Parashas Metzora
Leviticus 14:1 – 15:33
HafTorah
2Kings 7:3 – 7:28
Brit Chadasha
Markus 5: 24 - 34
Please Pray this
Prayer
First before reading.
In the name of Yahushua
Our Messiyah,
I pray for the Spirit of Understanding
The Spirit of Knowledge and
The Spirit of Wisdom
As I read through this Parashas
This Torah portion Metzora is the 28 reading.
The word metzora means leper, which refers to the complicated ritual for cleansing
a leper and the home of a leper.
We learn that leprosy is a punishment for lashon
hara the evil speech. The Aramic
word for leprosy is a variation of Motzi ra, meaning to invent rumors. A leper,
therefore is someone infected with a tendency toward rumor mongering and
gossip.
The consequence of leprosy was enforced
seclusion, since this was the only way to prevent the person from talking ore
doing evil speech; the leper the gossiper had to be isolated from the people.
Leprosy can only be healed when the leper first
understands the nature of his or her impurity and how the physical actions of
his or her speech has corrupted the soul. It is only when he or she start to
see the consequences of their words can he begin to heal.
This issue of evil speech is extremely
important, making it necessary for us to be aware of our tendency to speak
without thought and to guard against evil speech. Such speech all too often
turns to gossip. Because of this, the this teaching regarding leprosy deserve
to be looked at very closely.
Parashas metzora deals with the first stage of
the purification process also called deliverance, the office of the Pastor. The
uniqueness of the laws of the metzora has established that, despite the fact
that his contamination is manifested in a physical sense, it was caused by the degraded
spiritual condition of the individual.
Being alone outside the camp will give him or
her the opportunity to reflect on their deficiencies and a chance for them to
repent so that they can once more be found worthy to reenter the camp. It is
important to remember that every action in Torah is to teach us a principle, so
do not take it personal.
As soon at that change takes place within the
mind and heart, the same Elohim who afflicted him of her will remove the mark
of his degradation and he or she can begin the process of reaching maturity.
Yiosrael is the code word for those who desire to reach Cannan a code word for
spiritual maturity also called the Garden of Eden.
They then begin a three-stage purification
process that is unique to a metzora. The first part of the ritual was performed
with two birds, outside of the camp. It was not a sacrificial service, and the
birds did not have to be doves or turtledoves, since they were not offerings. They
had to be healthy and kosher birds, but that was all. When that ritual was
completed, the metzor was permitted to enter the camp, but he or she was still tamei
(ritually unclean) and some of his restrictions remained in force.
After a seven-day waiting period, he or she
could bring the offering that would complete the process of purification.
The Creator made arteries that transport blood
throughout the body, carry oxygen to all the organs of the body. If ne of these
major arties should become blocked, we might be unable to surbvive. There are
other organs in the body whose true purpose is mysterious but whose importance
and function is explained. The interconnectedness of the physicality and
spirituality is very clear in the case of a leper.
The leper must seculude him or her self to quiet
the barrage of impulses from his brain that cause him to sin. The problem must
be dealt with at the seed level, which is the only way to purify the physical
body of the consequences evil speech. As that purification take place, the
leper can beseech a tzadik to pray for his or her body to function correctly
again. Through his spiritual correction,
the leper will see his or her spiritual renewed and will become worthy of
purification.
Lev 14:1 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, - I am YAHWEH You Elohim, I do not Change Mal 3:6 “For I am YAHWEH, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob
are not consumed.” Therefore
when He speaks as it this case it is forever.
Lev 14:2 “This shall be the
Torah of the leper for the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought to the
priest, - Since the Torah mentions that his purification
takes place during the day, and we as believers must walk in the light, all our
actions should be in the day. He is brought to the priest, today he is called
thePastor one of the Mighty Hand of Yahweh, the five fold ministry, at the
outskirt of the camp, were it would be easer for them to come and meet him in
privicy.
Lev 14:3 and the priest shall go
out of the camp, and the priest shall look and see, if the leprosy is healed in
the leper, - The person
who is now an out cast from the camp must be examine outside the camp before he
can be allow back inside. This is not and cannot or should not be a public
display, unless the individual have refuse all recommendation of reconciliation
and continue in the sin.
Lev 14:4 then the priest shall
command, and he shall take for him who is to be cleansed two live and clean
birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop.- According to Hebrew tradition, this affliction is brought on as a
punishment for slander or gossip, therefore his purification is effect the
sacrifice of our bird like nature, means the chirping or twittering of birds. The
birds must be free of any illness or defects, they must be clean, they must be
a species that it permissible to eat.
Cedar wood, because it grows tall, imposing, and
wide, the cedar symbolizes haughtiness, pride and ego.
Crimson thread and hyssop, the thread is wool,
dyed with a pigment made from a lowly creature, a type of insect or snail,
whose identity is unclear.
Thus, it symbolizes the penitent’s newfound
humility. Hyssop, a lowly bush symbolizes the same idea of humility.
Atonement for sin requires that the erstwhile
sinner purge himself of the moral flaw that causes his misdeeds. The underlying
root cause of slander and gossip, the sins that are punished by tzaraas, is
haughtiness, because it breeds the contempt for others that let one talk about
them callously.
The metzora’s repentance entails a resolve to
change themselves, a change that is graphically symbolized by the following
three items that accompany his offering.
