Parsha Tzav: Day #7 (Leviticus 8:30-36) (Study Notes)
Leviticus 8:30-36
Parsha Tzav: Day #7
STUDY NOTES
(Leviticus 8:30)
Moshe anoints Aaron and his sons again.
In our last daily study, we learned that Moshe already anointed the head of Aaron and his sons with the anointing oil. Moshe also anointed the right ear, the right thumb, and the right big toe of Aaron and his sons with blood from the ram of ordination.
Here, Moshe takes some of the anointing oil and mixes the oil
with some of the blood of the ram of ordination that was on the altar. Moshe takes this mixture, and he sprinkles it on Aaron and his priestly garments and on Aaron’s sons and their priestly garments.
This anointing practice sounds much like the practice for when a priest sins and a sin offering is made on his behalf (see Leviticus 4:6). The difference between the practice described here and the practices of the sin offering is that the priests are not here atoning for sins. The differentiation is made with the addition of the oil into the blood.
This mixture of blood and oil then works
to cleanse (the blood)
and to anoint (the oil).
In the sin-offering practice, we have learned that the priest dips his finger in the blood and sprinkles the blood of the offering seven times in front of the curtain that separates the Holy of Holies. Then some of the blood is placed on the four horns of the aromatic altar.
We learned that Aaron and his sons were anointed with blood from the ram of ordination in a manner that much resembles the placement of blood on the four horns of the altar:
Like the Altar, Moshe performed 3 placements of the blood and oil on Aaron and his sons. Specifically, the mixture was placed on:
the right ear, right thumb, and
right big toe;
1 placement of oil on the top of the head.
Here we learn that the garments of the priest are sprinkled with blood much like the curtain in the sanctuary is sprinkled with blood. Just as the curtain covers the Holy of Holies, so the priestly garments cover the Holiest of Hashem’s holy people.
Further, we learned last study that the priests are like G-d to the people. Thus, here, their vestments are sprinkled with blood—the blood works to cleanse, and the oil mixed in works to anoint the garments.
(Leviticus 8:31-35)
This section continues the instructions on what was to be done with the remainder of the Ram of Ordination.
We learned previously that the fat was removed, along with the right thigh and the breast.
(Leviticus 8:31)
Moshe commands Aaron and his sons to take the remainder of the flesh and boil it at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. After boiling the animal flesh, Aaron and his sons were to eat the flesh at the entrance of the tent of meeting along with the remainder of the bread in the basket of ordination.
We learned previously that the flesh of the offerings was holy, and anything that it touched became holy. So, if the flesh was boiled in an earthenware vessel, the vessel would be broken after the boiling. If the vessel used for boiling was copper, it could be scoured. In Leviticus 8:1-2 and 8:26, we learned about the bread in the basket of ordination.
(Leviticus 8:32)
Moshe commands Aaron and his sons that none of the flesh nor bread of ordination should remain until morning—they were to eat all they could and burn in fire anything that remained.
RE: Leviticus 7:15—this command to burn the remainder is like the well-being offering of Thanksgiving and is unlike the free-will or votive offering (which could be eaten up to two days after being sacrificed).
This command to not leave any of the flesh of the ram of ordination until morning hearkens the Pesach offering. The Pesach is to be eaten on the same night it is slaughtered. Anything remaining needs to be burned completely in fire.
These similarities confirm that the Pesach is more akin to a well-being or thanksgiving offering than a sin offering. Too we can say the Pesach is akin to an ordination offering, yet not of priests, but of Israel to arise as a nation.
(Leviticus 8:33)
Moshe then commands Aaron and his sons not to go outside of the entrance of the Tent of Meeting for seven days, which is the time necessary to complete the ordination process. During this seven-day period, everything in Leviticus chapter 8 was to be repeated daily.
It is interesting to note that the ordination process takes seven days, just as creation took seven days (6 days of work + 1 day of rest). It is also worth mentioning again the Miracle of Hanukkah as it relates to the seven days needed for ordination and consecration of the Temple and the priests.
We mentioned previously that during Hanukkah, part of the miracle was that the Jews were able to recapture the Temple from the Greeks. The Greeks had desecrated the Temple, and so the Temple needed to be reconsecrated and re-ordained along with everything inside of the Temple. This process of reconsecration would necessitate all the steps here mentioned in our studies of Leviticus chapter 8.
If we consider the amount of oil that is necessary for even a single day of the consecration rituals, we can gain a greater appreciation for the miracle of the single cruse of oil found on Hanukkah. This one flask of oil was only enough for a single day of light in the temple menorah. It is unlikely that (on its own) the flask was enough for even a single day of consecration-duties. Thus, a true miracle of Hashem would be needed to make the oil last 7 days for the rededication of the Temple to take place.
We stated in an earlier study that the miracle of the oil lasting 8 days was much like the miracle of the oil that Elijah’s wife kept pouring until she ran out of vessels, not oil. (2 Kings 4:1-7).
It was if the single vessel of oil was a test: would the re-consecration be allowed by Hashem? Or would He allow the Temple to be destroyed, like the first Temple? Had Hashem accepted the teshuvah of the Jewish people, which was mainly performed by the leading Maccabees? Would Hashem allow His Temple to be restored?
Each day, the oil kept flowing. So, each day it was as if Hashem was approving the reconsecration, and therefore the teshuvah of the Maccabees on behalf of the Jewish people as a whole. The oil flowed for seven days until the consecration and ordination period were complete. Then, Hashem provided an extra day of oil—like Elijah’s wife, there was extra oil to “live off of.”
The oil provided light for the Temple Menorahs—the symbol of Hashem’s wisdom. Life comes when we, His people, shine the light of Hashem into the world by keeping His wisdom (i.e. His Torah). Thus, the 8th day of miraculous light symbolizes that eternally, forgiveness, consecration, dedication, and sanctification remain.
Thus, though the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD and remains unbuilt still to this day, we have the hope of the 8th day of extra light that the Temple menorah is still burning in the heavenly realms, and will one day (prayerfully soon) be brought back down to Jerusalem, as promised in Ezekiel chapters 40-48.
At that time, the 8th flame, which is Hashem’s glory light, will shine upon the world. So bright will the light be that there will be no need for sun nor moon—Hashem alone will be the light of the world (Isaiah 60:1-3; Isaiah 61;19-22).
The radiance of Hashem is also promised to shine through His Jewish people—we will be “lights unto the nations." With righteousness our “light will burst through like the dawn.” (Isaiah 58:8). In that day, the light of Hashem will light up all darkness eternally. May today be the day of His arrival!
(Leviticus 8:35)
The command to remain in the entrance of the Tent of Meeting for seven days is reiterated with the added detail of remain “day and night” to “keep the LORD’s charge” so that Aaron and his sons would not die.
Death comes only when the mitzvot of Hashem are not kept—That is, when the vows and will of Hashem are not kept. Thus, the seven days of ordination was a test of Aaron’s and his son’s faithfulness to Hashem and His Torah. So long as Aaron and his sons did all that Hashem through Moshe had commanded them to do, then, when the seven days were complete, expiation would be granted for Aaron and his sons.
In our next Parsha study, we will learn about the entrance of the LORD's presence into the Israelite camp and Holy of Holies, as well as the stark consequences that arise when His laws are not kept, especially by the Holy Priests.
Am Yisrael Chai!
Kimberly Davis