Day 2: Study Notes (Leviticus 1:14-2:6)
(Leviticus 2:1)
Again, the chapter begins with "WHEN", NOT "IF" as it is written in Leviticus 2:1,
"When a person presents an offering of meal to the LORD".
The word WHEN is not a command. As we have learned previously, this seems to indicate that laws regarding Burnt Grain offerings was already being performed by the Jewish people prior to the formal giving of the Torah.
(Leviticus 2:1-3)
We learn that the Meal Offering is to be:
Of Choice flour
Oil is to be poured on top of the meal
Frankincense is to be placed on top of the meal offering.
These commands are not insignificant. Each command has a purpose. (See Talmud: Menachot 59 for our sages' discussions on frankincense and oil).
a. Choice flour: Hashem has chosen the Jewish people as the choice firstfruits of His harvest (Jeremiah 2:3).
b. Oil on TOP: Like the Jewish people are anointed as Hashem's choice people, so their meal offering is anointed with oil.
c. Frankincense on TOP: we will learn later that other grain offerings (such as sin grain offerings) are not to contain frankincense. When burned, the frankincense adds an additional "pleasing aroma." Thus, the frankincense on the Burnt Meal Offering the brunt meal offering especially pleasing to Hashem.
(Leviticus 2:2)
We learn that the priest is to scoop out a portion (handful) from the above prepared mixture to present as the Token Portion to Hashem.
This Token portion is only valid if it contains all three elements: the choice flour, oil, and frankincense.
This Token portion is then turned into smoke on the altar. Given the significance of the three elements, the burning of this Token Portion is a pleasing "ram in the bush" substitute for Hashem's chosen, Jewish people. This "pleasing offering" is not made for sin, but as a token of (daily) thanksgiving.
(Leviticus 2:4)
(See Talmud: Menachot 59a:2) The Meal Offering that is Baked in the Oven is not to contain any leaven, and the oil is to be mixed into the meal, not placed on top of the meal offering. The instruction of "no leaven" hearkens to Pesach and the feast of unleavened bread, wherein the lack of leaven indicates freedom, and thanksgiving of all the wonderful and miraculous deeds of Hashem.
The oil mixed in to baked offerings hearkens to when Hashem puts His people into the fires of trials (that are not due to sin but are for testing). His people are anointed to endure the fires by way of the neshumah/ruach of Hashem that is inside of them. The oil is not burned up (as it might be if placed on top). Rather the oil is secured. The choice meal offering may cook, but like gold in the furnace, the choice material is burnished and refined, not consumed.
(Leviticus 2:5-6)
We learn that the Burnt Meal Offering that is prepared in a griddle has specific commands that combines the commands of the plain Meal Offering and the Baked Meal Offering. This makes sense because the meal offering would become part cake, part wafer.
We learn the Meal Offering that is prepared in a Griddle:
a. Is of Choice Flour
b. Is unleavened
c. Has oil mixed in
d. Has oil placed on to it, after the griddlecake is broken into pieces.
In our next daily portion we will continue to learn more about the various types of meal offerings that are brought along with the burnt meat offerings and offerings of well-being.
Am Yisrael Chai!
Kimberly Davis