Torah 101-Shemini Parsha

I.

ANSWERS TO STUDY QUESTIONS (from Tzav)

1) Question for Leviticus 6:

Why are there different regulations for copper pots?
UCHLI-CHERES ASHER TESHUBAL-BO YISHAVERVEIM-BICHLI
NECHOSHET BUSHALAH UMORAK VESHUTAL BAMAYIM (6:21) = any
clay pot in which it is cooked must be broken. However, if it is cooked in a
copper pot, [the pot] may be purged and rinsed with water. The pot must be
broken because it will absorb the foul taste/essence of the food. Copper will not.
2) Question for Leviticus7:
What is the significance of the total number of the loaves and types of bread
mentioned?
IM AL-TODAH YAKRIVENU VE-HIKRIV AL-ZEVACH HA-TODAH
CHALOT MATSOT BLULOT BA-SHEMEN UREKIKEY MATSOT
MESHUCHIM BA-SHEMEN VESOLET MURBECHET CHALOT BLULOT
BA-SHEMEN (7:12) = If it is offered as a thanksgiving offering, then it must be
presented along with unleavened loaves mixed with oil, flat matzahs saturated
with oil, and loaves made of boiled flour mixed with oil. Ten loaves each of four
types of bread equals a total of 40 loaves. Perhaps this is remembering Moshe on
the Mount for 40 days or the Flood? Or perhaps a foreshadowing of Yshua ha
Mashiyach fasting in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights so he could tell the
enemy Man does NOT LIVE by bread alone!
3) Question for Leviticus 8:
Last week we talked about ordination in the sense of one Hebrew word
pointing to the laying on of hands, Now there is another Hebrew word for
ordination that points to something else. What is it?
The word MILLU appears throughout Leviticus 8 and means installation.
In this capacity the word points to both the 12 stones in turn are engraved with
each of the names of the tribes of Israel that the priest is supposed to remember
when he makes atonement for the nation.

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4) Haftorah Question of the Week: Jeremiah 7:21-8:3

What does the prophet Yiremeyahu (Jeremiah) have in common with a major
debate recorded in the book of Acts?
Jeremiah, though not in this portion that we read today, came to the same
conclusion about circumcision that the elders did in Acts 15
24

'Look, the days are coming, Yahweh declares, when I shall punish all who are
circumcised only in the flesh: 25 Egypt, Judah, Edom, the Ammonites, Moab, and
all the men with shaven temples who live in the desert. For all those nations, and
the whole House of Israel too, are uncircumcised at heart.' (Jeremiah 9:24-25
NJB)
In other words, circumcising just because thats in your culture is not good
enough. Egypt and Moab do that, but are still wicked pagans. It is only when we
do circumcision after Torah study and understanding it as a command from Abba
YHWH that it is acceptable. That is why the Apostle Paul argued for and won
with the idea of the Gentiles not being counted as saved only upon
circumcision, but to study first and then do it when convicted by the Ruach.

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II.

QUESTIONS FOR THIS TORAH PORTION (Shemini)

Please NOTE:
For clarity and time constraints, if I elect to not read the whole parsha (which
is the case this week) I may still ask questions relating to the portions I did not
read!

5) Question for Leviticus 9:

