Here is how it all starts, back in chapter 25:
(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ב) דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְיִקְחוּ־לִ֖י תְּרוּמָ֑ה מֵאֵ֤ת כָּל־אִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִדְּבֶ֣נּוּ לִבּ֔וֹ תִּקְח֖וּ אֶת־תְּרוּמָתִֽי׃ (ג) וְזֹאת֙ הַתְּרוּמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּקְח֖וּ מֵאִתָּ֑ם זָהָ֥ב וָכֶ֖סֶף וּנְחֹֽשֶׁת׃ (ד) וּתְכֵ֧לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ן וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י וְשֵׁ֥שׁ וְעִזִּֽים׃ (ה) וְעֹרֹ֨ת אֵילִ֧ם מְאָדָּמִ֛ים וְעֹרֹ֥ת תְּחָשִׁ֖ים וַעֲצֵ֥י שִׁטִּֽים׃ (ו) שֶׁ֖מֶן לַמָּאֹ֑ר בְּשָׂמִים֙ לְשֶׁ֣מֶן הַמִּשְׁחָ֔ה וְלִקְטֹ֖רֶת הַסַּמִּֽים׃ (ז) אַבְנֵי־שֹׁ֕הַם וְאַבְנֵ֖י מִלֻּאִ֑ים לָאֵפֹ֖ד וְלַחֹֽשֶׁן׃ (ח) וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם׃
(1-8)
And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying,
“Speak to the Israelites, and let them bring to me a contribution. You will receive my contribution from every man whose heart prompts him....
And make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell in their midst!
Then after the explanation, we get yet another detailed account of the details, as the Israelites are actually doing the crafting and building.
But all the while, YHWH's stated goal is reverberating in the background:
(לג) וַיָּ֣קֶם אֶת־הֶחָצֵ֗ר סָבִיב֙ לַמִּשְׁכָּ֣ן וְלַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וַיִּתֵּ֕ן אֶת־מָסַ֖ךְ שַׁ֣עַר הֶחָצֵ֑ר וַיְכַ֥ל מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶת־הַמְּלָאכָֽה׃ (פ) (לד) וַיְכַ֥ס הֶעָנָ֖ן אֶת־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וּכְב֣וֹד יְהוָ֔ה מָלֵ֖א אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן׃ (לה) וְלֹא־יָכֹ֣ל מֹשֶׁ֗ה לָבוֹא֙ אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד כִּֽי־שָׁכַ֥ן עָלָ֖יו הֶעָנָ֑ן וּכְב֣וֹד יְהוָ֔ה מָלֵ֖א אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן׃ (לו) וּבְהֵעָל֤וֹת הֶֽעָנָן֙ מֵעַ֣ל הַמִּשְׁכָּ֔ן יִסְע֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בְּכֹ֖ל מַסְעֵיהֶֽם׃ (לז) וְאִם־לֹ֥א יֵעָלֶ֖ה הֶעָנָ֑ן וְלֹ֣א יִסְע֔וּ עַד־י֖וֹם הֵעָלֹתֽוֹ׃ (לח) כִּי֩ עֲנַ֨ן יְהוָ֤ה עַֽל־הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ יוֹמָ֔ם וְאֵ֕שׁ תִּהְיֶ֥ה לַ֖יְלָה בּ֑וֹ לְעֵינֵ֥י כָל־בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּכָל־מַסְעֵיהֶֽם׃
(33-38)
And [Moses] set up the courtyard all around the tabernacle and the altar, and he put up the screen of the gate of the courtyard, and Moses completed the work.
And the cloud covered the tent of assembly, and the glory of YHWH filled the tabernacle!
And Moses was unable to go into the tent of assembly because the cloud settled on it and the glory of YHWH filled the tabernacle!
And when the cloud was lifted from the tabernacle, the Israelites set out on all their journeys. But if the cloud was not lifted, they did not set out until the day of its being lifted.
For the cloud of YHWH was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night before the eyes of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.
But hold on! The climax is not yet done!
