Vayikra (Leviticus)
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Meaning
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Day Five
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Haftara
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B'rit Hadashah
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1 Our Father, we receive Your Words and hide Your commandments with us; 2 we incline our ear unto wisdom, and apply our hearts to understanding; 3 We cry after knowledge and lift up our voices for understanding; 4 we seek it as silver; and search for it as for hidden treasures; 5 We declare that we shall understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. Declaration of Proverbs 2:1-5
Leviticus 4:27-5:13(NASB)1
27 'Now if anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and becomes guilty, 28 if his sin which he has committed is made known to him, then he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without defect, for his sin which he has committed. 29 'He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slay the sin offering at the place of the burnt offering. 30 'The priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering; and all the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar. 31 'Then he shall remove all its fat, just as the fat was removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar for a soothing aroma to the LORD. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.
32 'But if he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring it, a female without defect. 33 'He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slay it for a sin offering in the place where they slay the burnt offering. 34 'The priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and all the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar.
35 'Then he shall remove all its fat, just as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offerings, and the priest shall offer them up in smoke on the altar, on the offerings by fire to the LORD. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him in regard to his sin which he has committed, and he will be forgiven. 5 1 'Now if a person sins after he hears a public adjuration to testify when he is a witness, whether he has seen or otherwise known, if he does not tell it, then he will bear his guilt. 2 'Or if a person touches any unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean beast or the carcass of unclean cattle or a carcass of unclean swarming things, though it is hidden from him and he is unclean, then he will be guilty. 3 'Or if he touches human uncleanness, of whatever sort his uncleanness may be with which he becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty. 4 'Or if a person swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, in whatever matter a man may speak thoughtlessly with an oath, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty in one of these. 5 'So it shall be when he becomes guilty in one of these, that he shall confess that in which he has sinned. 6 'He shall also bring his guilt offering to the LORD for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin. 7 'But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the LORD his guilt offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. 8 'He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first that which is for the sin offering and shall nip its head at the front of its neck, but he shall not sever it. 9 'He shall also sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar: it is a sin offering. 10 'The second he shall then prepare as a burnt offering according to the ordinance. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it will be forgiven him. 11 'But if his means are insufficient for two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then for his offering for that which he has sinned, he shall bring the tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall not put oil on it or place incense on it, for it is a sin offering. 12 'He shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as its memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar, with the offerings of the LORD by fire: it is a sin offering. 13 'So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin which he has committed from one of these, and it will be forgiven him; then the rest shall become the priest's, like the grain offering.' "
32 'But if he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring it, a female without defect. 33 'He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slay it for a sin offering in the place where they slay the burnt offering. 34 'The priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and all the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar.
35 'Then he shall remove all its fat, just as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offerings, and the priest shall offer them up in smoke on the altar, on the offerings by fire to the LORD. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him in regard to his sin which he has committed, and he will be forgiven. 5 1 'Now if a person sins after he hears a public adjuration to testify when he is a witness, whether he has seen or otherwise known, if he does not tell it, then he will bear his guilt. 2 'Or if a person touches any unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean beast or the carcass of unclean cattle or a carcass of unclean swarming things, though it is hidden from him and he is unclean, then he will be guilty. 3 'Or if he touches human uncleanness, of whatever sort his uncleanness may be with which he becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty. 4 'Or if a person swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, in whatever matter a man may speak thoughtlessly with an oath, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty in one of these. 5 'So it shall be when he becomes guilty in one of these, that he shall confess that in which he has sinned. 6 'He shall also bring his guilt offering to the LORD for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin. 7 'But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the LORD his guilt offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. 8 'He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first that which is for the sin offering and shall nip its head at the front of its neck, but he shall not sever it. 9 'He shall also sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar: it is a sin offering. 10 'The second he shall then prepare as a burnt offering according to the ordinance. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it will be forgiven him. 11 'But if his means are insufficient for two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then for his offering for that which he has sinned, he shall bring the tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall not put oil on it or place incense on it, for it is a sin offering. 12 'He shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as its memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar, with the offerings of the LORD by fire: it is a sin offering. 13 'So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin which he has committed from one of these, and it will be forgiven him; then the rest shall become the priest's, like the grain offering.' "
24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24. It was one of that sort where I'd preferred to remain prone and communing with my pillow and my podcast radio, but I did that yesterday. I had a difficult time getting to sleep again last night. I was awake for the better part of two hours and finally, sleep came. When I did succumb, it was like a heavy cloak and I woke from dreams of abandonment. The morning presented with a lot of cloud cover and later, a thick fog. My early morning sinuses are clogging as usual in the days recovering from a head cold. That's nothing new. But I suppose that how I rose from sleep this morning is contributory to my sense of pure “blaaaaah!” It's not my first slog through the first waking hours feeling like the coffee was doing no good at all, and as the meme says, I had to call for the jumper cables. When this happens, I have to keep Psalm 118:24 close. We didn't get the ice storm as forecast, but we did get a super-flurry of snow at about three yesterday afternoon. It was white-out between our front window and the highway for a short time. The fog arrived abruptly this morning with our temperature in the low forties range. The fog didn't come in on little “cat-like feet” as poet Carl Sandburg wrote. I just happened to turn to look out here in ferretcentral and BAM! There it was. I have no complaints regarding our weather since I see many places south where tornadoes wreaked much havoc yesterday.