Some rabbis think that Aarons sons died on Yom Kippur. Is this idea supported
by the details in the Torah here?
6) Question for Leviticus 10:
Of Aarons two surviving sons, one of them shares a name with a person who had
a major miracle of Yshua done to himalthough you wouldnt know it by the
way the Greek NT changes the name. Who is this man and what is the changed
name in the NT?
7) Question for Leviticus 11:
What are three modern reasons for avoiding eating pork?
8) Haftorah Question of the Week: 2 Samuel 6:1-7:17
What clue in this portion tells us when the Ark of the Covenant left Israel?
9) Renewed Covenant Commentary: Mark 7:1-23
7:5- MESHELMANOTA DQASHISHEH (traditions of the elders) = Yshua is
asked why his disciples dont walk (halakh) according tonot the Torahbut the
TRADITIONS of the elders or Oral Law. Whats interesting about the Aramaic
though is it is NOT a cognate of what we might expect in HebrewMEZORA
(traditions). Instead, the word MESHELMANOTA (literally completions) is
derived from the root that means to fill up, perfect, complete, so what this is
actually saying is that the traditions complete the Torah, as if to suggest Torah by
itself was incomplete. In Hebrew, these things become a technical term, TAKANOT
(literally, repairs) meant to FIX the Word.
7:5-The term QASHISHA or elders is a nice term for rabbis used because they
know Yshua will chide them for being great ones (Matthew 23:8).
7:7-YULPANEH DPOQDANEH DBANAY ANASHA (teachings of the
commandments of the son of men) = Very strong language indicating the traditions
Yshua is talking about in this instance have NO BASIS in Scripture even though
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other practices of the Pharisees clearly do (Matthew 23:1). This is the opposite
actually of what Rav Shaul says about his own assembly. Whereas here Yshua says
they ABANDONED Torah to REPLACE it with un-scriptural traditions, in Romans
3:31 Rav Shaul says, Do we nullify the Torah by faith? Never! We ESTABLISH the
Torah! The same word for ESTABLISH in Romans 3:31 is used here to
ESTABLISH traditions instead of Torah. Thats tough love folks!
Also should point out that the root of establish is QM, from which we get
QUM/QUMI (arise) and QYAM (resurrection)! In fact resurrection day in Aramaic
is called QYAMTEH DMARAN (resurrection of our Master) by the Church of the
East.
7:8-9- Yshua still turns the discussion back from elders to rabbis with the
contrasting of the SINGULAR Commandment of Elohim (POQDANA DALAHA)
being left behind for the PLURAL commandments of men again with the Aramaic
term for TAKANOT (MESHELMANOTA).
7:9, 16- HEAR ME/HE WHO HAS EARS LET HIM HEAR = again SHEMA means
also to do, perform so Yshua is issuing a COMMAND not a plea to the Pharisees.
7:21- LEBA DBANAY ANASHA = heart of the sons of men. Yshua did not have
to use this precise phrase but did so to make a very cutting insult. LEBA DBANAY,
heart of the sons, can also remind them of the converse, SONS OF THE HEART, or
in Hebrew LEVI (my heart, so sons of the heart, LEVITES), so this is a clear shot
against the power of the priests and Levites and look what he says comes out of those
hearts!
Mark 7:19
29) This chapter showcases one of the greatest discussions of oral versus written
Jewish law that exists in these writings of the Renewed Covenant. In many ways this
presages the heated exchanges that would be recorded in the Talmud some 200 years
later. However, a major misunderstanding of this verse found its way into the modern
translations with the parenthetical comment "in so doing Y'shua declared all foods
clean." It does not occur in any Aramaic mss or in early Greek manuscripts,
apparently an attempt was made by Gentile or Christian editors to abandon Torah's
dietary laws. The point being established is that if you plot things like murder, lies,
adulteries and so forth, then why be concerned about the food you eat, when
weightier things are making you much more unclean than your food? Even if a
person kept a perfectly kosher diet, but had such unclean thoughts, such a one would
rank among the most unkosher of people. See Luk_11:40.
Mark 7:21
30) The most imperative difference between religious duty and True Faith has to do
with always steering the intentions of our hearts towards righteous Set Apart conduct.
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The Hebrew word for intention is kavanah. Yshua teaches us that the kavanah of
our heart is the nature of our soul, whether it is carnal or transformed (redeemed)
according to righteousness. From inside the heart our kavanah (intentions)
manifest as thoughts that turn into words, and then to actions. We have an inner
voice telling us what to think about ourselves, others, life, our Creator, the Word and
everything else. The empowerment to overcome bad habits, inconsistencies,
weaknesses, failings, insecurities, religiosity, sin, procrastination etc., is what Yshua
offers to all who will bear my yoke upon you (Mat_11:29). Through his many
teachings, examples and parables on kavanah, Yshua concretely established the
imperative of kavanah (intentions of the heart) as the foundation of true Jewish
spirituality. Regrettably, modern religions have replaced this vital necessity of
kavanah with things like theology, doctrine, statements of faith, meditation, works,
tradition, and religious identity, yet there are no substitutes for righteous kavanah and
obedience to the Word of YHWH. For the mouth speaks from the fullness of the
heart (Mat_12:34).

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