Shabbat Shalom - Parasha Vayikra (And He Called)
- The Blood of the Lamb !!!
Previously posted ...
Your Lucky Day to Know the Truth !!!
http://conpats.blogspot.com/
God’s Sabbath His Day
Most of the churches that claim to be preaching Protestant Christianity are doing so as they follow
the dictates of the Roman Catholic Church. They observe Sunday as God’s Sabbath where, in fact,
Sunday is the first day of the week. If you raise the question as to ‘Why,’
then I will tell you what I have learned through the Holy Spirit guiding my studies. [...]
http://conpats.blogspot.com/
Welcome to Vayikra (And He Called), our study of the portion of
Torah that will be read in synagogues around the world this Shabbat (Saturday).
We know you will be blessed as you study this Torah portion with us. Enjoy !
“The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting.” (Leviticus 1:1)
Last week, Parasha Pekudei was the final Torah portion in the book of Exodus.
This Shabbat, we begin studying the Book of Leviticus. In Hebrew, Leviticus is called Vayikra after
its opening word וַיִּקְרָא, which means and He called. But this Shabbat is also special because
it is Shabbat Zachor (Sabbath of Remembrance), the Shabbat preceding Purim and the
second of four special Shabbatot that prepare us for Passover. A special reading is added from
Deuteronomy 25:17–19, which recounts the attack of Amalek.
You can view this Parasha on our website complete with embedded links ...
Parasha Vayikra (And He Called): The Blood of the Lamb and the Aftermath of Disobedience
http://free.messianicbible.
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Parasha Reading Schedule 5776
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THE SHABBAT CANDLE BLESSING
Jewish people around the world mark
this day by the candle lighting and blessing:
"Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe,
who has sanctified us with His commandments, and
commanded us to kindle the light of the Holy Shabbat."
http://lp.eteacherhebrew.com/
http://www.chabad.org/
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Shema Yisrael - Deuteronomy 6:4-9
- in the mezuzah and in the tefillin
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Weekly Torah Portion: Vayikra
Welcome to a world where actions speak louder than words; where a man becomes a man while
drawing closer to G-d. A world so foreign to our modern sensibilities and perceptions,
we need to listen with extra intent to what the book of Leviticus has to teach us.
Vayikra (Leviticus 1:1-5:26)
Parashat Vayikra is read on Shabbat:
Adar II 9, 5776 / March 19, 2016
Weekly Torah Portion: Vayikra - beloved Rabbi Chaim Richman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
The Temple Institute - https://www.youtube.com/user/
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Published on Mar 16, 2016
Temple Talk Radio: Weekly Torah Portion: Vayikra
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Parshat Vayikra
G‑d calls to Moses from the Tent of Meeting, and communicates to him the laws of the korbanot,
the animal and meal offerings brought in the Sanctuary. These include: [...]
http://www.chabad.org/parshah/
Beloved Rabbi Naphtali “Tuly” Weisz
The Portion of Vayikra
Weekly Torah Portion: Everyone Makes Mistakes
The Book of Leviticus is dedicated primarily to instructing us in the various sacrifices that are brought in the Tabernacle and, later on, in the Temple, as well as other instructions pertaining to the work of the priests and the Levites. Chapter 4 begins with a discussion of the various sacrifices to be brought and procedures to be followed when someone sins accidentally, not as a result of intent, but rather from carelessness or ignorance. The Torah begins with the incident of an ordained priest who makes a mistake, then moves on to the Assembly of Israel (Verse 13), which refers to the High Court, then moves on to a prince (which can refer to any political leader, such as the head of a tribe), and finally concludes with the mistakes of the individual. [...]
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Molesting Jerusalem
by David m. Weinberg, ISRAEL HAYOM
Along with a group of former police and inveterate peace processors who have been proved wrong time and time again, the resurrected Ramon wants to wall 200,000 Palestinians out of the capital and strip them of their Israeli resident status and social benefits. Ramon’s “Movement to Save Jewish Jerusalem” would have Israel withdraw unilaterally from 28 predominantly Arab neighborhoods, and hand these over to the cadaverous Palestinian Authority. Neighborhoods like Shuafat, Jabel Mukaber, Sur Baher and Walaja would be detached from Jerusalem’s municipal area and locked out. That way, Ramon says, a stable Jewish majority will be restored in Jerusalem, and Palestinian terrorism will decrease. The percentage of Palestinians in the city will drop to less than 20%, from the near 40% that exists today. [...]
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Column One: The Obama doctrine, unplugged
Reading Obama’s view of Putin the same day the Russian leader surprised the US in announcing his decision to immediately withdraw Russian forces from Syria was instructive.
by Caroline B Glick, JPOST
It was ironic that the day The Atlantic monthly published what was supposed to be the definitive work on US President Barack Obama’s foreign policy, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he was removing the bulk of his military forces from Syria. Jeffrey Goldberg’s long profile titled, “The Obama Doctrine,” sought to define the theoretical underpinning of Obama’s foreign policy. Goldberg devoted the bulk of his twenty thousand-word corpus to analyzing Obama’s policies in Syria, where, he offered, Obama finally broke free from foreign policy community’s constraints, and set out on his own course. [...]