Lev 14:5 “And the priest shall
command, and he shall kill one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running
water. – The slaughter is done in the same manner of shechitah,
at the front of the neck with a knife. It may be performed anywhere, but it
must be done by a qualified Pastor. Today this running water represent the
Blood and water that flows from the side of Messiyah Yahushua.
After the ritual is completed, the bird is
buried, not burnt. During the slaughtering of the bird is held over the earth
ware vessel so that its blood will flow directly into the vessel containing the
fresh spring water. This is the Blood and the Water that flows from the side of
Yahushua, for our atonement and our forgiveness.
Lev 14:6 “Let him take the live
bird and the cedar wood and the scarlet and the hyssop, and dip them and the
live bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water. – The live bird must be dip in the blood of the bird that was killed,
again represent the Blood that was sacrifice and the bird that will be let
loose to carry away our sins. The cedar and the hyssop are tied together with
the red thread. Then the bungle is held in the right hand together with the
live bird and they are dipped into the blood and water mixture. Signifying the
resolving of our haughtiness, our pride, our selfish ego.
Lev 14:7 “And he shall sprinkle
it seven times on him who is to be cleansed from the leprosy, and shall
pronounce him clean, and shall let the live bird loose in the open field. – The sprinkling is the application of Blood and the Water seven times
over the person. The seven times is one of the perfect numbers. The person is
now returned to a perfect state. The bird is now let loose to carry away the
sins as the Red Sea took away Pharaoh Army, never to be seen anymore.
Lev 14:8 “And he who is to be
cleansed shall wash his garments, and shall shave off all his hair and wash
himself in water, and shall be clean. Then after that he comes into the camp,
but shall stay outside his tent seven days. – The
focus now turn to the sinner, his responsibility does not end with the letting
go of the live bird. His sins had been atoned for, now the root causes have to
be dealt with.
By washing the garment is to bring it under the
scrutiny of Torah, removing anything that is not sanctioned by EL YAHWEH.
The Shaving of the hair is to remove or discard
all old thinking, chaos and bring every taught captive to that of Torah. Only
them we may allow to enter the camp to a holding area, to see if he or she is
truly sanctified.
Lev 14:9 “And on the seventh day
it shall be that he shaves all the hair off his head and his beard and his
eyebrows, even all his hair he shaves off. And he shall wash his garments and
wash his body in water, and shall be clean. – Seven
days after the seclusion inside the camp, the individual is again having all
the hair on his head shaved, he is again washed his entire garment and his
entire body, and then he shall be clean.
The final stage of purification. The person
shall bring three animals offering and each one is accompanied by a meal
offering of one tenth of an ephah. In this matter the metzora “The sinner” is
an exception to the rule, since sin and guilt offering are not usually
accompanied by a meal offering.
It may be that the metzora is accorded this
honor as Elohim’s Own testimony to the sincerity of his repentance, as
evidenced by the removal of his bodily affliction. An ephah is an unit of dry measure equal to about one bushel, or
about 33 liters, or a dry measure of about 64 US pint.
Lev 14:10 “And on the eighth day
he takes two male lambs, perfect ones, and one ewe lamb a year old, a perfect
one, and three-tenths of an ĕphah
of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and one log of oil. – On the eight day, the day of new beginning he must take two male
lambs, and one ewe, and one log of oil. The oil was used as describe in verse
15 – 18. A log of oil measure with a volume of six eggs, generally reckoned at
between thirteen and fourteen fluid ounces. These were to bring a grain
offering.
Lev 14:11 “And the priest who is
cleansing shall present the man who is to be cleansed, with these offerings, before יהוה, at the door of the Tent of Meeting. – The Pastor who did the cleansing shall present the person who is to
be cleansed along with his offering before the Tabernacle for full
reinstatement.
Three animals, the meal offering, must be
presented at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Until the metzora is
completed all his offering, he stand alone just outside the eastern entrance to
the tabernacle, opposite the Tabernacle entrance so that he is not inside it,
but close enough for the Kohen to put oil on him, as required by the verse
below.
Lev 14:12 “And the priest shall
take one male lamb and bring it as a guilt offering, and the log of oil, and
wave them as a wave offering before יהוה. – The Pastor shall take the price of a male lamb, and bring it as a
guilt offering, along with the log of oil and presented as a wave offering
before EL YAHWEH.
Lev 14:13 “And he shall slaughter
the lamb in the place where he slaughters the sin offering and the burnt
offering, in a set-apart place. For the guilt offering, like the sin offering,
belongs to the priest. It is most set-apart. – At the
North Part of the Outer Court, the guilt offering like the sin offering is
offered. The sacrificial part is then placed on the Brazen Altar. The other
parts like the sin offering belong to the pastor. This is where we deal with
the root of the problem.
Lev 14:14 “And the priest shall
take some of the blood of the guilt offering, and the priest shall put it on
the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his
right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. – The blood is place on the right ear, the right thumb, and the right big
toe, symbolizing that from here on these three body parts must improve himself
in mind, deed, and walk.
Lev 14:15 “And the priest shall
take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand. –
Lev 14:16 “And the priest shall
dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle
some of the oil with his finger seven times before יהוה. – The Pastor shall sprinkle the oil westward, in the direction of the
Holy Place. For each toss of oil the Pastor symbolize that the individual must
walk perfectly from now on. This also speak that for this problem he or she
have just repented, they will be tested seven time to see if they have truly
overcome it.
Lev 14:17 “And of the rest of the
oil in his hand, the priest puts some on the tip of the right ear of him who is
to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his
right foot, on the blood of the guilt offering. – The right ear, the thumb, and the right big toe is now anointed and
required to operate in perfection for the rest of the person life, until he or
she reaches perfection.
