Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] What if the greatest threat to holiness isn't sin, but permission? Because avoiding what's forbidden, that's clear. But what about everything you're allowed to do and never stop to question? What if the real test of holiness isn't just saying no to sin, but knowing when to say no to yourself? That's the tension at the heart of Acharemot and Kerushim in this week's five Minute Torah.
[00:00:30] Shalom and Blessings from Shalom Macon Place where disciples of Yeshua learn, connect and grow. I'm Darren and before I get into the five minutes of my five Minute Torah commentary, let's cover a few quick facts about this week's Torah portion. This week we are studying the 29th and 30th Torah portions and the 6th and 7th Torah portions of the Book of Leviticus. We are in the double portion of achareimot kedushim, Leviticus 16:1 through 2027. Here are the three things that you need to know about it. Number one Yom Kippur Avodah the Day of Atonement Service the Yom Kippur service described in our Torah portion is a solemn ritual performed by the High Priest to atone for the sins of himself, his household and all of Israel. The service takes place in the Holy of Holies, the innermost chamber of the tabernacle or the Temple, which the High Priest enters only on this one day. He first offers a bull as a sin offering for himself and his family, purifying and sanctifying them. Then two goats are presented. One is sacrifice to the Lord and the other, known as the scapegoat, is sent to the wilderness to Azazel. Before releasing the scapegoat, the High Priest lays his hands on its head and confesses over it all the iniquities and transgressions of the children of Israel, symbolically transferring their sins to the goat. He also sprinkles the blood of the bull and the goat inside the Holy of Holies and on the altar, cleansing it from human impurity and sanctifying it from the transgressions of humans. Number two A Call to Holiness More than a badge, the theme of holiness permeates this week's Torah portion, setting the stage for how God's people are to conduct themselves in every aspect of their lives. The command you shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God am holy serves as the foundation for everything that follows. Holiness is not limited to ritual observance it extends into everyday life. The instructions in Ketoshim span ethical behavior such as justice or honoring family and elders and sexual morality. Building on what we began to see in the previous portion, each command reflects the standard of holiness God expects in both communal and personal life. By weaving together daily conduct with high moral and spiritual expectations, Acheremot and Kerushim call Israel to reflect God's holiness in every aspect of life. Number three Priority of Love who is my Neighbor? The command to love your neighbor as yourself stands as one of the most pivotal instructions in this portion. Found in Leviticus 19:18, it supports and gives shape to the entire framework of Torah living. This command calls for empathy, respect, and a commitment to treat others with the same care that we desire for ourselves. It becomes the lens through which the rest of the commandments are lived out. We see this principle echoed in the teachings of Yeshua, who identifies it as one of the two greatest commandment, second only to loving God with all one's being. In doing so, he highlights what has always been true. This command is not peripheral, it is central. It rises above differences and captures a universal truth about how we are meant to live, calling us to build lives and communities marked by compassion, dignity, and love. The Five Minute Torah series is your guide to uncovering the messianic meaning which within each week's Torah portion, in just five minutes, you'll discover how the Torah connects to your life as a disciple of Yeshua, with insights that are both practical and deeply spiritual. Each volume is filled with connections to the teachings of Yeshua and the apostles, showing how the words of the Torah in the New Testament form one unified message. Whether you're just beginning your Torah journey or you've been studying for years, these books will deepen your understanding and strengthen your walk with Messiah. All three volumes are available now, covering the entire Torah cycle from start to finish. Don't wait, order yours today.
[00:04:24] This week's commentary is called Limiting what is Permitted and comes from my book, Five Minute Torah, Volume 1. This week's Torah reading covers a lot of territory in a short amount of space. Some of the issues addressed in this portion are honoring one's parents, honoring the Sabbath, how to treat the poor, a detailed explanation of how to love one's neighbor, and a miscellaneous list of other commands ranging from agricultural laws to prohibition against sor and child sacrifice. Our portion begins, however, with God's instruction that the children of Israel are to be holy and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, you shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy. Leviticus 19:1 2 the name of this second portion comes from the instruction, you shall be holy.
[00:05:13] The word ketoshim means holy in the plural. But what does it mean to be holy? A lot of things should be taken into account when we define what it means to be holy, but the primary aspect of holiness is defined through restrictions. This is why God gave the children of Israel so many thou shalt not commandments. He set them apart from the pagan nations around them through restrictions in their conduct, showing that they were meant to be a holy people. One way to understand what it means to be holy is to understand what it means to be holy. Unholy when many people think of something unholy, they think of something wicked or evil. But that's really not what it means. It simply means to be common. Or, to use the King James terminology, profane. If a person is unholy, it just means they are common and like anyone else, to be holy means that we are different from those around us. And one way we can be different or holy is to restrict or limit ourselves in the things that the Torah prohibits. The but this is obvious. Anyone who studies the Scriptures can pick up on the fact that we are not supposed to engage in commerce on the Sabbath, speak ill of our brother Defraud, our neighbor, et cetera. What is more of a challenge is limiting what is permissible. Our rabbis have taught what the Torah forbids is not permitted, but the permitted is not always necessary. Do we really need that third helping of dessert? Do we really need over 300 channels on our televisions? Do we really need the dozens of video games covering our she? Do we really need that fill in the blank? By not limiting ourselves in things that are permissible according to the strict reading of the Torah, we can often find ourselves in a position described by Nachmanides as disgusting. With the permission of the Torah, even though we may be strictly living according to the letter of the law, we could easily find ourselves in a position where the beauty and the wisdom of the Torah begins to lose its luster because our eyes are closed, clouded with the world. Yeshua warns us against such things when he gives a series of you have heard it said, but I say to you in his famous Sermon on the Mount. In many of these, he places a fence around the Torah and reminds us that even though the Torah gives us the right to do such and such, it's not always in our best interest to do so, especially when it negatively affects a brother. As Paul reminded the believers at Corinth, all things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful, all things are lawful for me. But I will not be dominated by anything.
[00:07:43] The next time you pass on that extra helping of dessert, or maybe refuse to make a brother pay for damages he's responsible for, remember that you have just taken a step toward holiness and becoming a part of a holy people. Before we wrap up, let's connect this to Last week in Tazria Mitsura, we explored spiritual contamination, how impurity spreads and separates. This week in Acheremot Ketoshim, we see the other side, how holiness is built not just by avoiding what's forbidden, but by intentionally limiting what's permitted. Because holiness isn't just about staying clean, it's about being set apart. If you missed last week's teaching Spiritual Biohazard, you can check it out right here.
[00:08:27] Race.
