Kedoshim

Parashas Kedoshim

Leviticus 19:1 – 20:27

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 Kedoshin “holiness”is the 30 reading in the torah cycle, it begins by explaining the reason for these prohibition, it was to make a group of people become holy by emulating its CREATOR as much as possible.

The purpose of this holiness is for a people to grow spiritually in their life here on earth. The only way to accomplish this is to be obedient to the Commandment found in Torah.

These commandment demands more than minimal observance, for as one experience the sixth days of Creation need to Create a perfect son, we are required to climb up the ladder of our spiritual holiness, one would elevate his soul his ego to what the Torah and the Holy Spirit requires.

It was and it is still ABBA YAHVEH’S will to rest HIS Presence among the Hebrew people, so that they could be called a holy people for HIS service. In order to achieve this, Yisrael was enjoined to avoid the Spiritual contamination that result from religious and sexual practices.

The Torah teaches that respect for parents, ordains that they must be honored through personal service, but that is to be done in a respectful manner.

The definition of Sabbath observance goes beyond the seventh day of the week and includes the seventh year sabbatical, for that too tesify that ABBA YAHVEH is the CREATOR and MASTER of the Universe.

We are also extorted in Torah Portion Kadoshim that the prohibition against idolatry includes not only worship, but anything that shows them credence or respect, even when there could be some personal advantage in doing so.

In this Sabbath of Kedoshim, we should all take the time to pray to the Holy Spirit; for the Spirit of the YAHVEH shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of  YAHVEH. Let the Spirit of Understanding write the Torah on our heart, and allow the Spirit of Wisdom to help us walk according to what we understand.

Lev 19:1 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, - Our Creator uses this verse, to illustrate a point, that HE is the CREATOR, therefore HE alone must determine the parameters in which those in His Kingdom must operate.

The opening words of this chapter are similar to those used when the Ten Commandments were given. This demonstrates the supreme importance of morality in Elohim’s scheme for the Hebrew people.

Just as the nation cannot exist without the acknowledgement that EL YAHVEH is our EL, so it must accept upon itself the laws holiness, parents, and idols.

It is always EL YAHVEH Will to rest His Presence among the Hebrew People so that it they could rise to its calling to be a Holy Nations, Exodus 19:6.

In order to make this possible, Yisrael was required to avoid the spiritual contaminations that would result from the sexual and religious practices listed in the previous chapters.

This Parashas begins to explain that the reason for these prohibitions was to make it possible for a nation to become Holy by imitating its First Born Son El Yahushua as much as humanly possible.

Further more, the purpose of this holiness code is for believers in the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the earth, to become elevated in their lives spiritually while still in this world. The way to accomplish this is through scrupulous adherence to the commandments found in Torah.

These command demands more than a minimum observance, for as one makes his request know that he or she is willing to clime up the spiritual ladder holiness, one must obey and practice what the Torah teaches.

Therefore the Torah teaches that the respect for a parent was ordains not only that they are honored through personal service, but also that it be done in a respectful manner.

The definition of the Sabbath observance goes beyond the seventh day of the week and includes the seventh year sabbatical of field and loans, for they, too, testify that Elohim are the Creator and Masters of the Universe.

We are exhorted that the prohibition against idolatry includes not only acts of worship, but anything that shows them credence or respect, even when there could be some personal advantage in doing so.

Lev 19:2 “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘Be set-apart, for I יהוה your Elohim am set-apart. -  This message must be given to every member of the Children of Yisrael, that they must set themselves apart, to be prepared to be the Bride.

Lev 19:3 ‘Each one of you should fear his mother and his father, and guard My Sabbaths. I am יהוה your Elohim. – As a bride to be, we must learn to fear and honor our parent, and safe guard the Sabbath, for the Sabbath is the goal for the bride to be. It is the sign that we are one of the Grooms wise virgins.

Reverence or fear means that one should act towards his parents, as he would towards a sovereign with the power to punish those treat him disrespectfully. Honor, as mandated in the Ten Commandments, refers in general to serving one’s parents, such as feeling and dressing them, or assisting them if they find it difficult to walk.

We are to revere our parent, but not at the expense of the commandments. We are to honor them as if it was EL YAHVEH living among us.

The Torah speaks of the Sabbaths in the plural, a very unusual usage of the word. This alludes to a higher and lower meaning of the Sabbath. The higher Sabbath alludes to the holiness of the Sabbath, the day on which Elohim permits His Presence to be more apparent and accessible, so that the Hebrew can unite themselves with godliness.