For as it turns out, the very first sentence of the book of Leviticus is basically a continuation of the last sentence of Exodus:
(א) וַיִּקְרָ֖א אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֵלָ֔יו מֵאֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ב) דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם אָדָ֗ם כִּֽי־יַקְרִ֥יב מִכֶּ֛ם קָרְבָּ֖ן לַֽיהוָ֑ה מִן־הַבְּהֵמָ֗ה מִן־הַבָּקָר֙ וּמִן־הַצֹּ֔אן תַּקְרִ֖יבוּ אֶת־קָרְבַּנְכֶֽם׃ (ג) אִם־עֹלָ֤ה קָרְבָּנוֹ֙ מִן־הַבָּקָ֔ר זָכָ֥ר תָּמִ֖ים יַקְרִיבֶ֑נּוּ אֶל־פֶּ֝תַח אֹ֤הֶל מוֹעֵד֙ יַקְרִ֣יב אֹת֔וֹ לִרְצֹנ֖וֹ לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃
(1) Then YHWH called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying:
(2) Speak to the Israelite people, and say to them:
When any of you presents an offering of cattle to YHWH, he shall choose his offering from the herd or from the flock.
(3) If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall make his offering a male without blemish...
But what's even more puzzling is the very first topic that YHWH would address, upon basically settling down on what will be his permanent throne amidst Israel, a glorious moment!
What would you think is the most appropriate First Pronouncement, or inauguration speech, that a king would make when sitting on his Throne for the first time? Maybe something about his grand vision for the future; Or how he cares for his people and will rule them fairly; Or maybe reminiscing on his people's history and celebrating past accomplishments.
Not YHWH.
YHWH gets right down to business, speaking of the workings of the sacrificial system, a topic he would dwell on, non-stop, for the next seven chapters, detailing all the different categories, occasions, and all the complicated how-to's.
But the authors of the Priestly texts were such deeply philosophical thinkers, who expressed what I think are some of the most profound sentiments in the collections in the TaNaKh.
But they don't just hand it to us; They make us work; It takes digging and reading between the lines to get at the roots of how this intricate and priestly system speaks to a very thoroughly worked-out and thoughtful understanding of far-reaching theological concepts.
Consider the following spectrum:
Is he Imminent, in that he is easily accessible to each and every once of us wherever and however we are?
Can we turn to him as child turns to a parent with a request, or with a plea for help? Can we turn to him as we would to a dear friend, seeking comfort and assurance? Is he present, in the world with us, rejoicing at our successes and aching with our pains? And would his immediate presence result in a feeling of security and homeness.
OR
Is he Transcendent, in that he is BIG and LOFTY, unknowable and unapproachable? Such that we can never encounter him, but only whatever footprint he might have left behind in the deeds he has done? And were one to encounter him directly, the experience would be terrifying beyond belief!
The first offering we read about in Leviticus is called the Olah offering, which you might see translated as the Elevation offering, or the Burnt offering, or the Holocaust offering:
(ג) אִם־עֹלָ֤ה קָרְבָּנוֹ֙ מִן־הַבָּקָ֔ר זָכָ֥ר תָּמִ֖ים יַקְרִיבֶ֑נּוּ אֶל־פֶּ֝תַח אֹ֤הֶל מוֹעֵד֙ יַקְרִ֣יב אֹת֔וֹ לִרְצֹנ֖וֹ לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ (ד) וְסָמַ֣ךְ יָד֔וֹ עַ֖ל רֹ֣אשׁ הָעֹלָ֑ה וְנִרְצָ֥ה ל֖וֹ לְכַפֵּ֥ר עָלָֽיו׃ (ה) וְשָׁחַ֛ט אֶת־בֶּ֥ן הַבָּקָ֖ר לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְ֠הִקְרִיבוּ בְּנֵ֨י אַהֲרֹ֤ן הַֽכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ אֶת־הַדָּ֔ם וְזָרְק֨וּ אֶת־הַדָּ֤ם עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ סָבִ֔יב אֲשֶׁר־פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃ (ו) וְהִפְשִׁ֖יט אֶת־הָעֹלָ֑ה וְנִתַּ֥ח אֹתָ֖הּ לִנְתָחֶֽיהָ׃ (ז) וְ֠נָתְנוּ בְּנֵ֨י אַהֲרֹ֧ן הַכֹּהֵ֛ן אֵ֖שׁ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וְעָרְכ֥וּ עֵצִ֖ים עַל־הָאֵֽשׁ׃ (ח) וְעָרְכ֗וּ בְּנֵ֤י אַהֲרֹן֙ הַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים אֵ֚ת הַנְּתָחִ֔ים אֶת־הָרֹ֖אשׁ וְאֶת־הַפָּ֑דֶר עַל־הָעֵצִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־הָאֵ֔שׁ אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃ (ט) וְקִרְבּ֥וֹ וּכְרָעָ֖יו יִרְחַ֣ץ בַּמָּ֑יִם וְהִקְטִ֨יר הַכֹּהֵ֤ן אֶת־הַכֹּל֙ הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חָה עֹלָ֛ה אִשֵּׁ֥ה רֵֽיחַ־נִיח֖וֹחַ לַֽיהוָֽה׃ (ס)
(3) If [someone brings] an oleh-offering from the herd, he shall make his offering a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, for acceptance in his behalf before YHWH.
