Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] There's a moment in the Torah where you can almost picture Moses just standing there like, wait, what happened? Because he's absolutely certain he's right, but he isn't, and not in just a small way. He gets it wrong, and in that moment, Moses has to admit it. So what happened and why is this moment sitting at the very heart of the Torah? Let's find out in this week's five Minute Torah.
[00:00:30] Shalom and Blessings. Shulem Macon the 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 26th Torah portion and the third portion of the Book of Leviticus. We are in the portion of Shemini Leviticus 9:1 11:47. And here are the three things that you need to know about it. Number one Tahara Vatumah spiritual purity and impurity in the Torah portion of Shamini, the laws of purity and impurity take center stage not as matters of hygiene or physical cleanliness, but as markers of spiritual status. These laws, rooted in tahara, or ritual purity, and tumah, ritual impurity, define who may or may not enter the sacred space of the Mishkan, the earthly dwelling place of God's presence. Contact with things like corpses, certain animals, or natural bodily functions could render a person temporarily impure, not because they were dirty, but because they had to come into contact with mortality. In that state, one could not approach the sanctuary without first undergoing purification. These boundaries protected the sanctuary of the Mishkan and reminded Israel that entering God's presence is a serious matter and should never have been taken lightly. Number two Nadav Vavihu the Death of Aaron's Sons this week's Torah portion brings us face to face with the heartbreaking and sobering moment, the sudden death of Aaron's sons, Nadav and Avihu, in what should have been a day of celebration, the inauguration of the Mishkan. They brought an unauthorized fire before God, an offering he did not command. In an instant, fire comes forth from before the Lord and consumes them, and it's a jarring scene. But it's not about cruelty or capricious punishment. It's about the raw holiness of God's presence. Nadav and Avihu approach the sacred space with the wrong kind of fire and the wrong kind of preparation. Their deaths served as a haunting reminder. Drawing near to the divine is not casual. By those who are near me, I must be treated as holy. Leviticus 10:3 the closer one comes to God's presence, the greater the reward, but also the greater consequences for abuse. Number three Health or Holiness To Eat or Not to eat Leviticus 11 details the dietary laws that govern what foods are considered fit or unfit for consumption. These laws are primarily concerned with ritual purity and obedience to God's commandments, not health or hygiene. As many suggest, they served to distinguish Israel from the nations and to promote spiritual purity rather than physical well being. The classification of animals as clean or unclean is not based on scientific or health related reasonings, but on divine instruction. Adhering to these laws is a way for God's people to demonstrate obedience and maintain a distinct identity rather than being relegated to the ancient past. These commands still apply just as much today as when they were first given to eat or not to eat. That's the question.
[00:03:46] What if the greatest leader in the Bible said no? When God called Moses at the burning bush, he doubted himself and he argued with God, yet he went on to lead Israel for 40 years. What made the difference in the Heart of Moses, My friend and my rabbi, Rabbi Damien Eisner explores the character that formed Moses into a transformational leader and how those same qualities can shape your leadership today. Because great leaders aren't born, they're formed. Discover the heart of Moses today by using the link below. This week's Torah commentary is called Searching Diligently. It comes from my book 5 Minute Torah, Volume 1. Parashat Shamini covers the inauguration procedures for the service of the Tabernacle as well as the dietary laws that spell out which animals are fit for consumption. Sandwiched between these topics, we learn about a tragic event that results in the death of two of Aaron's sons and Nadav and Avihu. They attempt to approach the Lord on their own terms by bringing unauthorized fire into the presence of the Holy One of Israel. The event that follows is horrific. The Torah tells us fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them and they died before the Lord. This is Leviticus 10:2. After this tragedy, Moses instructed Aaron, Eliezer and Itamar, Aaron's two surviving sons, on the details of eating the various offerings of that were used for the service. But when the service was complete, Moses realized that one of the offerings was entirely consumed on the fire instead of eaten. He became angry at Eliezer and Itamar for not eating it and chastised them for this. Immediately. Aaron responded to his accusations and justified the actions of his sons. Who was right, Aaron or Moses? Before we look to the answer, we need to first understand what Moses did in this situation. Most Bible translations will say something like Moses searched diligently for an answer to this dilemma. However, the Hebrew is a little more interesting. It uses the phrase darosh darash. These are two forms of the same Hebrew word whose root means to search out. What is even more significant about this phrase describing Moses intense inquiry is that these two words are believed to be located at the very center, the very heart of the Torah. Torah is all about searching and finding. Proverbs tells us it's the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. Proverbs 25:2 Yeshua tells us that we should continually ask, seek and knock. The deeper we search, the more treasures we will find. We will always be able to find beautiful things on the surface. However, only when we dig deep will we discover the precious jewels that are waiting to be discovered. We can use this situation as an instance of digging to reveal the hidden jewels. The argument between Moses and Aaron is the first Holokic debate we have recorded. The Torah had barely been given, yet there was confusion as to how it should be understood and adhered to. Since Moses was the one God used to teach the children of Israel his divine law, and since he had already thoroughly searched out the matter, what? One would imagine that the instruction of Moses would be the final word in this case. However, in the end, Moses humbly admits that he was in the wrong and that Aaron is the one who has ruled correctly. We can all learn an important lesson here. Moses searched out the matter thoroughly, but still ended up being wrong. And although he made a wrong decision, it didn't destroy him. He remains the greatest national leader in the history of Israel. Why? Because he was humble more than all people who were on the face of the earth. Numbers 12:3 Moses didn't have an issue with his ego. His humility allowed him to admit when he was wrong and yet still be able to teach and lead others. Rabbi Tzedok taught his disciples do not make the Torah a crown with which to aggrandize yourself, nor use it as a spade with which to dig. I vote for 7. Digging deeper into the Torah will fill the treasure houses of our hearts. But if we dig only to endorse our dogma, then we have missed the heart of the Torah. Because just a couple of weeks ago, in the five minute Torah commentary on the portion of Tzav, we talked about the fire on the altar that was never allowed to go out. So what does a continual fire have to do with continually searching. Go back and take another look at Tsavor. Off. You can check it out right here.