The lower Sabbath is its practice aspect as a day of rest, when every Hebrew can forget about the cares of the world and devote themselves to higher pursuits.

Lev 19:4 ‘Do not turn to idols, and do not make for yourselves moulded mighty ones. I am יהוה your Elohim. – Having exhorted all the Hebrew to show regard for the three partners EL YAHVEH, fathers and Mothers, who brought into existence, the Torah now forbids anyone to add false deities to the partnership. The word idol and molted gods. The word idol contains the syllable lx not, or nothing, because these gods have no power and no spiritual value. But if someone is foolish enough to turn to idol, he will begin to respect them as if they truly were gods.

These idols are our jobs, I have to work on Sabbath or on Passover, so I cant come to church. 

Verse 5 – 8 explain Piggul or reason why a offering is rejected. An offering can be disqualified by improper intentions at the time of the service. This teaches that it’s not enough to carry out the commandments mechanically; one must perform them with the right intention, as well.

Each offering has its specified time limitations for being eaten or burned on the Altar. This passage deals with two disqualifications:

§         If at the time of the service the Kohen/Pastor has in mind that the offering will be eaten or burned after the proper time, the offering become piggul;  its service may not be continued. If the blood service is concluded, one who eats the flesh of the offering is punished by kares.

§         If the Pastor has in mind that the offering will be eaten or burned in the wrong place, it becomes disqualified, but the punishment for eating it is kares.

Only an offering that is perfect in every ways can become piggul. People should conduct themselves with this in mind.

 Lev 19:5 ‘And when you bring a peace offering to יהוה, bring it for your acceptance. -  An offering must be slaughtered in such a way that they will find favor in EL YAHVEH’S Eyes, but if it is slaughtered with the improper intentions describe above, the offering is rejected.

Lev 19:6 ‘It is eaten the same day you slaughter it, and on the next day. And that which is left on the third day is burned with fire. – This verse cannot refer to the actual time of eating, because that requirement has been given in 7:16, Rather, it means that if the Kohen intends at the time of the slaughter that it will be eaten after the deadline, it become disqualified immediately.

Lev 19:7 ‘So if it is eaten at all on the third day, it is abominable, it is not accepted, - In general terms, food left for the third day should not be eaten.

Lev 19:8 and he who eats it bears his crookedness, because he has profaned the set-apart offering of יהוה, and that being shall be cut off from his people. – Any persons who disregard the laws that specify when an offering may be eaten implies that he considers the sacrificial meat to be eaten implies that he consider the sacrificial meat to be nothing more than a means of gratifying his appetite.

Verse 9 – 10 explains about giving to the poor. We have been commanded to imitate EL YAHVEH’S holiness in whatever is humanly possible, to honor parents, one’s partners and to respect his sacred offering.

This scripture continues the progression. EL YAHVEH is merciful and charitable, so it stands to reason that He should command His people to display the same sort of kindness by setting aside part of their wealth for the poor. This is why this passage, regarding our gifts to the poor, ends with the words I am YAHVEH, your EL.

Then, the Torah continues with the laws of honesty business dealing among all categories of people, between the authority and the people, and the social relationship of love and considerations.

A Hebrew people must discharge his responsibilities to others before he regards his own. Even at the moment of his harvest, when a full season of labor comes to its climax, he must leave part of his crop for the poor before he takes it for himself and his family. 

Lev 19:9 ‘And when you reap the harvest of your land, do not completely reap the corners of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. – The edge of our wheat field, or our Citrus orchard, those that grow at the edge of the field must be left for the poor or the traveler. If during reaping any thing that falls to the ground must be left for the poor.

Lev 19:10 ‘And do not glean your vineyard or gather every grape of your vineyard, leave them for the poor and the stranger. I am יהוה your Elohim. -  We are commanded not to pick the single grapes on the vine, only those in a cluster. The poor are entitled to take harvest them for themselves. These gifts for the poor must be left in the field.

Verse 11 – 15 deals with honest dealings with others. Steeling, robbery, false oaths, and so on are never the norms in an enlighten society; if they were, to practice these things their society would breakdown.

There are other subtle manifestations of these sins. It is not at all uncommon for a society to be lax in its ethics. People may look for ways to deceive others in business, to deny obligations that cannot be proven, to invoke YAH’S name to convince others that lies are true, to underpaid labors, or to seek personal gain through unctuous flattery.

Such conduct is wrong, even thought the court may not be able to deal with it. By using the plural in condemning such practices, EL YAHVEH implies that He wants Yisrael as a whole to look to its general standards of honesty and upright conduct.