Today in our Torah journey, we finish the chapter that deals with sin and the method of atonement for all levels of society in Israel. The “common people” is not any sort of slur. From the Hebrew, it simply speaks of the people 'of the land'.
27 And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty; 28 Or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned. 29 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering. Leviticus 4:27-29.
To ensure that every common man was able to bring an offering, God made a way that the poorest of Israel were able to bring birds for his offering, or flour.
7 And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering... 11 But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering. 12 Then shall he bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it, even a memorial thereof, and burn it on the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: it is a sin offering. Leviticus 5:7; 11-12.
Keep in mind that these offerings were all due because of inadvertent sin that was realized afterward and that breach of sin could be healed and forgiveness granted. God made man in the first place, and so, He knows how forgetful we can be. We can be fatigued, rushed, or brain-fogged for any number of reasons, and we err and have to make corrections in all areas of living. For all those corrections that are needed that involve our spiritual aspect, God has made a way! There is no sacrifice for rebellion and intentional sin. Then in the following chapter, we are made privy to those errors, again, unintentionally committed. There are three instances of what we might call omission that were important to Yah. The Keil and Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary was lengthy in explanation but I pared it down to its most explanatory assistance.
“The first (Le 5:1), when any one had heard the voice of an oath (an oath spoken aloud) and was a witness, i.e., was in a condition to give evidence, whether he had seen what took place or had learned it, that is to say, had come to the knowledge of it in some other way. In this case, if he did not make it known, he was to bear his offence, i.e., to bear the guilt, which he had contracted by omitting to make it known, with all its consequences... The second was, if any one had touched the carcase of an unclean beast, or cattle, or creeping thing, or the uncleanness of a man of any kind whatever ("with regard to all his uncleanness, with which he defiles himself," i.e., any kind of defilement to which a man is exposed), and "it is hidden from him," sc., the uncleanness or defilement; that is to say, if he had unconsciously defiled himself by touching unclean objects, and had consequently neglected the purification prescribed for such cases. In this case, if he found it out afterwards, he had contracted guilt which needed expiation. Le 5:4 The third was, if any one should "swear to prate with the lips," i.e., swear in idle, empty words of the lips, - "to do good or evil," i.e., that he would do anything whatever (Nu 24:13; Isa 41:23), - "with regard to all that he speaks idly with an oath," i.e., if it related to something which a man had affirmed with an oath in thoughtless conversation, - "and it is hidden from him," i.e., if he did not reflect that he might commit sin by such thoughtless swearing, and if he perceived it afterwards and discovered his sin, and had incurred guilt with regard to one of the things which he had thoughtlessly sworn.”
Adam Clarke also adds clarity to those first verses in the new chapter:
“If a soul sin - It is generally supposed that the case referred to here is that of a person who, being demanded by the civil magistrate to answer upon oath, refuses to tell what he knows concerning the subject; such a one shall bear his iniquity - shall be considered as guilty in the sight of God, of the transgression which he has endeavored to conceal, and must expect to be punished by him for hiding the iniquity to which he was privy, or suppressing the truth which, being discovered, would have led to the exculpation of the innocent, and the punishment of the guilty.”
2 Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty. 3 Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall be defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty. Leviticus 5:2-3.
If men can understand not touching a fever-stricken person with a disease of contagion, then surely, he can understand the notion of staying away from and 'touching not' the things and aspects of moral contagion and desecration which Scripture renders as “unclean”. Yah was teaching Israel the notion that there were physical things that they weren't to touch or to come into contact with. This is a way of thinking that doesn't get a lot of play in our present society except when people have been brought to irrational fear, as we saw in 2020 with that debacle over a virus. I remember in my nursing career when folks with shingles were no longer isolated in their rooms. It was thought to be “politically incorrect” and the doctor ordered that as long as the affected area was covered, folks could exit their rooms. They may not have felt up to doing so, but they had the choice, and the nursing staff was to encourage them to go out to the dining areas. Illness and death came to the world because of the sin of our first parents. It makes sense to me that illness and death would be 'unclean'. Sin leads to death, therefore death is unclean.