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Obama Against the Will of his Predecessors
They all favored the establishment in Palestine of a National Home for the Jewish people
by Eli E. Hertz, MYTHS AND FACTS
Before the Zionist movement assumed concrete form, among the first to express approval of the return of the Jews to Palestine was John Adams, the second President of the United States (1797-1801) who wrote to Major Mordecai Manuel Noah, the first American Zionist, as follows: “I really wish the Jews again in Judea, an independent nation; as I believe, the most enlightened men of it have participated in the amelioration of the philosophy of the ages; once restored to an independent government, and no longer persecuted, they would soon wear a way some of the asperities and peculiarities of their character. I wish your nation may be admitted to all the privileges of citizens in every part of the world. This country (America) has done much; I wish it may do more and annul every narrow idea in religion, government, and commerce.” (1819). [...]
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Shabbat Shalom - Parasha Vayikra (And He Called)
- The Blood of the Lamb !!!
Shabbat Shalom
Welcome to Vayikra
(And He Called), our study of the portion of Torah
that will be read in synagogues around the world this Shabbat
(Saturday).
We know you will be blessed as you study this Torah
portion with us. Enjoy!
VAYIKRA (And He
Called)
Leviticus 1:1–5:26; Isaiah 43:21–44:23; Hebrews
9:1–28; Shabbat Zachor Haftarah: I Samuel 15:2–34;
Maftir Deuteronomy 25:17–19
“The Lord called to Moses
and spoke to him from the tent of meeting.” (Leviticus
1:1)
Last week, Parasha Pekudei was the final Torah portion in
the book of Exodus.
This Shabbat, we begin studying the Book of
Leviticus. In Hebrew, Leviticus is called Vayikra after
its opening word וַיִּקְרָא,
which means and He called.
But this Shabbat is also special because it is Shabbat Zachor (Sabbath
of Remembrance), the Shabbat preceding Purim
and the second of four special Shabbatot that prepare us
for Passover. A special reading is added
from Deuteronomy 25:17–19, which recounts
the attack of Amalek.
An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man reads from the scroll of Esther.
The Relevance of
Offerings
“Speak to the sons of Israel
and say to them, ‘When any man of you brings an offering to
the LORD, you shall bring your offering of animals from the
herd or the flock. If his offering is a burnt offering from
the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall
offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may
be accepted before the LORD.” (Leviticus 1:2–3)
The Torah portion, Vayikra, presents the laws of korbanot
(קָרְבָּנוֹת offerings), including the korban olah
(קָרְבַּן עוֹלָה) or burnt offerings.
The Hebrew noun olah
means goes up because the
priest would burn the offerings on the wood of the altar, the
aroma would go up to be accepted by the Lord.
The Hebrew word korbanot
comes from the root word k-r-v
(קרב), which means to
be close (karov). The
sacrifices, once accepted by God, restore closeness and
intimacy between Him and His people.
It is our iniquities and sins that separate us from God
and prevent us from establishing or maintaining a close
relationship with Him.
“But your iniquities have
separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face
from you, so that He will not hear.”
(Isaiah 59:2)
(Isaiah 59:2)
A korban olah could be a ram, male goat, bull, pigeon, or turtle dove.
Although some New Covenant Believers consider the laws in
Leviticus irrelevant and obsolete, they remain relevant and
are indeed extremely important.
For instance, without them we cannot grasp the concept of
blood sacrifice to atone for sin. That core
concept in God’s plan for redemption helps us rightly
understand the sacrificial death of Yeshua the Messiah.
Attempting to understand Yeshua’s death on the Roman
execution stake without comprehending the blood sacrifices is
like trying to build a house without a foundation. The home
may last for a time but will not withstand the fierce storms
without that solid base.
Likewise, we must have a
solid foundation in the Word of God to rightly understand
the Word of God, as well as successfully
navigate through the storms of life.
A Jewish girl holds the Torah scroll, which is
covered by a Torah mantle and silver breastplate.
For some people, a guilty conscience over past sins causes
them to be alienated from God, despite having received
forgiveness. The blood sacrifice of Yeshua,
however, was shed to restore us to right relationship with God
and to completely cleanse us of any trace of a guilty
conscience:
“How much more will the
blood of Messiah who through the eternal Spirit offered
Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from
dead works to serve the living God?”
(Hebrews 9:14)
(Hebrews 9:14)
Despite this, some followers of Yeshua still struggle with
guilt and condemnation, even though the Word of God promises
that those who are in the Messiah are free:
“There is therefore no
condemnation to those in Yeshua the Messiah who do not walk
in the flesh.” (Romans 8:1)
Just as the blood of
the lamb had to be applied to the doorposts of our homes
in Egypt, so must the blood of Yeshua be applied to our
hearts, by faith, to wash us clean from every trace of
guilty conscience and shame over our past sins.
“Let us draw near with a
true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with
pure water.” (Hebrews 10:22)
The pure waters refer to the mikvah, the ritual water
immersion, which is symbolic of our new spiritual birth.
Blood on the doorpost
Only when our hearts have been cleaned (sprinkled with the
blood of Yeshua) and our bodies immersed in the mikvah can we
have this assurance of our faith that
allows us to draw near to God.
A guilty conscience over our past will separate us from
intimacy with God, as well as other Believers in the Body of
Messiah.
The above Scripture (Hebrews 10:22) is followed by an exhortation to
make sure we continue to meet together with other
Believers as the Body of Messiah (Hebrews
10:24–25). We cannot expect to walk
free of sin if we isolate ourselves from those who follow
Yeshua. We need to stay accountable to one another and to
exhort one another to live a life of holiness.