Lev 14:18 “And the rest of the
oil that is in the priest’s hand he puts on the head of him who is to be
cleansed. And the priest shall make atonement for him before יהוה. – The Pastor shall
place the rest of the oil on the head and make atonement through El Yahushua
for the individual. The head is where our intellect, rational, and logical
thought take place, it is also the seat of our resistance to all negative or chaos
in our lives.
Lev 14:19 “And the priest shall
make the sin offering, and make atonement for him who is to be cleansed from
his uncleanness. Then afterwards he slaughters the burnt offering. – The Pastor shall perform the sin offering and an atonement offering
for him who is being cleansed from his uncleanness. After that, the burnt
offering may be offered.
Lev 14:20 “And the priest shall
offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. And the priest
shall make atonement for him, and he shall be clean. – After the final step in this rather lengthy purification process, he
may now enter the Sanctuary and eat the sacrificial flesh. The guilt offering
atones for the sins that cause him to become metzora, unclean. The sin offering
atones for the blasphemies he may well have uttered. And finally, there is
atonement in the sense that the elevation and meal offering elevates him back
into the place he or she was before their demise.
Verse 21 –32 illustrates the point of the
offering of the poor unclean person.
Lev 14:21 “But if he is poor and
is unable to afford it, then he shall take one male lamb as a guilt offering to
be waved, to make atonement for him, and one-tenth of an ĕphah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering,
and a log of oil, - Every animal offering must
be accompanied by a meal offering, so that a metzora, unclean person who is
wealthy enough to bring three animal offering brings three tenth ephah of
flour. Since the poor metzora, unclean person brings only one animal, requires
only one meal-offering.
Lev 14:22 and two turtledoves or
two young pigeons, such as he is able to afford, and one shall be a sin
offering and the other a burnt offering. – The
requirements of the two turtledoves, which are slightly large than a young
pigeons, were indicative of the financial status of the person or the size of
his ego. A person may bring what-ever he can afford; however a rich person
cannot bring a poor person offerings.
Lev 14:23 “And he shall bring
them to the priest on the eighth day for his cleansing, to the door of the Tent
of Meeting, before יהוה. – The same
ritual principles describe in 14:10 - 19 is the same ritual principles here in
verse 24 – 32.
Lev 14:24 “And the priest shall
take the lamb of the guilt offering and the log of oil, and the priest shall
wave them as a wave offering before יהוה. – This is the end
of the restoration process. It is similar to when a owner brings a broken
furniture to a repear man for restoration and he return it to him completely
restored.
Lev 14:25 “And he shall slaughter
the lamb of the guilt offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of
the guilt offering and put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be
cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right
foot. –
Lev 14:26 “Then the priest pours
some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand. –
Lev 14:27 “And the priest shall
sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven
times before יהוה. –
Lev 14:28 “And the priest shall
put some of the oil that is in his hand on the tip of the right ear of him who
is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of
his right foot, on the place of the blood of the guilt offering. –
Lev 14:29 “And the rest of the
oil that is in the priest’s hand he puts on the head of him who is to be
cleansed, to make atonement for him before יהוה. –
Lev 14:30 “And he shall prepare
one of the turtledoves or young pigeons, such as he is able to afford, - We have here the gracious
provision which the law made for the cleansing of poor lepers. If they
were not able to bring three lambs, and three tenth-deals of flour, they must
bring one lamb, and one tenth-deal of flour, and, instead of the other two
lambs, two turtle-doves or two young pigeons, as in verse 21, 22.
Here we see, that the
poverty of the person concerned would not excuse him if he brought no offering
at all. Let none think that because we are poor YAHWEH does not requires any sacrifice
from us, since HE has considered us, and demands that which it is in the power
of the poorest to give.
"My son, give me
thy heart, and with that the calves
of your lips shall be accepted instead of the calves of the stall.’’
That YAHWEH expected from
those who were poor only according to their ability; HIS commandments are
not grievous, nor does HE make us to serve with an offering. The
poor are as welcome to YAH’s altar as the rich; and, if there be first a
willing mind and an honest heart, two pigeons, when they are the utmost a man
is able to get, are as acceptable to YAHWEH as two lambs; for HE requires according
to what a man has and not according to what he has not.
But it is observable that
though a meaner sacrifice was accepted from the poor, yet the very same
ceremony was used for them as was for the rich; for their souls are as precious
and Mesiah and His gospel are the same to both. Let not us therefore have the
faith of our Lord Yahushua HaMashiach with respect of persons, Jam. 2:1.
Lev 14:31 that which he is able
to afford, the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, with
the grain offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him who is to be
cleansed before יהוה. – Every
finger of the hand has a purpose, what we called the ring finger represent the
ministry of the Pastor. This finger part of the Mighty Hand of YAHWEH,
administer the Blood and the Water that flow from the side of Yahushua. This is
the ministry of atonement and deliverance, much like the second cup of wine
drank at Passover, the cup of deliverance.
Whatever financial position any of us may find
ourselves, Messiyah Yahushua has provide a way of deliverance for us. All we
have to do is to bring the require offering according to our financial capability.
Then with the help of the Pastoral finger apply the Blood of Messiyah over our
lives seven times.
Lev 14:32 “This is the Torah for
one who had an infection of leprosy, who is unable to afford for his
cleansing.” – leprosy in this example is any thing that
cause us to become unclean. There is a law, a way in which these things must be
taken care off. Today many of us run to see a Physologist for help, when all we
have to do is to apply the principlenoutline in this text. My people perish for
the lack of knowledge.
