Some Questions to Ponder:
Vayiqra (Leviticus) 15:25 And a woman whose flow of blood flows for many days, outside of
the time of her menstrual separation, or she has a discharge after her
menstrual separation, then all the days she has her unclean discharge, she
shall be unclean just like the days of her menstrual separation.
I was
touched when I examined the connection between these verses on impurity with
the rest of the Torah portion on Yom HaKippurim. My Beloved made the
connections sweet: Giberet Batsheva indicated that they both dealt with the
proceedure for having intimate relations. The first dealt with blood and other
emissions and the second dealt with what it takes to enter the Holy of Holies.
Dr. Elisheva: Hakham Tsfet’s work this week was
remarkable. His overall concept drew me particularly to one set of passages in
the Ashlamatah of Ezekiel. 11 I improved
you by the perfection of the words of the Torah, inscribed on two stone
tablets, and given by the hand of Moses; and I sanctified you by the holiness
of My great name. To me, the phrase “improved you” means he gave us the ability
to learn and demonstrate moral excellence.
Vayikra (Leviticus) 15:25-33 Sexual purity
Vayikra (Leviticus) 15:34-16:34 National purity
MANY DAYS –
How many days is “many days” ?
OUTSIDE OF THE TIME OF HER MINSTRAL SEPARATION
– Are these days a part of her natural
cycle?
OR SHE HAS A DISCHARGE – When is this referring to, during her cycle or after her
natural cycle?
AFTER HER MENSTRUAL SEPARATION – If she has a discharge after the natural flow what condition
does this place her in?
And the Lord said to Moses: Speak to your
brother Aaron, that he should not come [at all times into the Holy] – How is this connected to the death of Aaron’s sons?
so that he should not die - What are the consequences for coming in anytime?
for I appear...in a cloud – How often does HaShem appear in a cloud?
And the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of
Aaron’s two sons - What does this teach us
[when it specifies “after the death of Aaron’s two sons”]?
WITH THIS – בְּזֽאת –– what does this Hebrew phrase
teach us?
WITH THIS SHALL AARON ENTER [THE HOLY] – What does
this teach us about when one can enter the Holy of holies?
And Aaron shall place lots upon the two he-goats
– What was the procedure for this?
Azazel –
What does this word mean?
AND AARON SHALL COME INTO THE TENT OF MEETING –
Is this sentence in the correct order of the
High Priest’s duties on the Day of Atonement?
AND…SHALL COME INTO THE TENT OF MEETING – Why does Aaron come into the Tent of Meeting at this time?
[AARON SHALL…] REMOVE THE LINEN GARMENTS – Why are the linen garments removed at this time?
AND THERE, HE SHALL STORE THEM AWAY – What does the phrase “store them away” imply?
And the Kohen [Gadol] who is anointed – What do we learn from this statement?
or who is invested - What additional information do we learn from this statement?
(those who wear the special clothes are High Priests, not just those who are
anointed).
to serve in his father’s stead – What do we learn from this pasuk?
Both speak of the procedure for intimacy.
Verse 25 brings definition to uncleanliness and verse
34 brings atonement and reconciliation of uncleanliness.
The verbal tally
between the Torah and the Psalm is: Dwell /
Sits - ישב, Strong’s number
03427
Vayikra
(Leviticus) 15:25 And if a woman have an issue of her blood <01818> many days
out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation;
all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her
separation: she shall be unclean.
26 Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of
her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she
sitteth <03427> (8799) upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her
separation.
Tehillim
(Psalm) 80:1 To the chief Musician upon Shoshannimeduth, A Psalm of Asaph. Give ear,
O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest
<03427> between the cherubims, shine forth.
Thematically, They both speak of the prayers of the
righteous and their atonement. All sitting is for the purposes of judgment.
The verbal tally
between the Torah and the Ashlamata is: Blood
- דם, The Strong’s
number is 01818.
