Parsha Tzav (Leviticus 6:1-Leviticus 8:36)

Leviticus 6:1-11 

​​Parsha Tzav: Day #1​ 

Study Notes 

Just like in the Book of Genesis, Hashem gives two accounts of the same details at the beginning of Parsha Tzav. Like the accounts of Creation in Genesis One, Hashem gave us a larger scale view of the animal sacrifices in our last Parsha study. In this study (Parsha Tzav), Hashem will have us zoom in to discover in greater detail about all of the miraculous wonders He has given us, His beloved Jewish people, in the sacrificial system.

(Leviticus 6:3)

Hashem gives the command that the priests are to dress in linen garments.

We learned about the specific manner in which these garments are to be made in our studies of the Book of Exodus.

The linen breaches discussed here in Leviticus 6:3, which are to be next to the Priests’ body, ensure that the Priests’ nakedness is not exposed when they go up the ramp to collect the ashes from the altar (and when they make the burnt offerings on the altar.)

We read the simple statement that the priest goes to collect the ashes in the morning and places them besides the altar. However, if we consider that the fire on the altar is never to go out, this means that the priest must collect the ashes while a huge fire is on the sacrifice altar.

Considering pictures of the mock tabernacle and sacrifice altar, one understands that there is no side pit in which the ashes collect. Rather, the ashes collect under the grate upon which the fire burns. There is no way for the priest to reach the ashes except to reach under the grate.

 Since the priest must perform this sacred duty while the fire is still burning, we can imagine the scene in Daniel, where the three men are placed in the fire, which the King of Babylon made seven times hotter than normal because the Hebrews refused to bow down to the king nor his false god.

In Daniel, though the fire was heated seven times hotter than normal, the Hebrew men were not hurt at all; their clothes did not even smell like smoke, nor were their garments singed. Instead, the fourth one in the fire (a protective angel of Hashem) protected Hashem’s men from all harm.

From this example in Daniel, we can understand the wonders and miracles of Hashem that He worked (and again will work) every day while the priest performed (and one day again will perform). Daily, Hashem protects the priests who perform the most holy of His work on behalf of His beloved Jewish people.

(Leviticus 6:3)

The Ashes:

As with all of the sacred offerings and sacrifices, there is a stepwise process to even the (seemingly) smallest of tasks: the collecting of the ashes.

The ashes that are to be collected from the burnt offering altar are (as the name states) the remnants of the Holy Burnt Offerings.

The Burnt-Offerings are all good. They do not pertain to sin in any manner.

But on that same altar, the fat of the sin, guilt and trespass offerings are also turned to smoke. Too, the grain offering of the poorest of Hashem’s people are burned along with the burnt offering, which provides the fat that is turned to smoke so that, with profound mercy, Hashem provides expiation for the poorest of the poor (as we learn later in this Parsha).

SO, this means that while the fat of the sin-sacrifices is to be burned after the Burnt offerings (not with them), the separation ends at the place where their ashes collect. 

There is no way to separate the ashes from the “pleasing” offerings and the sin-sacrifices. The mixed ashes are gathered all as one, removed, and placed outside the camp in a clean place.

This teaches us an important lesson about the unity within Hashem’s people—when one suffers, we all suffer. The remnant of ashes sits on all our heads. It is the stain that will turn into Joy only when Hashem returns, moshiach arrives, and the Holy Temple is again rebuilt.

This mixing and removal of the ashes (from the “righteous” along with the “unrighteousness”) hearkens to the exiles—namely the Babylonian Exile. We are told in the Prophets (Nevi’im) about how the righteous were exiled along with the unrighteous. While this may seem unjust, we must consider that sin cannot stand in the presence of Holy Hashem. But He promises never to leave nor forsake His children (when we love Him and keep His commands).

So the only reason (and way) that Hashem could (or would) go with our ancestors into exile was if the righteous were there too—for just as the sins of even one leaves ashes we cannot remove, so too does the righteousness of the righteous allow for the presence of Hashem to remain in our midst, even when we are in exile.