Verse 33 – 57 defines the type of afflictions
that affect a house or building. As we have seen in the past chapters a
contamination that affect a human is usually caused by a spiritual defecate.
Obviously, the appearance of a Tzaraas is for a
reason. This Tzaraas like all the others are Divine punishment for selfish
behavior and gossip. Elohim mercifully
begins by afflicting property such as the house where the guilty party lives
first, and then his garment, if the victim fails to modify their behavior, he
or she will be stricken by an affliction on their body.
By bringing tzaraas to their house, Elohim is
forcing them to remove their belongings from it, so that everyone can see what
he owns, and how Thoughtless he is. Such a person may display a breath of
heresy. He thinks that his property is his alone, acquired solely through his
own efforts, and that no one else is entitled to enjoy the benefits of his
personal success.
But his wealth and success are from Elohim, the
same Elohim Who made him what he is, is the same Elohim that will take it away
when he misused it. Although the imposition of the afflictions goes from the
less severe to the more severe, the Torah lists them in the opposite order,
beginning with the personal affliction and concludes with the affliction of the
house. This is because the Torah usually does thing contrary to man’s thinking.
Lev 14:33 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh and to Aharon, saying, - Again we are reminded that these are not Moses words, they are EL YAHWEH
Words.
Lev 14:34 “When you come into the
land of Kenaʽan, which I am giving
you as a possession, and I put a plague of leprosy in a house in the land of
your possession, - The address here is that
when we reach maturity, when we reach our objective, the Promise Land given to
us as an example of the Spiritual mandate. These are some of the principles we
must abide by.
As Lucifer sinned and was cast out, so do anyone
who sin while in the promise land. The fall of that person would result in
their loss of their physical beauty and appearance deu to the affliction on
their home, and clothing. It is only in the Holy Land could spiritual flaws have
such tangible effects.
What the implication here is, saying is at this
stage of spiritual growth sin is dealt with more stringent. A plague in a house
is a public way of saying something is wrong in this house. It is not an individual sin but a corporate blimish.
Lev 14:35 then shall the one who
owns the house come and inform the priest, saying, ‘It seems to me that there
is some plague in the house.’ – The head of the
household the man, the one who dwells in that house, the leader of the house,
the priest of the house the man, must go to the priest and informed the
Priest/Pastor that there is an affliction in his house. It is not the wife; it
is the person of spiritual authority that must perform this act. This should be
the Oldest living male.
Lev 14:36 “And the priest shall
command, and they shall empty the house, before the priest goes in to look at
the plague, so that all that is in the house is not made unclean. And after
that the priest goes in to look at the house. – The Priest/Pastor shall order an immediate cleaning of the house.
This is a source of public humiliation to the leadership of that house to allow
his house to fall into disrepair spiritually. The house would be declared tamei
or quarantined; everything in it would become tamei as well.
Lev 14:37 “And he shall look at
the plague and see, if the plague is on the walls of the house with sunken
places, greenish or reddish, which appear to be deep in the wall, - The Priest/Pastor must make a total examination of the house to
determine the level of contamination. The color of the afflicted area will
determine the depth of the afflicted area.
Lev 14:38 then the priest shall
go out of the house, to the door of the house, and shut up the house seven
days. – After the Priest/Pastor have made is decision,
the house is now close up for seven days.
Lev 14:39 “And the priest shall
come again on the seventh day and look and see, if the plague has spread on the
walls of the house, - Seven days later another
inspection is required, to determine if the affliction is a corporate or an
individual affliction. Corporate in that is a family sin or is it an individual
who is the cause of the contamination.
Lev 14:40 then the priest shall
command, and they shall remove the stones with the plague in them, and they
shall throw them outside the city, into an unclean place, - If it is determine that the affliction have not change the
Priest/Pastor must order the afflicted stone taken out of the wall. If two
people share the same wall, the owner of the afflicted house and his neighbor
must join in taking down the offending part of the wall. Woe to the wicked one
and woe to his neighbor, for they will both suffer.
Another way of looking at this affliction, is
that after several attemp to deal with the affliction, it might be an spiritual
affliction, and the stone or the belife system that that is base on must be
cast out of the person and remove from among the camp.
Lev 14:41 while he lets the house
be scraped inside, all around, and the dust that they scrape off they shall
pour out in an unclean place outside the city. – Since the Promise Land is a Holy Place, any contaminance removed from
the afflicted house, must be dispose of in a safe place, known as an unclean
place or garbage dump.
Lev 14:42 “And they shall take
other stones and put them in the place of those stones, and take other mortar
and plaster the house. – Fresh clean stones must be
used to replace those that have been removes. It is similar to replacing a
defective or religious way of thinking with Torah way of thinking. Too often
the physical afflection that afflict an individual is based on their religious
thinking.
Lev 14:43 “And if the plague
comes back and breaks out in the house, after he has removed the stones, after
he has scraped the house, and after it is plastered, - It is not necessary for the plague to return to the same place or
for it to be even large than the first. If it return during the seven days
isolation, the house must be rendered contaminated. If it returns after the
seven days then it is consider a new affliction.
Lev 14:44 then the priest shall
come and look and see, if the plague has spread in the house, it is an active
leprosy in the house, it is unclean. – If the Pastoral
minister sees that after all the removal of the contaminated area, the problem
still persist, then the house itself is beyond restoration.
