"ASK THE RABBI" Question June 7th 2018

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Question June 7th 2018:

ASK THE RABBI RESPONSE FROM WEBSITE Rabbi Eric! I have a question. It was posed to me from a woman who attends my campus (I'm the lead pastor of a multi-site church now), and she was reading Exodus 12, and asked me regarding the Passover Lamb instructions, "Why was God so particular with the rules about how the lamb had to be roasted a certain way?" The woman who asked the question is fairly new to the faith and I love when she asks me questions, but this one I didn't quite know what to tell her, and I though you would be the PERFECT person to ask. God bless, and I pray you all are doing well.


RESPONSE FROM R' ERIC:

This is a great question that I have recently taught on so I’ll give it a stab…

The question she has is referring to:

Exodus 12:8 Tree of Life Version (TLV)
8 They are to eat the meat that night, roasted over a fire. With matzot and bitter herbs they are to eat it.

The Passover Lamb is a certain type of offering קָרְבָּן “Korban” (i.e. meaning to “draw near”).  In the Torah (first 5 books of Moses), there are various types of offerings (korbanot pl.) …

OLAH קָרְבַּן עוֹלָה :                  the burnt offering

MINCHA קָרְבַּן מִנחַה:              a flour offering

SH’LAMIM קורבן שלמים :           peace offering

CHATAT קרבן חטאת:              sin offering

ASHAM קרבן אשם :              guilt offering

Of all the offerings in the Levitical system they all have to fall into at least one of these categories.  The fact that the Passover Lamb is commanded to be roasted, and if any is left over it is not to remain the next day, alludes it to be a Korban Olah, as well as a type of Korban Shelamim, as the Lamb is both “eaten and shared by the community” (just the way a Shelamim offering is; but also if any is left over, it is completely burnt up (i.e. just as a Korban Olah is).

Korban Olah instruction:  Leviticus 1: 8 Then Aaron’s sons, the kohanim, shall arrange the pieces, the head, and the fat upon the wood that is on the fire which is atop the altar. 9 But its innards and its legs he is to wash with water. The kohen should burn it all up as smoke on the altar, for a burnt offering made by fire—a soothing aroma to Adonai.

By the way the word “Olah” in Hebrew means to “go up”, it is where we get the word “Aliyah” (i.e. when a Jew emigrates back to Israel it is said he is making “Aliyah”, (lit. “going up to Israel”).  Or if someone reads in the synagogue it is said he has an “Aliyah” or he is going up to read from the Torah.

So in this sense the Passover Lamb is like an Olah offering in that it is roasted and it goes up in smoke. 

It is also like a Peace Offerinig (Shelamim) in that it is “shared” as a feast…

Leviticus 7: 11 “Now this is the Torah of the sacrifice of fellowship offerings which may be offered to Adonai. 12 If he brings it for a thanksgiving, then he is to present with the sacrifice of thanksgiving matzah cakes mixed with oil, matzah wafers anointed with oil, and fine flour cakes mixed with oil. 13 He is to present his offering with the sacrifice of his fellowship offerings for thanksgiving along with cakes of bread with hametz. 14 From each he is to offer one out of every offering as a gift to Adonai. It will belong to the kohen who sprinkles the blood of the fellowship offerings. 15 The meat of the sacrifice of his fellowship offerings for thanksgiving is to be eaten on the day of his offering. He is not to leave any of it until the morning.

16 “But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow or a freewill offering, it is to be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice. On the next day what remains of it may be eaten. 17 But what remains of the meat of the sacrifice on the third day is to be burned up with fire. 18 If any of the meat of the sacrifice of his fellowship offerings is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted, nor will it be credited to him who offers it. It will be a foul thing—and the soul who eats any from it will bear his own iniquity.

Shelamim offerings are also called “Fellowship Offerings” because they are shared with people in the community and the Cohanim (priests).  Here we are told that if any is left it is to be burned, and if it is eaten on the 3rd day it is not acceptable. 

Certainly your lady will ask “Why”?  Why is it not acceptable after the 3rd day? 

The rabbis and sages of Israel teach that it was about the intention of the heart of the one giving the offering.  If he came intending to eat it after the 3rd day, it was considered an abuse of the ritual and made his offering “pigul” (rejected).  But this doesn’t really explain the reason it was limited to just 3 days, why not 1 day?  Or just 2 days?  Why 3?

The answer lies in the context of Leviticus ch. 19, it also talks about Korbanot that became “Pigul” (rejected)…

Lev. 19: 5 “When you bring a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to Adonai, you are to offer it so that you may be accepted. 6 It is to be eaten the same day you offer it, and the next day. But if anything remains until the third day, it is to be burned with fire. 7 If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is disgusting. It will not be accepted. 8 Rather, anyone who eats it will bear his iniquity, since he has profaned what is holy to Adonai, and that soul will be cut off from his people.

But just a few verses later it says this…

Leviticus 19: 18 You are not to take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am Adonai.

Here is the interpretation.  When we bring our korbanot and intend to “draw near” to Adonai, intending for our sacrifices to be acceptable to Him, if we approach Him with hatred in our hearts towards our brothers and fellow man; then our offerings become “Pigul” – (REJECTED).  As if we had eaten it beyond the 3rd day with bitterness in our hearts.  In God’s eyes our offering is worthless.

This is why the Messiah told us…

Matthew 5:24 Tree of Life Version (TLV)
24 leave your offering there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

This is not taught enough in churches and Messianic synagogues.  Our people come to services, raise their hands, bow down to Him and write their checks or whip out the credit card without thinking of the intention of our hearts.

When the Messiah came to earth to suffer and die he did it completely with a heart full of humility and compassion for mankind.  No we did not deserve it.  Yes we treated Him with contempt.  Yes He deserved to condemn us all to hell for the way we received Him and treated Him.  But in order for His Korban to be accepted by His Father it had to be 100% PURE AND UNDEFILED.  Yeshua’s heart was pure and sinless.  His offering was a PLEASING, FAVORABLE AND ACCEPTABLE OFFERING TO ADONAI, AND HE WAS RISEN FROM THE DEAD ON THE 3RD DAY!!!

That my friend is “why”. 

May this be a blessing to this young woman in her new faith in Messiah.  And may your work continue to be fruitful for the Kingdom, and I remain,

Your friend,

R’ Eric