The Examination Boils
13: 18-23

The examination of boils DIG: When did the priest declare a person unclean? What was the purpose of teaching the concepts of being ritually clean and ritually unclean? How did God use tsara’at as an example of the holiness for the Israelites? How can believers determine their own spiritual health? When you have been victorious in a battle with a sin-symptom, what led to your victory? What practical warnings against sin would you give others?

REFLECT: How do you distinguish between the kingdom of sin and death, and Kingdom of Life and Righteousness? What guides your decisions? What is your “owner’s manual?” In what sense is Yeshua Messiah your own personal physician (Isaiah 53:5)? Why is it that unless the heart is changed, there can be no solving the sin problem? What happens to the “good news” message of the Gospel when the “bad news” of sin defiling all it touches is left out?

Beginning with the previous Torah portion (to see link click Bc – On the Eighth Day), and continuing with this one, we have been examining the concepts of being ritually clean and ritually unclean in terms of what they can teach us about two kingdoms: the kingdom of sin and death (see Bv – The Test of Tsara’at), and the Kingdom of Life and Righteousness (see Cg – The Test of M’tsora). There were seven cases of tsara’at given in Chapter 13, this is the third.

The third case introduced by the Hebrew word ki, or when, deals with possible complications with boils on the surface of the skin. The affliction of boils was experience by Job (Job 2:7), and also was one of the ten plagues upon Egypt (see the commentary on Exodus Bp – Moses Tossed Soot in the Air and Festering Boils Broke Out). Moshe also warned that if Isra’el refused to serve the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, she would be stricken with the boils of Egypt, with hemorrhoids, with scabs and with itching, from which they could not be healed (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Fh – Defeat and Deportation).²¹⁴

When a person had on his skin a boil that healed in such a way that in place of the boil there was a white swelling or a reddish-white bright spot, it was to be shown to the priest. If, after the boil had healed, he saw that it appeared to be more than skin-deep, and its hair had turned white, then the priest was to pronounce him unclean – the disease of tzara‘at had broken out in the boil. But if the priest looked at it and didn’t see any white hairs in it, and it wasn’t more than skin-deep but appeared faded, the priest was to quarantine him for seven days. If it spread on the skin (see By – The Examination of Spreading Tsara’at), the priest was to declare him unclean; it was the disease.  But if the bright spot stayed where it was and had not spread, it was only the scar of the boil; and the priest was therefore to declare him clean (13:18-23).

ADONAI was using tsara’at as an illustration of the kingdom of sin and death. There was to be no compromise when it came to tsara’at, and there was to be no compromise in the purity and holiness of the individual Israelite so that he would not die in a state of ritual uncleanness for defiling God’s holy Tabernacle/Temple (Leviticus 15:31).

We, like the ancient Israelites, should not compromise our spiritual purity and holiness. We need to realize that there is a spiritual battle going on in our lives. John warns us: do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, then the love of the Father is not in him; for all that is in the world – the desires of the old nature, the desires of the eyes, and pride in our achievements and possessions – these are not from the Father, but are from this world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever (First John 2:15-17).

The kingdom of the world and the kingdom of God are inherently incompatible, mutually exclusive and opposed to one another (First John 4:5-6, 5:4-5; John 15:19; Galatians 6:14). True believers, therefore, will not be characterized by a habitual love for the world, nor will worldly people demonstrate a genuine affection for the Gospel and its Lord (John 3:20; Acts 7:51, 13:8-10, 17:5 and 13; Romans 8:7; Colossians 1:21, and First Thessalonians 2:14-16).

Clearly, there is an unmistakable line of demarcation between the things of God and the things of the world. The ongoing moral and ethical deterioration of contemporary culture makes this obvious. Even brief consideration provides a lengthy list of cultural agendas that are aggressively hostile to biblical teachings: an attack on the traditional family by feminism; an active promotion of sexual promiscuity and homosexuality (see Ae – The Bible and Homosexual Practice); an emphasis on materialism and hedonism by the secular media; a steady decline in standards of personal integrity and business ethics; the confusion of right and wrong by post-modern relativism; and so on . . .

To support his rebuke, John doesn’t offer a long list of specifics or detailed illustrations. Instead, he presents three general reasons believers must not love the world: because of who they are, because of what the world does, and because of where the world is going.

1. Because of who believers are: If anyone loves the world, then the love of the Father is not in him (First John 2:15b). Because believers are forgiven (Psalm 86:5, 130:3-4; Isaiah 1:18; Matthew 26:28; Luke 1:77; Ephesians 1:7 and 4:32; Colossians 1:14, 2:13-14, 3:13; First John 2:12), have a true knowledge of God (Second Corinthians 2:14, 4:6; Ephesians 4:13; Colossians 1:9-10), have the Word of God living in them (Psalm 119:11; Colossians 3:16), have overcome Satan (James 4:7; First John 4:4), and have an increasingly intimate relationship with the Father (First John 2:12-14), they cannot love the world. Anyone who loves the world demonstrates that the love of the Father is not in him. Like Demas, such a spiritual defector reveals that any previous claim to know and love God was nothing but a lie (First John 2:19).

Nevertheless, the basic identity of believers as the children of ADONAI does not make us immune to the world’s allure. Because we are still sinners – saved by grace – we are tempted through our remaining flesh by the world’s behaviors and schemes (Matthew 26:41; First Corinthians 10:13; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 6:16; James 1:12-14; First Peter 5:8-9). Whether the temptation comes from worldly priorities, worldly amusements, worldly riches, or worldly lusts, we need to resist the world’s efforts to seduce us. Yeshua warned His listeners: No servant can serve two masters; for he will either hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money (Luke 16:13).

2. Because of what the world does: For all that is in the world – the desires of the old nature, the desires of the eyes, and pride in our achievements and possessions – these are not from the Father, but are from this world (First John 2:16). Although it manifests itself in external actions, the roots of sin go much deeper, embedded in the very fabric of the depraved human heart. Sin permeates the fallen mind, internally defiling the sinner in every aspect of his being (Matthew 15:18-20). Thus, the TaNaKh likens sin to a deadly plague (First Kings 8:38), filthy garments (Zechariah 3:3-4), or even filthy menstrual rags (Isaiah 64:6). Sin is so foul that Ha’Shem hates it (Proverbs 15:9) and sinners loathe themselves because of their inherent weakness (Ezeki’el 6:9). Sin is so humanly incurable that sinners have no capacity in and of themselves to remedy their sin (Romans 8:7-8; First Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:1). Finally, sin is universal. David wrote: They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one (Psalm 14:3; Isaiah 53:1-3; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:10-12, 3:23, and 5:12).

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that Your love for me is unfailing! Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you (Isaiah 54:10). Though no one has the capacity within to conquer sin, when we do You in love, You give us the strength we need by taking away the veil so we can love You clearly, and be united with Messiah. But their minds were hardened. For up to this very day the same veil remains unlifted at the reading of the ancient covenant, since in Messiah it is passing away. . . But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away (Second Corinthians 3:14, 16). Making known to us the mystery of his will according to his purpose, which he set forth in Messiah as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth (Ephesians 1:9-10).

You willingly live within me so You are with me always to help, comfort and to guide. For God Himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you,” so that with confidence we say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear (Hebrews 13:5c-6b). How wonderful, Father God, that You are always ready to help me fight any battle and be victorious! What a comfort Your unfailing love for me is! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The three-fold attack on humanity through the flesh, the eyes and the pride in our achievements and possessions can be most easily seen in Genesis 3:1-7, one of the most foundational and pivotal passages in Scripture. There Satan utilized the same threefold temptation to attack his target. Adam and Eve succumbed in Genesis 3:6, plunging the human race into sin. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it had a pleasing appearance and that the tree was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her; and he ate. The Adversary appealed to Eve’s desire for food (the desires of the old nature), her desire to have something attractive (the desires of the eyes), and her desire to have wisdom (the pride of life). Adam accepted the same enticements without protest and ate the fruit his wife gave him, and the Lawless One’s kingdom gained its initial foothold on earth.

It is not surprising, then, to see that the world, under the Tempter’s leadership, continues to assault sinners through those same three pathways of temptation. The Ruler of Darkness plays on the corruptibility of the fallen human heart to achieve the maximum impact for evil and chaos in the world. But we are not slaves to the diabolical, corrupt world system (Romans 6:5-14; James 4:7; First Peter 5:8-9; First John 4:1-6). Like our Lord, who has redeemed us, we possess the ability to successfully resist the temptations of this world (Romans 8:1-13; James 4:7).

3. Because of where the world is going: The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever (First John 2:15-17). The third reason we are not to love the world is because it is passing away. The principle of the kingdom of sin and death is the exact opposite of the principle of the Kingdom of Life and Righteousness. Therefore, the living dead in the world are destined for eternal death in hell, but believers are destined for eternal life in heaven (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer). The one who does the will of God, who trusts and obeys Messiah, has nothing to fear concerning the world’s process of self-destruction (First Thessalonians 1:10 and 5:9). It is God’s will that people believe the Gospel, repent of their sin, and embrace Yeshua Messiah as their personal Lord and Savior (Mark 1:15; John 6:29; First Timothy 2:4-6). By doing this they will demonstrate that they love what ADONAI loves and hate what He hates. They will clearly no longer be devoted to the unbelieving world system and will shun its continuous appeal to sin, which comes through the desires of the old nature, the desires of the eyes, and pride in achievements and possessions.²¹⁵

What is the future of disease or illness? In the present world . . . death. But in ADONAI’s new creation, it will be done away with because of Messiah’s victory over the grave. For the believer, this life of pollution and pain, of disease and death, will end with the glorification of the people of God. Because disease and death are incompatible with the glory of YHVH, nothing impure will enter the heavenly City (Revelation 21:27). The same promise has not been given to the wicked (Revelation 22:11).²¹⁶ There is no middle ground.

The Examination of Spreading Tsara’at
13: 9-17

The examination of spreading tsara’at DIG: What was the purpose of teaching the concepts of being ritually clean and ritually unclean? How did God use tsara’at as an example of the holiness for the Israelites? How can believers determine their own spiritual health? When you have been victorious in a battle with a sin-symptom, what led to your victory? What practical warnings against sin would you give others? Who can you help this week?

REFLECT: How do you distinguish between the kingdom of sin and death, and Kingdom of Life and Righteousness? What guides your decisions? What is your “owners manual?” In what sense is Yeshua Messiah your own personal physician (Isaiah 53:5)? Why is it that unless the heart is changed, there can be no solving the sin problem? What happens to the “good news” message of the Gospel when the “bad news” of sin defiling all it touches is left out?

Beginning with the previous Torah portion (to see link click Bc – On the Eighth Day), and continuing with this one, we have been examining the concepts of being ritually clean or ritually unclean in terms of what they can teach us about two kingdoms: the kingdom of sin and death (see Bv – The Test of Tsara’at), and the Kingdom of Life and Righteousness (see Cg – The Test of M’tsora). There were seven cases of tsara’at given in Chapter 13, this is the second.

The descriptive word used in Chapter 13 is tsara’at, which unfortunately has been translated “leprosy” in most bibles and commentaries. Since this chapter basically talks about skin diseases, most modern commentators are cautious about using the word “leprosy” as one of the diseases covered. Leprosy, however, will be examined in Chapter 14. Leprosy proper, as defined today, was known (and dreaded) in the Dispensation of Torah (see commentary on Exodus Da – The Dispensation of Torah) – but it was not widespread. Since this passage talks about skin disease clearing up, the word tsara’at cannot refer primarily to “leprosy” but must include all kinds of common skin diseases.²¹⁰

Regarding tsara’at, when a person with an “old” ailment, or what we would call a chronic condition, was brought to the priest, a different set of diagnostic criteria was applied. Inflamed raw flesh in an infected area indicated that the old ailment never healed properly. If, however, the inflamed flesh was later covered by new skin, this indicated that the chronic tsara’at had healed. When a person has tsara‘at, he is to be brought to the priest. The priest is to examine him, and if he sees that there is white swelling in the skin which has turned the hair white and inflamed flesh in the swelling, then it is chronic tsara‘at on his skin, and the priest was to declare him ritually unclean; he is not to quarantine him, because it is already clear that he is ritually unclean (13:9-11).

