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Acharei Mot
Leviticus 16:1-18:30
Malachi 3:4-24
Hebrews 9:11-28
We start with the
statement, "After the death of Nadav and Avihu," then continue on to tell
us that on the most holy day of the year, on Yom Kippur, only the High
Priest may enter into the Holy innermost chamber. The Parashah continues
by giving us details of the rituals of the casting of lots for the two
goats. Also included is what the High Priest is to wear, the sin offering
for himself as well as for the people. Then we are told about not bringing
in forbidden sacrifices, and not eating or drinking blood. Further we are
told not to have deviant sexual relations.
PASSOVER
Season of Our
Redemption
Most of our Jewish
people think of their holidays beginning at the Fall Feast Season, Rosh
Hashanah and Yom Kippur. During this time we contemplate repentance and
spiritual accounting before a Most High G-d. Then we come to Sukkot, a
time of great joy. We sit and dwell in tabernacles with our families and
our G-d. We have the understanding that we are written in the Book of
Life. Following are some minor holidays, Hanukkah and Purim, reminding us
of G-d’s divine redemption. When our people were threatened with
spiritual and physical death, G-d, Himself, intervened.
Here we are at this
moment, our season of redemption; Passover. We must think of G-d’s
redemption from slavery in Egypt as he brought us into physical, as well
as spiritual freedom. Most of us understand the physical part where G-d
redeemed our people from slavery and brought us out of Egypt. He brought
us into the vast desert in order to prepare us to become His people. The
Haggadah reminds us, as it quotes from the Torah, we were brought out from
the land of Egypt, we were delivered from our bondage, we were redeemed
with an outstretched arm, and G-d has taken us for His own treasured
possession.
For the past few weeks
we have had extra Torah portions which have been instituted by our sages,
to prepare us for this season. Shekalim, meaning shekals or money, dealt
with giving of our finances to establish the sanctuary. The next portion
was called Zachor, to remember, wherever we are to always remind ourselves
of what the Amalekites did to our people as well as being aware of others
who may come in the spirit of Amalek to try to destroy us as a people.
Last week was the extra portion called Shabbat HaChodesh, meaning the
Sabbath of the new month, which is to introduce us to the month of Nissan
ushering in the Passover season.
This is not just a
Jewish feast. It is another signpost of redemption for the entire human
race, all being sons and daughters of Adam:
-Adam fell and brought
death to mankind making us unclean
-Because of sin, G-d
needed to restore His relationship with the human race all over again
after the flood
-Next, G-d’s called
Abraham, establishing a people as His own, we were to be a holy nation of
priests
-G-d redeemed our
people from Egypt and intended to make us His own once again
Our people, however,
rejected their roll as priests when they worshiped the golden calf. They
lost their rights, and the rights of future generations, to approach the
Most Holy Place on their own. They needed to rely upon their brothers,
the Levites, to minister before G-d on their behalf.
Just as Adam failed, so
did our ancestors. However, it is because of the golden calf incident
that G-d gave us a picture of His final redemptive plan through which He
would restore us back to our original purity. The “red heifer” ceremony,
hukat parah, was instituted and facilitated by a Cohen, a priest.
The Torah says that anyone who comes in contact with a dead body is impure
and could not officiate in any of the temple services or functions. Our
sages said that the “redness” of the cow reflected sin, and the lack of
obedience to G-d and His sovereignty by His people, causing a separation
from G-d.
In the hukat parah
ceremony, a red heifer was taken outside the walls of the holy temple and
slaughtered. During the temple days this was done at the Mount of Olives,
facing the temple. The entire red heifer was totally burnt. The ashes
were then mixed with spring water. This mixture was sprinkled upon all
those who came in contact with a corpse and ritual purity was achieved.
The one, who prepared the mixture and performed the whole ceremony, became
unclean.
The one, who was clean,
became unclean while making the one whom was unclean, clean. What a
perfect picture of Yeshua! He came so that we would be made clean,
ritually clean and able to be the priests that we were all meant to be.
He restored life to us that was taken away by the sin of Adam.
Ezekiel 36:25 states: I
will sprinkle pure waters upon you and you will be made clean from all
your impurity and repulsiveness.
This relates to the
book of Romans! In chapters 1, 2, and 3, Rav Shaul tells us that the
gentile world is guilty without the law, the Jewish people are guilty with
the law because they could not keep it, therefore, all of us, everyone,
is guilty before G-d and dead in our trespasses. Thanks to G-d, we are no
longer dead, but are made alive in Messiah Yeshua. Romans 5:12-19 states:
sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, but through
Messiah Yeshua, the new Adam, who knew not sin and was not disobedient, we
were all made righteous and pure. We are dead to sin and alive in
Messiah.
WALK IN THAT DURING
THIS PASSOVER SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Shavua Tov
Hag Sameach
Rabbi Z.
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