Shemini | שמיני | “Eighth”
Part 5
John 4:34Torah: Leviticus 9:1 - 11:4
Haftarah: II Samuel 6:1 - 7:17(A); II Samuel 6:1 - 6:19 (S)
Suggested: Ezek 36:22-38; Col 2:18-23; Acts 10:9-22, 27-35
In each day of this study we will focus on a theme or themes from the corresponding reading or aliyah. Here is the full list of aliyot for this portion:
In each day of this study we will focus on a theme or themes from the corresponding reading or aliyah. Here is the full list of aliyot for this portion:
Daily Readings
Introduction
This is Part Four in our continuing study of the third portion of Leviticus: Shemini which in Hebrew means “Eighth.” In Part One we learned that the eighth day is the day for new beginnings and it foreshadows the greatest of 'new beginnings, 'resurrection - life after death. Part Two revealed that Aaron's blessing over the people foreshadowed Messiah's dual role as both High Priest and atoning sacrifice. In Part Three we learned the deadly serious nature of serving in the sanctuary and the crucial need to always bring glory to God and avoid tarnishing His reputation among the people. This necessarily means that when we are serving in some capacity of worship or using our apostolic gifts, use of alcohol should be prohibited. In Part Four we will examine the fourth and fifth aliyahot, or readings from our portion. In part four we learned that there not following the prescribed practices regarding the priestly portions does not have the same catastrophic result as when Nadab and Abihu brought their unauthorized fire and it is better not to bring an offering if it is not brought with a joyful and contrite heart.
In this study, we will learn about the regulations regarding clean and unclean animals for food and about what causes one to become ceremonially unclean (unfit for participation in tabernacle service) and how one can restore purity – i.e., become clean again, fit for Tabernacle service. In order to understand these concepts which are largely unfamiliar to western thinking, we must delve into the terms tamei (טמא) and tahor (טהר) unclean, ritually impure and clean or ritually pure, respectively. As we shall see, proper understanding and application of clean and unclean has to do with our purity and fitness to draw near to God. Chapter 11 tells about the kinds of animals which are fit for food - clean vs. unclean; and also how they cause contamination and how it can be transferred from one thing or medium to another, particularly as it relates to food. And we will try to understand the relevance of these dietary and purity laws in our lives today as believers in Yeshua Ha Mashiach, Jesus the Messiah.
In this study, we will learn about the regulations regarding clean and unclean animals for food and about what causes one to become ceremonially unclean (unfit for participation in tabernacle service) and how one can restore purity – i.e., become clean again, fit for Tabernacle service. In order to understand these concepts which are largely unfamiliar to western thinking, we must delve into the terms tamei (טמא) and tahor (טהר) unclean, ritually impure and clean or ritually pure, respectively. As we shall see, proper understanding and application of clean and unclean has to do with our purity and fitness to draw near to God. Chapter 11 tells about the kinds of animals which are fit for food - clean vs. unclean; and also how they cause contamination and how it can be transferred from one thing or medium to another, particularly as it relates to food. And we will try to understand the relevance of these dietary and purity laws in our lives today as believers in Yeshua Ha Mashiach, Jesus the Messiah.
Summary of the sixth aliyah
Day 6: Lev. 11:1-32 Dietary laws
In the sixth reading, God then instructed Moses and Aaron in the dietary laws of kashrut (כַּשְׁרוּת). Animals that both chew the cud and have cloven hooves may be eaten. Fish that have both fins and scales may be eaten. Birds that are predators or eat carrion are not to be eaten, nor are swans, ostrich, pelicans, storks, heron or bats. Of the insects only locusts and grasshoppers may be eaten.
In the sixth reading, God then instructed Moses and Aaron in the dietary laws of kashrut (כַּשְׁרוּת). Animals that both chew the cud and have cloven hooves may be eaten. Fish that have both fins and scales may be eaten. Birds that are predators or eat carrion are not to be eaten, nor are swans, ostrich, pelicans, storks, heron or bats. Of the insects only locusts and grasshoppers may be eaten.