...
(7) The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and lay out wood upon the fire; (8) and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall lay out the sections, with the head and the suet, on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar.
(9) Its entrails and legs shall be washed with water, and the priest shall turn the whole into smoke on the altar as a burnt offering, an offering by fire of pleasing odor to YHWH.
Perhaps you find this unsurprising; For if one is bringing an offering to the Tabernacle, who would you expect would be able to eat from it? Of course it would be burnt completely to symbolize that it is going solely to YHWH - right???
Well, now let's take a look at another offering called the Shelamim, which you might see translated as the Peace-offering or the Well-being offering:
(א) וְאִם־זֶ֥בַח שְׁלָמִ֖ים קָרְבָּנ֑וֹ אִ֤ם מִן־הַבָּקָר֙ ה֣וּא מַקְרִ֔יב אִם־זָכָר֙ אִם־נְקֵבָ֔ה תָּמִ֥ים יַקְרִיבֶ֖נּוּ לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ (ב) וְסָמַ֤ךְ יָדוֹ֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ קָרְבָּנ֔וֹ וּשְׁחָט֕וֹ פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וְזָרְק֡וּ בְּנֵי֩ אַהֲרֹ֨ן הַכֹּהֲנִ֧ים אֶת־הַדָּ֛ם עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ סָבִֽיב׃ (ג) וְהִקְרִיב֙ מִזֶּ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִ֔ים אִשֶּׁ֖ה לַיהוָ֑ה אֶת־הַחֵ֙לֶב֙ הַֽמְכַסֶּ֣ה אֶת־הַקֶּ֔רֶב וְאֵת֙ כָּל־הַחֵ֔לֶב אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־הַקֶּֽרֶב׃ (ד) וְאֵת֙ שְׁתֵּ֣י הַכְּלָיֹ֔ת וְאֶת־הַחֵ֙לֶב֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲלֵהֶ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־הַכְּסָלִ֑ים וְאֶת־הַיֹּתֶ֙רֶת֙ עַל־הַכָּבֵ֔ד עַל־הַכְּלָי֖וֹת יְסִירֶֽנָּה׃ (ה) וְהִקְטִ֨ירוּ אֹת֤וֹ בְנֵֽי־אַהֲרֹן֙ הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חָה עַל־הָ֣עֹלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־הָעֵצִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־הָאֵ֑שׁ אִשֵּׁ֛ה רֵ֥יחַ נִיחֹ֖חַ לַֽיהוָֽה׃ (פ)
(1) If his offering is a sacrifice of well-being—
...
(3) He shall then present from the sacrifice of well-being, as an offering by fire to YHWH, the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is about the entrails; (4) the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, that is at the loins; and the protuberance on the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys.
(5) Aaron’s sons shall turn these into smoke on the altar, with the burnt offering which is upon the wood that is on the fire, as an offering by fire, of pleasing odor to the LORD.
Firstly, what exactly is being burnt in the above passage?
- The fat over the entrails;
- The two kidneys and their fat;
- The protuberance of the liver
But an animal is made out of much more than these fats, right? So what's happening to the rest of it!
