up
with that well enough. . . For such men are false emissaries, deceitful
workers, masquerading as Messiahs emissaries. And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades
as an angel of light. It is no great thing therefore if his servants also
masquerade as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their
works.”
2 Corinthians 11:4-15
There is a difference between the Yeshua of Nazareth and the “Jesus” of Christianity. One upholds the Torah (Matthew 5:17) and the other abolishes it. They appear to be “twins” but one is a counterfeit, someone who “looks like a lamb, but speaks like a dragon.” Although it is unclear to me at this point, if Ibn Ezra did have Christianity in mind, he is not speaking of the Jewish, Torah observant Yeshua of the “New Testament.” All of this is revealed in the passage where Rebekah convinced Yaakov to ‘cloak’ himself with the garments of Esav,
She put the skins of the young goats on his
hands, and on the smooth of his neck.
Genesis 27:16
וַיִּגַּשׁ יַעֲקֹב אֶל־יִצְחָק אָבִ֖יו וַיְמֻשֵּׁהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר הַקֹּל קֹול יַעֲקֹב וְהַיָּדַיִם יְדֵי עֵשָׂו
As Yaakov enters in to receive Yitzhak’s blessing, Yitzhak makes a cryptic statement,
“The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the
hands are the hands of Esav…”
Genesis 27:22
This is a great secret. On the exterior, it appears as if Yeshua is Esav, yet he is only concealed there. This is akin to King David having red hair, the external attributes of Esav. This is akin to Moshe being dressed as an Egyptian. This is likened to Yosef HaTzaddik having the name “Tzofnat Paneach.” It is a concealment within a concealment. Yet, in truth, the “voice”, the interior, the inside, is truly Yaakov – that is the Mashiach.
THE NAZARENE
All of this leads to a stunning conclusion. To arrive there, we must go to the book of Matthew. Yosef has returned from Egypt, where he fled Herod, who was an Edomite, i.e. from Esav. To avoid his son, Herod Antipas, the Gospel says that Yosef was,
“…warned in a dream, he withdrew into the
region of Galilee, and came and lived in a city called Natzeret (נצרת) that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken through the prophets: He will be called a Nazarene (נצרי).”
Matthew 2:22-23
This passage has puzzled many believers and fueled the anti-missionary arguments against the validity of the Gospel of Matthew. Ask an English only believer to show you where the prophet said the Messiah will be called a “Nazarene” and you may be met with a blank stare, or perhaps thirty-minutes of flipping pages. Oftentimes, the translation will put the phrase, “he shall be called a Nazarene” in quotes, as if it were referencing a specific prophecy in the Tanakh. However, this is a perfect example to illustrate that one must have some type of grasp on the Hebrew language to understand the New Testament. Notice how the Gospel doesn’t identify a “prophet” but rather says “prophets”? This indicates that the connection to the word Nazarene is found in at least two places in the Tanach. The most famous connection is found in Isaiah 11,
“A shoot will come out of the stock of
Jesse, and a branch (נצר) out of his roots will bear fruit.”
Isaiah 11:1
The word “Branch” (Netzer) here is universally recognized in Judaism as a reference to Mashiach. The letters that form the word, נצר (nun-tzade-reish) have a special place in the שָׁלוֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מִידוֹת הרַחֲמִים (Shelosh Esrei Middot HaRachamim), the 13 Middot of Mercy, as elucidated in Exodus 34,
“HaShem descended in the cloud, and stood
with him there, and proclaimed the name of HaShem. HaShem passed by before him,
and proclaimed, “HaShem! HaShem, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and
abundant in loving kindness and truth, keeping loving kindness for thousands,
forgiving iniquity and disobedience and sin; and that will by no means clear
the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the
children’s children, on the third and on the fourth generation.”
Exodus 34:5-7
The Thirteen Attributes are as follows [8]:
1. הי – HaShem — compassion before a person sins;
2. הי – Adonai — compassion after a person has sinned;
3. אֵל – El — mighty in compassion to give all creatures according to their need;
4. רַחוּם – Rachum — merciful, that humankind may not be distressed;
5. וְחַנּוּן – VeChanun — and gracious if humankind is already in distress;
6. אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם – Erech appayim — slow to anger;
7. וְרַב-חֶסֶד – VeRav chesed — and plenteous in kindness;
8. וֶאֱמֶת – VeEmet — and truth;
9. נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים – Notzer chesed laalafim — keeping kindness unto thousands; (The Letter Nun is Enlarged here)
10. נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן – Noseh avon — forgiving iniquity;
11. וָפֶשַׁע – VaFeshah — and transgression;
12. וְחַטָּאָה – VeChata’ah — and sin;
13. וְנַקֵּה – VeNakeh — and pardoning.