Themes of this parashat for study
1. Clean and unclean (Lev 11)
Clean and unclean Leviticus 11
Clean and unclean Leviticus 11
Leviticus chapter 11 seems to be totally unrelated to the other Chapters in this Parashat – a sort of 'pull-out' guide for menu selection or recipes you might find in the current issue of "Home and Garden Magazine." But it is far more critical than we might think at first glance and it is positioned exactly where it needs to be to introduce the next section of the book of Leviticus - the section covering the laws of purity with regards to tabernacle participation. In chapter eleven we find first the regulations regarding clean and unclean animals for food and next about what causes one to become ceremonially unclean (unfit for participation in tabernacle service) and how one can restore purity and be fit for Tabernacle service. These concepts are largely unfamiliar to western thinking. Below in the image from accordance we see the parsing of the verse we looked at earlier (10:10) where the terms tamei (טמא) and tahor (טהר) are introduced .Tamei (תמא) is translated as unclean, ritual impurity, defilement and so forth while tahor (טהר) is translated as ritual purity or cleanness.
Figure 1: Interlinear and parsing for Lev 10:10 from Accordance.
Clean (טהר, tahor) a primitive root; to be foul, especially in a ceremonial or moral sense (contaminated):—defile (self), pollute (self), be (make, make self, pronounce) unclean, x utterly.
Unclean (טמא, tamei) pure (in a physical, chemical, ceremonial or moral sense):—clean, fair, pure(-ness).
The problem with our understanding of these regulations is that we are not really speaking about a physical condition, or about hygiene. Even though there are very likely health implications, clean and unclean in this sense has primarily to do with our purity and fitness to draw near to God. Therefore to try to ascribe nutrition and health as the purpose for these regulations may miss the point entirely. In fact, unlike the case of the prohibition on eating blood, we are not given reasons why certain animals are OK for us to eat and others are not, nor are we told why coming into contact with a corpse, or a normal flow of blood during a woman's menstrual cycle make us unfit to enter the Tabernacle. We must simply accept it as fact. In the case of the prohibition on the eating of blood, we are given the reasons plainly in Leviticus 17.
Lev. 17:10b “I will turn against that person who eats blood and cut him off from his people. 11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have appointed it to you to make atonement on the altar for your lives, since it is the lifeblood that makes atonement.
Another difference between the dietary laws and the prohibition of eating blood, is that there is no punishment other than that one will become unclean, unfit for entrance into the Tabernacle. In most cases being tamei, ritually unclean, is not sin. We must simply observe the rules for restoring a tahor state, becoming ritually clean again. One cannot avoid touching a corpse, in fact it is a mitzvah to sit with a corpse until burial. Likewise, intimacy with one's spouse is encouraged in Torah, and a woman cannot avoid natural events such as menstruation and childbirth. So in that sense we may infer that eating foods that are not clean may not be considered sin as much as the ideal diet one should follow.
Leviticus 11:1-32, 41-42 What then shall we eat?
Beginning in Chapter God then instructed Moses and Aaron in the dietary laws of kashrut (כַּשְׁרוּת). In brief, we learn that animals that both chew the cud and have cloven hooves may be eaten but it must be only the animals that meet both of these requirements. Examples of species that exhibit one of the characteristics but not the other are given such as swine and the hare, so that it is clear what is meant and that these widely eaten animals are not in the approved list. More details about the specific land animals that may be eaten and some that may not be eaten are provided in Deuteronomy 14:3-8. Similarly fish that have both fins and scales may be eaten but lacking either they are forbidden. Flying animals are less easily categorized than the land and aquatic animals. There are many more examples of forbidden birds given but it is fairly obvious that more birds are allowed than disallowed. The basic sense is that birds that are predators or birds that eat carrion are not to be eaten. Other examples of unclean species include swans, ostrich, pelicans, storks, heron and bats, but there are others that are similar enough that they perhaps should be avoided. Of the insects only locusts and grasshoppers may be eaten but there may be some members of the beetle family that could be added to this list, although one wonders why you would want to do that.