Lev 14:45 “And he shall break
down the house, its stones, and its timber, and all the plaster of the house,
and he shall bring them outside the city to an unclean place. – If after the initial scrubbing, cleaning, and the replacing of the
stone; if the plague brakes out again, then the whole house must be dismantled.
If it is a family, the whole family structure
needs to be carefully examined carefully outside the city. Too often the
spiritual authority over the Family has been compromised. The man is no longer
the authority, maybe the woman now wear the pants or even the children, as is
so often the case in today’s society.
It this should happen in the redeemed community,
that family dwelling place would become a place of contamination. The whole
entire family support system in that house needs to be carefully scrutinized.
Lev 14:46 “And he who goes into
the house, all the days while it is shut up, becomes unclean until evening. – Because of the spirit of rebellion that is over that house, anyone
who enters it is unclean until evening, when he or she washes themselves in the
blood and the water that flows from the side of Yahushua. It is so essential
for us to apply the Water that flow from the Side of Messiyah to our lives
every evening, for we do not know what type of spirit we might have
inadvertently bring home with us.
Lev 14:47 “And he who lies down
in the house has to wash his garments, and he who eats in the house has to wash
his garments. – Anyone who lies down in the
house is compatible to someone who associate with the inhabitance of the house
is one who tolerates the principles practices in that house.
Anyone who eats in that house is one who accepts
the principles practice in that house, both the one who lie and the one who
eats must reconsider their belief system and repent and change their mindset to
that of Torah.
When we listen to false doctrine, we must always
wash our mind from any words that we may find attrative. Many time women in the
church embrace women liberation theology doctrine, because it is mix with a
little light and a little darkness, a little obedience and a little self
sufficent.
It is imperative that we break the influence of
these teaching from the initial revelation that we do not entertain any of its
doctrine not even for a moment. These teaching, like the thin edge of the
wedge, all it needs is a simpatatic ear.
Lev 14:48 “However, if the priest
indeed comes in and looks at it and sees that the plague has not spread in the
house after the house was plastered, then the priest shall pronounce the house
clean, because the plague is healed. - There is a
multitude of spiritual meaning behind every word in the Torah, this verse is no
exception. In the context of this verse we can discern that after the
priest/pastor has done a through inspection and cleaning, after the seven day
isolation period is over, he is now looking for a new sets of criteria.
He looks to see if one the plague had spread,
and two if it did spread. If it did spread the house would be condemned as
unclean. If it had not spread and there were sign of improvement, then the
house would be considered clean.
Lev 14:49 “And to cleanse the
house, he shall take two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop. – According to Hebrew tradition, this affliction is brought on as a
punishment for slander or gossip; therefore his purification is effected by
means of chirping or twittering birds.
The birds must be free of any illness or
defects, they must be clean, they must be a species that it permissible to eat.
Cedar wood, because it grows tall, imposing, and wide, the cedar symbolizes
haughtiness.
Crimson thread and hyssop, the thread is wool,
dyed with a pigment made from a lowly creature, a type of insect or snail,
whose identity is unclear. Thus, it symbolizes the penitent’s newfound
humility. Hyssop, a lowly bush symbolizes the same idea of humility.
Atonement for sin requires that the erstwhile
sinner purge he of the moral flaw that cause his misdeeds. The underlying root
cause of slander and gossip, the sins that are punished by tzaraas, is
haughtiness, because it breeds the contempt for others that lets one talk about
them callously.
The metzora’s repentance entails a resolve to
change themselves, a change that is graphically symbolized by the following
three items that accompany his offering.
Lev 14:50 “And he shall kill one
of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water, - The ritual of purification of the house is identical to the first
stage of a metzora’s purification and it is carried out only if the afflicted
stones had to be removed from the house. However if the affliction disappeared
or the color fade from the house, the ritual is not necessary. Unlike the
ourification of a human being, no further steps are necessary.
Lev 14:51 and he shall take the
cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the live bird, and dip them in
the blood of the slain bird and in the running water, and shall sprinkle the
house seven times. - The live bird must be dip in
the blood of the bird that was killed, again represent the Blood that was
sacrifice and the bird that will be let loose to carry away our sins. The cedar
and the hyssop are tied together with the red thread. Then the bungle is held
in the right hand together with the live bird and they are dipped into the
blood and water mixture. Signifying the resolving of our haughtiness.
Lev 14:52 “He shall thus cleanse
the house with the blood of the bird and the running water and the live bird,
and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet,- During the slaughtering of the bird is held over the earth ware vessel
so that its blood will flow directly into the vessel containing the fresh
spring water. This Blood and the Water that flows from the side of Yahushua,
for our atonement and our forgiveness.
Lev 14:53 and he shall let the
live bird loose outside the city in the open field, and shall make atonement
for the house, and it shall be clean. – The live bird is
the one that take away the sin, it is a figure of El Yahushua that bears the
curses of our sin, and so we will not be found guilty.
Lev 14:54 “This is the Torah for
any infection of leprosy, and eruption, - This a
permanent ritual law for the Children of Yisrael, which everyone who believe in
El Yahushua the Messiyah is a part off.
Lev 14:55 and for leprosy of a
garment, and of a house, - The spiritual diffinition of
garment and house is our righteousness and the way we conduct out lives.
Lev 14:56 and for a swelling, and
for a scab, and for a bright spot, - The spiritual
diffinition of Swelling is those areas in our lives that we are particular
sensitive to, and the scabs are those area in our lives that are we have shown
some improvement yet there are still work to be done. Bright spots are visible
manifestation of problems in our lives that we need work on.