Incredibly, the Hebrew of this passage shows an usually large letter, the letter nun, which begins the chain of the word נצר (nun-tzade-reish). The words are ‘Notzer chesed le’alafim‘ (who keeps kindness for thousands). We may draw a connection between the Notzer and the Netzer of Isaiah 11 – as the words are spelled exactly the same, and this is what the Mashiach secures for Israel and the world. In an another passage, the Messiah is spoken of as a “Branch” using the word “Tzemach”,
“Yes, take silver and gold, and make crowns,
and set them on the head of Yehoshua the son of Yehotzadak, the high
priest; and speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says HaShem of Hosts, ‘Behold, the
man whose name is the Branch: and he shall grow up out of his place; and he
shall build the Temple of HaShem; even he shall build the Temple of
HaShem; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on his throne; and
he shall be a priest on his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between
them both.”
Zechariah 6:11-13
The Targum elucidates the passage,
“Behold a man whose name is the Messiah shall
be revealed in the future and he shall become great and build the Temple
of Hashem”
Targum Yonatan to Zechariah 6:12, Cited in Trei Asar, Mesorah
Publishing, Ltd, pg. 238
The man’s name is the “Messiah.” thus let us plug in the word “Messiah” for “Branch” as the Targum does,
- Behold the Man whose Name is the Branch
- Behold the Man whose Name is the Messiah
While not Masorah, Philo of Alexandria makes a curious commentary to this passage,
“Behold a man whose name is the East!” A
very novel title indeed, if you consider it as spoken of a man who is made of
body and soul. But if you look upon it as applied to that incorporeal Being who
in no respect differs from the Divine Image, you will then agree that name of
the East has been given to him with great appropriateness. For the Father of
the universe has caused him to spring up as the Eldest Son, whom in another
passage he calls the Firstborn, and he who is thus born, imitating the ways of
His Father, looking to His archetypal patterns, forms the same.”
Philo, On the Confusion of Tongues, 14.62, Hendrickson Publishers, pg.
239-240
The word Philo translates as the “East” or
“Rising” (Anatole) is the word “Tzemach”, which the Targum identifies as a
title for Mashiach. The word itself has the gematria 
of “Menchem”
which is one of the names of the Messiah, identified in the Talmud. Of whom was
this prophecy speaking about? This passage is speaking of Yehoshua the son
of Yehotzadak, who in Ezra is called Yeshua,
“Then stood up Yeshua the son of Yozadak . .
.”
Ezra 3:2
The book of Nehemiah also calls Yehoshua the son of Nun, Yeshua,
“ . . . since the days of Yeshua the son of
Nun . . .”
Nehemiah 8:17
Thus, let us complete the puzzle. knowing that the man’s name is the Messiah, and knowing that the person’s name was Yehoshua, who was called Yeshua, we may interpret as follows:
- Behold the Man whose Name is the Branch
- Behold the Man whose Name is the Messiah
- Behold the Man Yeshua is the Messiah
When Pilate brought out the “two goats,” that is Bar-Abba and Yeshua of Nazareth, one was released, and one was be slain. Then Pilate says something unusual,
“Yeshua therefore came out, wearing the crown
of thorns and the purple garment. Pilate said to them, “Behold, the Man!”
John 19:5
It is time for us to open our eyes, to “behold the man.” Yeshua is the Messiah. The Netzer, the Nazarene, the goat for HaShem, the Voice of Yaakov. All of this was spoken of ahead of time, yet concealed. It is time to return Mashiach ben Yosef to his brothers. When this happens, the mission of Mashiach ben David will commence. As Yeshua said, we must repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, as the beginning of Redemption is dependent upon teshuvah. May he be raised up from Seir! May he assemble us a second time, on Mount Levanon, by the hand of Yinon. The Key of Repentance that unlocks this door rests in the hands of Israel. Isaiah says,
“Come now, and let us reason together, says
HaShem: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as
snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
Isaiah 1:18
REFERENCES
1. R’ Ari Kahn, M’oray HaAish: Vayeshev, Light of Messiah, Aish.com
2. R’ Ari Kahn, M’oray HaAish: For a Pair of Shoes, Aish.com
3. Yonah the Navi as Mashiach ben Yosef, Daniel Krentzman, pg. 10
4. Eleh Ezkerah, cited in The Ten Martyrs, Dr. Deena S. Rabinovich
5. A Goat for a Goat, Chabad.org
6. Mishnah Yoma 6:1, Yoma 62b, cited in Chabad.org
7. R. Ari Kahn, M’oray HaAish, The Dangers of Ecstasy, Aish.com
8. Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, copied from Wikipedia for easy formatting
FOR FURTHER READING
1. “Eleh Ezkerah”: Re-reading the Asarah Harugei Malkhut, Nachman Levine, Hakirah Journal
No hay comentarios.:
Publicar un comentario