This proves that the mitzvot of quarantining people with tsara’at were not intended as a safeguard against communicable disease. In our modern era, we usually assume that people with skin diseases are quarantined to minimize the possibility of transmitting what may be a contagious condition. If this were so, the man who was entirely covered with tsara’at would be quarantined. Instead, the Torah says that as long as the tsara’at has covered his entire body so that all of the flesh had turned white with no swelling, inflammation or hair turning white, he is to be declared ritually clean.

This seems like a paradox. Why would a man covered with tsara’at be regarded as ritually clean whereas a man who had some clean flesh emerge be declared ritually unclean? If we understand tsara’at as simply a biological disease, then it makes no sense at all. But if we understand tsara’at to refer to the spreading symptoms of the condition, then it does make sense. The tsara’at could no longer spread on a man already completely covered with diseased flesh. Since it could no longer spread, his was no longer tsara’at, as it were. He still had the horrid skin condition, but it was no longer regarded as tsara’at because it could no longer spread. But if some clean flesh should emerge, then the potential of spreading had returned and the disease was again deemed tsara’at.

Here, we learn that tsara’at was more a condition of the symptoms than the skin disease itself. It was the spreading condition of the skin which was regarded as tsara’at and rendered a person unclean, unable to access the Tabernacle and the sacrifices it provided.²¹¹

After the priest’s complete examination, if he saw that the tsara‘at had broken out all over the person’s skin, so that, as far as the priest could see, the person’s body was entirely covered with tsara’at sores from his head to his feet, then he was to pronounce him ritually clean. It had all turned white with no swelling, inflammation or hair turning white, so he was ritually clean (13:12-13). This is another example of metonymy, a literary device whereby, in this instance, the disease is interchangeable with its victim. Therefore, in referring to tsara’at, the text also refers to the sufferer.

But if one day, new, inflamed flesh reappears on him, he will be ritually unclean (13:14). Inflamed flesh, if it persists or recurs, is symptomatic of chronic tsara’at. The priest will examine the inflamed flesh and declare him ritually unclean; the exposed flesh is chronically ritually unclean; it is tsara‘at. However, if the inflamed flesh again turns white, he is to come to the priest. The priest will examine him, and if he sees that the sores have turned white, then the priest is to declare clean the person with the sores ritually clean (13:15-17).

ADONAI was using tsara’at as an illustration of the kingdom of sin and death. There was to be no compromise when it came to tsara’at, and there was to be no compromise in the purity and holiness of the individual Israelite so that he would not die in a state of ritual uncleanness for defiling God’s holy Tabernacle/Temple (Leviticus 15:31).

We, like the ancient Israelites, should not compromise our spiritual purity and holiness. We need to realize that there is a spiritual battle going on in our lives. John warns us: do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, then the love of the Father is not in him; for all that is in the world – the desires of the old nature, the desires of the eyes, and pride in our achievements and possessions – these are not from the Father, but are from this world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever (First John 2:15-17).

The kingdom of the world and the kingdom of God are inherently incompatible, mutually exclusive and opposed to one another (First John 4:5-6, 5:4-5; John 15:19; Galatians 6:14). True believers, therefore, will not be characterized by a habitual love for the world, nor will worldly people demonstrate a genuine affection for the Gospel and its Lord (John 3:20; Acts 7:51, 13:8-10, 17:5 and 13; Romans 8:7; Colossians 1:21, and First Thessalonians 2:14-16).

Clearly, there is an unmistakable line of demarcation between the things of God and the things of the world. The ongoing moral and ethical deterioration of contemporary culture makes this obvious. Even brief consideration provides a lengthy list of cultural agendas that are aggressively hostile to biblical teachings: an attack on the traditional family by feminism; an active promotion of sexual promiscuity and homosexuality (see Ae – The Bible and Homosexual Practice); an emphasis on materialism and hedonism by the secular media; a steady decline in standards of personal integrity and business ethics; the confusion of right and wrong by post-modern relativism; and so on . . .

To support his rebuke, John doesn’t offer a long list of specifics or detailed illustrations. Instead, he presents three general reasons believers must not love the world: because of who they are, because of what the world does, and because of where the world is going.

1. Because of who believers are: If anyone loves the world, then the love of the Father is not in him (First John 2:15b). Because believers are forgiven (Psalm 86:5, 130:3-4; Isaiah 1:18; Matthew 26:28; Luke 1:77; Ephesians 1:7 and 4:32; Colossians 1:14, 2:13-14, 3:13; First John 2:12), have a true knowledge of God (Second Corinthians 2:14, 4:6; Ephesians 4:13; Colossians 1:9-10), have the Word of God living in them (Psalm 119:11; Colossians 3:16), have overcome Satan (James 4:7; First John 4:4), and have an increasingly intimate relationship with the Father (First John 2:12-14), they cannot love the world. Anyone who loves the world demonstrates that the love of the Father is not in him. Like Demas, such a spiritual defector reveals that any previous claim to know and love God was nothing but a lie (First John 2:19).

Nevertheless, the basic identity of believers as the children of ADONAI does not make us immune to the world’s allure. Because we are still sinners – saved by grace – we are tempted through our remaining flesh by the world’s behaviors and schemes (Matthew 26:41; First Corinthians 10:13; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 6:16; James 1:12-14; First Peter 5:8-9). Whether the temptation comes from worldly priorities, worldly amusements, worldly riches, or worldly lusts, we need to resist the world’s efforts to seduce us. Yeshua warned His listeners: No servant can serve two masters; for he will either hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money (Luke 16:13).

Dear Heavenly Father, How wonderful it is to love such a wise and gracious God who redeems those who love Him by the sacrifice of His own blood (Ephesians 1:7; Second Corinthians 5:21). How loving You are to open the eyes of those who turn to you from the TaNaKh, and now look upon You with love in their hearts. But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away (Second Corinthians 3:16). Praise and worship You for Your gracious gift of life to those who love Yeshua as their Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9-10). How wonderful that You are always with Your children. For God Himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you,” (Hebrews 13:5c).

You guide, and are right there with me to help me whenever I need help. Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Surely I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10). Your faithfulness provides a way out of any and every temptation that comes. I can conquer the temptation by choosing to follow You and hold onto Your mighty, invincible strength. You always provide a way out when temptation comes. No temptation has taken hold of you except what is common to mankind. But God is faithful – He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can handle. But with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape, so you will be able to endure it (First Corinthians 10:13). I love and worship You and look forward to praising Your great name throughout all eternity! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

2. Because of what the world does: For all that is in the world – the desires of the old nature, the desires of the eyes, and pride in our achievements and possessions – these are not from the Father, but are from this world (First John 2:16). Although it manifests itself in external actions, the roots of sin go much deeper, embedded in the very fabric of the depraved human heart. Sin permeates the fallen mind, internally defiling the sinner in every aspect of his being (Matthew 15:18-20). Thus, the TaNaKh likens sin to a deadly plague (First Kings 8:38), filthy garments (Zechariah 3:3-4), or even filthy menstrual rags (Isaiah 64:6). Sin is so foul that Ha’Shem hates it (Proverbs 15:9) and sinners loathe themselves because of their inherent weakness (Ezeki’el 6:9). Sin is so humanly incurable that sinners have no capacity in and of themselves to remedy their sin (Romans 8:7-8; First Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:1). Finally, sin is universal. David wrote: They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one (Psalm 14:3; Isaiah 53:1-3; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:10-12, 3:23, and 5:12).

The three-fold attack on humanity through the flesh, the eyes and the pride in our achievements and possessions can be most easily seen in Genesis 3:1-7, one of the most foundational and pivotal passages in Scripture. There Satan utilized the same threefold temptation to attack his target. Adam and Eve succumbed in Genesis 3:6, plunging the human race into sin. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it had a pleasing appearance and that the tree was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her; and he ate. The Adversary appealed to Eve’s desire for food (the desires of the old nature), her desire to have something attractive (the desires of the eyes), and her desire to have wisdom (the pride of life). Adam accepted the same enticements without protest and ate the fruit his wife gave him, and the Lawless One’s kingdom gained its initial foothold on earth.

It is not surprising, then, to see that the world, under the Tempter’s leadership, continues to assault sinners through those same three pathways of temptation. The Ruler of Darkness plays on the corruptibility of the fallen human heart to achieve the maximum impact for evil and chaos in the world. But we are not slaves to the diabolical, corrupt world system (Romans 6:5-14; James 4:7; First Peter 5:8-9; First John 4:1-6). Like our Lord, who has redeemed us, we possess the ability to successfully resist the temptations of this world (Romans 8:1-13; James 4:7).

3. Because of where the world is going: The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever (First John 2:15-17). The third reason we are not to love the world is because it is passing away. The principle of the kingdom of sin and death is the exact opposite of the principle of the Kingdom of Life and Righteousness. Therefore, the living dead in the world are destined for eternal death in hell, but believers are destined for eternal life in heaven (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer). The one who does the will of God, who trusts and obeys Messiah, has nothing to fear concerning the world’s process of self-destruction (First Thessalonians 1:10 and 5:9). It is God’s will that people believe the Gospel, repent of their sin, and embrace Yeshua Messiah as their personal Lord and Savior (Mark 1:15; John 6:29; First Timothy 2:4-6). By doing this they will demonstrate that they love what ADONAI loves and hate what He hates. They will clearly no longer be devoted to the unbelieving world system and will shun its continuous appeal to sin, which comes through the desires of the old nature, the desires of the eyes, and pride in achievements and possessions.²¹²

What is the future of disease or illness? In the present world . . . death. But in ADONAI’s new creation, it will be done away with because of Messiah’s victory over the grave. For the believer, this life of pollution and pain, of disease and death, will end with the glorification of the people of God. Because disease and death are incompatible with the glory of YHVH, nothing impure will enter the heavenly City (Revelation 21:27). The same promise has not been given to the wicked (Revelation 22:11).²¹³ There is no middle ground.

The Examination of Tsara’at
13: 1-8

The examination of tsara’at DIG: What were the three examination stages? What was the purpose of teaching the concepts of being ritually clean and ritually unclean? How did God use tsara’at as an example of the holiness for the Israelites? How can believers determine their own spiritual health? When you have been victorious in a battle with a sin-symptom, what led to your victory? What practical warnings against sin would you give others?

REFLECT: How do you distinguish between the kingdom of sin and death, and Kingdom of Life and Righteousness? What guides your decisions? What is your “owners manual?” In what sense is Yeshua Messiah your own personal physician (Isaiah 53:5)? Why is it that unless the heart is changed, there can be no solving the sin problem? What happens to the “good news” message of the Gospel when the “bad news” of sin defiling all it touches is left out?

Beginning with the previous Torah portion (to see link click Bc – On the Eighth Day), and continuing with this one, we have been examining the concepts of being ritually clean or ritually unclean in terms of what they can teach us about two kingdoms: the kingdom of sin and death (see Bv – The Test of Tsara’at), and the Kingdom of Life and Righteousness (see Cg – The Test of M’tsora). There were seven cases of tsara’at given in Chapter 13, this is the first.