Lev 19:11 ‘Do not steal, do not lie, do not deceive one another. – The prohibition applies not only to the person actually committing the sin, but also to those who abet it or make false accusation, such as a witness who remains silent through he has seen a thief or knows that someone is withholding property, and someone who falsely claims money that is not owed him, or unjustifiably demands an oath.

The prohibition against lying, says we shall not deny falsely, and you shall not lie. Do not deny that you posses property that someone has left in trust with you, and do not lie, by backing up your denial with a false oath.

The progression of sins listed in this verse; illustrate the defense mechanism of human nature, which takes control of a person once he allows himself to sin. If someone steals, he will seek to defend himself by denying that it ever happened, and he may well go so far as to swear falsely to cover up his guilt.

Lev 19:12 ‘And do not swear falsely by My Name and so profane the Name of your Elohim. I am יהוה. – Someone who swears falsely demonstrates that he has no respect for EL YAHVEH’S Name. This verse say we may used the Sacred Name of יהוה YAHVEH but we must not swear falsely when we call upon יהוה  Name. So when we call יהוה  God, or the Lord, or Adonai we are destroying HIS Name.

Lev 19:13 ‘Do not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of him who is hired is not to remain with you all night until morning. – By depriving a worker of his earnings, or by deceitfully or forcible withhold anything belonging to another person, such as an article that was in your position.

If a worker was hired for the day, his employer has until morning to pay him; if he was hired for the night, he must be paid by the next evening. The prohibition applies from the time the wages become payable; therefore, if a worker is hired by the week, his wages is payable at the end of the week, not on a daily basis.

Lev 19:14 ‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but fear your Elohim. I am יהוה. – In additional to the general meaning of this verse, symbolically that one should not give bad advise to an unsuspecting person, particularly if the advisor stand to benefit from the other’s error. It is also forbidden to cause someone to sin.

The message of this commandment is that we are responsible for the spiritual welfare of those who are younger spiritually, and not put anything in there way that might cause them to sin.

Someone who gives bad advice can easily hide his perfidy by saying he was sincere and meant well. But the Torah warns him that he cannot deceive EL YAHVEH. If HE is indeed treacherous to his friends, Yah can be trusted to punish him.

One who preys on the deaf and blind should beware, for YAHVEH can punish him by making him deaf or blind.

Lev 19:15 ‘Do no unrighteousness in right ruling. Do not be partial to the poor or favor the face of the great, but rightly rule your neighbor in righteousness. – A judge who rules falsely is guilty of a perversion of justice and what he has done is an abomination. But if litigants deceive the judge by lying, they are responsible for the perversion of justice that they will have cause.

Do not say that since the wealthy man is obligated to help the poor, it is proper for a judge to rule in favor of the poor litigant so that he will supported in dignity. Torah stress that justice must be rendered honestly; charity may not interfere with it.

With righteousness shall you judge your fellow man! In addition to its simple meaning, the verse teaches that one must always give people the benefit of the doubt. That judges must be object while members of society, as a whole should seek to justify their fellows, is no contradiction at all. A judge may not consider extraneous factors that explain why someone acted as he did, but do not absolve him from payment.

But in the social sphere, we must be careful not to condemn. That someone acted improperly and is liable for it does not necessarily make him worthy of rejection by his peers.

Lev 19:16 ‘Do not go slandering among your people. Do not stand against the blood of your neighbor. I am יהוה. -  Slander, it is forbidden to tell someone what others have said or done behind his back, if there is even the slightest possibility that it may cause harm.

The Hebrew word lybr is related to lbvr peddler, because a gossip goes from person to person and house to house peddling his slander and gossip. Gossipmonger is a great sin and has been the cause of much bloodshed. This why the Torah follows up this commandment by warning against standing aside while someone’s blood is shed.

Lev 19:17 ‘Do not hate your brother in your heart. Reprove your neighbor, for certain, and bear no sin because of him. – This verse speaks of your antagonist as your brother. Even though he wronged you, think of him as a brother and do not fall prey to hatred.

Lev 19:18 ‘Do not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the children of your people. And you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am יהוה. -  Revenge consist of retaliating against someone who has displeased you, by attempting to do him harm, or by refusing to do him a favor that you would normally have done.

Even if someone does not retaliate, it is forbidden to bear a grudge, by saying, for example I will lend you the tool you need even though you refused me when I needed something. EL YAHVEH wants us to purge the insult or misdeed from our hearts.

Lev 19:19 ‘Guard My laws. Do not let your livestock mate with another kind. Do not sow your field with mixed seed. And do not put a garment woven of two sorts of thread upon you. -  This verse stress the point that we must guard EL YAHVEH laws, if this is so, how can anyone says the laws are done away with.