While the Nevi’im are also clear that the righteousness of one man cannot atone for the sins of another, so too the sins of one cannot remove Hashem’s eternal promises to His covenant people. So, though we be cast out of the Holy Land as we sit in the diaspora, we mustn’t lose hope—Hashem will gather us all together again. Except, He will not gather us like the ash of the altar. Rather, like dry bones that will be lifted from the ashes and restored with perfect life, health, and eternal shalom!

The steps for the (not simple) task of collecting the ashes: 

First: The priest braves the fire without being singed alive!

Second: The ashes he collects are placed beside the altar.

In Leviticus 1:14 and Leviticus 5:10, we learn that the side of the altar is the place where the remains of the birds are thrown after they are sacrificed as guilt offerings. The ash heap discussed earlier in Leviticus is here being formed by the priests' daily gathering, here discussed in Leviticus chapter 6.

Third: The priest who gathered the ashes is then to take off the clothing in which he gathered the ashes and then he is to change his garments and put on another set of his priestly garments. This changing is for several reasons. Namely, since the priest was going to go outside of the camp in order to “exile” the ashes, he had to make sure that there was not even the smallest speck of blood, flesh, or other piece of the Holy offerings on his garments. For, if a remnant of the sacrifice remained on his clothes and that part of his clothing touched something else, that something else would become holy. 

While that sounds AMAZING (who doesn’t want to be utterly holy), being made holy has the added weight of being 100% in the service of Hashem at all times—in essence, the mundane person is exalted to priest, who then stands as a substitute on behalf of the rest of the Jewish people. Added exalted status comes with a greater responsibility and make the exalted one unfit for normal daily activity. One may choose such a separated and exalted life by taking the Nazarite vow. However, this is a choice an individual must make. It is never to be forced upon a Jewish man or woman.

So, to lessen the chance that this might occur to some random bystanders, Hashem mandates that His priests change their clothing into a clean garment.

Fourth: The priest carries the collected ashes outside the community to a clean place. Just like the location beside the altar, where the ashes were first placed, the place of exile outside the camp is also a place of sacrifice.

We learned in Leviticus 4:12 and Leviticus 4:21 that the “clean place outside the camp” where the ashes are exiled is the same place were the carcasses (with fat suet, and blood removed) of the sin offerings of the priests and the community as a whole are burned and turned into smoke.

(Leviticus 6:5) We read again that the fire on the altar must never go out. 

In the last Parsha we learned that before any offering was placed on the altar, the fire was placed first—after the initial placement of fire; no other fire was added. 

Considering again Genesis 15 and the pillar of fire and the smoking pot presence that appeared to Abram, and the burning bush that came to Moshe, we can understand that the initial fire on the first Holy altar (built in the wilderness after the exodus) was likely started by Hashem and His presence. This ever-burning fire also hearkens Genesis—at the beginning of everything; Hashem placed a holy spark in everything. This inner spark of Hashem in the Jewish people will never be extinguished.

Though scripture tells us that His stars may dim for a time when the end is drawing near, or when we are persecuted, hunted down, and marked for dead by antisemites, the Jews will never be extinguished. Though smoldering, we will not be snuffed out. We must and will always survive.

Too, though the fire on the altar is now out in the physical sense, spiritually, the fire remains ablaze. This, we can understand by remembering the miracles of Hanukkah. The Festival of Lights. In the days of the Maccabees, the lights were out—save enough oil for one lamp.

This single vessel of oil was enough to last one day. But miraculously, Hashem made the oil last for 8 days. 

This miracle of 8 days holds a profound meaning. Leviticus 8:35 tells us that ordination and consecration of the temple and the priests takes 7 days so that the Jewish people and priests don’t die. Part of the miracle of Hanukkah was that the Jews reconquered the temple from the Greeks, who had defiled the temple and altar. As such, both were in need of reconsecration—for 7 days. 

This means that the priest would not be able to leave the temple for 7 days while he and the temple were reconsecrated. Meaning, he could not make more oil—the one flask would HAVE to be enough if rededication was to occur. And that is the miracle Hashem provided. 