The Torah says that only a priest was able to make the diagnosis. The initial problem faced by the priest was to determine whether the sufferer had acute tzara’at or some lesser ailment with which it might be confused, but which would heal on its own. The diagnosis consisted of three stages. They form something of a logical flow chart, with the response of the priest determining what happened next. At each step there are only two possibilities: the person would be either ritually clean or ritually unclean (see Bw – Holiness and Tsara’at).

The first stage (13:1-4): ADONAI said to Moshe and Aaron, “When someone develops on his skin a swelling (Hebrew: se’et), scab (Hebrew: saphat) or white, bright spot (Hebrew: baheret) which could develop into the disease tzara‘at, he is to be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons who are priests at the Tabernacle. The priest is to examine the sore on his skin; if the hair in the sore has turned white, and the sore appears to go deep into the skin, it is tzara‘at, and after examining him the priest is to declare him ritually unclean. Literally, the object of the verb is the tsara’at, not the person, but here, and in some following verses we find instances of metonymy, a literary device whereby, in this instance, the disease is interchangeable with its victim. Therefore, in referring to tzara’at, the text also refers to the sufferer. If, however, the bright spot on his skin is white, but it does not appear to go deep into the skin, and its hair has not turned white, then the priest will isolate him for seven days (13:4). Rashi notes that a special house was used for this purpose. The incident of Miriam’s affliction of tsara’at, as recounted in Numbers 12:14-15, informs us that the place of quarantine was outside the camp. Here again we have an instance of metonymy. Literally the text states that the tsara’at was quarantined, actually meaning the diseased individual.²⁰⁵

The priests were, of course, reluctant to declare a disease tsara’at because of the enormous sorrow it would bring upon the victim. He would be forced to withdraw from his family and from society. Thus, the priesthood was meticulous with the examination. No one wanted to declare a person tsara’at. When in doubt, they ruled leniently. Every dubious case regarding tsara’at symptoms is to be regarded as ritually clean (Negaim 5:1). However, if the symptoms still persisted, then the sufferer would continue to be tested.

The second stage (13:5): On some occasions, tsara’at could not be diagnosed with only one examination. If so, on the seventh day the priest would examine him again, and if the sore appeared the same as before, both in size and shape, but had not spread on the skin, then the priest would isolate him for seven more days. This allowed time to see if the sore grew. During this quarantine, the sufferer was regarded as ritually unclean, but not contaminating. If there was no new spreading after seven more days, then the process of purification would begin. The procedure was rather elaborate: After being declared ritually clean, the priest required the person to bring the following items for cleansing: (1) an earthen bowl filled with spring water; (2) two birds of the same type (either doves or pigeons); (3) a stick of cedar wood; (4) a hyssop branch; (5) a scarlet thread. The priest then commanded that one of the birds be slaughtered over the earthen bowl filled with fresh spring water, with its blood mixed with the water. The living bird, the piece of stick of cedar wood, and the hyssop branch were tied together using the scarlet thread, and the entire bundle was dipped into the earthen bowl. The blood and water mixture was then sprinkled seven times on the head of the person, and the other bird was set free.

Next, the person would wash his clothes, shave off his beard, and bathe in a mikveh. After that, he could return to the general camp – but he could not return to his home for seven more days. On the eighth day, he would bathe again and offer several offerings: a burnt offering (see Ai), a grain offerings (see Aj), a purification offering (see Al), and a guilt offering (see Am). But the blood of the guilt offering was sprinkled on his earlobe, thumb, and foot. Only after performing this ritual would the person be declared ritually clean by the priest. His life of ritual uncleanness would be like a man who was brought back from the dead to renewed life.²⁰⁶ But if the t’sara’ah had spread, the priest would quarantine him for another seven days.

The third stage (13:6-8): On the seventh day the priest was to examine him again, and if the sore has faded and hasn’t spread on the skin, then the priest would declare him ritually clean – it was only a scab. Then the person would follow the same procedure as above, be declared ritually clean, and allowed to return to normal life and have access to the Tabernacle. But if the scab had spread further on the skin after he had been examined by the priest, he would let himself be examined by the priest yet again. The priest would examine him, and if he saw that the scab had spread on his skin, then the priest would declare him ritually unclean and contaminating because it was acute tzara‘at (see By – The Examination of Spreading Tsara’at).²⁰⁷ The tsara’at had to become visibly worse for two weeks. No medication was prescribed and the only further action that would be taken was quarantine (see Second Kings 15:5).

ADONAI was using tsara’at as an illustration of the kingdom of sin and death. There was to be no compromise when it came to tsara’at, and there was to be no compromise in the purity and holiness of the individual Israelite so that he would not die in a state of ritual uncleanness for defiling God’s holy Tabernacle/Temple (Leviticus 15:31).

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for being a holy and pure God! Thank You for the heaven that Yeshua is preparing (John 14:1-3) for those who love and follow Him (Romans 10:9-10), is a place of great peace (John 16:33; Ephesians 1:9-14), wonderful joy (Revelation 21:4) and perfect holiness (Revelation 21:7). I am so blessed that in Your wise mercy and grace (Ephesians 2:8-9), You knew that I could ever be holy enough on my own to enter heaven; so You opened the path to heaven by transferring all the righteousness of Yeshua to me when I believed in Him as my Lord (Ephesians 1:4-7, 2 Corinthians 5:21). It was Your plan from the beginning for Yeshua’s blood to cleanse those who would choose to believe in Him (Ephesians 1:4,12-14). In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

We, like the ancient Israelites, should not compromise our spiritual purity and holiness. We need to realize that there is a spiritual battle going on in our lives. John warns us: do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, then the love of the Father is not in him; for all that is in the world – the desires of the old nature, the desires of the eyes, and pride in our achievements and possessions – these are not from the Father, but are from this world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever (First John 2:15-17).

The kingdom of the world and the kingdom of God are inherently incompatible, mutually exclusive and opposed to one another (First John 4:5-6, 5:4-5; John 15:19; Galatians 6:14). True believers, therefore, will not be characterized by a habitual love for the world, nor will worldly people demonstrate a genuine affection for the Gospel and its Lord (John 3:20; Acts 7:51, 13:8-10, 17:5 and 13; Romans 8:7; Colossians 1:21, and First Thessalonians 2:14-16).

Clearly, there is an unmistakable line of demarcation between the things of God and the things of the world. The ongoing moral and ethical deterioration of contemporary culture makes this obvious. Even brief consideration provides a lengthy list of cultural agendas that are aggressively hostile to biblical teachings: an attack on the traditional family by feminism; an active promotion of sexual promiscuity and homosexuality (see Ae – The Bible and Homosexual Practice); an emphasis on materialism and hedonism by the secular media; a steady decline in standards of personal integrity and business ethics; the confusion of right and wrong by post-modern relativism; and so on . . .

To support his rebuke, John doesn’t offer a long list of specifics or detailed illustrations. Instead, he presents three general reasons believers must not love the world: because of who they are, because of what the world does, and because of where the world is going.

1. Because of who believers are: If anyone loves the world, then the love of the Father is not in him (First John 2:15b). Because believers are forgiven (Psalm 86:5, 130:3-4; Isaiah 1:18; Matthew 26:28; Luke 1:77; Ephesians 1:7 and 4:32; Colossians 1:14, 2:13-14, 3:13; First John 2:12), have a true knowledge of God (Second Corinthians 2:14, 4:6; Ephesians 4:13; Colossians 1:9-10), have the Word of God living in them (Psalm 119:11; Colossians 3:16), have overcome Satan (James 4:7; First John 4:4), and have an increasingly intimate relationship with the Father (First John 2:12-14), they cannot love the world. Anyone who loves the world demonstrates that the love of the Father is not in him. Like Demas, such a spiritual defector reveals that any previous claim to know and love God was nothing but a lie (First John 2:19).

Nevertheless, the basic identity of believers as the children of ADONAI does not make us immune to the world’s allure. Because we are still sinners – saved by grace – we are tempted through our remaining flesh by the world’s behaviors and schemes (Matthew 26:41; First Corinthians 10:13; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 6:16; James 1:12-14; First Peter 5:8-9). Whether the temptation comes from worldly priorities, worldly amusements, worldly riches, or worldly lusts, we need to resist the world’s efforts to seduce us. Yeshua warned His listeners: No servant can serve two masters; for he will either hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money (Luke 16:13).

2. Because of what the world does: For all that is in the world – the desires of the old nature, the desires of the eyes, and pride in our achievements and possessions – these are not from the Father, but are from this world (First John 2:16). Although it manifests itself in external actions, the roots of sin go much deeper, embedded in the very fabric of the depraved human heart. Sin permeates the fallen mind, internally defiling the sinner in every aspect of his being (Matthew 15:18-20). Thus, the TaNaKh likens sin to a deadly plague (First Kings 8:38), filthy garments (Zechariah 3:3-4), or even filthy menstrual rags (Isaiah 64:6). Sin is so foul that Ha’Shem hates it (Proverbs 15:9) and sinners loathe themselves because of their inherent weakness (Ezeki’el 6:9). Sin is so humanly incurable that sinners have no capacity in and of themselves to remedy their sin (Romans 8:7-8; First Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:1). Finally, sin is universal. David wrote: They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one (Psalm 14:3; Isaiah 53:1-3; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:10-12, 3:23, and 5:12).

The three-fold attack on humanity through the flesh, the eyes and the pride in our achievements and possessions can be most easily seen in Genesis 3:1-7, one of the most foundational and pivotal passages in Scripture. There Satan utilized the same threefold temptation to attack his target. Adam and Eve succumbed in Genesis 3:6, plunging the human race into sin. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it had a pleasing appearance and that the tree was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her; and he ate. The Adversary appealed to Eve’s desire for food (the desires of the old nature), her desire to have something attractive (the desires of the eyes), and her desire to have wisdom (the pride of life). Adam accepted the same enticements without protest and ate the fruit his wife gave him, and the Lawless One’s kingdom gained its initial foothold on earth.

It is not surprising, then, to see that the world, under the Tempter’s leadership, continues to assault sinners through those same three pathways of temptation. The Ruler of Darkness plays on the corruptibility of the fallen human heart to achieve the maximum impact for evil and chaos in the world. But we are not slaves to the diabolical, corrupt world system (Romans 6:5-14; James 4:7; First Peter 5:8-9; First John 4:1-6). Like our Lord, who has redeemed us, we possess the ability to successfully resist the temptations of this world (Romans 8:1-13; James 4:7).

3. Because of where the world is going: The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever (First John 2:15-17). The third reason we are not to love the world is because it is passing away. The principle of the kingdom of sin and death is the exact opposite of the principle of the Kingdom of Life and Righteousness. Therefore, the living dead in the world are destined for eternal death in hell, but believers are destined for eternal life in heaven (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer). The one who does the will of God, who trusts and obeys Messiah, has nothing to fear concerning the world’s process of self-destruction (First Thessalonians 1:10 and 5:9). It is God’s will that people believe the Gospel, repent of their sin, and embrace Yeshua Messiah as their personal Lord and Savior (Mark 1:15; John 6:29; First Timothy 2:4-6). By doing this they will demonstrate that they love what ADONAI loves and hate what He hates. They will clearly no longer be devoted to the unbelieving world system and will shun its continuous appeal to sin, which comes through the desires of the old nature, the desires of the eyes, and pride in achievements and possessions.²⁰⁸

What is the future of disease or illness? In the present world . . . death. But in ADONAI’s new creation, it will be done away with because of Messiah’s victory over the grave. For the believer, this life of pollution and pain, of disease and death, will end with the glorification of the people of God. Because disease and death are incompatible with the glory of YHVH, nothing impure will enter the heavenly City (Revelation 21:27). The same promise has not been given to the wicked (Revelation 22:11).²⁰⁹ There is no middle ground.