Well for that, we have to jump ahead to chapter 7:
(יא) וְזֹ֥את תּוֹרַ֖ת זֶ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַקְרִ֖יב לַיהוָֽה׃ (יב) אִ֣ם עַל־תּוֹדָה֮ יַקְרִיבֶנּוּ֒ וְהִקְרִ֣יב ׀ עַל־זֶ֣בַח הַתּוֹדָ֗ה חַלּ֤וֹת מַצּוֹת֙ בְּלוּלֹ֣ת בַּשֶּׁ֔מֶן וּרְקִיקֵ֥י מַצּ֖וֹת מְשֻׁחִ֣ים בַּשָּׁ֑מֶן וְסֹ֣לֶת מֻרְבֶּ֔כֶת חַלֹּ֖ת בְּלוּלֹ֥ת בַּשָּֽׁמֶן׃ (יג) עַל־חַלֹּת֙ לֶ֣חֶם חָמֵ֔ץ יַקְרִ֖יב קָרְבָּנ֑וֹ עַל־זֶ֖בַח תּוֹדַ֥ת שְׁלָמָֽיו׃ (יד) וְהִקְרִ֨יב מִמֶּ֤נּוּ אֶחָד֙ מִכָּל־קָרְבָּ֔ן תְּרוּמָ֖ה לַיהוָ֑ה לַכֹּהֵ֗ן הַזֹּרֵ֛ק אֶת־דַּ֥ם הַשְּׁלָמִ֖ים ל֥וֹ יִהְיֶֽה׃ (טו) וּבְשַׂ֗ר זֶ֚בַח תּוֹדַ֣ת שְׁלָמָ֔יו בְּי֥וֹם קָרְבָּנ֖וֹ יֵאָכֵ֑ל לֹֽא־יַנִּ֥יחַ מִמֶּ֖נּוּ עַד־בֹּֽקֶר׃
(11) This is the ritual of the sacrifice of well-being that one may offer to YHWH:
(12) If he offers it for thanksgiving he shall offer together with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes with oil mixed in, unleavened wafers spread with oil, and cakes of choice flour with oil mixed in, well soaked.
(13) This offering, with cakes of leavened bread added, he shall offer along with his thanksgiving sacrifice of well-being.
(14) Out of this he shall offer one of each kind as a gift to YHWH; it shall go to the priest who dashes the blood of the offering of well-being.
(15) And the flesh of his thanksgiving sacrifice of well-being shall be eaten on the day that it is offered; none of it shall be set aside until morning.
What comes out from this is that YHWH himself receives the fats, the priests get the wafers, and whichever Israelite or Judean brings the offering, he himself gets to eat the rest!
One, the Olah, which goes to YHWH entirely which no one else can touch.
And another, the Shelamim, which goes partly to YHWH, partly to the priests, but the majority of which the offerer gets to keep himself! Which, in effect, results in communion, the sharing of a meal between an everyday Israelite or Judean and his/her family on one hand, with YHWH on the other. As if they are all sitting at the same table, eating from the very same foods and sharing a moment of closeness!
Perhaps he's both/and. Perhaps he's sometimes one and sometimes another. Perhaps in each of our lives, we experience him as one or the other, while the truth is somewhere in between.
While it might not be clear how exactly to interpret this aspect of the Priestly system, I think they were most definitely trying to express something as they wrestled with this type of question; This, and many others, in such fascinating ways.
A memory that goes all the way back to humankind's first sacrifice ever:
(א) וְהָ֣אָדָ֔ם יָדַ֖ע אֶת־חַוָּ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וַתַּ֙הַר֙ וַתֵּ֣לֶד אֶת־קַ֔יִן וַתֹּ֕אמֶר קָנִ֥יתִי אִ֖ישׁ אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃ (ב) וַתֹּ֣סֶף לָלֶ֔דֶת אֶת־אָחִ֖יו אֶת־הָ֑בֶל וַֽיְהִי־הֶ֙בֶל֙ רֹ֣עֵה צֹ֔אן וְקַ֕יִן הָיָ֖ה עֹבֵ֥ד אֲדָמָֽה׃ (ג) וַֽיְהִ֖י מִקֵּ֣ץ יָמִ֑ים וַיָּבֵ֨א קַ֜יִן מִפְּרִ֧י הָֽאֲדָמָ֛ה מִנְחָ֖ה לַֽיהוָֽה׃ (ד) וְהֶ֨בֶל הֵבִ֥יא גַם־ה֛וּא מִבְּכֹר֥וֹת צֹאנ֖וֹ וּמֵֽחֶלְבֵהֶ֑ן וַיִּ֣שַׁע יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־הֶ֖בֶל וְאֶל־מִנְחָתֽוֹ׃
(1-4)
Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gained a male child with the help of YHWH!”
