Torah Portion 24 – Vayikra “and he called” 26-27
Leviticus 1:1 – 6:7
Before we begin – Vayikra means: “and he called” – Verses
- Teaches clean and unclean, profane and holiness: – Verses
- We aren’t sacrificing – but there are spiritual aspects to glean
- First Exodus was about sacrifices to YHWH – Verses
- Messiah’s offering is what makes us perfect (whole) – verses
- Sacrifices and offerings will resume in N.Jeru – Verses
- Isaiah 19
- Becoming increasingly important as many are cutting out scriptures to fit a vegan narrative – Jeremiah 8:8 isn’t intended to cast doubt on all the scriptures
- Recent discussion w/ Jesse – link
Olah (burnt offering) — An offering brought before YHWH and burned on the altar; it is accepted to make atonement for the offerer (Lev 1:3–9). Spiritual parallel: Paul calls believers to present their bodies as a holy, living sacrifice (Rom 12:1). He does not specifically name the olah. Messiah willingly offered his whole life/body for us.
Mincha (grain offering) — Grain presented to YHWH; a memorial portion is burned, and the remainder ordinarily belongs to the priests (Lev 2:1–3). Spiritual parallel: Paul uses the temple servants’ share of offerings to explain why gospel workers may receive support (1 Cor 9:13–14). Messiah proclaimed he is the bread of life and broke it and dispersed for us.
Shelamim (peace offering) — Offered for thanksgiving, a vow, or freely. YHWH receives the altar portion, priests receive portions, and clean people eat the meat (Lev 3; 7:11–21, 28–34). Spiritual parallel: Paul says eating a sacrifice means participating in the altar, then uses that principle to explain fellowship at the Masters table (1 Cor 10:16–18).
Chatat (sin offering) — Makes atonement in specified cases of sin and ritual uncleanness (Lev 4–5; 12:6–8). Explicit NT connection: Hebrews compares sin-offering animals burned outside the camp with Yahusha suffering outside the gate to sanctify the people with his blood (Heb 13:11–12)
Asham (guilt/trespass offering) — Makes atonement in specified cases of guilt and is also used in a cleansing rite. Where Leviticus requires restitution, the loss is restored with one fifth added (Lev 5:14–6:7; 14:12–18). Scriptural connection: Isaiah 53:10 uses the Hebrew word asham for the Servant’s “offering for sin”; Peter draws on Isaiah 53 when saying Yahusha bore our sins (1 Pet 2:22–24). Zacchaeus also shows repentance expressed through restitution, though he promises fourfold, not Leviticus’s one fifth (Luke 19:8).
1)
All the sacrifices point to Yahusha and what he did for us
Olah is voluntary
1:2 – Clean animals, clean people (offering) in his sight – Verses
1:4 – The animal is in our place – Jasher 23:74-75
1:9 – Washing inwards first before offering (symbolic) Matt 23 (inner cleansing)
1:10 – Yahusha is the unblemished one (we walk like he walks) – Verses
Olah is a whole burnt offering – We have to fully give ourselves to him – Verses
- We give everything we have – Verses
2)
Meat = Mincha – grain offering – voluntary offering of gratitude to YHWH (shared with priests)
2:1 – Expensive ingredients (for that time) Remember Elisha story?
2:5 – Yahusha is the unleavened bread from heaven
2:11 – No leaven (bad doctrine) Without leaven – Verses
2:12 – 144,000 are the firstfruits (not burnt) – Verses
2:13 – Salt – Verses – covenant of salt article
- Food w/o salt!?
Salt: Flavors, preserves
destroying (proclaiming judgement) – Verses
Fertilizing – remember, the world is a field and we are here to help the harvest
Yahusha fulfilled the Olah and mincha: – Psalm 40:6 interlinear
Obviously he was anointed with oil! – Verses
- This offering in general has many specifics. Let’s always remember to obey specifically when he specifies!
3)
Shelamim – peace/ thanksgiving offering – a way to thank and draw near to him
3:10 – Kidneys
- Hidden organs (they are the last you get to in the body)
- Likened to the ‘inner man’ depths of the will/being
- Verses
3:14 – The Fat
- It is the richest part of an animal.