Holiness and Tsara’at
13: 1-46

Biblical doctrine teaches that sin entered the world through the disobedience of one man, and as a result death by sin (see the commentary on Romans, to see link click Bm – The Consequences of Adam). Thus, to speak of a fallen world is to speak of the human condition and its environment controlled by death with all the defilements and diseases as part of it. But the prophets and the apostles hold out the promise of a new creation in which such things no longer exist; and in that hope, this world groans, waiting for the day of redemption (see the commentary on Romans Ck – The Creation and Redemption).

Leviticus 13:1-46 continues the theme of holiness before ADONAI in every aspect of physical life. The contents of this section of Scripture are set out in parallel order; Holiness and Tsara’at (Bw) parallels the Treatment of Tsara’at Clothing (Cf). In fact the whole issue of general skin diseases (see Bv – The Test of Tsara’at) and leprosy (see Cg – The Test of M’tsora) and is bracketed by discussions of defilement related to bodily discharges at childbirth (see Bt – Women After Childbirth) and other bodily discharges (see Cl – Personal Discharge and Defilement). Although these were not regular problems for all the people, the priests dealt with them every day. Occurrence of these signs was evidence that wholeness was lacking, so ritual uncleanness (see Bj – The Mitzvot of Purification) had to be declared. It is important to state from the outset that Leviticus 13 is more interested in the ritual than the medical significance of the diseases. They are diseases and disorders, of course; but the chapter focuses on them as impurities that compromises the holiness of the Israelite and needed to be corrected before the ritually unclean person could once again worship at the Tabernacle and be able to offer sacrifices to ADONAI (see Ah – The Offerings from the People’s Perspective).²⁰⁴

The Test of Tsara’at
13: 1-59

Tsara’at is a general term for skin diseases, which could include boils (to see link click Bz), burns (see Ca), head sores (see Cb), white spots (see Cc), sores on bald spots (see Cd), stains (see Ce), or mildew (Cf). The term m’tsora is translated leprosy and will be covered separately (see Cg). Beginning with the previous Torah portion (see Bc – On the Eighth Day), and continuing with this one, we have been examining the concepts of being ritually clean and ritually unclean in terms of what they can teach us about two kingdoms: the kingdom of sin and death (here in the The Test of Tsara’at), and the Kingdom of Life and Righteousness (see Cg – The Test of M’tsora). Now let me offer some biblical proof for these two kingdoms and explain them in greater detail.

The kingdom of sin and death: For the purposes of our discussion about the two kingdoms, we will begin with the text of Romans Chapter Five (see the commentary on Romans Bl – Midrash on Adam). In verses 12-21, we find a remarkable contrast between two realms of spiritual existence. The first hint that these realms of spiritual experience are, in reality, two separate kingdoms is in Romans 5:14 which describes death as reigning from Adam (see Romans  Bm – The Consequences of Adam). Where something reigns, there is a kingdom! We call this particular kingdom . . . the kingdom of sin and death because verse 14 says that death reigned, and it is sin that causes death.

Continuing with the description of this kingdom of sin and death, we find that this passage describes a spiritual progression which looks something like this: Adam sinned, that sin infected his whole body from head to toe, nothing escaped its deathly affect, condemning to all in Adam, and ending with death to all in Adam. That disease of sin became part of his spiritual DNA, so to speak, and was subsequently passed on to all of his descendants. All, therefore, became sinners. Isaiah said: All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6a). Jeremiah declared that that heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure (Jeremiah 19:9a). And Paul summed it up this way: For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

This sin, because it reflects a basic, deep-seated rebellion against YHVH and His Torah, brought condemnation (Romans 5:18) to all who sinned. The sinners were condemned by the Judge of all mankind to die, both spiritually and physically (see the commentary on Revelation Fo – The Great White Throne Judgment). Since all who are in Adam have sin resulting in death, we can say that death reigned (Romans 5:14) throughout all mankind. Hence, the kingdom of sin and death is characterized by the three parts in the sequence described above: sin, condemnation, and death. Let us comment further on each of these.

Sin: There are several Hebrew words behind the English word sin in the Torah. One of the most significant is from the root ‘avah, particularly the noun, ‘avon. The root meaning is bend, twist, or distort. Hence, this word for sin seems to stress the fact that sin is an infraction, crooked behavior, or perversion of the righteousness which so characterizes ADONAI. To the ancient Israelites, it was a comfort to know that the atoning sacrifice of a goat at Yom Kippur bore on itself all their punishment (Hebrew: ‘avon).

Another significant word for sin in the Torah is the word chatta. The basic meaning of the root is to miss the mark or way (see Al – The Purification Offering: Purified by the Blood). One reason why chatta is an important word for sin, especially in the Torah, is that it’s the opposite of the root word for torah which literally means direction or instruction. In other words, the basic meaning of this word is to hit the mark. Sin, on the other hand, especially when represented by the word chatta, means to miss the mark.¹⁹⁹

Therefore, when a person sins, he perverts the witness of who the real YHVH is and misses the mark of living God’s righteousness. These attributes are exactly opposite of those which Elohim created mankind to possess. He created mankind to be in His image. One of the implications of this is that when we live, we are to be like living mirrors to the creation around us of what the LORD is like. Sin perverted this witness. In addition, Adam and Eve were originally created to mimic God in their lives. Sin caused them to miss the mark of how accurate they would be in living out His righteousness.

Condemnation: In light of what sin is and what it has done to pervert and distort the witness of  God on this earth, it is little wonder why Ha’Shem had to condemn man for his sin. After all, it was a basic affront to Him and His sovereignty. ADONAI originally designed mankind to live absolutely dependent on Him. In that way, mankind would accurately portray who YHVH was in creation. Instead, however, man’s sin amounted to a rebellion against the LORD’s rule and reign. In his sin, man essentially asserted that he – instead of ADONAI – knew best how to live his life. There is only one thing a perfectly just and righteous God can do in such a case – legally condemn sin. Thus, we read: As the TaNaKh puts it, “There is no one righteous, not even one! No one understands, no one seeks God, all have turned away and at the same time become useless; there is no one who shows kindness, not a single one (Romans 3:10-12; Psalm 14:1-3, 53:1-3)!

Death: Therefore, Ha’Shem rightfully declares that the wages (what we earn for our sin) of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Death is the sentence passed on from the holy courtroom for the punishment which condemned sinners must face. Death is essentially a separation. Dr. Francis Schaeffer skillfully observes several kinds of separation which occurred because of sin entering into the world and spreading to all mankind. There are four points of separation.

First, there is separation between God and mankind. This is the most far-reaching separation because man no longer has the communion with YHVH that he was meant to have. Therefore, he cannot fulfill the purpose of his existence.²⁰⁰

Second, there is separation of man from himself. Man’s basic psychosis, or hang-up, is his separation from God carried into his own personality as a separation from himself. Therefore, we have self-deception.²⁰¹

Third, there is separation of man from man. This includes a division between man and his wife, his family, and other relatives. It also includes a man being separated from other human beings. A gigantic sociological problem confronts mankind everywhere without God.

Fourth, there is separation of man from nature. Man has lost his full dominion over nature as a result of Adam’s sin in the garden, and the result is that now nature itself if often the means of judgment.²⁰²

In all these examples of separation, Schaeffer would agree that a death occurred. When people cannot experience the life flow from ADONAI, which hinders him from bearing life in all of his relationships, there is death. The ultimate death on the physical level is when man’s body ceases to function and he dies. The ultimate death on the spiritual level is an eternal separation from the fellowship and presence of the Creator Himself.²⁰³

The Mitzvot Regarding Skin Diseases
13:1 to 14:57

After teaching about what a new mother must do after giving birth, the prashiyot instruct the Israelites regarding what happens if they contract various skin afflictions and aliments. Although the text mentions several different types of affections, unfortunately the Hebrew words describing them are almost impossible to translate into English. However, there are two particular classifications of afflictions which are extremely important. They are called skin diseases, or tsara’at and leprosy, or m’tsora. Not all afflictions are labeled by these names, only certain ones whose characteristics are described in our Torah portion. These names, however, are used to describe the particular afflictions which render a person ritually clean or ritually unclean. Interestingly, these names are also used to describe the same afflictions when they appear on inanimate objects such as clothes and houses. Without a doubt, classify these afflictions into a modern medical book is almost impossible. However, in this commentary, I will using the term tazria in Chapter 13 and the term m’tsora in Chapter 14. In effect, both of these chapters serve as a training manual for the priests in treating skin diseases. There are two ways to look at this section of Scripture. The first way is the understanding of the two kingdoms, first the kingdom of sin and death (to see link click Bv – The Test of Tsara’at), and secondly, is the Kingdom of Life and Righteousness as seen in the healing ministry of Yeshua (see Cg – The Test of M’tsora).

Women After Childbirth
12: 1-8

Women after childbirth DIG: How can childbirth be linked to Eve’s punishment in the garden? How are women kept safe through (the) childbirth? Why do you think it took twice as long to become ritually clean after giving birth to a girl than for a boy? Why did God have the male baby wait until the eighth day to be circumcised? Why the purification offering?

REFLECT: How do these purification mitzvot make you feel? How does modern culture affect worship and ritual practices where you worship? Is this necessarily bad? Why or why not? How should believers today relate to these mitzvot of purification given to the ancient Jewish community? Why don’t believers keep all these mitzvot of the Torah?

Parashah 27: Tazria (She Conceived) 12:1 to 13:59
(See my commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Af – Parashah)

The Key People are Moshe, Aaron, Nadab, and Aaron’s sons.

The Scene is the Tabernacle in the wilderness of Sinai.

The Main Events include ADONAI speaking to Moshe concerning women in childbirth; purification; various skin diseases; the role of the priest as hygiene inspector; in clean people dwelling outside the camp; and procedures to follow in examining fabric with mildew.

This parashah is a double portion. In regular years it is read with the next portion M’tzora (to see link click Ch – The Initial Procedure for Cleansing Tsara’at), in leap years it is read separately. But, because they are divided most of the time, we will be studying parashah Tazria separately. Before we proceed any further into the Torah, it will be useful to remind ourselves of the story we are reading. It is easy to become lost in the maze of mitzvot and rituals in Leviticus. It is all too easy to forget why we entered here in the first place. The Torah is telling us about these mitzvot at this particular time because this is where they fit into the narrative. To best understand the mitzvot, then, a brief review is in order.¹⁹⁰

You will recall that after ADONAI brought Isra’el out of Egypt, He entered into a covenant with them at Mount Sinai. There at the mountain, He announced His desire for a holy place so that He could dwell among His people and draw near to Him. In response, Isra’el built the Tabernacle. Once it was completed, the Sh’khinah glory moved from upon Mount Sinai and descended onto the Tabernacle. YHVH took up residence therein. But there was a problem. The Sh’khinah glory was so intense that even Moshe could not enter. So, even though Ha’Shem could dwell among His people, that didn’t mean that the Israelites could have any communion or relationship with God. ADONAI was still holy; mankind was still unholy. How could unholy mankind come near to the holy God? That’s how Exodus ended.

Leviticus began with an answer to that question. The LORD called Moses from within the Tabernacle and gave him the instructions for the sacrifices: the first seven chapters of Leviticus. An Israelite wanting to draw near to God in His Holy Place was to bring a korban, literally something brought near. Through the sacrifice, the worshiper was brought near to YHVH, and the gap between God and mankind was momentarily bridged.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise your great wisdom, love and power! Thank you that Messiah Yeshua bridged the gap between mankind and God with a one-time permanent sacrifice.  But now in Messiah Yeshua, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah. For He is our shalom, the One who made the two into one and broke down the middle wall of separation. Within His flesh He made powerless the hostility – the law code of mitzvot contained in regulations. He did this in order to create within Himself one new man from the two groups, making shalom, and to reconcile both to God in one body through the cross – by which He put the hostility to death.  And He came and proclaimed shalom to you who were far away and shalom to those who were near – for through Him we both have access to the Father by the same Ruach.  (Ephesians 2:13-18).