Since each of us has been given the ministry of
reconciliation, we should be agents of healing and
restoration.
Reading the Torah
The Blood of
Sprinkling
“He shall slay the young
bull before the LORD; and Aaron’s sons the priests shall
offer up the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the
altar that is at the doorway of the tent of meeting.” (Leviticus
1:5)
The Cohen (High Priest) not only sprinkled the
blood around the altar, he dipped his finger in it and
sprinkled it seven times before the Lord, in front of the
veil. (Leviticus 4:17)
Some suggest that, likewise, the blood of Yeshua, who was
the High Priest (Cohen
HaGadol) of the New Covenant, was also
sprinkled before the Lord seven times:
- Yeshua perspired drops of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed to the Father: “And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Luke 22:44)
- He was struck in the face until it was “marred beyond recognition.” (Isaiah 52:14)
- His back was scourged with a whip. (Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 27:26)
- The soldiers put a crown of thorns on His head. (John 19:2)
- They plucked out His beard. (Isaiah 50:6)
- They pierced His hands and feet. (Psalm 22:16; Luke 24:39; John 20:27)
- They pierced His side with a spear and blood and water came out. (Psalm 22:14; John 19:34)
Yeshua Tempted in the Wilderness, by James Tissot
Satanic Counterfeit
Animal rights activists are likely appalled to
read of all the sacrifices that the Torah requires.
Some people, even Christians, are uncomfortable with the
whole idea of blood sacrifices. One of the reasons is our
natural human aversion to blood. Another reason is because of
the association with evil satanic rituals.
Satanism observes its own system of blood sacrifices to
the powers of darkness.
As well, Satan often attempts to twist and pervert the
Word of God, using it for his own evil purposes. Luke 4 gives
us an example of how he did this with Yeshua when He was
tested in the wilderness.
Satan misleads by
substituting wicked counterfeits for the holy things of
God, such as blood sacrifices.
People of various pagan religions have practiced the
ritual killing of animals to appease their false gods. Many
cultures used animal sacrifice in purification ceremonies.
Some of these include (in addition to the Hebrews): Greeks,
Romans, Ancient Egyptians, Aztecs and Yoruba.
Is animal sacrifice still practiced today? Not currently
in Judaism, as the korbanot cannot be offered without the
Temple.
However, outside of Judaism, it is practiced. Followers
of Santeria (a religion of Caribbean origin) to this day do
offer up some sacrificial animals to cure the sick or give
thanks to their god (Orisa) as part of their ritual
activities.
There are also some Christians in certain Greek villages
who, in a practice called kourbània, sacrifice animals to
Orthodox saints.
Carrying the Torah at the Western (Wailing) Wall in Jerusalem.
Human Sacrifice
Another Satanic counterfeit to God’s sacrificial system is
found in some cultures and religions in which human beings
were sacrificed as a way of giving their very best to their
god.
In times of natural disasters, such as earthquakes,
floods, or volcanic eruptions, which have historically been
understood as evidence of their deity’s anger or displeasure,
other cultures have offered up human sacrifice in the
hopes of appeasing the wrath of their gods.
Even in the West, rumors abound on the Internet and the
Hollywood scene that a human blood sacrifice will serve to
move one into the extremely wealthy club ($20 million+).
Whether or not it is actually practiced as it once was,
Satan worshipers and those who worship evil have been
performing human blood sacrifice since ancient times, so it is
likely that this continues to this very day among his
followers within secret communities just outside of mainstream
culture.
Judaism, on the
other hand, abhors the concept of human sacrifice,
because it is abhorrent to Elohim, as it is written: “Never give your children as
sacrifices to the god Molech. If you do, you are
dishonoring the name of your God. I am YHVH.”
(Leviticus 18:21)
(Leviticus 18:21)
It is for this reason that most Jewish people find it so
difficult to believe in Yeshua — human sacrifice has always
been associated with paganism and is strictly forbidden.
Men gather to worship God at the Western (Wailing) Wall. On close
inspection, at least 20 Torah scrolls are either being carried or are placed
on tables in the above photo.
The One True God completely forbade His people from pagan
worship customs and especially the practice of human
sacrifice:
“You must not worship the
LORD your God in their way, because in worshiping their
gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the LORD hates.
They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as
sacrifices to their gods.” (Deuteronomy 12:31)
Knowing that God detests human sacrifice,
especially of a son or daughter at the hand of a parent, the
Jewish people naturally assume that our God would never
allow someone to die a substitutionary death the way animals
do.
This is a significant stumbling block to receiving
salvation through Yeshua the Messiah for the Jewish People.
However, the ancient prophet Isaiah revealed that long ago
Elohim planned to lay all of our sins and iniquities upon the
Messiah:
“But He was pierced through
for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His
scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone
astray, each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the
iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” (Isaiah 53:5–6)
Women pray in the Women's Section of the Western Wall.
God did not intend for His korbanot to be performed by a
people who were determined to live lawless lives. They
were never a substitution for living in fellowship with Him
and being right-hearted.
Likewise, Yeshua’s
sacrifice was meant to restore fellowship with our Father
upon a person seeking to draw near to Him, sincerely
repenting of their sins, and accepting the sacrifice as a
free gift on their behalf.
The blood of the Lamb of God (Yeshua) takes away the sins
of those who believe in who He is, what He did, turn from
their sin, and follow Him.
God does not delight in the sacrifice but in the right
heart of the person who offers it.