She then bore his brother Hevel.
Abel became a keeper of sheep, and Cain became a tiller of the soil.
In the course of time, Cain brought an offering to YHWH from the fruit of the soil, and Hevel, for his part, brought the choicest of the firstlings of his flock.
Neither Cain nor Hevel inherited any kind of system. They didn't have rites or rituals or ceremonies. There was just something about being alive, of having nefesh-chaiim, the breath of life, and being in a world surrounded by life and by nature; A world that their parents told them had been created by a Creator.
Be it out of gratitude, out of love, out of a desire to "give-back" or be in relationship, we can't know what it was exactly.
But whatever it was, it was a a genuine response, a response of authenticity, which expressed something deep and completely sincere.
For whenever something is systematized, with procedures detailed and clearly laid out, there is always a risk; A risk that our prophets spoke to, time and time again.
Consider the following statement by Malachi, a 5th-century Judean prophet, noteworthy for being the very last prophet of whom we would have oracles preserved in the whole TaNaKh-collection!
(ו) בֵּ֛ן יְכַבֵּ֥ד אָ֖ב וְעֶ֣בֶד אֲדֹנָ֑יו וְאִם־אָ֣ב אָ֣נִי אַיֵּ֣ה כְבוֹדִ֡י וְאִם־אֲדוֹנִ֣ים אָנִי֩ אַיֵּ֨ה מוֹרָאִ֜י אָמַ֣ר ׀ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֗וֹת לָכֶם֙ הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ בּוֹזֵ֣י שְׁמִ֔י וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם בַּמֶּ֥ה בָזִ֖ינוּ אֶת־שְׁמֶֽךָ׃ (ז) מַגִּישִׁ֤ים עַֽל־מִזְבְּחִי֙ לֶ֣חֶם מְגֹאָ֔ל וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם בַּמֶּ֣ה גֵֽאַלְנ֑וּךָ בֶּאֱמָרְכֶ֕ם שֻׁלְחַ֥ן יְהוָ֖ה נִבְזֶ֥ה הֽוּא׃ (ח) וְכִֽי־תַגִּשׁ֨וּן עִוֵּ֤ר לִזְבֹּ֙חַ֙ אֵ֣ין רָ֔ע וְכִ֥י תַגִּ֛ישׁוּ פִּסֵּ֥חַ וְחֹלֶ֖ה אֵ֣ין רָ֑ע הַקְרִיבֵ֨הוּ נָ֜א לְפֶחָתֶ֗ךָ הֲיִּרְצְךָ֙ א֚וֹ הֲיִשָּׂ֣א פָנֶ֔יךָ אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃
(6) A son honors his father, and a slave his master. But if I am a father, where is the honor due Me? And if I am a master, where is the reverence due Me???
—said YHWH-of-Legions to you, O priests who scorn My name.
...
(7) You offer defiled food on My altar. But you ask, “How have we defiled You?”
By saying, “The table of YHWH can be treated with scorn!”
(8) When you present a blind animal for sacrifice—it doesn’t matter!
We'll come back to this.
But first, let's take a moment to rewind to the other side of the "Literary Prophet"-timeline, to the very beginning, about 300 years earlier - the 8th century BCE!
It was in this century where there would be four Giants of ministry in Israel and Judah. One of them, Isaiah, would open up his first chapter with some themes that would intersect in interesting ways with what we just saw from Malachi:
(ב) שִׁמְע֤וּ שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְהַאֲזִ֣ינִי אֶ֔רֶץ כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה דִּבֵּ֑ר בָּנִים֙ גִּדַּ֣לְתִּי וְרוֹמַ֔מְתִּי וְהֵ֖ם פָּ֥שְׁעוּ בִֽי׃
...