This verse goes on to say do not let our livestock cross bread, for example a horse and a donkey. We also know that when these two animals cross bread it produces a mule, which is sterile.

One of the most vicious dogs there is a pit bold; it is a cross between two other breeds of dogs. We are also admonish not to sow mix seed in a field, example barley and wheat should not be planted in the same field. We must not wear a garment made from two different fabrics such as linen and wool.

The prohibitions not to crossbreed or to wear mixtures of wool and linen are the quintessential, decrees, commands of the King for which every believer should abide by. This speaks of our righteousness, we cannot have wool which cause the flesh to produce sweat and linen which cause the flesh to remain cool at all times.

EL YAHVEH created the world with certain distinct species, and in His Wisdom decreed that these species remain intact and undefiled among men. For man to take it upon himself to alter the order of Creation suggest a lack of faith in Yah’s plan.

Moreover, a Heavenly force directs each species on earth, so that the earthly species represent profound spiritual forces. To tamper with them is to cause harm that the mind of man cannot understand.

Is there any wonder why the two new breed of dogs, the Pit bold and the Doberman both a product of cross breeding, are well known as man killers.

Verse 20 – 22 illustrate shifchah charufah. The designated maidservant. This unusual decree is unlike any other commandment in several ways.

Lev 19:20 ‘And when a man take a wife, a woman who is a female servant, designated to another man, and who has not had the ransomed nor redeemed price paid for her, there should be an inquiry. But they are not to be put to death, because she was not free. – What this verse is saying, is if a man have a servant girl, and she was promise to another man, if he take her for a wife, they did not sin, even though she was promise to another man.

The reason for this is that she was still under the authority of her first master. However if the second man had redeem her or paid the bride price for her, then both of them would be given the death penalty.

Even though a promise was given to the other man, that she could be redeem by him, the man is partially guilty.

Lev 19:21 ‘And he shall bring his guilt offering to יהוה, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, a ram as a guilt offering. – The man however, must bring a guilt offering to the Pastor, the price of a ram. 

Lev 19:22 ‘And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering before יהוה for his sin which he has done. And the sin, which he has sinned, shall be forgiven him.  -  On the day of atonment our High Priest makes an atonment for us after we bring the price of the ram, and our sins will be forgiven us.

Verse 22 – 25 Orlah, the first three years of a fruit tree. All fruits from the first three years of a newly planted tree or its grafted shoot are forbidden for conceivable use, and those of fourth year are holy and must be given as a offering.

The first fruits of a tree should be used for the holy purpose of praising and thanksgiving to EL YAHVEH. Since the first three years fruits are not yet mature enough to be worthy for that purpose, the Torah ordains that none of the fruit may be used until the fourth year.

Lev 19:23 ‘And when you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall reckon their fruit as uncircumcised. For three years it is as uncircumcised to you, it is not eaten. – From a spiritual point of view when a person become saved the first year is when they start to differentiate between right and wrong, the subsequent years have to do with their spiritual development.

The illustration above has to do with our spiritual development as related to the six days of creation. It is day four that the light of the Menorah begins to shine. The first three years that person has not yet produce the fruit of the spirit. They cannot be a light to any other person, even though they might be producing some fruit.

Fourth day or fouth year

Lev 19:24 ‘And in the fourth year all its fruit is set-apart – praises to יהוה. – The forth year that person must be set apart, from the others. At this stage in their spiritual; development, the Spirit of YAHVEH is developed and is producing light, the middle lamp on the Menorah. The Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding is also producing light.

That is why on the fourth day of Creation, EL YAHVEH created the three lights, the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars.

Lev 19:25 ‘And in the fifth year you eat its fruit, so that it increases its yield to you. I am יהוה your Elohim. -  On the fifth day of creation the fruit tree were created, in our spiritual walk, The Spirit of YAHVEH will rest on him- the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of advice and power, This person is now ready for ministry work. Notice the five lights on the Menorah! This is when the fruit of the spirit will yield its spiritual crop to the body.

Lev 19:26 ‘Do not eat meat with the blood. Do not practice divination or magic. – Again we are told that as believers we must not eat meat with the blood in it, every time Christian have communion they are eating meat with blood in it. We may not eat animal flesh if there is some life in it.

We as believer must not indulge in sorcery. Do not base our decisions on superstitions, such as the belief that black cats crossing our path or that walking under a ladder will cause bad luck. 

Lev 19:27 ‘Do not round the corner of your head, nor destroy the corner of your beard. -  Rounding off refers to the removal of all hair from the sideburns area. It is also forbidden to shave the entire beard. This means the use of a razor, any instrument that both save also destroy.