What joy it is to know that Messiah’s sacrifice, because He is both holy and eternal, is a forever sacrifice! Therefore He is also able to save completely save those who draw near to God through Him, always living to make intercession for them. . . But when Messiah appeared as Kohen Gadol of the good things that have now come, passing through the greater and more perfect Tent not made with hands (that is to say not of this creation),  He entered into the Holies once for all – not by the blood of goats and calves but by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption (Hebrews 7:25, 9:11-12). Though I need to repent with a heart-felt confession each time I sin, like David in Psalms 51, I praise You for being a gracious God who forgives. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness  (First John 1:9). We praise and worship You for permanently bridging the gap and bringing the worshiper close to ADONAI through Your eternal sacrifice. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

But in order to facilitate the sacrificial service, a sanctified priesthood was needed. Leviticus Chapters 8 and 9 describe the initiation of the priesthood. OK, all seemed well. The sacrifices from the people were received, and the Sh’khinah glory appeared before all Isra’el. But then tragedy struck. The death of Nadab and Abihu made it clear that there was real danger involved in approaching Ha’Shem. Sobriety was needed, and so was ritual purity. Entering into the presence of God in His holy Tabernacle/Temple while in a state of ritual impurity was dangerous, even potentially deadly.

Therefore, the Torah departs from the narrative for several chapters to describe to us the mitzvot of ritual purity. Leviticus 11 related the mitzvot of ritually clean and unclean animals (see Bk – Ritually Clean and Unclean Animals). Leviticus 12 through 15 will relate the mitzvot of ritually clean and unclean humans.

Remember, Levitical impurity is the biblical concept that a person can be in a state which, according to the Torah, prevents a person from having any contact with the Tabernacle or Temple and its sacrifices. This ritual state of being unclean could be transferred from one person to another in a variety of ways, primarily through direct contact with a source of uncleanness. Clean and unclean have nothing to do with the actual physical condition of the person. Additionally, the mitzvot of ritual impurity or purity have no relevant consequences except in regard to the things of the Tabernacle or the Temple and its priesthood.

These mitzvot are being discussed now because they are immediately relevant to the Tabernacle/Temple. In that regard, the majority of the purity mitzvot have no practical relevance in today’s world. As of the writing of this commentary, the Holy Temple in Jerusalem has not been rebuilt. Until it is, it really makes no practical difference whether one is ritually clean or unclean. Generally speaking, these passages are maligned as irrelevant and even repulsive. The mitzvot of clean and unclean, of leprosy and impurity, of mildew and discharges appear to have nothing at all to do with believers or our modern world. In fact, the whole concept of being ritually clean and unclean seems to have come from another universe. But the observance of the purity mitzvot raised the consciousness of the presence of ADONAI to the common Israelite in the days of Moses to a new level. Those observing the purity mitzvot had a heightened awareness of the holy and the common, the intersection of Divine and secular. Therefore, the disconnect between their own mortality and the immortality of YHVH was constantly before them.

Contaminating vs unclean: An Israelite woman who gave birth to a baby boy was rendered ritually unclean for seven days. If she gave birth to a baby girl, she was rendered ritually unclean for fourteen days (see below). Subsequent to her initial uncleanness, the mother of a baby boy would remain in a state of lesser ritual uncleanness for another 33 days, while the mother of a baby girl would remain in a state of lesser ritual uncleanness for 66 days. During the first 7 (or 14 days) she would be ritually unclean in the days of her niddah separation (menstruation separation), because a menstruating woman was herself regarded as both ritually unclean and contaminating.

The Sages offer complex distinctions between different levels of ritual impurity. For the sake of simplicity, we will refer to them as contaminating and unclean. One who is contaminating was ritually unclean and transmitted ritual uncleanness to other people and surfaces with which he/she came into contact. This was a tradition of the Pharisees, but it was not Torah from Sinai. So, for the first seven days (for a boy) or fourteen days (for a girl) after childbirth the new mother was contaminated. Everyone and everything she touched was rendered ritually unclean. And anything she sat on or reclined on became contaminated. After the first seven days (or fourteen), she would immerse herself in a mikvah and her status would change from contaminating to unclean (see Cn – Female Menstrual Uncleanness). The Torah refers to it as the time of her purification (12:4). During that time she was unable to worship at the Tabernacle or offer sacrifices; however, she was no longer contaminating to anyone.

Why, then, is the new mother rendered unclean? Simply because she had come into contact with the realm of sin and death. In this case, at childbirth, she bled. The Torah declares that the life of the soul is in the blood, which was meant to carry the life throughout the body. Hence, what was meant for life, the blood, was drained out of the body. The main point that the Holy One is stressing, is that in reality there are only two spiritual kingdoms: the Kingdom of God, wherein is life and righteousness and the kingdom of Satan, wherein is sin and death. The shedding of life-giving blood at childbirth was an occasion in which YHVH chose to illustrate the difference between the two kingdoms. Hence, the new mother was declared ritually unclean when she gave birth.

All the attention is usually placed upon the woman. After all, she was the one who whas to become ritually unclean. But her husband who comforts her, the midwife who assisted her, and the baby who nurses from her were also rendered ritually unclean. In practical terms, that meant that the husband and the midwife would be required to be immersed in the mikvah before worshipping at the Tabernacle/Temple, eating of sacrificial foods or handling priestly portions. But the lesson of ritual uncleanness at childbirth runs far deeper.

I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth (Genesis 3:16): At the start of life, we are all steeped in uncleanness. It is part of being human. From the cradle to the grave we are either unclean, producing uncleanness, or becoming unclean. It is simply the fallen nature we inherit at birth, or the condition called total depravity (see the commentary on Romans Ae – My Position on TULIP or Calvinism). Childbirth can be linked to Eve’s punishment in the garden. After falling into sin, Eve was told: I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth; in pain you will bring forth children (Genesis 3:16). It was part of the judgment that fell upon all humanity. Ritual impurity is that which excludes mankind from the presence of God on earth. It is that which kept the Israelites out of the Tabernacle/Temple. In a similar way, Adam and Eve were driven from the garden. They were expelled from the presence of God on earth. Part of that expulsion was the judgment of pain in childbearing. Although childbirth is certainly not a sin, it is tainted with the original sin of Adam and Eve. This is an important clue to the deeper meaning of ritual impurity.¹⁹¹

The woman will be preserved (First Timothy 2:13-15): From Rabbi Sha’ul’s perspective, the pain of childbirth brings with it an atoning value for women. He states: But women will be kept safe through (the) childbirth, if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety (Second Timothy 2:15). I believe the meaning of being kept safe, literally pulled from danger, here means spiritual salvation. There are four reasons for this. First, because the context of this verse has to do with Eve; she must be the subject of will be kept safe. Consequently, it is relevant to consult Genesis, and Genesis 3:15 tells us that the ancient Serpent’s victory will not be final. The Seed of the woman will crush Satan’s head. This points specifically to Messiah’s birth, not to childbirth in general.

Secondly, a spiritual catastrophe is the subject of Second Timothy 2:14, and spiritual deliverance is to be expected as a part of the discussion. Eve’s salvation was secured because God promised deliverance through His Seed, Yeshua Messiah. By the great childbirth, by that which has produced the Savior, the childbearing of Mary has undone the sin of Eve.

Thirdly, the definite article that appears before childbirth indicates a definite and particular event, rather than childbearing in general. There is certainly a more obvious inference to be drawn from the presence of the article. The Greek language had a very simple way to indicate childbearing in general. All that was necessary was to omit the article. This would throw emphasis upon the quality or idea in the noun, rather than individualizing it. The presence of the article makes the birth of Messiah the more credible. It was not just any childbirth, it was THE (emphasis mine) childbirth.

Fourthly, the preposition dia, meaning through, is very important. It comes from the Greek word duo, meaning two, and directs our attention to a connection or channel between the two points. The two points are the fallen Eve and her salvation. This channel is the childbearing. It was through the Seed of the woman that salvation was possible for her and for all women (see the commentary on Genesis Lv – Women and Spiritual Gifts).

Ritual purification of the mother: The theme of this chapter is not personal holiness, but ritual purification of the mother, without which she could not return to normal life in her home and community. Therefore, nothing in Leviticus 12 should be interpreted to teach that human sex is “dirty,” that pregnancy is defiling, or that babies are impure. YHVH created humans male and female (Genesis 1:27), and when God declared His creation very good (Genesis 1:31), that declaration included sex. He commanded our first parents to be fruitful, and multiply (Genesis 1:28). In spite of the current climate of abortion and the negative attitude towards babies by many today, Scripture presents children as a blessing from ADONAI (Psalm 113:9, 127:3-5, 128:3; Proverbs 17:6; Matthew 19:14). And if, for some reason a pregnancy was unwanted, the Jews would never have considered aborting the baby.¹⁹²

The birth of a son (12:1-4): ADONAI said to Moshe, “Tell the people of Isra’el: ‘If a woman conceives and gives birth to a boy, she will be unclean for seven days with the same uncleanness as in niddah (see Cn – Female Menstrual Uncleanness), when she is having her menstrual infirmity’ (12:1-2).” The Hebrew devotah, translated her infirmity, derives from the root davah, meaning to be ill or weak. In 15:33, the menstruating woman is called davah, meaning infirm.¹⁹³ She is to wait an additional thirty-three days (bringing the total days to forty) to be purified from her blood; she is not to touch any holy thing or come into the sanctuary until the time of her purification is over (12:3-4).

Because we are so far removed from the world of the Tabernacle/Temple, some have misunderstood this passage to mean that a new mother could not enter the assembly (synagogue, congregation, or church) until after her time of purification was completed. Suffice to say that “one’s place in the assembly” is certainly not the Holy Temple, and the mitzvot of purity do not apply. If a new, ritually unclean mother were to be barred admission to the assembly, then the entire congregation would also be barred on the basis that everyone carries some degree of ritual uncleanness.

“On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin is to be circumcised” (12:3). In the life of the Master, we note how zealous Miriam was to follow the mitzvot of the Torah (see the commentary on The Life of Christ At – On the Eighth Day He was Circumcised and Named Yeshua). The faith of each individual believer rests upon the bedrock foundation of the Bible’s inspiration. If the Bible is of human origin, then it logically follows that the facts and doctrines found there are only as reliable as human knowledge can be. However, if the biblical records were provided by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (Second Peter 1:20-21), then we have every reason to believe that the facts and doctrines recorded there are free of those imperfections and blemishes that characterize all purely human efforts.

The Greek word used in the New Testament to express the concept of inspiration is theopneustos, and itself derives from two roots –theos, God, and pneustos, breathed (from pneo, to blow or breathe). Theopneustos, therefore, would mean God-breathed. The word implies an influence from without producing effects that are beyond natural powers. The proper view of inspiration often is referred to as being verbal (word-for-word) and plenary (complete). This concept suggests that men wrote what God directed, without errors or mistakes, yet with their own personalities reflected in their writings.

A close examination of the Bible reveals startling proof of its inspiration. Sometimes that proof comes in the form of prophecy (always minutely foretold and completely fulfilled). Sometimes the proof comes in the form of scientific facts that were placed in the divine record hundreds or thousands of years before they were known to the modern scientific mind. This brief article deals with the latter – an important piece of scientific foreknowledge found with the biblical text that was completely unknown to man until fairly recently.