(יא) לָמָּה־לִּ֤י רֹב־זִבְחֵיכֶם֙ יֹאמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה שָׂבַ֛עְתִּי עֹל֥וֹת אֵילִ֖ים וְחֵ֣לֶב מְרִיאִ֑ים וְדַ֨ם פָּרִ֧ים וּכְבָשִׂ֛ים וְעַתּוּדִ֖ים לֹ֥א חָפָֽצְתִּי׃
(2) Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, For YHWH has spoken: “I reared children and brought them up— And they have rebelled against Me!
...
(11) “What need have I of all your sacrifices?”
Says YHWH.
“I am sated with burnt offerings of rams, And suet of fatlings, And blood of bulls; And I have no delight In lambs and he-goats."
But there's a hugely important difference here - and that's the reason that YHWH was unhappy with the offerings that were being brought.
Look what YHWH goes on to say in Isaiah's work:
(טז) רַחֲצוּ֙ הִזַּכּ֔וּ הָסִ֛ירוּ רֹ֥עַ מַעַלְלֵיכֶ֖ם מִנֶּ֣גֶד עֵינָ֑י חִדְל֖וּ הָרֵֽעַ׃ (יז) לִמְד֥וּ הֵיטֵ֛ב דִּרְשׁ֥וּ מִשְׁפָּ֖ט אַשְּׁר֣וּ חָמ֑וֹץ שִׁפְט֣וּ יָת֔וֹם רִ֖יבוּ אַלְמָנָֽה׃ (ס)
(16) Wash yourselves clean; Put your evil doings Away from My sight. Cease to do evil; (17) Learn to do good. Devote yourselves to justice; Aid the wronged. Uphold the rights of the orphan; Defend the cause of the widow!
The problem was the hypocrisy.
The Israelites and Judeans would feign piety while within the Temple Precinct; But then upon leaving the immediate presence of the El-of-mercy-and-grace, they would do worse than ignore the plight of the poor, the downtrodden, the oppressed; They would participate in the exploitation!
This, the Ever-loving-and-compassionate-One, would find repulsive.
They no longer bring the fattened, the healthy, or the clean. Now they are bringing the offerings that are blemished in every way; Animals that they might not even eaten from themselves.
If you can imagine such a thing, the Altar itself had become akin to a garbage pile.
Remember the profound truths that we suggested the original priestly-craftsmen of the system might have been attempting to express, or speak to? Remember the heartfelt authenticity of Cain, who had never been instructed in systems in his life, but just felt moved, or an urge, to take something from his life and offer it up to his Creator?
All of that is long since gone, and everything has since become rote.
Even after exile and redemption, the action of throwing something onto a fire-pit had usurped, completely, that which bringing an offering, once upon a time, had been meant to accomplish. YHWH had been all but banished, to be replaced with a stack of stones, some bloods, and greasy fats.
And the system which had been intended to be the means by which the El Elyon would be worshipped and celebrated and adored, had degenerated into idolatry, with these rote motions being the very deity that the Judeans were now serving.
(It was in our limmud called To All who Thirst! and can be found here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/272015?lang=bi
It is one of those passages from the collection in the TaNaKh which never fails to inspire me:
(א) ה֤וֹי כָּל־צָמֵא֙ לְכ֣וּ לַמַּ֔יִם וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽין־ל֖וֹ כָּ֑סֶף לְכ֤וּ שִׁבְרוּ֙ וֶֽאֱכֹ֔לוּ וּלְכ֣וּ שִׁבְר֗וּ בְּלוֹא־כֶ֛סֶף וּבְל֥וֹא מְחִ֖יר יַ֥יִן וְחָלָֽב׃ (ב) לָ֤מָּה תִשְׁקְלוּ־כֶ֙סֶף֙ בְּֽלוֹא־לֶ֔חֶם וִיגִיעֲכֶ֖ם בְּל֣וֹא לְשָׂבְעָ֑ה שִׁמְע֨וּ שָׁמ֤וֹעַ אֵלַי֙ וְאִכְלוּ־ט֔וֹב וְתִתְעַנַּ֥ג בַּדֶּ֖שֶׁן נַפְשְׁכֶֽם׃
(1) Ahoy!
All who are thirsty, come for water!
Even if you have no money; Come! Buy food and eat: Buy food without money, Wine and milk without cost. (2) Why do you spend money for what is not bread, Your earnings for what does not satisfy?
Give heed to Me, And you shall eat what is good and enjoy the richest foods!
That's it!