Lev 19:28 ‘And do not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor put tattoo marks on you. I am יהוה. -  It is an ancient custom for people to cut their flesh in mourning for the dead. In Deuteronomy 14:1, the Torah states that this is forbidden because, you are children of יהוה implying that it is disgraceful to יהוה  for his children to inflict wounds on their bodies as signs of mourning.

 

Lev 19:29 ‘Do not profane your daughter by making her a whore, so that the land does not whore, and the land becomes filled with wickedness. – The redeem community must make sure that their daughters do not, jump from man to man, date this one this week and the next guy next week, until she decide which one to settle down with. If a land keep changing government on a regular bases is a sign that the land is in whoredom. It is also a sign that the land is full of wickedness.

Lev 19:30 ‘Guard My Sabbaths and reverence My set-apart place. I am יהוה. – The Torah speaks very frequently about both the Sabbath and Idolatry, because both are reckoned as equal to all the commandments of the Torah. Idol worship is a clear denial of יהוה . Sabbath desecration, too, is a denial that יהוה creates for six days and rested on the seventh, it is an eternal reminder of יהוה as the Creator.

    

Lev 19:31 ‘Do not turn to mediums, and do not seek after spiritists to be defiled by them. I am יהוה your Elohim. -  These are magical practice that purports to foretell the future. The punishment of the practitioner of these acts is keres; the penalty of those who consult them is lashes.

I am יהוה , be aware whom you are discarding in order to pursue knowledge of the future by turning to the prophets of Ov and Yid’oni.

Lev 19:32 ‘Rise up before the gray-headed. And you shall favor the face of an old man, and shall fear your Elohim. I am יהוה. – This is not necessary talking about an older person in age; it is more or less talking a bout a spiritually mature person. Even though both and spiritually maturity should go hand in hand like Abraham, Jacob, and Moses illustrate. Today, not because a person is older it does not mean that they have reach spiritual maturity. From a physical sense their long life have expose them to more of life, which also produce certain life experience, that help to create life wisdom.

From a spiritual sense, when one experience the seven days of creation, and have come into the fullness of their spiritual life, like Yahushua (Jesus Christ) they will be wise even though they might be still young in age.

In a physical sense we must rise when an spiritual elderly person enter our surrounding as an act of honor to them.

Lev 19:33 ‘And when a stranger sojourns with you in your land, do not oppress him. – A proselyte is a stranger. It is forbidden to taunt a proselyte by reminding him of his non-Hebrew status and to even suggest that this would make him unfit to studying Torah. By welcoming him with open arms and with love, we might be showing him a dimension of יהוה love that might draw him to study Torah. Who more than a Hebrew should know the hurt felt by an unwanted stranger, while in Egypt. 

     

Lev 19:34 ‘Let the stranger who dwells among you be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself. For you were strangers in the land of Mitsrayim. I am יהוה your Elohim. – Aside from the commandment to love all Hebrew, proselytes included, there is a special commandment to love proselytes. יהוה Himself, has a special love for proselytes, it is not His will that any should perish.  

Verse 35 – 36 illustrates the command or principles pertaining to Weights and measures. The Torah illustrates the great importance of proper weights and measures with a powerful comparison. The passage begins by exhorting against a perversion of justice, a commandment that is generally directed towards judges, as well as the businessman in his shop or the farmer in is field.

Lev 19:35 ‘Do no unrighteousness in right ruling, in measurement of length, in weight, or in measuring liquids. - Therefore the Torah likens a person doing business to a judge, and someone who falsifies weight and measures is like a judge who perverts judgments. We must not change any of the right ruling that the Torah priscribe.

Lev 19:36 ‘Have right scales, right weights, a right ĕphah, and a right hin. I am יהוה your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim. – Our Creator took us out of Egypt on the condition that we would learn to obey His Commandments, this include honesty in business and in life.

If we think that we can be dishonest and go undetected, we need to think back to Egypt, where יהוה killed the Egyptians and bring out the Children of Yisrael. 

Lev 19:37 ‘And you shall guard all My laws and all My right-rulings, and do them. I am יהוה.’  – As part of the Nation of Yisrael, where יהוה   is King, we are the citizen of that Kingdom even though we are living on planet. We are children of two kingdoms, the kingdom of Heavens, and the Kingdom of Satan.

We become good Citizen of whichever laws we choose to follow. We are admonish by Torah and in particular this verse, to guard the Laws for they are right ruling, for יהוה is the King of that Kingdom.