All of the Hebrew prophets warned the people that offering
sacrifices without accompanying inner morality and goodness
would be in vain.
Ultimately, what God requires of each one of us is to
practice justice, mercy and humility toward God and man.
“It has been told to you, O
man, what is good, and what the LORD does require of you:
only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly
with thy God.” (Micah 6:8)
And Yeshua, who has set us free from the evil master of
sin through His death and resurrection, has given us the power
to be just, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.
People dine on a restaurant patio in Jaffa, Israel.
Parasha Zachor
Because this is the Shabbat before the festival
of Purim (Lots),
a special reading from Deuteronomy 25:17–19 is
studied in addition to the regular Scripture portion. It is
also called the Zachor (Remembrance)
reading, because it details God’s command that we remember the
wickedness of Amalek:
“Remember
what Amalek did to you on the road, on your way out of
Egypt.
“That
he encountered you on the way and cut off those lagging to
your rear, when you were tired and exhausted; he did not
fear God.
“And
it shall come to pass, when the Lord your God has
given you rest from all your enemies round about, in the
land which the Lord your God is giving you for an
inheritance to possess it, that you shall obliterate the
memory of Amalek from under the heavens. Do not
forget.”
These Scriptures to remember Amalek are read on the
Sabbath before Purim — which celebrates Esther’s victory in
helping to save the Jewish People from annihilation in Persia.
Why do we read them now? Because the one who plotted the
annihilation of the Jewish People in the Book of Esther, the
anti-Semite Haman, is
believed to be a descendant of Amalek. We
must remember what he did, as well.
This Shabbat is, therefore, also called Shabbat Zachor
(Shabbat of Remembrance), and is the second of four
special readings surrounding this Hebrew month of Adar. The
other three are: Shekalim, Parah, and HaChodesh.
Purim is a joyous festival of costumes, parades, and parties. In the above
photo, Israelis celebrate Purim in the streets of Jerusalem.
(Photo by Ron Almog)
Haftarah Zachor: The
Aftermath of Disobedience
“Now go and strike Amalek
and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him;
but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox
and sheep, camel and donkey.” (1 Samuel 15:3)
In Haftarah Zachor (1 Samuel 15:1–34), God
remembers the Amalekites and tells Saul through the Prophet
Samuel (Shmuel HaNavi) that He is going to punish them for
fighting Israel after they left Egypt. Saul, therefore, is to
utterly obliterate the memory of the Amalekites.
Although Saul does destroy the Amalekites and
everything considered useless, he spares King Agag and keeps
the best of the sheep and oxen and everything considered
valuable.
Saul defends his
disobedience by saying that he kept the best of Amalek for
a sacrifice to the Lord; nevertheless, God
sees through his so-called "good intentions" and Samuel
rebukes Saul's defiance with a word from the Lord:
“Does
the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much
as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
"For
rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like
the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of
the Lord, He has rejected you as king.” (1 Samuel
15:22–23)
Saul Reproved by Samuel, by John Singleton Copley
Saul's misplaced mercy in keeping King Agag alive
almost wiped out the Jewish People.
According to commentaries, Agag impregnated a maidservant
before his death and, therefore, the Amalekite lineage
survived. Haman, who is called the “Agagi,” was his
offspring.
Through Haman,
Amalek once again tried to
destroy the Jewish People.
destroy the Jewish People.
Though murder is abhorrent to the Jewish People and all
followers of Yeshua, God is utterly committed to the survival
of His people, and He will do whatever is necessary to ensure
their future.
Remembering Agag and Haman reminds us that our own
disobedience can negatively affect those whom God loves, long
after we are gone. Let us, therefore, set our hearts on being
obedient, rather than simply doing what seems best at the
time.
Reading the Torah using a silver and gold yad
Amalek Lives On
“Finally, be strong in the
Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full
armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against
the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against
flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers,
against the world forces of this darkness, against the
spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians
6:10–12)
Amalek represents all evil forces throughout
history trying to stop God’s plan. It is the opposite of
everything beautiful and glorifying to God.
It still exists today as an anti-Messiah spirit that does
not fear God and despises God’s people with a venomous hatred.
The spirit of Amalek is against Israel.
We see this same
spirit active within the fundamentalist Jihadi Islamic
factions whose sole aim is to kill and destroy Christians
and Jews once and for all time — that is
the foundational ideology of Islamic scriptures.
A young Israeli girl entertains her sibling.
What is the only way to defeat the spirit of Amalek?
Zachor — remember.
Zachor — remember.
We must never forget what the spirit of Amalek has done to
the Jewish People over the past 3,000 years — as expressed in
the slogan for Holocaust Remembrance Day — “Never Forget.”
Even as the last of the Holocaust survivors become elderly
and pass away, the remembrance of the horrors of the Holocaust
that the spirit of Amalek committed against God’s people
through the Nazis must never be forgotten.
We must always remember and never forget that we
have an enemy who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy;
therefore, we must be continually on the alert and wear our
spiritual armor daily.
God's will is that we not be defeated, but that we live
victorious, abundant, and joyous lives through Yeshua,
empowered by the Ruach HaKodesh.
“The thief comes only to
steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life,
and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)
In these troubled last days, as the spirit of Amalek once
again tries to destroy Israel, please pray for the salvation
of the Jewish People and help us bring the Good News of Yeshua
to the Holy Land.