An important thing to note is that knowledge of clean vs. unclean precedes the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. Noah took seven pairs of clean animals but only one pair of all others onto the ark (Gen 7:2). This was necessary to make the proper sacrifices after the flood subsided (Gen 8:20). How did Noah know which animals were clean and which ones were not? After the flood, all animals were declared to be food for mankind, but no mention of clean vs. unclean is made. (Gen 9:3)
From a Hebraic sense, animals that are not to be eaten are not really considered to be food at all and this is the common argument that is used to explain the various passages in the New Testament writings that seem to indicate that all foods created by God are sanctified and therefore allowed to be eaten. Many such passages seem to indicate that legalism about food is not consistent with membership in the community of believers in Yeshua. Most gentile believers today do not recognize the validity of the dietary laws at all. Let's look at some of the specific passages that seem to be at issue.
In Matthew 5:11, Mark 7:15-19, Yeshua clearly taught that a man is defiled by words rather than by what he eats. This is difficult to refute on the surface, however it is important to note that the context of these statements is about whether the law requires ceremonial washing of hands, which as Yeshua is pointing out, it does not. Since He is the Living Torah we may rely on the validity of His interpretation, but we must also recognize that He never violated Torah and since He was speaking about this matter with other Jews, they would clearly not be recognizing as food, foods that were not considered to be food in the first place. So it is still unclear that Yeshua was attempting to invalidate the dietary laws. More likely, if He were doing so, He would have stated "You have heard is said that pigs and rabbits and such things are not to be eaten, but I say, you may eat whatever you want and it will be fine..." or something along those lines. In Acts 10:9-22 Peter has a vision and in the vision he is presented with all kinds of unclean animals.
Acts 10:13 Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat!”
Acts 10:14 “No, Lord!” Peter said. “For I have never eaten anything common and ritually unclean!” 15 Again, a second time, a voice said to him, “What God has made clean, you must not call common.”
It seems pretty clear that Peter is being told that all animals are now approved for eating, right? However, when we look at the context, the vision Peter had is part of a larger story about a gentile believer named Cornelius, who had also been visited and told to seek out Peter who was to minister and teach his small community of believers. Peter would never have been able to associate with gentile believers unless he had received this vision telling him that these Gentiles he thought to be unclean were sanctified by God and needed his help.
What about 1Tim 4:4 and Col 2:21? These passages are more about the ascetic practices of the Essenes and other gnostic groups who were attempting to subvert the doctrines preached by Paul and the other apostles and who practiced a strict form of vegetarianism, somewhat like what is referred to as 'Vegan' today. More could be said about this, but it falls into the same category as legalism. When we are faced with a situation where we are forced to choose between accepting hospitality and eating some forbidden food, it is usually best and considered a Mitzvah to accept the hospitality.
So we must address the elephant in the room - should followers of Yeshua try to eat only biblically Kosher (clean) animals today? Does God care about what we eat at all? What about Christians who feel free to eat whatever they want - are they going to hell? The answers to these questions in my opinion are: It depends, Yes and No. Yeshua said “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;” (Matt 28:19) and He also said "However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth." (John 16:13) I believe that if as believers we diligently pray for guidance and wisdom it will be granted on all matters including what we should eat.
(See Gen 7:2; 8:20; 9:3; Deut 14:3-8; Dan 1:8; Matt 15:11; Mark 7:15-19; Acts 10:9-22, 27-35; 15:28-29; 1 Cor 8:4; 10:28; 1 Tim 4:3-5; Col 2:18-23; 1 Pet 1:14-16; Matt 28:19-20; John 16:13)
Tomorrow we will examine the major theme from the 7th aliyah, purification by water - mikvah (). Is there a connection between the mikvah and baptism. Come back and find out. But if you would prefer to download the study notes and study on your own here is the link:
Go to Shmini Part Six
Download Parashat Shmini Study Guide
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