In Genesis 17:12, God specifically directed Abraham to circumcise newborn males on the eighth day. Why the eighth day? In 1935, professor H. Dam proposed the name “vitamin K” for the factor in foods that helped prevent hemorrhaging in baby chicks. We now know vitamin K is responsible for the production (by the liver) of the element known as prothrombin. If vitamin K is deficient, there will be a prothrombin deficiency and hemorrhaging may occur. Oddly, it is only on the fifth through the seventh days of the newborn male’s life that vitamin K (produced by bacteria in the intestinal tract) is present in adequate quantities. Vitamin K, coupled with prothrombin, causes blood coagulation, which is important in any surgical procedure. Holt and McIntosh, in their classic work, Holt Pediatrics (1953), observed that a newborn infant has “peculiar susceptibility to bleeding between the second and fifth days of life. Hemorrhages at this time, though often inconsequential, are sometimes extensive; they may produce serious damage to internal organs, especially to the brain, and cause death from shock and exsanguination” (Holt Pediatrics, pages 125-126). Obviously, then, if vitamin K is not produced in sufficient quantities until days five through seven, it would be wise to postpone any surgery until sometime after that. But why did ADONAI specify day eight?

On the eighth day, the amount of prothrombin present actually is elevated to above one-hundred percent of normal – and is the only day in the male baby’s entire life in which this will be the case under normal conditions. If surgery is to be performed, the eighth day is the perfect day to do it, when vitamin K and prothrombin levels are at their peak.¹⁹⁴

We should commend the many hundreds of workers who labored at great expense over a number of years to discover that the safest day to perform circumcision is the eighth. Yet, as we congratulate medical science for this recent finding, we can almost hear the pages of the Bible rustling. They would like to remind us that four thousand years ago, when YHVH initiated circumcision with Abraham, he didn’t pick the eighth day after many centuries of trial-and-error experiments. Neither he nor any of his company from the ancient city of Ur in the Chaldees had ever been circumcised. It was a day picked by the Creator of vitamin K. Moshe’s information recorded in Genesis 17:12 (see Genesis En – For Generations to come Every Male Who Is Eight Days Old Must be Circumcised), was not only accurate, but was centuries ahead of its time. How did Abraham have access to such information? The answer, of course, is provided by Paul: All Scripture is inspired by God (Second Timothy 3:16).¹⁹⁵

The birth of a daughter (12:5): But if she gives birth to a girl, she will be unclean for fourteen days, as in her niddah; and she is to wait another sixty-six days (bringing the total days to eighty) to be purified from her blood. If the baby was a daughter, then the time of the mother’s purification was extended. Many suggestions have been made for the doubling of the time for a baby girl, but convincing evidence is lacking.¹⁹⁶

There is no mention that the girl is to be circumcised. So restricting circumcision to males does lead to a natural question: Since circumcision is the covenant sign (see the commentary on Genesis El – God’s Covenant of Circumcision with Abraham), and only males receive it, does this mean that only males are considered covenant members? No way! In Israelite society, the father was considered the head of the family, and thus the family representative. If he received the sign of the covenant, then all who were members of the family – including all the females – were considered to be covenant members as well (Genesis 6:18).¹⁹⁷

The purification offering (12:6-8): For the purification ritual, the correct sacrifice had to be made. Our parashah teaches that when the days of her purification were over, whether for a son or for a daughter, she was to bring a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or dove for a purification offering to the entrance of Tabernacle/Temple, to the priest to mark her re-entry into the worship community of Isra’el. The priest then offered it before ADONAI and made atonement for her; thus she was purified from her discharge of blood. That ritual of atonement was followed simply so that the woman would be ritually clean and allowed access to the Tabernacle/Temple, but not that she be forgiven. No forgiveness was necessary because there was no sin. Such is the mitzvah for a woman who gives birth, whether to a boy or to a girl. If she can’t afford a lamb, she is to take two doves or two young pigeons, the one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be ritually clean. The special mitzvah for the offering of the very poor shows that God was more interested in the offeror than the offering. The option of two doves or two pigeons was necessary because doves were migratory and not available year-around. According to Luke’s Gospel (see The Life of Christ Au – Jesus Presented in the Temple), Joseph and Mary brought birds: they were very poor.¹⁹⁸

Paul on Food Rendered Common by Idols
First Corinthians 8-10 and Romans 14

Paul on food rendered common by idols DIG: Why is it particularly difficult for the modern-day reader to identify with the problem of food sacrificed to idols? What does the Bible have to say about eating food sacrificed to idols or participating in an idolatrous feast?

REFLECT: What taboos do you have regarding eating? Where did they come from? What are they based on? What problems have they caused you? Your health? Your friends? Your relationship with ADONAI? How can you change? Who can you help with food this week?

Paul’s attitude toward meat sacrificed to idols was one of caution.

Whether or not it was possible to eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols was a divisive issue among believers in the First Century. There is a considerable amount or debate committed to the issue with the letters of Paul. The question is less straightforward than we might imagine. A closer examination of the First Century situation and a comparison of the halachah reveals layers of complexity that the modern reader could scarcely guess. It is an issue that is not well understood. Nor is it often discussed, because it is largely a moot question in today’s world.

When we buy meat from the modern supermarket, we never concern ourselves with whether or not it has been sacrificed to an idol. Yet, in the days of the apostles, this was a real concern. Meat bought in the marketplace of Corinth or Ephesus or any diaspora city was very likely the prime cuts from a temple sacrifice earlier that morning or leftovers from an idolatrous ritual-feast enjoyed the previous night. The first drawing of each vat of wine made by Gentile wine makers was almost certainly poured out to the Greek god of wine. In the opinion of the Sages, that rendered the rest of the wine in the vat as “sacrificed to an idol” and unfit for consumption.

In the halachah of the First Century, there was a deep concern with food sacrificed to idols. Partaking of food or drink which had been offered to a pagan god was expressly forbidden. Even among the believers, this was never allowed. Acts 15:20 clearly forbids even the Gentile believers from eating things offered to idols. And as late as the writing of the book of Revelation, the Master rebuked the church at Pergamum for holding to the doctrine of Balaam, that is, eating food that had been sacrificed to idols (Revelation 2:14). Messiah also rebuked the church at Thyatira for eating food sacrificed to idols (Revelation 2:20).

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for being an Awesome and Holy God! Heaven will be wonderful because we will live with You where there is no sin. Your love and holiness work together when You give Your righteousness to those who love You as their Lord (Romans 10:9-10) and Savior. He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21, also see Isaiah 53:4-6,11). In Your Holy Son’s Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Kosher food which had been offered in part to an idol or as part of an idolatrous feast was regarded as “common” (Greek: koinos). This is not the same thing as saying it was unclean (Hebrew: tamei). The Greek word for ritually unclean is akathartos. The LXX translates tamei as akathartos. Koinos, therefore, does not refer to impurity as defined by the Torah.

Though some among the Corinthian believers thought the meat sacrificed to idols should be permissible to them (see the commentary on First Corinthians, to see link click Bt – Using Freedom for God’s Glory), Paul sternly warned them against knowingly eating food sacrificed to idols. He warned them that to do so would create a stumbling block for weaker believers (see the commentary on First Corinthians Bm – The Weaker Brother or Sister). Thus, he warned them to flee from idolatry (First Corinthians 10:14), and refuse to eat any food which was known with certainty to have been offered to an idol (First Corinthians 10:27-28).

On the other hand, Paul concedes that one need not be concerned regarding whether food in the meat market was sacrificed to idols or not. He said: Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake; “for the Earth is ADONAI’s, and all that is in it” (First Corinthians 10:25-26 quoting Psalm 24:1). Paul’s point is that he ate unto ADONAI, not unto an idol. If I participate with thankfulness, why am I criticized over something for which I myself bless God?” Well, whatever you do, whether it’s eating or drinking or anything else, do it all so as to bring glory to God (First Corinthians 10:30-31). Therefore, as long as he didn’t know it was offered to an idol, he assumed it wasn’t. Instead, he ate it unto ADONAI. It was something of a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, quite the opposite of the stringent, rigidity that Pharisaic Judaism was prescribing for the matter.

Yet, Paul did not go so far as to sanction intentional eating of meat sacrificed to idols. He warned the Corinthians not to eat with an idolater, “No, what I wrote you was not to associate with anyone who is supposedly a brother but who also engages in sexual immorality, is greedy, worships idols, is abusive, gets drunk or steals. With such a person you shouldn’t even eat (First Corinthians 5:11)! So too, he warned the Ephesians not to partake with idolaters (Ephesians 5:5-7), and he reminded the Corinthians that the table (that is, the altar) of idols is the table of demons (First Corinthians 10:20-21).

In the final analysis, Paul’s attitude toward meat sacrificed to idols was one of caution. He forbid believers from intentionally eating food sacrificed to idols, but he steered them away from banning them from eating meat from the market, or in the homes of unbelievers, for even suspecting that it might have been sacrificed earlier. He reminded them the Corinthians that food would not improve your relationship with God – they would neither be poorer if the abstained nor richer if that ate (First Corinthians 8:8).¹⁸⁸

Paul does not take a hard stand on the issue of foods that have only potentially been offered to an idol. The conservatives in Rome certainly considered foods prepared by Gentiles as koinos (common) because they were potentially defiled by idolatry. Rather than eat meat or drink wine which might have been associated with idolatry and thereby rendered koinos, those conservatives choose to refrain from meat and wine and eat only vegetables as Dani’el did in Babylon. Paul regards this as a debatable matter and leaves it to one’s own conscience. One person has the trust that will allow him to eat anything, while another whose trust is weak eats only vegetables. The one who eats anything must not look down on the one who abstains; and the abstainer must not pass judgment on the one who eats anything, because God has accepted him – who are you to pass judgment on someone else’s servant? It is before his own master that he will stand or fall; and the fact is that he will stand, because the Lord is able to make him stand (Romans 14:2-4).

Though Paul advocates tolerance of those who insist on regarding meat and drink potentially defiled by idolatry as koinos, he himself is convinced that no food is koinos. He said as much to the congregation in Rome. I know – that is, I have been persuaded by the Lord – that nothing is unclean (koinos) in itself. But if a person considers something unclean (koinos), then for him it is unclean (koinos) (Romans 14:14).

Unfortunately, this passage is almost universally misapplied to mitzvot of clean and unclean animals (see Bk – Ritually Clean and Unclean Animals) as if Paul said that nothing is unclean (akathartos) in itself. He did not use the Greek equivalent for unclean, he used the equivalent word for common. There is a huge difference between the two. His statement that nothing is unclean in itself is completely unrelated to the mitzvot of clean and unclean animals. It is a question of whether or not food is permissible when it has been potentially offered to an idol. As in Corinthians, he warns his readers not to let their liberal interpretation of food sacrificed to idols become a stumbling block to others. Don’t tear down God’s work for the sake of food. True enough, all things are clean; but it is wrong for anybody by his eating to cause someone to fall away. What is good is not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble (Romans 14:20-21).

Notice that in this passage Paul mentions wine as one of the questionable foods. The Torah never speaks of ritually unclean wine. Wine is a koinos issue, not a clean/unclean issue. Clearly, Paul is speaking about the issue of food potentially being rendered koinos by contact with Gentiles and/or idolatry. Unfortunately, when passages like First Corinthians 8-10 and Romans 14 are taken out of their First Century Jewish background, far too oftern, people completely misunderstand them. Those who do not understand the Jewish perspective imagine that Paul is sanctioning the consumption of unclean meats forbidden by the Torah. Nothing could be further from the truth.¹⁸⁹

Luke and Paul on Food Rendered Common
by Contact with Gentiles
Acts 10:10-28; Galatians 2:11-15; Romans 14:1-4

Luke and Paul on food rendered common by contact with Gentiles DIG: Is there a biblical mitzvah forbidding Jews from mingling with and even eating with Gentiles? What do orthodox Jews believe about food prepared by a Gentile or without Jewish supervision today?