"Proclaim the power of God,
whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the
heavens." (Psalm 68:34)
e Entire Bibles For Israel Family
Shabbat Shalom - Parasha Vayikra (And He Called)
- The Blood of the Lamb !!!
Previously posted ...
Your Lucky Day to Know the Truth !!!
http://conpats.blogspot.com/
God’s Sabbath His Day
Most of the churches that claim to be preaching Protestant Christianity are doing so as they follow
the dictates of the Roman Catholic Church. They observe Sunday as God’s Sabbath where, in fact,
Sunday is the first day of the week. If you raise the question as to ‘Why,’
then I will tell you what I have learned through the Holy Spirit guiding my studies. [...]
http://conpats.blogspot.com/
Welcome to Vayikra (And He Called), our study of the portion of
Torah that will be read in synagogues around the world this Shabbat (Saturday).
We know you will be blessed as you study this Torah portion with us. Enjoy !
“The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting.” (Leviticus 1:1)
Last week, Parasha Pekudei was the final Torah portion in the book of Exodus.
This Shabbat, we begin studying the Book of Leviticus. In Hebrew, Leviticus is called Vayikra after
its opening word וַיִּקְרָא, which means and He called. But this Shabbat is also special because
it is Shabbat Zachor (Sabbath of Remembrance), the Shabbat preceding Purim and the
second of four special Shabbatot that prepare us for Passover. A special reading is added from
Deuteronomy 25:17–19, which recounts the attack of Amalek.
You can view this Parasha on our website complete with embedded links ...
Parasha Vayikra (And He Called): The Blood of the Lamb and the Aftermath of Disobedience
http://free.messianicbible.
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Parasha Reading Schedule 5776
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THE SHABBAT CANDLE BLESSING
Jewish people around the world mark
this day by the candle lighting and blessing:
"Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe,
who has sanctified us with His commandments, and
commanded us to kindle the light of the Holy Shabbat."
http://lp.eteacherhebrew.com/
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Shema Yisrael - Deuteronomy 6:4-9
- in the mezuzah and in the tefillin
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Weekly Torah Portion: Vayikra
Welcome to a world where actions speak louder than words; where a man becomes a man while
drawing closer to G-d. A world so foreign to our modern sensibilities and perceptions,
we need to listen with extra intent to what the book of Leviticus has to teach us.
Vayikra (Leviticus 1:1-5:26)
Parashat Vayikra is read on Shabbat:
Adar II 9, 5776 / March 19, 2016
Weekly Torah Portion: Vayikra - beloved Rabbi Chaim Richman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
The Temple Institute - https://www.youtube.com/user/
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Published on Mar 16, 2016
Temple Talk Radio: Weekly Torah Portion: Vayikra
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Parshat Vayikra
G‑d calls to Moses from the Tent of Meeting, and communicates to him the laws of the korbanot,
the animal and meal offerings brought in the Sanctuary. These include: [...]
http://www.chabad.org/parshah/
Beloved Rabbi Naphtali “Tuly” Weisz
The Portion of Vayikra
Weekly Torah Portion: Everyone Makes Mistakes
The Book of Leviticus is dedicated primarily to instructing us in the various sacrifices that are brought in the Tabernacle and, later on, in the Temple, as well as other instructions pertaining to the work of the priests and the Levites. Chapter 4 begins with a discussion of the various sacrifices to be brought and procedures to be followed when someone sins accidentally, not as a result of intent, but rather from carelessness or ignorance. The Torah begins with the incident of an ordained priest who makes a mistake, then moves on to the Assembly of Israel (Verse 13), which refers to the High Court, then moves on to a prince (which can refer to any political leader, such as the head of a tribe), and finally concludes with the mistakes of the individual. [...]
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Molesting Jerusalem
by David m. Weinberg, ISRAEL HAYOM
Along with a group of former police and inveterate peace processors who have been proved wrong time and time again, the resurrected Ramon wants to wall 200,000 Palestinians out of the capital and strip them of their Israeli resident status and social benefits. Ramon’s “Movement to Save Jewish Jerusalem” would have Israel withdraw unilaterally from 28 predominantly Arab neighborhoods, and hand these over to the cadaverous Palestinian Authority. Neighborhoods like Shuafat, Jabel Mukaber, Sur Baher and Walaja would be detached from Jerusalem’s municipal area and locked out. That way, Ramon says, a stable Jewish majority will be restored in Jerusalem, and Palestinian terrorism will decrease. The percentage of Palestinians in the city will drop to less than 20%, from the near 40% that exists today. [...]
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Column One: The Obama doctrine, unplugged
Reading Obama’s view of Putin the same day the Russian leader surprised the US in announcing his decision to immediately withdraw Russian forces from Syria was instructive.
by Caroline B Glick, JPOST
It was ironic that the day The Atlantic monthly published what was supposed to be the definitive work on US President Barack Obama’s foreign policy, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he was removing the bulk of his military forces from Syria. Jeffrey Goldberg’s long profile titled, “The Obama Doctrine,” sought to define the theoretical underpinning of Obama’s foreign policy. Goldberg devoted the bulk of his twenty thousand-word corpus to analyzing Obama’s policies in Syria, where, he offered, Obama finally broke free from foreign policy community’s constraints, and set out on his own course. [...]