- This should be a reminder to give Yahuah our best – Verses
- This should be a reminder to give Yahuah our best – Verses
- How can we give the fat to Yahuah these days?
- Fasting puts the fat on the altar J
3:17 – Don’t eat all the riches and don’t consume one’s life (symbology)
- It is excess, given to Yahuah – Natsarim 6:21-23 (62)
Unlike the whole burnt offering, the peace offering included a meal; those who were clean could eat, and the priests received a portion (Leviticus 7:19, 28–34). Peace should be lived out with others
4)
Chatat
Higher price (value) paid for a leader sinning than the people
- Greater responsibility, greater accountability
- James 3:1
- Moses an example
- Natsarim 13:8-12 (120 pdf)
4:6 – sprinkling blood for our sins – Verses
4:9 – Liver
- Take unintended sin seriously (vv. 2, 13, 22, 27). We can break a commandment without realizing it and still need to address it.
- Act when the sin becomes known (vv. 14, 23, 28). Don’t excuse it because you did not mean to do it. Acknowledge it, turn from it, and seek YHWH’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9).
- Hold leaders accountable, too (vv. 3–12, 22–26). Both the priest and the ruler needed an offering for their own sin. Spiritual responsibility puts no one above correction.
- Address wrongdoing together when it involves the congregation (vv. 13–21). Once the assembly’s sin became known, the assembly had to respond.
- Trust YHWH’s provision for forgiveness (vv. 20, 26, 31, 35). The chapter repeatedly says atonement is made and the sinner “shall be forgiven.” Hebrews points to Yahusha’s one sacrifice for sins and draws a parallel with sin offerings burned outside the camp (Hebrews 10:12; 13:11–12).
Important distinction: Leviticus 4 addresses sins committed through ignorance. It does not say deliberate sins can never be forgiven. David confessed his sin, and YHWH put it away (2 Samuel 12:13).
5)
Asham – Guilt offering – unintentional violation
5:1 – Speak up when you are a witness. When called to testify about something you know, staying silent can itself be wrong. – Lev 19
5:2-3 & 17-19 – Address what you discover. The chapter includes cases where someone crossed a boundary without knowing it. Once it comes to light, don’t brush it aside. Verses 2–3 concern ritual uncleanness; they do not make every unclean condition a character flaw
5:4 – Be careful with your words. A rash oath, whether about doing good or evil, could bring guilt. Let your “yea” be yea and your “nay” be nay (James 5:12)
5:5 – Confess the specific wrong. The person was to confess “that he hath sinned in that thing.” Name the wrong honestly rather than hiding it (Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9)
5:15-16 – Make amends where harm was done. For a trespass involving YHWH’s holy things, the person had to repay the harm and add a fifth. Seeking forgiveness did not remove the duty to put right what could be put right (make amends)
- Important distinction from the current American jail-center paradigm
- Remember that lack of wealth did not shut someone out (vv. 6–13). For the sins described in verses 1–4, the offering could be a lamb or goat, birds, or—if the person could not afford birds—even flour. The chapter says that person could receive forgiveness.
Yahusha – Offered for sin – Verses
5 end – 1 John 2 (if we stumble/mess up) – Verses
6)
Sacrifices – Verses
Psalm 50 (Aramaic)
6:2-3 – Treat dishonesty toward people as a sin against YHWH. The passage names lying about entrusted property, stealing, deceiving a neighbor, keeping lost property, and swearing falsely.
6:5-6 – Make things right with the person you harmed as you seek YHWH’s forgiveness. The repayment went to the owner; the offering went to YHWH. Yahusha likewise taught reconciliation before bringing a gift to the altar (Matthew 5:23–24).
6:7 – Know that even deliberate deceit can be forgiven. These examples include lying and false oaths, yet the passage says the person “shall be forgiven.” Acknowledge the wrong, make amends, and seek forgiveness through Yahusha’s sacrifice (Numbers 5:7; Hebrews 10:12).
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