Beth Elohim Messianic Synagogue
Parasha #31 Emor (Speak) Vayikra (Leviticus) 21: 1-24:23
Haftarah: Yechezk'el (Ezekiel) 44: 15-31
B’rit Hadashah: Mattiyahu (Matthew) 5:38-42; Galatians 3: 26-29
Parasha:
At the end of this week's Parsha we come across a very unusual and unpleasant story.
Two people one described as an Israelite man and the other the son of an Israelite woman get into a fight in the middle of the camp. During the fight the son of the Israelite woman blasphemes YHVH's name and pronounces a curse. As a result he is brought before Moshe who incarcerates him. Moshe seeks YHVH's counsel and YHVH tells him that the blasphemer is to be stoned to death.
What drove this man to curse YHVH's name? How could he curse YHVH who had just saved him out of Egypt and performed all those miracles for him?
The Torah states he was the son of an Egyptian man and Israelite woman. According to current Jewish law he was considered a Jew his Jewish bloodline being counted from the woman and not the man. However, he was a Jew without a tribe because the tribal right to inherit was derived from a man. In this case an Egyptian who had no tribal rights. This person had no land of his own.
The Midrash tells us that since his mother was from the tribe of Dan, the man had automatically assumed that this tribe would take him under its wing and provide him with a piece of land. It is not hard to imagine how hurt this man must have felt when he realized he had no future among the tribes. Worse still, when he argues with the tribal representatives the man is taken to court where Moshe rules against him.
It was at this point where the man storms angrily out of the court into the camp blaspheming YHVH.
According to the Midrash the blame for this terrible sin was not entirely his own, those who brought him to court and those who refused to help him were partially to blame for his predicament. They should have offered him some way out and given him a way to feel like a brother among the people. He was left to his own devices and ultimately died as a result. This may explain why all Yisrael had to be present at the stoning. They were forced to confront the fact that they had all been at least partially responsible for the man's death.
This is a lesson for us. We must be careful not to belittle those in society who are treated as outcasts. We should not push them away causing them to sink to greater depths. When someone calls out for help we must at least answer.
Gal 3:26 For you are all sons of YHVH through faith in Yahshua HaMashiach.
Gal 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Mashiach have clothed yourselves with Mashiach.
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Mashiach Yahshua.
Gal 3:29 And if you belong to Mashiach, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.
In verse one we are told if we have trusting faithfulness by the faithfulness of Yahshua, we too, be we Jew or Gentile have become one with Him. By virtue of this faithfulness we to have become children of G-d, adopted on the ground of our union with the Messiah.
In verse two the symbology used of baptism or immersion into the Messiah relates to our taking on the qualities of Yahshua and being transformed by His spirit. We are in union with Him and that means taking on His qualities. This obviously means we are to be Torah observant as well for He is the Living Torah. As such we are constantly being changed into His very image. This transformation comes about through repentance and prayer and by accepting Yahshu’a lordship over our lives. Sha’ul uses the metaphor, “clothed yourself with Mssiah” to expres this thought. We are not merely to claim His faithfulness but we are to live it as well.
Gentile who have trusted in Yahshua’s faithfulness and who have immersed themselves into Messiah, taking on His qualities of obedience to G-d’s Torah as He did, now find themselves equal with those Jews who are also in the body of Messiah by their trusting in His faithfulness.
Unfortunately many Christians try to use verse 28 where Sha’ul writes; there is neither Jew nor Greek (Gentile) in the body of Messiah, against Messianic Judaism. Christians say be like us; do away with the dietary laws, YHVH’s Torah and festivals. They forget that Gentiles by virtue of their trusting in Yahshua’s faithfulness are now adopted into the commonwealth of Israel. As such they become partakers of G-d’s covenants, His Torah, and instructions to His people Israel. Christians who think the opposite, that a Jew joins them, are misusing G-d’s word. They have concluded since there is no distinction between believing Jews and Gentiles in G-d’s sight that His covenants, ketubah or constitution for Israel, His Torah, is invalid and has been set aside. What has been changed is that Gentiles and Jews may now be forensically declared righteous by virtue of their trusting in Yahshua’s faithfulness. but nothing in Scripture teaches that G-d’s Torah is obsolete. Such conclusions defies logic and the practice of early believers who were zealous for the Torah as reported in Acts 21:20 denies their conclusion. Read this verse with me: “And when they heard it they began glorifying G-d; and they said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law… “ As the “church” gets further away from its Jewish roots so do professing Christians get further away from the practice of the early believers and their zealousness for Torah.
In verse 29 Jew or Gentile who are immersed into Messiah, living His life through us, taking on His qualities, are the seed of Avraham according to the promise. Specifically, Gentiles who joined themselves to Israel (6:16) and have clothed themselves with the Messiah and have exercised all that that means are now full heirs with the believing Jews. Praise be to G-d!
Halftarah Connection: Ezekiel (Yehezkel 44:15-31)
This week's Parsha talks about the different laws Cohanim must keep. The purpose of these laws is to make sure that they stay pure and holy, so they can point B'nai Yisrael in the right direction. In the Halftarah the prophet Ezekiel reveals YHVH's words to the Cohanim (Priests) who followed in His path. The prophet repeats the laws pertaining to the Cohanim that are written in our Parsha. This is done so that they will know what is expected of them and fulfill their obligations accordingly.
Things to Think About:
1. Why can't a Cohen (Priest) with a blemish serve in the Temple?
2. Are the Festivals that are mentioned in the Parsha written in specific order, or just inserted at random?
3. Can you find the verse in the Parsha that is customarily recited over wine during festivals? Why was this verse chosen?
Wisdom of the Sages:
"And on the first day you should take for yourself" (23:40)
From this verse the Sages learn that the arba minim, the "four species," are Etrog, Lulav, Hadasim, Aravot.
"An eye for and eye." (24:20)
The Talmud states that this verse is not to be taken literally, but refers to monetary payment. If that's correct, why didn't the Torah just state if someone knocks out an eye, he has to pay the equivalent of his eye?
Rav Slovetichik believes that if the Torah had talked about money, people wouldn't understand the severity of maiming a person. It would cause them to be indifferent to the suffering of others because they would automatically be thinking of what the wound was worth in money.
Gematria:
V'hu isha vivtuleha, "and he shall take a maiden..." (21:13)
The numeric value of v'hu "and he" is 18. This teaches us that a boy should get married when he's 18 years old. This is reinforced by Yehuda ben Tayma who writes in Pirkay Avot (5:25): "An 18 year old goes to the canopy."
Shalom and Brachas,
Rabbi Davis (R. Milchamah b. David)