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Obama Against the Will of his Predecessors
They all favored the establishment in Palestine of a National Home for the Jewish people
by Eli E. Hertz, MYTHS AND FACTS
Before the Zionist movement assumed concrete form, among the first to express approval of the return of the Jews to Palestine was John Adams, the second President of the United States (1797-1801) who wrote to Major Mordecai Manuel Noah, the first American Zionist, as follows: “I really wish the Jews again in Judea, an independent nation; as I believe, the most enlightened men of it have participated in the amelioration of the philosophy of the ages; once restored to an independent government, and no longer persecuted, they would soon wear a way some of the asperities and peculiarities of their character. I wish your nation may be admitted to all the privileges of citizens in every part of the world. This country (America) has done much; I wish it may do more and annul every narrow idea in religion, government, and commerce.” (1819). [...]
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Romans 15:13 KJV
Shabbat Shalom - Parasha Vayikra (And He Called)
- The Blood of the Lamb !!!
Shabbat Shalom
Welcome to Vayikra
(And He Called), our study of the portion of Torah
that will be read in synagogues around the world this Shabbat
(Saturday).
We know you will be blessed as you study this Torah
portion with us. Enjoy!
VAYIKRA (And He
Called)
Leviticus 1:1–5:26; Isaiah 43:21–44:23; Hebrews
9:1–28; Shabbat Zachor Haftarah: I Samuel 15:2–34;
Maftir Deuteronomy 25:17–19
“The Lord called to Moses
and spoke to him from the tent of meeting.” (Leviticus
1:1)
Last week, Parasha Pekudei was the final Torah portion in
the book of Exodus.
This Shabbat, we begin studying the Book of
Leviticus. In Hebrew, Leviticus is called Vayikra after
its opening word וַיִּקְרָא,
which means and He called.
But this Shabbat is also special because it is Shabbat Zachor (Sabbath
of Remembrance), the Shabbat preceding Purim
and the second of four special Shabbatot that prepare us
for Passover. A special reading is added
from Deuteronomy 25:17–19, which recounts
the attack of Amalek.
An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man reads from the scroll of Esther.
The Relevance of
Offerings
“Speak to the sons of Israel
and say to them, ‘When any man of you brings an offering to
the LORD, you shall bring your offering of animals from the
herd or the flock. If his offering is a burnt offering from
the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall
offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may
be accepted before the LORD.” (Leviticus 1:2–3)
The Torah portion, Vayikra, presents the laws of korbanot
(קָרְבָּנוֹת offerings), including the korban olah
(קָרְבַּן עוֹלָה) or burnt offerings.
The Hebrew noun olah
means goes up because the
priest would burn the offerings on the wood of the altar, the
aroma would go up to be accepted by the Lord.
The Hebrew word korbanot
comes from the root word k-r-v
(קרב), which means to
be close (karov). The
sacrifices, once accepted by God, restore closeness and
intimacy between Him and His people.
It is our iniquities and sins that separate us from God
and prevent us from establishing or maintaining a close
relationship with Him.
“But your iniquities have
separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face
from you, so that He will not hear.”
(Isaiah 59:2)
(Isaiah 59:2)
A korban olah could be a ram, male goat, bull, pigeon, or turtle dove.
Although some New Covenant Believers consider the laws in
Leviticus irrelevant and obsolete, they remain relevant and
are indeed extremely important.
For instance, without them we cannot grasp the concept of
blood sacrifice to atone for sin. That core
concept in God’s plan for redemption helps us rightly
understand the sacrificial death of Yeshua the Messiah.
Attempting to understand Yeshua’s death on the Roman
execution stake without comprehending the blood sacrifices is
like trying to build a house without a foundation. The home
may last for a time but will not withstand the fierce storms
without that solid base.
Likewise, we must have a
solid foundation in the Word of God to rightly understand
the Word of God, as well as successfully
navigate through the storms of life.
A Jewish girl holds the Torah scroll, which is
covered by a Torah mantle and silver breastplate.
For some people, a guilty conscience over past sins causes
them to be alienated from God, despite having received
forgiveness. The blood sacrifice of Yeshua,
however, was shed to restore us to right relationship with God
and to completely cleanse us of any trace of a guilty
conscience:
“How much more will the
blood of Messiah who through the eternal Spirit offered
Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from
dead works to serve the living God?”
(Hebrews 9:14)
(Hebrews 9:14)
Despite this, some followers of Yeshua still struggle with
guilt and condemnation, even though the Word of God promises
that those who are in the Messiah are free:
“There is therefore no
condemnation to those in Yeshua the Messiah who do not walk
in the flesh.” (Romans 8:1)
Just as the blood of
the lamb had to be applied to the doorposts of our homes
in Egypt, so must the blood of Yeshua be applied to our
hearts, by faith, to wash us clean from every trace of
guilty conscience and shame over our past sins.
“Let us draw near with a
true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with
pure water.” (Hebrews 10:22)
The pure waters refer to the mikvah, the ritual water
immersion, which is symbolic of our new spiritual birth.
Blood on the doorpost
Only when our hearts have been cleaned (sprinkled with the
blood of Yeshua) and our bodies immersed in the mikvah can we
have this assurance of our faith that
allows us to draw near to God.
A guilty conscience over our past will separate us from
intimacy with God, as well as other Believers in the Body of
Messiah.
The above Scripture (Hebrews 10:22) is followed by an exhortation to
make sure we continue to meet together with other
Believers as the Body of Messiah (Hebrews
10:24–25). We cannot expect to walk
free of sin if we isolate ourselves from those who follow
Yeshua. We need to stay accountable to one another and to
exhort one another to live a life of holiness.
