A Passover Feast for the Messiah is the Acharon Shel Pesach

 

 

Shabbat Shalom,

 

“For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival to the LORD.”  (Exodus 13:6)

 

This Shabbat is the last day of Passover, which the Lord has designated as a special festival day.

 

Although Passover ends at sunset Friday here in Israel, an extra day of Passover is celebrated outside the Land.

 

This last day of Passover is called Acharon shel Pesach in Hebrew, and it has a feast that is devoted to the Messiah.  The Haftarah reading for the day includes Messianic Prophecies and the promise of the Messianic era.

 

 

Korban Pesach (Passover Offering).

A Jewish High Priest wearing Hoshen and Ephod.  The Holy of Holies is
in the background.

Shalom,

“For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.”  (Leviticus 17:11)

On Monday in Jerusalem, the United Mikdash Movements (Mateh Irgunei HaMikdash) (an organization comprising the many recent movements to rebuild the Temple [Mikdash] and restore the sacrificial system) re-enacted the Korban Pesach (Passover Offering).

A Memorial

For the Jewish people, Passover is a day of remembrance of the exodus from Egypt, but disciples of Yeshua have another important aspect of Passover to remember.

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

Pesach (פסח | Passover)

Torah: Exodus 12:21-51

Haftarah: Joshua 3:5-7, 5:2-6:1, 6:27

Send away the live bird into the open field

(Leviticus 14:7)
Nisan 7, 5776/April 15, 2016

The book of Leviticus has traditionally been referred to as Torat HaKohanim, that is, 'the Torah, as it applies to Temple Priests.' This description is self-evident, as so much of the book of Leviticus is taken up with the responsibilities of the kohanim concerning the tending to of the offerings and the other facets of the Divine service in the Holy Temple. Last week's Torah reading, as well as this week's reading of Metzora, describe the important role the kohanim are to play even outside of the Tabernacle/Holy Temple, as they tend to the metzora, the man or woman afflicted with skin lesions, a result, Torah teaches us, of speaking ill against others.

Baptizo

Christian denominations divide over the question of how to conduct a baptism, but the New Testament hardly describes the procedure.

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

Metzora (מצורע | Leper)

Torah: Leviticus 14:1-15:33

Haftarah: 2 Kings 7:3-20

Gospel: Luke 9:51-10:42

A special portion for Shabbat HaGadol is read this Shabbat!

Shabbat HaGadol (שבת הגדול | The Great Sabbath)

Haftarah: Malachi 3:4-24

He shall be brought to the kohen

(Leviticus 13:9)
Adar II 29, 5776/April 8, 2016

Wrapping the modern, western, secularized brain around the divine concept of the animal offerings in the Holy Temple is hard enough. Ever since the industrial revolution western man has been much more passionate about what he can extract from nature and to what advantage he can manipulate G-d's creation than he has been about being a sincere, living and giving part of the breathtaking world that G-d has made for us. But as tenuous as man's grasp on the power of the spiritual corrective embodied in the Temple offerings is, the concept introduced in this week's Torah portion, Tazria, of a self-inflicted spiritual malady that manifests itself in the flesh, is a far greater stretch.

The Miracle of Life

The laws of the Torah ensured that the amazing miracle of a child entering the world would not be treated as something mundane.

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

Tazria (תזריע | She will conceive)

Torah: Leviticus 12:1-13:59

Haftarah: 2 Kings 4:42-5:19

Gospel: Mark 9:14-50

* Special readings for Shabbat HaChodesh are applicable this Shabbat.

Shabbat HaChodesh (החדש | The Month)

* Maftir: Exodus 12:1-20

* Haftarah: Ezekiel 45:16-46:18

"and all the people saw"

(Leviticus 9:24) Adar II 22, 5776/April 1, 2016 "And Moshe and Aharon went into the Tent of Meeting. Then they came out and blessed the people, and the glory of HaShem appeared to all the people. And fire went forth from before HaShem and consumed the burnt offering and the fats upon the altar, and all the people saw, sang praises, and fell upon their faces." (Leviticus 9:23-24) The matter-of-fact manner in which Torah lists these actions and reactions is in direct contrast to the seminal importance of this moment in the history of creation and in the ongoing relationship between man and G-d .

Studying Torah Requires Searching the Scriptures

At the very center of the Torah are the words “Search, search!” The same words can be understood to mean, “Study, study!”

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

Shemini (שמיני | Eighth)

Torah: Leviticus 9:1-11:47

Haftarah: 2 Sam. 6:1-7:17

Gospel: Mark 9:1-13

* Special readings for Shabbat Parah are applicable this Shabbat.

Shabbat Parah (פרה | Cow)

* Maftir: Numbers 19:1-19:22

* Haftarah: Ezekiel 36:16-36:38