Thirst, the Herald says, and come on over, and this will all be waiting for you!
In truth, the Priestly system can probably work wonders when it is at its best, when it is accompanied by thoughtfulness, by mindful intention.
But with complacency, the initial purpose behind a given system can slowly fade into the background, until being forgotten entirely.
The Israelites and Judeans once had a real thirst, a thirst with roots going all the way back to the first human beings ever born. No one told Cain or Hevel what to do or how to do it; They felt inspired, and so acted accordingly. They had thirst.
The Priestly writers, utter geniuses and perhaps some of the deepest thinkers humankind has ever produced - they, too had a thirst, a thirst so powerful they would dedicate themselves to crafting a system which would speak to the minds and hearts of an entire people!
But possibly because of how successful the Priestly writers were, this system went unquestioned and unchallenged for far too long. And people became complacent in the system itself, eventually performing the motions because of the system, rather then out of the relentless pursuit of being in constant communion with YHWH.
I started catching myself dutifully going through the motions of systems everywhere I looked. Motions yes - thought and intention, unfortunately no. I was just chucking my offerings onto a bonfire and moving right along. It's not even that I felt that my thirst was being quenched. I had long since noticed whether I even had a thirst to begin with!
And so, a re-evaluation was in order. In doing so, I came up with a few questions that I have found personally very helpful. 'll share them with you here, in case any of them speak to you as well.
- What is the physical sensation of thirst? And what is it like to experience the sweetness of fresh, chilled water running down the throat on a hot and humid day? Am I able to yearn for YHWH in my life the same way I would yearn for that water? If I truly did - how would I act on that yearning?
- How alive is my prayer life? Do I ever pray something I don't fully understand, or that I do not fully agree with? Do I ever utter something only because it is included in liturgy - and not because it is something that I want to express, or ask for, or share with YHWH from the depth of my own heart?
- What rituals do I do? Why do I do them? Am I doing them because they are ritual? Or, because they help to express something, or maybe instill something within me that I find valuable in it's own right?
- When was the last time I have evaluated the ways with which I try to connect with YHWH? When was the last time I decided to no longer do something that was once habit? When was the last time I tried something new?
First, an ancient Israelite proverb:
(כג) מִֽכָּל־מִ֭שְׁמָר נְצֹ֣ר לִבֶּ֑ךָ כִּֽי־מִ֝מֶּ֗נּוּ תּוֹצְא֥וֹת חַיִּֽים׃
(23) More than anything of that which you protect, stay vigilante over your heart! For it is from your heart that flows life!
To do anything at all by rote, with no other reason other than that it is tradition, is to conduct ourselves without heart. And without heart, according to this proverb, there is no life.
And now the prayer-poem:
(א) יְ֭הֹוָה מִי־יָג֣וּר בְּאָהֳלֶ֑ךָ מִֽי־יִ֝שְׁכֹּ֗ן בְּהַ֣ר קָדְשֶֽׁךָ׃ (ב) הוֹלֵ֣ךְ תָּ֭מִים וּפֹעֵ֥ל צֶ֑דֶק וְדֹבֵ֥ר אֱ֝מֶ֗ת בִּלְבָבֽוֹ׃
YHWH!!!!
Who may sojourn in Your tent? Who may dwell on your holy mountain?
He who walks wholesomely, acts righteously, and speaks the truth in his heart.
And by the the way, I can't not mention that this has echoes of what YHWH said to our dear great-grandfather Abraham!
Remember what YHWH asked of him?
(א) וַיְהִ֣י אַבְרָ֔ם בֶּן־תִּשְׁעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְתֵ֣שַׁע שָׁנִ֑ים וַיֵּרָ֨א יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־אַבְרָ֗ם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ אֲנִי־אֵ֣ל שַׁדַּ֔י הִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ לְפָנַ֖י וֶהְיֵ֥ה תָמִֽים׃
(1) When Abram was ninety-nine years old, YHWH appeared to Abram and said to him,
“I am El Shaddai. Walk in My ways and be wholesome!"
But may we never lose sight of the fact that ultimately, the idea is not adherence to systems, but to continuously and unceasingly come ever closer to YHWH, our thirst being quenched with the sweetest, most refreshing and rejuvenating waters; And may all things in our lives aid us in this endeavor!