Like Elijah’s wife in 2 Kings 4:1-7. A widow, she was gravely in debt, the creditors were hounding her, and she had nothing left to give. She and her son were about to die. Then Elisha showed up. He told her to collect empty jars from her neighbors, go inside, shut the door and keep pouring the small flask of oil. The oil kept flowing until she ran out of jars (not oil). Elisha then said to sell the oil, which proved enough to pay her debt with extra to “live” off of. The extra oil, is like the excess oil of the soaked meal offerings that we will learn about in this Parsha—it is the excess oil that provides the fat for the poor people’s sin offerings (of meal ) to be accepted.

Without fat turning to smoke, there is no expiation. Thus, the excess oil leads to the forgiveness of sin FOR ALL—again, the unity in Hashem’s people.

Extra oil also led to the reconsecration of the temple at Hanukkah—7 days worth was all that was needed. Yet Hashem provided 8 days. The extra day (8) signifies heavenly completion. Just as Hashem lit the flame on the first altar, His flame never goes out.

Thus, the light of His people never goes out. One day. He will return and marry us like Negev land— without bride price. In that day there will be no need for sun or moon, Hashem will be our eternal light. The flame will return to the altar and CHAI will rein as all evil and darkness falls (see Isaiah 60:1-3; Isaiah 61:19-22).

(Leviticus 6:6)

The fire was to be kept burning by the additional burnt offering that the priests were (are) to add every morning). We learn the important detail that the new (daily) burnt offerings are not to be added at night.

 Since sin offerings cannot be added at the same time as burnt offerings, this means the daily sin offerings are to be burnt at minchah time—think of the fires that came down from heaven for Elijah when he was fighting the false prophets of Baal.

This fire was not random. Read the scriptures carefully and you find that. Indeed the mincha fire offering was burned up in spite of the alter being doused excessively with water—like a Mikva for the altar, the fat of the sin offerings was still consumed. 

 (Leviticus 6:7-11) The Ritual of The Meal Burnt Offerings 

This section gives added details for Leviticus 2. Here we learn the priests are to present the meal offering before Hashem in front of the altar. Then the priest is to take the Token Portion: the handful of grain, with oil, PLUS ALL of the frankincense that is brought with the burnt meal offering. This mixture is turned into smoke as a pleasing aroma to Hashem. From the remainder, the Holy portion is taken.

The Holy Portion: Eaten by the priests

It should be eaten as unleavened cakes. The Hebrew says “matzot”, which means multiple matzah. This recipe tells us that matzah should actually be made with flour and oil and salt—it is, however convention, that matzah for Pesach contain no oil or salt—as if we are eating an offering that a poor person brings for their sins.

Yet, The Pesach and feast of unleavened bread had absolutely nothing to do with sin for the Hebrews—Pesach led to life and freedom, not sin nor death. This verse in Leviticus tells us that matzah should be like that of the thanksgiving offering: baked in a griddle—part crispy, part cake—oil added, salt added (because no grain offering should come without salt).

(Leviticus 6:10)

This verse reiterates that the meal offering should never be baked with any leaven. 

This daily eating of matzah by the priests seems to be a daily reminder of our ancestors’ freedom from Egypt. It is like a daily thanksgiving offering that goes beyond the daily remembrance of our freedom from Egypt in our prayers. 

Why no leaven?

The daily matzah is Most Holy. This fact again tells us matzah has nothing to do with sin. So, matzah should always contain oil, lest our lamp go out.

To state the obvious, leaven causes dough to rise. No leaven signifies and calls to mind how our ancestors could not rise as a nation nor people while in the torturous bondage in Egypt. Too when we left Egypt, Hashem performed the Exodus so quickly that our dough had no chance to rise.

The Jewish people and nation only arose once we were out of Egypt and in the wilderness—there, like Negev land, Hashem married His bride with the Katubah—the Torah given on mount Sinai.

At the giving of the Torah, the Levites were given as the “substitute” for the first-born. SO: the priests are given a daily portion of the grain offering (which is the substitute for the first fruit of Hashem’s harvest —the Jews(Jeremiah 2:3))

(Leviticus 6:10)

The holy portion is “Most Holy”, like the sin offering and guilt offering”—but remember what part of the sin offering and guilt offerings are offered on the fire: the fat only. So, the thing that makes the meal and the sin offerings Most Holy is the oil/fat.