Since each of us has been given the ministry of
reconciliation, we should be agents of healing and
restoration.
Reading the Torah
The Blood of
Sprinkling
“He shall slay the young
bull before the LORD; and Aaron’s sons the priests shall
offer up the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the
altar that is at the doorway of the tent of meeting.” (Leviticus
1:5)
The Cohen (High Priest) not only sprinkled the
blood around the altar, he dipped his finger in it and
sprinkled it seven times before the Lord, in front of the
veil. (Leviticus 4:17)
Some suggest that, likewise, the blood of Yeshua, who was
the High Priest (Cohen
HaGadol) of the New Covenant, was also
sprinkled before the Lord seven times:
- Yeshua perspired drops of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed to the Father: “And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Luke 22:44)
- He was struck in the face until it was “marred beyond recognition.” (Isaiah 52:14)
- His back was scourged with a whip. (Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 27:26)
- The soldiers put a crown of thorns on His head. (John 19:2)
- They plucked out His beard. (Isaiah 50:6)
- They pierced His hands and feet. (Psalm 22:16; Luke 24:39; John 20:27)
- They pierced His side with a spear and blood and water came out. (Psalm 22:14; John 19:34)
Yeshua Tempted in the Wilderness, by James Tissot
Satanic Counterfeit
Animal rights activists are likely appalled to
read of all the sacrifices that the Torah requires.
Some people, even Christians, are uncomfortable with the
whole idea of blood sacrifices. One of the reasons is our
natural human aversion to blood. Another reason is because of
the association with evil satanic rituals.
Satanism observes its own system of blood sacrifices to
the powers of darkness.
As well, Satan often attempts to twist and pervert the
Word of God, using it for his own evil purposes. Luke 4 gives
us an example of how he did this with Yeshua when He was
tested in the wilderness.
Satan misleads by
substituting wicked counterfeits for the holy things of
God, such as blood sacrifices.
People of various pagan religions have practiced the
ritual killing of animals to appease their false gods. Many
cultures used animal sacrifice in purification ceremonies.
Some of these include (in addition to the Hebrews): Greeks,
Romans, Ancient Egyptians, Aztecs and Yoruba.
Is animal sacrifice still practiced today? Not currently
in Judaism, as the korbanot cannot be offered without the
Temple.
However, outside of Judaism, it is practiced. Followers
of Santeria (a religion of Caribbean origin) to this day do
offer up some sacrificial animals to cure the sick or give
thanks to their god (Orisa) as part of their ritual
activities.
There are also some Christians in certain Greek villages
who, in a practice called kourbània, sacrifice animals to
Orthodox saints.
Carrying the Torah at the Western (Wailing) Wall in Jerusalem.
Human Sacrifice
Another Satanic counterfeit to God’s sacrificial system is
found in some cultures and religions in which human beings
were sacrificed as a way of giving their very best to their
god.
In times of natural disasters, such as earthquakes,
floods, or volcanic eruptions, which have historically been
understood as evidence of their deity’s anger or displeasure,
other cultures have offered up human sacrifice in the
hopes of appeasing the wrath of their gods.
Even in the West, rumors abound on the Internet and the
Hollywood scene that a human blood sacrifice will serve to
move one into the extremely wealthy club ($20 million+).
Whether or not it is actually practiced as it once was,
Satan worshipers and those who worship evil have been
performing human blood sacrifice since ancient times, so it is
likely that this continues to this very day among his
followers within secret communities just outside of mainstream
culture.
Judaism, on the
other hand, abhors the concept of human sacrifice,
because it is abhorrent to Elohim, as it is written: “Never give your children as
sacrifices to the god Molech. If you do, you are
dishonoring the name of your God. I am YHVH.”
(Leviticus 18:21)
(Leviticus 18:21)
It is for this reason that most Jewish people find it so
difficult to believe in Yeshua — human sacrifice has always
been associated with paganism and is strictly forbidden.
Men gather to worship God at the Western (Wailing) Wall. On close
inspection, at least 20 Torah scrolls are either being carried or are placed
on tables in the above photo.
The One True God completely forbade His people from pagan
worship customs and especially the practice of human
sacrifice:
“You must not worship the
LORD your God in their way, because in worshiping their
gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the LORD hates.
They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as
sacrifices to their gods.” (Deuteronomy 12:31)
Knowing that God detests human sacrifice,
especially of a son or daughter at the hand of a parent, the
Jewish people naturally assume that our God would never
allow someone to die a substitutionary death the way animals
do.
This is a significant stumbling block to receiving
salvation through Yeshua the Messiah for the Jewish People.
However, the ancient prophet Isaiah revealed that long ago
Elohim planned to lay all of our sins and iniquities upon the
Messiah:
“But He was pierced through
for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His
scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone
astray, each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the
iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” (Isaiah 53:5–6)
Women pray in the Women's Section of the Western Wall.
God did not intend for His korbanot to be performed by a
people who were determined to live lawless lives. They
were never a substitution for living in fellowship with Him
and being right-hearted.
Likewise, Yeshua’s
sacrifice was meant to restore fellowship with our Father
upon a person seeking to draw near to Him, sincerely
repenting of their sins, and accepting the sacrifice as a
free gift on their behalf.
The blood of the Lamb of God (Yeshua) takes away the sins
of those who believe in who He is, what He did, turn from
their sin, and follow Him.
God does not delight in the sacrifice but in the right
heart of the person who offers it.
