Tzav

"Give thanks to the Lord for He is Good"

The Shabbat which precedes Passover is called Shabbat haGadol, the Great Shabbat, to commemorate the many miracles that God performed for the people of Israel. According to tradition, the 10th of Aviv in the year of the exodus was a Shabbat. It was considered a miracle that the Israelites could on that day select a lamb for sacrifice without being molested by their Egyptian masters who considered the lamb as a sacred animal. The Biblical Passover is only the night of Aviv 14, which this year falls on Wednesday, April 1st, but since we eat Matza, Unleavened Bread, for seven days after Passover night, the Jewish tradition considered these days as an extension to Passover. In the diaspora, tradition added a second night of Passover.

The Haftara portion of Malachi speaks of the “great and dreadful day of the LORD” on which the Messiah will appear.

This Parashah continues to discuss the offerings mentioned in the previous chapters: elevation-offering, meal-offering, peace-offering, sin-offering, and guilt-offering, however, this Torah portion speaks of these offerings as they relate to Aharon and his sons:

Vaydaber Yehovah el Moshe lemor: Tzav et Aharon ve’et banav... “Yehovah spoke to Moshe, saying: ‘Command Aharon and his sons...” Vayikra (Leviticus) 6:1

and it adds the teachings of a new offering, the inauguration-offering. These offerings were divided into two-parts. One part to be a fire offering of a satisfying aroma to Yehovah, and another part was to be eaten by the Kohanim, the ones performing the offering, that is because the Levites were to work only in the Temple and had no land inheritance to sustain themselves.

Among all these offerings there was a unique one, the peace-offering. The peace-offering could have been either a thanksgiving-offering or a feast-offering. What was interesting about the thanksgiving-offering was that it had be an offering of three elements: unleavened bread, leavened bread, and a blood offering. The instruction for this thanksgiving-offering was that it must be eaten completely on the day of its offering and not leave any of it until morning.

"And this is the Torah of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he shall offer to Yehovah. If he offers it for a thanksgiving [todah], then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mixed with oil, of fine flour, fried. Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving. And from it he shall offer one out of each offering for an offering to Yehovah, and to the kohen who sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings. And the meat of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning." Vayikra (Leviticus) 7:11-15

From this passage the sages taught that giving thanks to God is a daily activity; never let a day pass without giving thanks to Him. The symbolism of the two kinds of loaves is that the worshiper recognizes that he owes everything - his food and his well-being - to God, but that the unleavened bread, the matzah, symbolizes the worshiper's rededication to God, as matzah is a symbol of a life without sin.

The sages also taught that after the coming of Messiah and the perfection of the world – a new heaven and a new earth – there will be no further need for atonement offerings because people will no longer sin, but that there will always be thanksgiving-offerings. People will thank God because they will realize that everything that God does is ultimately good.

But we know that Messiah already came and even though the world is not perfect yet because God gave it more time to repent, we as believers should take courage that everything that happens in our lives is ultimately for our own good because Yeshua did not come to shed His blood and then left us to fend for ourselves.

“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose... If God is for us, who can be against us? He who didn't spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how would He not also with Him grant us all things?” Romans 8:28-32

Therefore, let’s all give thanks to God for sending Messiah to atone for us,

Haleluyah! Hodu laYehovah ki tov, ki leolam hasdo... “Give thanks to Yehovah, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting... Who can speak of the mighty deeds of Yehovah, Or can show forth all His praise?” Tehilim (Psalms) 106:1,2

Shabbat Shalom!