Lev 14:57 to teach when it is
unclean and when it is clean. This is the Torah of leprosy. – These principles outline in this story elucidate a principle if we
are in the Outer court, the individual, the Holy Place the garment, and the
Holy of Holies the House. What is the ritual needed to restore or cast out an
individual. Too often people get cast out of the body because they angered the
pastor or even Rabbi. Torah gave us a specific reason why someone should be
declared unclean.
Chapter 15
Every Kingdom has a set on principle that
governs it operation; it is what I will refer to an underlying principle. The
various discharges from the human body that are contaminated to various
degrees, and which may require offerings as part of the person’s purification
process, it the what, the result of why.
The Why are the sins that cause the
contamination, the contamination produces the various discharges, or physical
manifestation on the person’s body. In this chapter, we will look at the how,
in relation to a cure for the various afflictions.
Verse 1 – 18 deals with the various discharge of
the body. Semen or a zav-emission that emanate from a human body is considered
contaminated. It causes contamination to the one who emitted it and to others
who come into contact with it.
There is three degree of such contamination,
depending on the frequency and type of the discharges, as follows:
§
A male who had a
seminal emission, whether the fluid is normal semen or the slightly different
zav fluid describe in verse 2. This contamination is the mildest of the tree
degrees, and it applies no matter what are the circumstances that brought about
the discharge. The person who has such an emission is called baal keri,
and should immerse or wash himself or herself in water and they will become
clean at sundown.
§
This discharge,
which makes someone a zav, is different from semen, but a man who has had a
single discharge, has the same status as the baal keri person. A man who has
had two such discharge is a zav and has the full severity of contamination, as
will be set forth in the next passages.
§
A man who has had
three-zav discharge, either in the same day within short intervals or on
successive days, has the same degree of contamination as an ordinary zav, but
he must also bring an offering at the conclusion of a seven-day period of
seclusion, following the discharge.
Lev 15:1 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh and to Aharon,
saying, - Since this is a Kingdom principle, the King of
the Kingdom determine His solutions for total restoration, and we know that His
decree cannot change. The flesh refers here to the male organ. The fluid that
Torah calls zov is similar to, but different from semen. This could be
describing a venereal disease, which is a result of a form of contamination.
The root word zav ‘זוּב’ appears twice in the following verse and is
followed by the word contaminated. The same root word appears three times in
the next verse where it is followed by the word his contamination. In this
formula, we see a difference between a man who had two discharges and one who
has had three.
Two discharge makes one a zav, and create a
level of contamination that lasts for seven days, but is removed by immersion
or washing in water, without the requirement of an offering or sacrifice. This
is not a sin unto death. The man who had three such discharges requires an
offering after seven day.
Lev 15:2 “Speak to the children
of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘When any man has a discharge from his flesh, his
discharge is unclean. – Moses the leader of the
Children of Yisrael, a mature spiritual person, was the one who this message
was given. It was a result of his maturity, his pure spiritual state, that he
was able to hear the Voice of EL YAHWEH. This chapter is teaching us the
principle or the spiritual rituals, a person must perform in order to restore
them to the position from which their sins had made them fall.
Lev 15:3 ‘And this is his
uncleanness in regard to his discharge; whether his flesh runs with his
discharge, or his flesh is stopped up by his discharge, it is his uncleanness. – This uncleanness may give a symptom of a discharge or a stoppage of
flow. This could also refer to the urinal discharge, which can also be
described as stoppage of water in some case.
Lev 15:4 ‘Any bed becomes
unclean on which he who has the discharge lies, and any object on which he sits
becomes unclean. – Any bed on which urine or
semen falls become unclean, and anyone who sleep on it become unclean.
Even if one should sit on a pile of blanket, and
the one at the bottom has the zaw contamination of mishkav u’moshav, so that he
did not actually come into direct contact with a contaminated blanket, he is
still tamei as if he had touched the afflicted blanket.
Lev 15:5 ‘And anyone who touches
his bed has to wash his garments, and shall bathe in water, and be unclean
until evening. – Anyone who even touches the
resting place of this person, have to wash his or her garments and shall bathe
in water and become clean again in the evening. If this is the case, a man
should not have sexual inter course on his bed, for fear of contamination of
the area in which he sleep.
Lev 15:6 ‘And he who sits on any
object on which he who has the discharge sat, has to wash his garments, and
shall bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. – The story of Rachel and her father’s idols is a good example. The men
who were looking for the idols would not touch her for she was in a state of
ritual contamination.
Lev 15:7 ‘And he who touches the
flesh of him who has the discharge has to wash his garments, and shall bathe in
water, and shall be unclean until evening. – Anyone
who has sexual intercourse with that person, must consider first their
righteousness actions, wash their cloth, and be clean at sundown.
Lev 15:8 ‘And when he who has
the discharge spits on him who is clean, then he shall wash his garments, and
shall bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. – Even the spit of the contaminated person is considered to be unclean.
The person who got spit on must wash himself or herself and be clean at
sundown.
Lev 15:9 ‘Any saddle on which he
who has the discharge rides becomes unclean. – Even the
saddle on which the person sits, even if they were in a bus, or an airplane
seat, they become unclean. Can you imagining sitting in a contaminated seat in
an airplane when it crashes.