REFLECT: Who is “ritually unclean” in your neighborhood? Have you ever had a “Peter’s sheet” moment with another race? Do you avoid eating certain foods for “religious” reasons? How willing are you to oppose the stereotypes of your culture to reach others for Messiah?

There is no biblical mitzvah forbidding Jews from mingling with or eating with Gentiles.

One of the rigors of First Century Temple Judaism was a prohibition from eating in the homes of Gentiles, or from eating food that was prepared by them. Though we have little information on the exact nature of the prohibition, it is largely inferred from Acts 10:28, Galatians 2:12 and Romans 14:2. It seems to also be reflected in the Mishnah where we read, “The dwelling places of Gentiles are unclean” (m.Oholot 18:7).

The Torah of Moshe contains no such mitzvah. There is no biblical mitzvah forbidding Jews from mingling with or even eating with Gentiles. There are prohibitions in regard to eating idol sacrifices (Exodus 34:15), but YHVH never made a mitzvah stating that one may not enter a Gentile home or eat with a Gentile. Those laws and traditions came from the Oral Law (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Ei – Oral Law) as rabbis tried to build a fence around the Torah to protect Jews from the possibility of ritual contamination. One of the matters of concern to the Sages in the Mishnah was the very real possibility that Gentile homes contained corpses buried beneath them or within them. Entering such a structure would, indeed, be ritually unclean according to the Torah (Leviticus 118 and 43). Foods stored in a home where a dead body was kept would also be contaminated (Numbers 19:14-15). In order to preclude such possibilities, the Sages of the First Century instituted a prohibition against eating with Gentiles. Even though there was a Court of the Gentiles in the Temple courtyard, according to the mainstream Jewish interpretation (in First Century Isra’el) of the mitzvot of clean and unclean, Gentiles were classified as unclean and to be avoided in their dwelling places and socially. Even worse was the likelihood that Gentile food had been offered, in part, to an idol. For all the above reasons, entering Gentile homes was considered contaminating, and eating their food was not a possibility.

But things changed after Peter’s vision of something like a great sheet coming down from the heavens with all sorts of ritually unclean animals on it (see the commentary on Acts Bf – Peter’s Vision). A voice came to him saying: Get up, Peter. Kill and eat. (10:13). The rabbis taught that when God speaks in heaven, “the daughter of His voice” the bat-kol, or an echo, is heard on earth. After the last of the prophets, it was considered that God provided the bat-kol to continue to give guidance to the people (Tractate Yoma 9b). How does ADONAI speak to us today? He can speak to us through our circumstances, through mature believers, certainly through His Word. Yet, Ha’Shem can also speak through a still small voice (First Kings 19:11-13). The prohibition against eating unclean animals constitutes a central Jewish belief, and devout Jews frequently chose martyrdom rather than eating forbidden food. Many in Isra’el were fully resolved and confirmed themselves not to eat any unclean thing. So, they chose rather to die, that they might not be defiled with meats, and that they might not profane the holy Covenant, so then they died (First Maccabees 1:62-63; also see Ezekiel 4:13-14; Dani’el 1:8). As any pious Jew would have been, Peter was horrified. He was hungry, but not that hungry to eat non-kosher food.

Peter protested immediately: Certainly not, for never have I eaten anything unholy or unclean (Acts 10:14). He had zealously kept the dietary commandments all his life, believing that YHWH required eating kosher. His strict adherence reflected his devotion to pleasing ADONAI. Yet, he had put God in a box. How could Peter throw that lifelong habit away? What was he to think? It is important to understand that Yeshua was not abolishing the dietary commandments in the Torah. That would not be consistent with His own words: I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah – not until everything that must happen has happened (Matthew 5:18; Luke 16:17 CJB). However, in the Dispensation of Grace, we have freedom in Messiah to eat kosher or not. Today there are many Messianic Jews and Gentiles who choose to eat kosher. There is nothing right or wrong about doing so. It is merely a matter of personal choice.

Peter resisted the message so strongly that the bat-kol came to him, a second time saying: What God has made clean (kosher), you, you Peter, must not consider unholy. God had made all animals kosher fulfillment of the statement of Yeshua found in Mark 7:18-19. And because the context is eating food it shows that the vision included both food as well as its application of Gentiles later in the passage. ADONAI has made Gentiles clean, but also in the immediate context, He has made unkosher animals kosher.

Now in Matthew 15:15-20, Messiah predicted that He was going to make all meats clean. Yet in the Matthew account this was particularly addressed to Peter at that time, and now Peter must learn the lesson once again. All meats are now clean. In other words: What God has made clean (kosher), you, you Peter, must not consider unholy. The dietary regulations were so ingrained into his life that he still could not comprehend what was happening. Those unclean animals would cause contamination. This happened three times for emphasis, and suddenly the sheet was immediately taken up to heaven (Acts 10:15-16). At this point, Peter believed that God was speaking to him only about food. But that was only the first part of an analogy that the Lord would apply to Gentiles shortly. Why was ADONAI making those changes at that time? Because the Gentiles were coming into the Church (Ephesians 2:14), and Peter had the keys to the Kingdom (see  The Life of Christ Fx – On This Rock I Will Build My Church).

As Peter was coming out of his vision, he didn’t have it all figured out. He was puzzled about what he had seen might mean. Just then, the men sent by Cornelius found the tanner’s house and appeared before the gate. The arrival of the men at this point is clearly providential. They called out and began to ask whether Simon, also called Peter, was staying in this place as a guest (Acts 10:17-18). Peter did not hear them because he was still on the roof of the house puzzling about his vision, his puzzling, however, was short-lived.

But while Peter was mulling over the vision, the Spirit of God spoke directly to him and said: Look here, three men are looking for you. So get up at once, go downstairs, and go with those men without hesitating, because I Myself have sent them (Acts 10:19-20). At this point, God had not told Peter that his visitors were Gentiles! God used an angel, the bat-kol, the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, and two visions, one to Cornelius and one to Peter so that nothing was left to chance. Here was the situation that the vision was meant to prepare Peter.

As had Cornelius, Peter obeyed, although he probably still didn’t fully understand what was happening. Nevertheless, he went down to the men. He was probably shocked when he opened the door and saw three Gentiles standing there! Nevertheless, he said: Here, I’m the one you’re looking for. What is the reason for your coming? Because of what the Ruach Ha’Kodesh had told him, he was quite willing to listen to them. Nevertheless, their reply must have astonished Peter, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well-spoken of by all the Jewish people, was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear a message from you” (Acts 10:21-22). This was new information for the reader, Luke having saved it up for this point to add to the literary and dramatic effect of the story. Peter began to see the ramifications of his vision. He was to witness to this centurion whom Ha’Shem had directed to him.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for the greatness of Your love that willingly opened the door of heaven not only Jews, but to all who love and profess You as their Savior and Lord. For you are all children of God through trusting in Messiah Yeshua.  For all of you who were immersed in Messiah have clothed yourselves with Messiah.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female – for you are all one in Messiah Yeshua (Galatians 3:26-28).

How great it is that neither Jews nor Gentiles come in as second class citizens of Your Kingdom; but rather You have created a new Body made up of both Jews and Gentiles. For through Him we both have access to the Father by the same Ruach.  So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household.  You have been built on the foundation made up of the emissaries and prophets, with Messiah Yeshua Himself being the cornerstone. In Him the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple for the Lord.  In Him, you also are being built together into God’s dwelling place in the Ruach (Ephesians 2:18-22). Praise Your infinite and enduring love . We look forward to praising Your Great Name throughout eternity! In the holy name of Yeshua and by the power of His resurrection. Amen

Notice how perfectly YHVH coordinated the entire episode. For while Peter was praying and seeing his vision, the men from Cornelius were approaching Joppa (Acts 10:9-16); while Peter was puzzled about what he had seen might mean, they arrived at the house (Acts 10:17-18); while Peter was mulling over the meaning of the vision, the Ruach told him that the men were looking for him and he must not hesitate to go with them (Acts 10:19-20); and when Peter went down and introduced himself to them, they explained to him the purpose of their visit (Acts 10:21-22).¹⁸⁵

Because it was too late for them to return to Caesarea that day, Peter invited them to spend the night as his guests (Acts 10:23a). Under normal circumstances, a truly scrupulous Jew would never invite a Gentile to stay with him. Jubilees 22:16 reads, “Separate yourself from the [Gentile] nations, and do not eat with them. And do nothing according to their works. Do not associate with them, for their works are unclean. And all their ways are a pollution and an abomination and uncleanness. So, the fact that Peter invited them to spend the night as his guests hints that he was beginning to understand the message of the vision. By entertaining those Gentile guests, Peter went against the customs and traditions of Isra’el, but not against the Word of God. Possibly, at that very moment, the Ruach Ha’Kodesh flooded Peter’s heart with an understanding that although the TaNaKh said that His people were not to become like their pagan neighbors, it also said that YHVH wanted His people to be a light to their neighbors who didn’t know Him.¹⁸⁶ Through the descendants of Abraham, all the families of the earth [would] be blessed (Genesis 12:3b). In the final analysis, Peter understood that God had shown him not to call any person common or unclean (Acts 10:28).

Paul reported that Simon Peter was still not completely settled on the issue of whether or ot it was permissible to eat with Gentiles (see the commentary on Galatians Bb – The Antioch Incident: How Can You Force Jews to Live Like Gentiles). The Jewish customs referred to by Paul were rabbinic traditions forbidding Jews to eat with Gentiles. In the home-setting of the early congregations where the breaking of bread together was a regular function of Shabbat, such scruples meant complete separation between Jewish and Gentile believers. Peter “lived like a Gentile” in as much as he feely fellowshipped with, and ate with, Gentiles after his vision of the sheet. But under the influence of certain men from James, Peter apparently had second thoughts.

It is a similar question of table-fellowship between Jewish and Gentile believers that lies behind the Torah questions of Romans 14 (see the commentary on Romans Dg – Torah Questions). The man of weak faith who eats only vegetables is most likely the Jew who will not eat meat or wine (though it is technically kosher) from a Gentile table. And the man of strong faith who eats everything is the Jew who has accepted the ruling that kosher foods are not made common (and therefore forbidden) simply because they have been prepared by Gentiles or because they were in the possession of Gentiles. To this day, the halachah of orthodox Judaism holds that food prepared by a Gentile without Jewish supervision is not kosher. Wine made without Jewish supervision is likewise considered forbidden on the basis that some of it might have been poured out as a libation to an idol. But that’s next (see Bs – Luke and Paul on Food Rendered Ritually Unclean by Idols).¹⁸⁷

Yeshua on the Handling of Food
Mark 7: 1-15

Yeshua on the handling of food DIG: According to Jewish tradition, what did the apostles do wrong? What three areas did Yeshua find so hypocritical about the Pharisees and their traditions? How does the quote from Isaiah address the issue at hand? What is the source of true uncleanness? Why can’t external things defile a person? What is the meaning of Yeshua’s parable? Why didn’t the talmidim understand it? Why was it easier to follow religious rules rather than to develop an intimate relationship with ADONAI?

REFLECT: Which of your family traditions would be difficult to change? What traditions do you follow that are part of your religious heritage? What do you do to appear holy? When are you most likely to uphold outward religious tradition rather than honor God in your heart? What is wrong with measuring spirituality by outward actions? How can you make sure traditions and outward actions do not replace true holiness? What can you do to have a pure heart?

Yeshua Messiah took issue with the Oral Law and declared
that no food could be rendered ritually unclean by being eaten with unwashed hands.

