Tzav: Command — צו

Thoughts on Torah for Last Week:
 
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Leviticus 1-5
This Torah portion begins to detail the sacrificial system that God required of ancient Israel. The primary purpose of the sacrificial system was to commune with God – forgiveness of sin, thanksgiving, and ritual purity.  But this was not God’s preferred method for getting close to Him.  God’s preferred method was to accept His atoning sacrifice and honor Him by living His law.  Because of Israel’s disobedience and stiffneckness, God employed the system of sacrifices to teach Israel the relationship between sin and death, and as a method of worshiping Him.  In this review, we see how we can commune with God as receivers of Yeshua’s infinite atonement and resurrection; and, commune with our neighbor under God’s system of justice and mercy.

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Being reconciled with God and man is at the center of Yeshua’s atonement and God’s law.   There are two types of sin – universal sin brought on mankind by Adam and Eves transgress and personal sin. All of man’s actions can be associated with one of these two types of sin. 

Universal Sin

Personal Sin

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​Universal Sin
All mankind was subject to universal sin through Adam and Eve's transgression.  When Adam and Eve transgressed the law of God, they were thrust out of the His presence and subject to physical death never to live again.  Everyone of Adam and Eve's posterity became subject to this eternal physical and spiritial death.  On an individual level, the sacrificial system expiated sins not adjudicated through the system of law that God gave to Israel,  This category of law generally included violations of the law that people were not aware of and the guilt of certain sin. Below is a table summary of Israel’s sacrificial system, which was fulfilled in Yeshua.

Universal Sin

Sin Type	Israel's Sacrifice Type	Messianic Fullfillment
Adam and Eve’s transgression that brought eternal physical and spiritual death to Mankind	Red Heifer ​(purified from the defilement of death)	Yeshua's Atonement and Resurrection
Sins that a person is unaware of.	Sin Offering	Yeshua's Atonement
Forgiveness of Certain Sins After Restitution	Guilt Offering	Yeshua's Atonement

Personal Sin
That brings us to personal sin that is adjudicated through the law.  Generally, this is intentional sin and certain unintentional sin that is enumerated in the law.  Forgiveness of personal sin  under the law is generally obtained from God and man by restitution, confession, sorrow and request for forgiveness.  Moreover, for those who sincerely repent may receive mercy where the victim of the sin carries some of the cost or consequences of the sin.

Personal Sin

God	Man
Confession, sorrow, request for forgiveness.	Restitution

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Hebrew Study

Isaiah 53:5

English	Hebrew	Transliteration
And He​	וְהוּא֙	v-hu
was pierced	​מְחֹלָ֣ל	m-koh-lahl
for our transgressions	מִפְּשָׁעֵ֔נוּ	meep-pshah-eh-nu
He was crushed	​מְדֻכָּ֖א	m-du-cah
for our iniquities	מֵעֲוֺנֹתֵ֑ינוּ	meh-ah-noh-tay-nu
the price	מוּסַ֤ר	mu-sahr
of our peace	שְׁלוֹמֵ֙נוּ֙	shloh-meh-nu
was upon Him	עָלָ֔יו	ah-lav
and with His wounds	​וּבַחֲבֻרָת֖וֹ	u-vah-kah-vu-rah-toh
healed are	נִרְפָּא־	neer-pah
we.	לָֽנוּ׃	lah-nu

Isaiah Chapter 23
Tyre, the world shipping empire with its magnates, comes to a sudden end in Jehovah’s Day of Judgment.

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Side Bar

What is the Biblical Concept of Being “Naked”?

​I have found that is important to periodically review why I love the Torah or the Law.   I spent the first 50 years of my life in a church that had abandoned Torah and who made their own rules.  These man-made laws proved to be detrimental to my joy and happiness in my journey through life.  This previous religion had taken excessive tithes and usurped my authority over my family by dictating what I was suppose to do to have a relationship with God, which in the end spiritually had not taken me anywhere – I did not see God’s power and influence in my life.  After I had accepted Torah as still being relevant – my knowledge of God expanded and I received a purging of my sin nature with a tangible spiritual experience with the power of God.  These events in my life validated to me that Torah is still relevant.   Further, the Bible teaches that those who abandon Torah are spiritually “Naked”.  In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had realized that they were “Naked” after they had taken of the fruit from the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; and, received a knowledge of the Law.  So then to know good and evil is to know what good and evil is, which is defined by the Law – the Torah.  So, those who know and then live the law are no longer “naked”.  Those that don’t have the law are spiritually “naked” – they are vulnerable and without protection.  Then, to, to embrace Torah can also mean to be "clothed with righteousness".

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Resource Links for this Week's Portion

TORAH: Leviticus 6:1-8:36
GOSPELS: Matthew 9:10-17

Listen and Read the Portion
First Fruits of Zion

​​Commentary with Nehemia Gordon
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HAFTARAH: Isaiah Chapter 24

Commentary with Avraham Gileadi, PhD