Lev 15:10 ‘And whoever touches
any of that which was under him is unclean until evening. And he who is
carrying them up has to wash his garments, and shall bathe in water, and be
unclean until evening. – We need the Spirit of Wisdom
to be with us every day to help us to make the right choose as to were to sit
in a public area or whether we can even shake a next person hand. It is a good
thing we are commanded to wash every evening in the Water that flows from the
side of El Yahushua.
Lev 15:11 ‘And anyone whom he who
has the discharge touches without rinsing his hands in water, shall wash his
garments and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. – This verse makes an important discloser here. It is incumbent on the
contaminated person to wash their hand before greeting another person. Have we
ever wondered why there are so many outbreaks of diseases such as Sars among
our midst?
Lev 15:12 ‘And the earthen vessel
which he who has the discharge touches has to be broken, and every wooden
vessel has to be rinsed in water. – We know from
previous study that a vessel made from earth is very porous, and become quite
easy for the contamination to reside in the numerous pores of the vessels. This
earth vessels must be destroyed if it was even touch by an individual.
Lev 15:13 ‘And when he who has a
discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count for himself seven
days for his cleansing, and shall wash his garments, and shall bathe his flesh
in running water, and be clean. – The person who
is contaminated by the third stage of this discharge must experience the
seven-day cleansing. It is my belief that this could be a discharge of
masturbation that was deliberate done by the man. The other two discharges were
involuntary. The seven day if for the man to look carefully at himself and
determine why he was drawn to perform such an act.
Lev 15:14 ‘And on the eighth day
he takes for himself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and shall come
before יהוה, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shall give
them to the priest. – The guilt offering for such
an offense is two turtledoves or two young pigeons, which is to be brought to
the Pastor/Priest to be offered.
Lev 15:15 ‘And the priest shall
prepare them, the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. And
the priest shall make atonement for him before יהוה because of his
discharge. – When the victim is healed, he must offer a
sin offering to atone for his sin that cause the malady to be brought upon him.
Then he must bring his elevated offering to thank EL YAHWEH for having cured
him.
The purification process of a metzora the
contaminated one, involves three animals; even for a poor person has to bring
at least one, but a zav and a zavah must bring only birds.
The sacrificial service of animals requires the
Kohanm, so it is inevitable that the metzora’s purification process will become
well known. This would cause him no humiliation, however, because his sin and
punishment were public in some case.
To the contrary, the fact that so many people
will know that he repented and become purified is to his honor.
Because a zav’s sin is a very private matter and
EL YAHWEH wishes to spare him from shame, he brings only birds, whose service
can be performed by a single Kohen.
Lev 15:16 ‘And when a man has an
emission of semen, then he shall wash all his flesh in water, and be unclean
until evening. – This also includes our
regular sexual intercourse with our wives. It is always a good time to have sex
with one spouse just before sundown that they might wash immediately afterwards
to prevent any extended time in an unclean state.
Lev 15:17 ‘And any garment and
any leather on which there is semen, shall also be washed with water, and be
unclean until evening. - This signified the great gospel duties of faith and
repentance, and the great gospel privileges of the application of Messsiyah’s
blood and water that flow from His side, to our souls for our deliverance and
his grace for our sanctification. YAHWEH has promised to sprinkle clean water
upon us, and to cleanse us from all our filthiness, and has appointed us by
repentance to wash and make ourselves clean: he has also provided a sacrifice
of atonement, and requires us by faith to interest ourselves in that sacrifice;
for it is the blood and water from the side of Messiyah his Son that
cleanses us from all sin, and by which atonement is made for us, that we
may have admission into YAH’s presence and may partake of his favour.
Lev 15:18 ‘And when a woman lies
with a man, and there is an emission of semen, they both shall bathe in water,
and be unclean until evening. - It is also
essential to know that a man has no reason to masturbate, in the Hebrew culture
or in Torah he is allow to have as many wives as he can afford. If the man was
having regular emission of semen, he has to go find a wife.
One of Judah son was consider sinful for he did
not deposit his semen in the right place. Exodus 38: 8And
Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise
up seed to thy brother. 9And Onan knew that the seed should not be
his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he
spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. 10And
the thing which he did displeased the YAHWEH: wherefore he slew him also.
Verse 19 – 28 describes the female discharges.
These verses deal with the sanctity of the Hebrew home, for it contain the laws
of niddah. “The menstruant”, and niddus, the monthly period when husband and
wife may not cohabit.
It is significant that this mitzvah is known as
purity of the family. Just as the ritual that the binds man and women to one
another is called, sanctification, for a Hebrew marriage is an exercise in
bringing sanctity to the human relationship that can most easily become an act
of degradation.
The maintenance of this sanctity throughout the
years during which the home is built and the children of the future are brought
into the world depends on the constant purity of the family and the partners to
whom the responsibility was given to create it.
It is essential that Hebrew women understand
that a great personal sacrifice and hardship is require to maintain this
purity, and thereby help to build the family on a strong foundation of
holiness. Unlike the contamination of a male discharge, which has virtually no
application in the absence of the Temple and sanctities that must be kept
ritually pure, the female discharge discussed in this passage still has the
applicability of the niddah laws.
The passage here contains two categories of law.
The first applies to a woman in her menstrual period, called niddah. The other
passage speaks of a zavah, who, like her male counterpart, may be require to
bring an offering as part of her purification process.
Since it is very difficult to determine when a
is in her niddah and when she is a zavah, it is necessary to impose some
regulation of zavah upon all women. Since this state is a state of
contamination, the woman is required to isolate her self for seven days. This
is enforce by a law prohibit cohabitation with a niddah woman as we will see in
chapter 18 and 20.