Yeshua’s popularity sparked envy and concern among the religious leaders of His time. The troublemaking Rabbi was breaking too many rules. His talmidim were ignoring traditions held for centuries. A huge collection of rules for living had gradually developed that was supposed to reflect the central teaching of ADONAI’s Word. Many of these, however, turned out to be subtle ways to deflect and actually contradict His commands, as Messiah pictures here.

By the time of our Savior, the tradition of the elders or the Oral Law (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Ei – The Oral Law), had become equal with Scripture in the eyes of the Jews. In fact, to some Jews it had even become greater than the TaNaKh. The rabbis taught that it was more punishable to act against the words of the Scribes, than the words of the Scriptures. They had many other sayings that, in effect, said the same thing. The rabbis had a saying, “He that says something he did not hear from his rabbi causes the Sh’khinah glory to depart from Israel.” They also said, “He that contradicts his rabbis is he that will contradict the Sh’khinah glory. He that would speak against his rabbi is he that would speak against God.” Shockingly, the rabbis said, “My son, give my people words of the rabbis, then give them the words of the Torah.” In that same line of thinking, the rabbis taught that to study the Scriptures was neither good nor bad. But to study the Oral Law was a good habit that brought reward.¹⁷⁶

Dear Heavenly Father, You alone are holy and worthy of my complete worship. No person can come anywhere near how special and wonderful You are. Only You, God, are my perfect Lord, Master and Father whom I desire to please. When anyone or anything else is put as first place in someone’s life, they are doing the evil that You warn against doing. They traded the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen  (Romans 1:25). How sad it is, when one sinner leads another into sin causing them both to be judged for their wrong. Though they know God’s righteous decree – that those who practice such things deserve death – they not only do them but also approve of others who practice the same (Romans 1:32). It is so foolish to worship the traditions of men. What a joy it is to focus on You for you alone are Holy, Almighty, All Powerful, and All Wise, and You also are our Forgiving Savior and Loving Father! Wow! There is none holy as ADONAI, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God (First Samuel 2:2). I love to meditate on Your so many magnificent and wonderful qualities! In Holy Yeshua’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill Him (John 7:1). From now to the end of His public ministry, hostility to Messiah continued to grow. As the hatred of His opponents deepened, it meant that Yeshua could no longer move openly. We have already seen two major areas of confrontation between Yeshua and the Jewish leadership concerning the Oral Law: fasting (see The Life of Christ Dq – When You Fast, Put Oil on Your Head and Wash Your Face) and the proper ways of keeping the Sabbath (see The Life of Christ Cs – Jesus Heals a Man at the Pool of Bethesda), (see The Life of Christ Cv – The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath), and (see The Life of Christ Cw – Jesus Heals a Man With a Shriveled Hand). Here we see a third major confrontation over hand washing.

And some Pharisees and some of the Torah-teachers who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Yeshua. Mark begins his account of this confrontation with the word and, or the Greek work kai. This connects what follows very loosely with what went on before; namely, contrast between the phenomenal popularity of the people and the extraordinary hostility of pharisaic Judaism. They saw some of his talmidim eating bread with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed (Mark 7:1-2). Bread is plural in the Greek, and is preceded by the definite articles. The article points to some particular bread known by the Pharisees and the Lord. The plural number speaks of loaves of bread. The reference evidently was to the talmidim eating some of the bread preserved in the baskets from the mountainside near the town of Bethsaida (see The Life of Christ Fn – Jesus Feeds the 5,000). There was no specific opportunity at that time to wash their hands, which would have been a good thing to do. But it was a much more serious issue with the Pharisees because they were thinking only in terms of their traditions.

The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ritual washing, holding to the tradition of the elders (Mark 7:3), or the Oral Law. The word elders referred to the members of the council (see The Life of Christ Lg – The Great Sanhedrin). In early times the rulers of the people were chosen from the elderly men. The washing was done with the fist clenched. The person rubbed one hand on the arm up to the elbow with the other hand clenched. The “hand” was considered from the tip of the fingers to the elbow. Then that person would rub using the palm of the other hand with the other clinched, so as to make sure that the part that touched the food would be ritually clean.¹⁷⁷

When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. It was acceptable to touch ritually unclean things, but the Oral Law said they needed to wash their “hands” from the elbow to the fingertips before eating. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles (Mark 7:4). The Jews were careful to wash their hands before eating anything. They wouldn’t eat the smallest seed until they washed their hands first, even though Moses never commanded it.

Orthodox Jews today observe hand washing before meals. The rationale for it has nothing to do with hygiene but is based on the idea that “a man’s home is his Temple,” with the dining table his altar, the food his sacrifice and himself as the priest. Since the TaNaKh requires priests to be ritually clean before offering sacrifices on the bronze Altar, the Oral Law requires the same before eating a meal.¹⁷⁸

To give you an idea of just how radically they were about this, here is what the Oral Law says about hand washing. The rabbis taught that it was better to have to walk four miles to water, than to be guilty of neglecting to wash their hands. They also said that the one who neglects hand washing is as bad as a murderer. Along that same line of thinking, they said the one who neglects hand washing is like one who goes to a prostitute. They also said that three sins bring poverty after them, and one of them is neglecting hand washing (In other words, if you don’t want to die poor, wash your hands before you eat).¹⁷⁹

The Sages inferred from the mitzvot of the Torah that food could be rendered ritually unclean by being handled with unwashed hands. Their reasoning came from the Torah, which says that humans can become ritually unclean and even ritually contaminating. For example, someone who has touched a corpse not only becomes ritually unclean, but anyone he touches thereafter also would be rendered ritually unclean. In addition, the Torah specifies that the meat of certain animals is ritually unclean and therefore forbidden for consumption, whereas others are ritually clean and therefore permissible. The Torah also tells us that otherwise ritually clean food can be rendered ritually unclean if the carcass of a ritually unclean animal falls into it or touches it (see Bk – Ritually Clean and Unclean Animals).

The Oral Law took these basic Torah concepts and combined them for what would seem to be a logical conclusion. In the Oral Law we learn that touching bread with ritually unclean hands rendered the bread unclean. According to such a mitzvah, a ritually unclean person handling otherwise ritually clean food, rendered that food ritually unclean and therefore unkosher. Thus, if you were ritually unclean (for whatever reason) and went to eat a peanut-butter sandwich with ritually unclean hands, that sandwich would be rendered ritually unclean by your touch. Suddenly, the peanut-butter sandwich would be as ritually unclean as a ham. This was a tradition of the Pharisees, but it was not Torah from Sinai.¹⁸⁰

But when Yeshua didn’t follow the traditions of men He was viciously attacked. So the Pharisees and Torah-teachers asked Messiah, “Why do Your talmidim break the tradition of the elders instead of washing their hands before they eat” (Mark 7:5)? It is worth noting that the Pharisees and Torah-teachers never had a single opportunity to accuse Yeshua of violating the Torah, because He kept it perfectly (see my commentary on Exodus Du – Do Not Think That I Have Come to Abolish the Torah and the Prophets). Every argument they had, without exception, was over the Oral Law. This was the basis of His rejection. Then Jesus points out three areas where pharisaic Judaism was a sham.

First, He said the true nature of the traditions of men was hypocrisy. He replied: Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules (Mark 7:6-7; Isaiah 29:13). Legalism gives the outward sense of spirituality, or of being religious. They appear to be spiritual or religious because they live a legalistic lifestyle. They believe they are honoring and worshiping God by trying to keep this set of human rules.

Secondly, sometimes to keep the traditions of men, they actually had to ignore a divine commandment. You have [abandoned] the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men (Mark 7:8). Yeshua admits to breaking the Oral Law, and, as we shall see later, He goes out of His way to break it.

Thirdly, sometimes to keep the traditions of men, they had to reject a divine commandment. Then He immediately gives an example of their hypocrisy. Yeshua’s response was both simple and forceful as He answered their question with irony and biting sarcasm when He asked: Why do you break the command of God by your tradition? They made God’s Word null and void, and stumbled untold many. For God said through Moses, “Honor your father and mother,” and in conjunction with that mitzvah, the Torah also states that anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death (Mark 7:9-10). At that point, it was still the commandment for breaking the Torah. But the Mishnah declared, “He who curses his father or mother is not guilty unless he specifically curses them with the name of ADONAI” (Sanhedrin 7. 8). Although these are clear Torah commands that any rabbi would surely respect, Messiah points out how, by means of a theological debate, the Oral Law skirted around the original intent of the commandment.

But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is “devoted to God” or Corban (Mark 7:11). Yeshua was referring to the Oral Law when He responded with the phrase but you say, instead of the familiar wording it is written. At any time a Pharisee would wave his hand above his head and say the magic word: Corban, which meant dedicated to the Temple treasury, then anything he owned at that time became devoted, or set aside, for God. That meant he could do one of two things with his Corban. He could give all of it, or part of it, to the Temple treasury, or he could keep it for his own private use. What he could not do with it was to give it away for someone else to use.

Moshe said: Honor your father and mother (see my commentary on Exodus Do – Honor Your Father and Your Mother). The implication of that commandment was that children were responsible for the welfare of their older parents when they became incapable of taking care of themselves. That was what the Jews believed Moses meant when he gave that commandment. But the Pharisees were extremely reluctant to share their wealth with anyone who was not a Pharisee. The problem was their parents were not Pharisees. To skirt around the issue, if a Pharisee saw his father approaching, knowing he might ask for something, he would merely wave his hand above his head and say: Corban. When his father stated his need, the son would say, “Golly gee dad, I wish you would have asked me earlier. I have just declared all of my possessions to be Corban.” That was why Yeshua said: Then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you (Mark 7:12-13). Then Yeshua pointed out that this was not something new. He quoted a verse from the TaNaKh in which Isaiah rebuked some of his generation as well. These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules (Matthew 15:8-9).¹⁸¹

Here is another example of their hypocrisy. The Torah said: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. On that day you shall not do any work (Exodus 20:8-11). But many of the Pharisees wanted to be at the Temple, or would have to carry out business in different towns. So to get around this, the school of Sophim said, “Alright, we cannot go more than a Sabbath day’s journey from where we live. So how do we define where our home is?” They defined a “home” was where your possessions were. This solved the problem! They would send out slaves standing a mile apart each holding one of his possessions. As a result, each mile was his “home.” They did many things like that.¹⁸²

We are reminded here that Yeshua came as the Meshiach for Isra’el and, as such, a prophetic voice to correct the errors of His generation. So in that sense, Messiah called His generation (and really every generation) to a purer understanding of the Torah even if it means giving up some of the traditions of men that have accumulated over time. The Talmudic tradition is of great value and interest to both Jewish and Gentile believers today, especially in the context of understanding the Gospels that were written in the first century. In spite of that, there are times when the tradition of the elders must take a subordinate position to the written Word of God, just as Yeshua Messiah taught here.¹⁸³

We know that external behavior and measurements are both highly inaccurate. Looks deceive as often as they convey the truth. But that’s how we tend to judge other people until it occurs to us that Ha’Shem is neither impressed nor fooled by appearances. But God looks at the heart, and He’s the expert at cleaning hearts. Being pure in ADONAI’s sight doesn’t mean we are perfect; but it means that we take steps to make sure that the internal and external aspects of our lives are consistent. King David would say: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from Me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me (Psalm 51:10-12; also see Second Corinthians 4:16-18; Hebrews 12:14).¹⁸⁴

At this juncture, Yeshua turned the discussion away from the Pharisees to the crowd around Him. Again Messiah taught the masses by the use of a parable so that only those of faith could understand Him. Not even His disciples understood at first (see The Life of Christ Ez – The Private Parables of the Kingdom in a House). He called the crowd to Him and said: Listen to Me, everyone, and understand this. What goes into someone’s mouth (like food) does not make them ritually unclean, but what comes out of their mouth (like the Oral Law), that is what defiles them (Mark 7:14-15).