4 Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these. 5 And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing... Leviticus 5:4-5.
We all are aware that as humans, we can do a lot of damage with our lips. The Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary add this clarity regarding such:
“A rash oath, without duly considering the nature and consequences of the oath, perhaps inconsiderately binding himself to do anything wrong, or neglecting to perform a vow to do something good. In all such cases a person might have transgressed one of the divine commandments unwittingly, and have been afterwards brought to a sense of his delinquency.”
John Gill expanded this oath business:
“… expressing his oath plainly and distinctly, with an audible voice: to do good, or to do evil; which was either impossible or unlawful for him to do; whether the good or evil he swears to do is to himself or to another; whether he swears to do good to himself, and evil to another, or, good to another, and evil to himself, see Ps 15:4. The Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it,"whatsoever a man expresses, whether of anything present or future;''as if he swears he has done such and such a thing, whether good or evil; or that he will do it, be it what it will, and it is not in the power of his hands to do it, or, if he did it, it would be doing a wrong thing: whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; he has forgot that he ever swore such an oath: and when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these; when he is told of it, and it is made clearly to appear to him, that he did at such a time, and in such a place, deliver out a rash oath concerning this, or the other thing, then he shall be chargeable with guilt in one of these; either in rashly swearing to do good when it was not in his power, or to do evil, which would have been unlawful. The Targum of Jonathan is, "if he knows that he has falsified, and repents not, he is guilty.''
I wonder if the authentic reason why so many want to allocate the Old Testament to the dustbin is because it exposes our weaknesses so accurately. I know that I'm not exactly thrilled to renew some of these truths because, let's see, as late as Monday this week, I lost it and expressed words I had to 'take back' and repent. It was after repeated cautions in the past to one to 'ask', not 'touch'. You cannot fill a five-cup teapot with the contents of a twelve-cup coffee carafe. I was riled for hours after the incident. Nevertheless, I know what I have to do. Next week I implement the 'APIE' strategy: I've Assessed the problem and Planned for the best outcome. I will Implement the plan and then Evaluate the success of the plan. After repentance, I do sense that this approach is one for which our Father God approves.
Speaking for myself, whatever lessons God taught Israel, I think I will learn as well. But sometimes, I also learn from my own mistakes. But hey—whatever makes me a better child of Yah, right?
Today in our Torah journey, we finish the chapter that deals with sin and the method of atonement for all levels of society in Israel. The “common people” is not any sort of slur. From the Hebrew, it simply speaks of the people 'of the land'.
27 And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty; 28 Or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned. 29 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering. Leviticus 4:27-29.
To ensure that every common man was able to bring an offering, God made a way that the poorest of Israel were able to bring birds for his offering, or flour.
7 And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering... 11 But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering. 12 Then shall he bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it, even a memorial thereof, and burn it on the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: it is a sin offering. Leviticus 5:7; 11-12.
Keep in mind that these offerings were all due because of inadvertent sin that was realized afterward and that breach of sin could be healed and forgiveness granted. God made man in the first place, and so, He knows how forgetful we can be. We can be fatigued, rushed, or brain-fogged for any number of reasons, and we err and have to make corrections in all areas of living. For all those corrections that are needed that involve our spiritual aspect, God has made a way! There is no sacrifice for rebellion and intentional sin. Then in the following chapter, we are made privy to those errors, again, unintentionally committed. There are three instances of what we might call omission that were important to Yah. The Keil and Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary was lengthy in explanation but I pared it down to its most explanatory assistance.
“The first (Le 5:1), when any one had heard the voice of an oath (an oath spoken aloud) and was a witness, i.e., was in a condition to give evidence, whether he had seen what took place or had learned it, that is to say, had come to the knowledge of it in some other way. In this case, if he did not make it known, he was to bear his offence, i.e., to bear the guilt, which he had contracted by omitting to make it known, with all its consequences... The second was, if any one had touched the carcase of an unclean beast, or cattle, or creeping thing, or the uncleanness of a man of any kind whatever ("with regard to all his uncleanness, with which he defiles himself," i.e., any kind of defilement to which a man is exposed), and "it is hidden from him," sc., the uncleanness or defilement; that is to say, if he had unconsciously defiled himself by touching unclean objects, and had consequently neglected the purification prescribed for such cases. In this case, if he found it out afterwards, he had contracted guilt which needed expiation. Le 5:4 The third was, if any one should "swear to prate with the lips," i.e., swear in idle, empty words of the lips, - "to do good or evil," i.e., that he would do anything whatever (Nu 24:13; Isa 41:23), - "with regard to all that he speaks idly with an oath," i.e., if it related to something which a man had affirmed with an oath in thoughtless conversation, - "and it is hidden from him," i.e., if he did not reflect that he might commit sin by such thoughtless swearing, and if he perceived it afterwards and discovered his sin, and had incurred guilt with regard to one of the things which he had thoughtlessly sworn.”