Vayikra
(Leviticus) 15:25 And if a woman have an issue of her blood <01818> many days
out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her
separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days
of her separation: she shall be unclean.
26 Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of
her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she
sitteth <03427> (8799) upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her
separation.
Yehezechel
(Ezekiel) 16:9 Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood
<01818> from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.
Thematically, They both speak of special garments, the
Tabernacle, and about atonement.
The Torah portion speaks about a woman’s period which
has the same cycle time as the moon.
The special Ashlamata speaks of the New Moon.
We revisit this passage because we need to reflect on
the intimacy we experienced during Shemini Atzeret and recall that Yom Kipput
made that possible. Further we can understand that the triennial cycle puts the
Torah in chronological order.
His Eminence suggests that we read this because the
atonement of Yom Kippur extends to Chanukah which is a second chance to
celebrate Succoth. Those who are near (Jews) celebrate Succoth. Those who are
far off (Gentiles) celebrate at Chanukah. The chanukiyah is on the front of the
house opposite the menora to invite the Gentiles in. Just as Yonah is read at
Yom Kippur to speak to the Gentiles. There is a time of Atonement on Yom Kippur
with an appeal procees that ends on Hoshana Rabba, during Succoth. Thus
Chanukah, which is a second chance to celebrate Succoth, also contains an
element of atonement that is available for the Gentile.
Torah Seder:
The Yom Kippur service judges us and acquits us of the
past years sins. Hakham Tsefet tells us
that we have been given all things for a life of moral excellence
(study/worship/mitzvot/and Halachot). In essence we are left without excuse and
Hakham Tsefet teaches us the severity of rebellious actions be teaching us that
the life of moral excellence is attainable if we follow the examples and
teachings of the Torah and the Mesorah.
Tehillim:
While G-d is clearly the Shepherd of Yisrael, Messiah
is often pictures as a Shepherd. The
Mesorah of Messiah is a Shepherd that teaches us the value and practical side
of the Torah. Therefore, the Torah and
its Mesorah are a shepherd of sorts to Yisrael.
Yechezel:
Uses symbolic language of G-d to teach us that we are
adorned with costly jewels and attire.
What are those jewels and attire? The Torah and its Mesorah! Again,
Hakham Tsefet’s words resound with the adornments of Torah and Mesorah in that
we have been given all things (the Torah AND is explanation, the Mesorah) for a
life of righteous practice (study/worship/mitzvot/halakhot). However, we must STUDY to learn all of these
principles and how to implement them in our lives.
That the purpose of our lives is to show righteous/generous practice (study/worship/mitzvot/halakhot).
That we should strive for moral excellence in
everything we do.
a. We
have been given everything we need to succeed in our part of Divine destiny.
b. A
seed of Divine nature has been implanted within each of us and it is our duty to
nurture it and bring it to fruition.
c. Through
study/prayer/worship and righteous/generous acts we rise above the world and
evil has no hold on us.
Moral excellence is NOT cultural holiness or the
holiness at taught by the world’s Pagan system. Real moral excellence is following to the
best of one’s abilities the Torah and the Mesorah.
They died because they did not come in to the Holy of
Holies on the tenth day of the seventh month with the proper clothing and with
the proper blood preparation.
Though one may have great zeal to serve G-d,
nevertheless, there are ways to properly do it so as to not endanger oneself by
not fulfilling His will. In the case of Aarons sons we are told that to enter
the Holy of Holies it must only be on the seventh month and the tenth day of
that month (Yom Kippur), also he must be the anointed Cohen Gadol. Also we
learned that the offering of strange fire might have had something to do with
the incense (cloud) which HaShem would dwell in over the Ark of the Covenant.
His Eminence, Hakham Haggai, teaches us that since
Ahraon’s sons died, we know that they sinned. What was their sin? His Eminence
tells us that since the rules for going into the Holy of Holies had not yet
been given, did not know and they should have asked, since they did not ask,
they therefore acted presumptuously!
Seek to live in purity in order to be intimate with
HaShem and our spouse.