Also, the only sin offering that is offered with the Meal Burnt offering is the sin offering of the poorest of the poor. These only were “burned with the LORD’s offering by fire.” 

(Leviticus 6:12)

This sin offering alone gets mixed with the Meal Burnt offerings—which includes oil and frankincense—so, the meal of the sin offering becomes inseparable from the good and holy well-being offerings of thanksgiving. The oil of thanksgiving offering covers the dry sin offering meal with enough fat to burn as a pleasing aroma to Hashem, allowing for the full expiation and forgiveness of sins even for the poorest of the poor of His people.

So, the offering becomes like Elijah’s wife—unable to pay the full price of a fat sin offering, the poor bring an empty vessel—dry grain. The oil that’s poured is the oil of the good and pleasing thanksgiving offerings brought by others. The oil flows and is sufficient for forgiveness with excess left over for the Holy Portion. It is by the excess oil of the Priest's holy portion by which we all LIVE (Am Yisrael Chai!)—without blood, without fat. Just an abundance of oil and dry grain.

(Leviticus 6:11)

We read only males among the sons of Aaron’s descendants can eat of the Most Holy Portion.

This tells us that only males can be priests. Also, the most holy portion is the “due” for “all time” from “the LORD’s offering by fire”. 

For all time means from before creation on into infinity—as we learned previously, wisdom (ie Torah) was created as Hashem’s first work. So, in Torah at least these offerings existed in the heavenlies prior to creation and giving of Torah—so too, the offerings must still exist in the heavenlies. 

This is arguably why we include our offerings by our lips twice daily in our prayers, while the temple lays destroyed. We ask Hashem to accept the prayers of our lips as if we offered an animal or grain offering. When Hashem returns and the temple is rebuilt, the sacrifices will resume. 

I’ve heard many say the offerings will continue because there will still be sin. But, sin goes against the promises that will occur when the real moshiach arrives—no more sin, no more war, no more suffering, no more death.

Arguably the offerings will continue because not all offerings are for sin. Many offerings are thanksgiving offerings and burnt offerings. These offerings are only offered in the morning, as we learned earlier today’s lesson. Would that be enough to keep the fires ablaze?

If we consider the promises that the entire world will worship and praise Hashem in the end, we can understand that the amount of Thanksgiving offerings will be more abundant than our sin offerings ever were. So, the amount of oil, grain, and fat of thanksgiving offerings will be enough to keep the fire of Hashem burning on His altar for all eternity without ever needing a sin offering in the evening.

Another possibility is that every prayer of offering that a Jew has said twice daily for generations may be turned into an actual offering in the end. This would be in keeping with Hashem’s own Torah command to never add or take away from His required laws and sacrifices. Making the prayers of our lips into actual sacrifices would also prove that while we are in the Diaspora, He hears our cries, prayers, and pleas for mercy, compassion, forgiveness, and love.

These sin offerings would therefore be for past sins, not for sins committed in the days of moshiach—the Jewish people will not burn and die, we will shine and thrive! Am Yisrael Chai!

(Leviticus 6:11)

This verse tells us that whoever touches the most holy portion will become holy.

Here, we can recall the burnt offering that is mixed in with the grain of sinners. These two different types of grain cannot be differentianted one from the other. They become one in Hashem's offering system so that the poorest of the poor can be forgivven just like the richest of the rich.

This is like the forgiveness of the stranger (or ger) who performs teshuvah and unites themselves to Hashem through faith. These strangers are seen as “a native born Israelite” in Hashem’s eyes (Ezekiel 47:20-23). These ger become part of the whole of the holy people. They become well mixed with the holy first-fruit Jews)—they become indistinguishable from Hashem’s native/natural born Jewish Israelites.

Just as the natural born Jew was made holy through the gift of Torah, so too all people on earth can find redemption through the light that shines through our flames—lit like oil lamps from the inside out, we may go dim, but we will never go out. Suddenly Hashem arises to ignite the flame and we once more will burn bright for the world to see.

Am Yisrael Chai!

Kimberly Davis