All of the Hebrew prophets warned the people that offering
sacrifices without accompanying inner morality and goodness
would be in vain.
Ultimately, what God requires of each one of us is to
practice justice, mercy and humility toward God and man.
“It has been told to you, O
man, what is good, and what the LORD does require of you:
only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly
with thy God.” (Micah 6:8)
And Yeshua, who has set us free from the evil master of
sin through His death and resurrection, has given us the power
to be just, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.
People dine on a restaurant patio in Jaffa, Israel.
Parasha Zachor
Because this is the Shabbat before the festival
of Purim (Lots),
a special reading from Deuteronomy 25:17–19 is
studied in addition to the regular Scripture portion. It is
also called the Zachor (Remembrance)
reading, because it details God’s command that we remember the
wickedness of Amalek:
“Remember
what Amalek did to you on the road, on your way out of
Egypt.
“That
he encountered you on the way and cut off those lagging to
your rear, when you were tired and exhausted; he did not
fear God.
“And
it shall come to pass, when the Lord your God has
given you rest from all your enemies round about, in the
land which the Lord your God is giving you for an
inheritance to possess it, that you shall obliterate the
memory of Amalek from under the heavens. Do not
forget.”
These Scriptures to remember Amalek are read on the
Sabbath before Purim — which celebrates Esther’s victory in
helping to save the Jewish People from annihilation in Persia.
Why do we read them now? Because the one who plotted the
annihilation of the Jewish People in the Book of Esther, the
anti-Semite Haman, is
believed to be a descendant of Amalek. We
must remember what he did, as well.
This Shabbat is, therefore, also called Shabbat Zachor
(Shabbat of Remembrance), and is the second of four
special readings surrounding this Hebrew month of Adar. The
other three are: Shekalim, Parah, and HaChodesh.
Purim is a joyous festival of costumes, parades, and parties. In the above
photo, Israelis celebrate Purim in the streets of Jerusalem.
(Photo by Ron Almog)
Haftarah Zachor: The
Aftermath of Disobedience
“Now go and strike Amalek
and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him;
but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox
and sheep, camel and donkey.” (1 Samuel 15:3)
In Haftarah Zachor (1 Samuel 15:1–34), God
remembers the Amalekites and tells Saul through the Prophet
Samuel (Shmuel HaNavi) that He is going to punish them for
fighting Israel after they left Egypt. Saul, therefore, is to
utterly obliterate the memory of the Amalekites.
Although Saul does destroy the Amalekites and
everything considered useless, he spares King Agag and keeps
the best of the sheep and oxen and everything considered
valuable.
Saul defends his
disobedience by saying that he kept the best of Amalek for
a sacrifice to the Lord; nevertheless, God
sees through his so-called "good intentions" and Samuel
rebukes Saul's defiance with a word from the Lord:
“Does
the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much
as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
"For
rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like
the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of
the Lord, He has rejected you as king.” (1 Samuel
15:22–23)
Saul Reproved by Samuel, by John Singleton Copley
Saul's misplaced mercy in keeping King Agag alive
almost wiped out the Jewish People.
According to commentaries, Agag impregnated a maidservant
before his death and, therefore, the Amalekite lineage
survived. Haman, who is called the “Agagi,” was his
offspring.
Through Haman,
Amalek once again tried to
destroy the Jewish People.
destroy the Jewish People.
Though murder is abhorrent to the Jewish People and all
followers of Yeshua, God is utterly committed to the survival
of His people, and He will do whatever is necessary to ensure
their future.
Remembering Agag and Haman reminds us that our own
disobedience can negatively affect those whom God loves, long
after we are gone. Let us, therefore, set our hearts on being
obedient, rather than simply doing what seems best at the
time.
Reading the Torah using a silver and gold yad
Amalek Lives On
“Finally, be strong in the
Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full
armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against
the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against
flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers,
against the world forces of this darkness, against the
spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians
6:10–12)
Amalek represents all evil forces throughout
history trying to stop God’s plan. It is the opposite of
everything beautiful and glorifying to God.
It still exists today as an anti-Messiah spirit that does
not fear God and despises God’s people with a venomous hatred.
The spirit of Amalek is against Israel.
We see this same
spirit active within the fundamentalist Jihadi Islamic
factions whose sole aim is to kill and destroy Christians
and Jews once and for all time — that is
the foundational ideology of Islamic scriptures.
A young Israeli girl entertains her sibling.
What is the only way to defeat the spirit of Amalek?
Zachor — remember.
Zachor — remember.
We must never forget what the spirit of Amalek has done to
the Jewish People over the past 3,000 years — as expressed in
the slogan for Holocaust Remembrance Day — “Never Forget.”
Even as the last of the Holocaust survivors become elderly
and pass away, the remembrance of the horrors of the Holocaust
that the spirit of Amalek committed against God’s people
through the Nazis must never be forgotten.
We must always remember and never forget that we
have an enemy who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy;
therefore, we must be continually on the alert and wear our
spiritual armor daily.
God's will is that we not be defeated, but that we live
victorious, abundant, and joyous lives through Yeshua,
empowered by the Ruach HaKodesh.
“The thief comes only to
steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life,
and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)
In these troubled last days, as the spirit of Amalek once
again tries to destroy Israel, please pray for the salvation
of the Jewish People and help us bring the Good News of Yeshua
to the Holy Land.
"Proclaim the power of God,
whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the
heavens." (Psalm 68:34)
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