These chapters contain some of the most vital commands for the people of Israel. They include the liturgy for the holiest day on the Jewish calendar—Yom Kippur. A unique part of the ceremony involved two goats of similar size and appearance. One goat was for Yahweh, and the other was for Azazel. These animals represented two aspects of atonement. One paid the penalty and was sacrificed in the sanctuary. The other removed the sin from the community and was released into the wilderness. Which goat represented Jesus?

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This week’s reading is called Tazria and it covers Leviticus 12:1–15:33. This portion is completely occupied by issues of ritual impurity. Last week’s reading, Shemini, was concerned with the structural boundaries between the sacred and the profane, as it pertained to the Tabernacle and priesthood. Tazria–Metzora shifts the lens toward the human body and the private experiences of the laypeople. It deals with the laws of ritual impurity arising from childbirth and every possible skin affliction. Where Shemini focuses on the physical structure of the sanctuary and the behavior of the priests, this portion focuses on the physical state of the common person. It addresses how natural life cycles and mysterious illnesses affect an individual’s ability to participate in communal worship.

The laws of ritual purity in Leviticus were the essential start of what would later become one of the most important sacraments of our faith. By understanding the origins of immersion in these chapters, we gain a deeper appreciation for baptism, recognizing it not as a new invention but as the beautiful fulfillment of a divine promise.

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Until this point, Leviticus emphasizes that all the preparations and sacrifices had been performed just as the Lord commanded. However, the second the priests went off script, acting spontaneously on their own, disaster struck. Aaron’s oldest sons, Nadab and Abihu, “each took his censer, put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and they offered unholy fire before the Lord, such as he had not commanded them” (10:1). Just as fire had previously consumed the sacrifices as a sign of divine favor, “fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord” (10:2).

The reader is left imagining the horror of the scene. It was all going according to plan when God consumed the offerings laid on the altar, but then the same divine fire consumed the offerors. Aaron’s highest high, encountering the power of God so intimately, was followed by his lowest low: witnessing the tragic death of his sons and fellow priests. Leviticus 10:3 attests that after Moses offered a divine explanation that might seem jarringly blunt in the wake of such loss, “Aaron remained silent.”

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This week’s Torah portion covers Leviticus 6:8–8:36. The second reading in Leviticus is titled Tzav, which means “Command!” Like last week, the text dryly expounds on how the priests are to present the sacrifices in the tabernacle. Details include how they are to dispose of the ashes, eat the grain offerings, and maintain the eternal fire. Each type of offering—be it burnt offering, grain offering, sin offering, or peace offering—has a distinct set of rules.

What are Jewish people supposed to do with the manual now that there is no temple? At this point, they have lived far longer without a sanctuary than they lived with one. There are still those who know they are in the Levitical priesthood, but they have not had an altar to service or an animal to slay for 2,000 years. It isn’t as if the Jews ever had the chance to voluntarily phase out their sacrificial system; the Romans decided that for them. The destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE abruptly ended the Jews’ most central form of worship. As they mourned the loss of their sacred sanctuary, they asked themselves how they were supposed to atone for their sins without a temple. Of the 613 laws, 150 pertain to temple worship. How were they to maintain God’s laws when a sixth of them were no longer possible?

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The first reading portion in Leviticus goes from 1:1 to 6:7. If you have read ahead—and I always encourage you to take that approach—we are not blazing through creation and early human history like in Genesis. We aren’t following the earth–shaking signs and wonders of Exodus. We haven’t yet arrived at Numbers, where the chosen people get on the move. Leviticus is the Bible’s pause, and I don’t mean a dramatic pause; it’s more like a prescriptive pause. In a window of about 30 days, God established the architecture of the sacrificial system and the institutions that will govern Israelite religious life for 1,500 years.

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This week’s Torah portion is Vayakhel-Pekudei, which covers Exodus 35:1–40:38. This is our 22nd Torah portion in the annual reading cycle and our final Exodus study. 

Before the people gathered to hold a collection of precious materials and commission artisans, Moses reminded them of the commandment to observe a Sabbath rest. Chapter 35 begins: “Moses assembled the whole Israelite community and said to them, ‘These are the things the Lord has commanded you to do: For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a day of sabbath rest to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it is to be put to death.’”

It may strike the reader as a bit odd that Moses expounded on Shabbat right before he launched into a litany of work orders for the whole community. As they built their house of worship, he established the moral code and divine calendar that would guide the upstart nation. In practical terms, the institution of Shabbat outlasted the Tent of Meeting or the future temples. As the Zionist writer Ahad Ha’am famously said, “More than the Jews have kept the Sabbath, the Sabbath has kept the Jews.”

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This week’s Torah portion is Ki Tissa, which covers Exodus 30:11–34:35. It is also the week Jews in Israel and abroad celebrate Purim. Purim is the joyous Jewish holiday that marks the survival of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire after a plot to annihilate them was thwarted by the bravery of Esther and the steadfastness of Mordecai.

This week’s Torah portion presents a narrative pendulum that swings from Israel’s highest high—the giving of the ten commandments—to her lowest low—the casting of the golden calf.

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This week’s Torah portion is Ki Tissa, which covers Exodus 30:11–34:35. It is also the week Jews in Israel and abroad celebrate Purim. Purim is the joyous Jewish holiday that marks the survival of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire after a plot to annihilate them was thwarted by the bravery of Esther and the steadfastness of Mordecai.

This week’s Torah portion presents a narrative pendulum that swings from Israel’s highest high—the giving of the ten commandments—to her lowest low—the casting of the golden calf.

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This week, we explore the Torah portion called Tetzaveh, which translates to “you command.” This section covers Exodus 27:20-30:10. Much of the reading is about the priesthood, one of the most critical institutions in Israel’s spiritual architecture. Tetzaveh covers the sacred vestments, exactly what the priests were supposed to wear, from their head covering to the hem of their robe. It also addresses the critical components required to keep the Tabernacle functioning, such as lighting the menorah, burning incense, and performing the daily sacrifices. A good bit of time is spent on the seven-day ceremony to consecrate the priests. 

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This week we enter the nineteenth weekly Torah portion, Terumah, which in Hebrew means “offering.” At this point in the Exodus story, the Israelites have just witnessed the dramatic crossing of the Red Sea and stood at the base of Mount Sinai to receive the covenant. They have been given the foundational instructions for living as set-apart people. Now, God has a plan for a communal building project. 

This leads us to wonder: Why did God need the Tabernacle? Why did the creator of the universe even allow for himself to be limited to a tent? Doesn’t that mean God was condescending to the imagination of men and allowing himself to seem like all of Israel’s neighbors’ gods with their temples and altars? The truth is, God didn’t need the Tabernacle. Man did. God used the Tabernacle to invite his people back through the gates of Eden. He desired to once again be in their midst, to be known by them and worshiped.

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Consider donating (one-time or recurring) to www.TheJerusalemConnection.us so we can continue to bring valuable content via podcasts free to the public. Help us increase our audience reach and improve production quality. Your donation is 100% tax-deductible to our non-profit organization. Bible Fiber and The Red Alert Report are available via YouTube and all major podcast platforms. The Jerusalem Connection also engages in additional educational and advocacy programs. Check our "Projects" tab for all the endeavors we invite YOU to be part of.