Verse 19 –24 set forth the first part of the
passage deals with a woman’s regular menstrual flow, but not with the separate
condition of zavah. As indicated in verse 25, a crucial difference between
niddah and zavah is the time of her discharge. If it comes during the time of
her regular monthly period, she has the status of a niddah; if it comes at
other times, she may be a zavah.
Lev 15:19 ‘And when a woman has a
discharge, and the discharge from her flesh is blood, she has to be in her separation
for seven days. And whoever touches her is unclean until evening. – In her state of separation, throughout the seven-day period, she is
ritually contaminated to the same degree as a zav, and she must therefore
separate herself from people or things that are required to remain ritually
pure.
Lev 15:20 ‘And whatever she lies
on during her separation is unclean. And whatever she sits on is unclean. – Bed she lays or sits on during this time of separation is considered
unclean. One of the reasons why I refuse to take public transit if for this
same reason. I do not know who was sitting in the seat I just sat in.
Lev 15:21 ‘And anyone who touches
her bed has to wash his garments, and shall bathe in water, and be unclean
until evening. It is incumbent on all of the
Mighty Hand of EL YAHWEH ministers to stay away from your wives the night
before you attempt to minister in Church. Do not even shake the hand of a young
woman, for you are not sure if she is ritually clean.
Lev 15:22 ‘And whoever touches any
object that she sat on has to wash his garments, and shall bathe in water, and
be unclean until evening. – There are some
churches that require the women to sit on one side of the church while the men
sit on the other side. There is some validity to this practice. How many men
arrive in church on Sunday hand in hand with their wife and she is on her
monthly cycle. This is not to be so.
Lev 15:23 ‘And if it is on the
bed or on any object on which she sits, when he touches it, he is unclean until
evening. – If a woman who is ritually contaminated
touches a Pastor after sundown on Friday evening, that Pastor is not allowed to
minister on Sabbath.
Lev 15:24 ‘And if any man lies
with her at all, and her monthly flow is on him, he shall be unclean seven
days. And any bed he lies on is unclean. – Here is another principle, if her husband has marital relationship with
her; he is unclean for seven days. and any bed he sleep on will become unclean.
Yet today it is taught that a woman is more sensitive during this time of the
month, and it is a time for maximum pleasure. Do we ever wonder why there are
so many sexual transmitted diseases?
Verse 25 – 28 describes zavah. According to the
tradition taught to Moses by EL YAHWEH at Sinai, there are seven days during
which a discharge gives a woman the niddah status of the previous verse.
Lev 15:25 ‘And when a woman has a
discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her monthly
separation, or when she discharges beyond her usual time of monthly separation,
all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her monthly
separation. She is unclean. – Many days seem
to imply plurality of actions is sufficient to indicate that there must be a
minimum of two days. The additional words many imply that this is a condition
known as a major zavah require a flow of three days. What is this flow one may
ask?
Outside of her monthly separation explained in
the prefatory remarks, the days of potential zivah can begin only after the
seven niddah days are over. Therefore the sense of this phrase is that she in
now past her niddah days.
What kind of flow is this verse describing, if
it is not the regular monthly cycle, and it is safe to say it is not a venereal
disease. Then what is it? Is it the flow that comes from a woman when she is
ready for her husband? This flow might mean any undesirable flow that is not
part of the monthly cycle.
Lev 15:26 ‘Any bed on which she
lies all the days of her discharge is to her as the bed of her monthly
separation. And whatever she sits on is unclean, as the uncleanness of her
monthly separation. – Any bed that she lies on
will become contaminated, deu to her state of impurities.
Lev 15:27 ‘And anyone who touches
them is unclean, and shall wash his garments, and shall bathe in water, and be
unclean until evening. – If there is a flow from a
woman or a man, if it is beyond the natural boundaries of nature. It is a sign
that something is wrong with the body, it is in a state of uncleanness. Mucus
from a cold could be one such activity.
Lev 15:28 ‘But if she is cleansed
of her discharge, then she shall count for herself seven days, and after that
she is clean. – The same principle is seen
here after she is clean from her impurities; she must be secluded for seven
days.
Lev 15:29 ‘And on the eighth day
she takes for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and shall bring
them to the priest, to the door of the Tent of Meeting. – On the eight day the day of new beginning she is require to bring her
guilt offering and her elevation offering to the Tabernacle.
Lev 15:30 ‘And the priest shall
prepare the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, and the
priest shall make atonement for her before יהוה for the
discharge of her uncleanness. – The
priest/Pastor shall prepare the sin offering, which include a confession for
allowing ourselves to get to this stage of contamination. Even Though it may
not be a sin unto death, it is a sin anyway.
Lev 15:31 ‘Thus you shall
separate the children of Yisra’ĕl from their uncleanness, lest they die in
their uncleanness when they defile My Dwelling Place which is in their midst. – The result of continue to live in this state, will eventually led to
Spiritual death of the individual. The spiritual death comes when we defile the
Tabernacle, with our uncleanness.
Lev 15:32 ‘This is the Torah for
one who has a discharge, and for him who emits semen and is unclean thereby, These are the statues when anyone has a discharge from their bodies,
and it is a law forever.
Lev 15:33 and for her who is sick
in her monthly separation, and for one who has a discharge, either man or
woman, and for him who lies with an unclean woman. – The charges are repeated here again as a reminder. Notice that the
extra chare of associating with an unclean woman is also included.