Adam Clarke also adds clarity to those first verses in the new chapter:
“If a soul sin - It is generally supposed that the case referred to here is that of a person who, being demanded by the civil magistrate to answer upon oath, refuses to tell what he knows concerning the subject; such a one shall bear his iniquity - shall be considered as guilty in the sight of God, of the transgression which he has endeavored to conceal, and must expect to be punished by him for hiding the iniquity to which he was privy, or suppressing the truth which, being discovered, would have led to the exculpation of the innocent, and the punishment of the guilty.”
2 Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty. 3 Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall be defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty. Leviticus 5:2-3.
If men can understand not touching a fever-stricken person with a disease of contagion, then surely, he can understand the notion of staying away from and 'touching not' the things and aspects of moral contagion and desecration which Scripture renders as “unclean”. Yah was teaching Israel the notion that there were physical things that they weren't to touch or to come into contact with. This is a way of thinking that doesn't get a lot of play in our present society except when people have been brought to irrational fear, as we saw in 2020 with that debacle over a virus. I remember in my nursing career when folks with shingles were no longer isolated in their rooms. It was thought to be “politically incorrect” and the doctor ordered that as long as the affected area was covered, folks could exit their rooms. They may not have felt up to doing so, but they had the choice, and the nursing staff was to encourage them to go out to the dining areas. Illness and death came to the world because of the sin of our first parents. It makes sense to me that illness and death would be 'unclean'. Sin leads to death, therefore death is unclean.
4 Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these. 5 And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing... Leviticus 5:4-5.
We all are aware that as humans, we can do a lot of damage with our lips. The Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary add this clarity regarding such:
“A rash oath, without duly considering the nature and consequences of the oath, perhaps inconsiderately binding himself to do anything wrong, or neglecting to perform a vow to do something good. In all such cases a person might have transgressed one of the divine commandments unwittingly, and have been afterwards brought to a sense of his delinquency.”
John Gill expanded this oath business:
“… expressing his oath plainly and distinctly, with an audible voice: to do good, or to do evil; which was either impossible or unlawful for him to do; whether the good or evil he swears to do is to himself or to another; whether he swears to do good to himself, and evil to another, or, good to another, and evil to himself, see Ps 15:4. The Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it,"whatsoever a man expresses, whether of anything present or future;''as if he swears he has done such and such a thing, whether good or evil; or that he will do it, be it what it will, and it is not in the power of his hands to do it, or, if he did it, it would be doing a wrong thing: whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; he has forgot that he ever swore such an oath: and when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these; when he is told of it, and it is made clearly to appear to him, that he did at such a time, and in such a place, deliver out a rash oath concerning this, or the other thing, then he shall be chargeable with guilt in one of these; either in rashly swearing to do good when it was not in his power, or to do evil, which would have been unlawful. The Targum of Jonathan is, "if he knows that he has falsified, and repents not, he is guilty.''
I wonder if the authentic reason why so many want to allocate the Old Testament to the dustbin is because it exposes our weaknesses so accurately. I know that I'm not exactly thrilled to renew some of these truths because, let's see, as late as Monday this week, I lost it and expressed words I had to 'take back' and repent. It was after repeated cautions in the past to one to 'ask', not 'touch'. You cannot fill a five-cup teapot with the contents of a twelve-cup coffee carafe. I was riled for hours after the incident. Nevertheless, I know what I have to do. Next week I implement the 'APIE' strategy: I've Assessed the problem and Planned for the best outcome. I will Implement the plan and then Evaluate the success of the plan. After repentance, I do sense that this approach is one for which our Father God approves.
Speaking for myself, whatever lessons God taught Israel, I think I will learn as well. But sometimes, I also learn from my own mistakes. But hey—whatever makes me a better child of Yah, right?
23 Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles. Proverbs 21:23.
1 NASB www.lockman.org for daily reading and KJV in commentary unless otherwise specified
*The Torah and Haftara chapter/verse numbering taken from the Hebrew Bible (Christian-published chapter/verse numbering indicated within parenthesis)
*The Torah and Haftara chapter/verse numbering taken from the Hebrew Bible (Christian-published chapter/verse numbering indicated within parenthesis)
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