(Leviticus chapters 21 - 24)
PARASHA: "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aharon..."
אֱמֹר אֶל-הַכֹּהֲנִים בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן
"AN EYE FOR AN EYE"
"...eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth; as he hath maimed a man, so shall it be rendered unto him."
(Lev. 24:20)
Consider how the Torah itself elaborates on this concept:
"...and he shall pay as the judges determine. [...] eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, [...] And if a man smite the eye of his bondman, or the eye of his bondwoman, and destroy it, he shall let him go free for his eye's sake. And if he smite out his bondman's tooth, or his bondwoman's tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake. [...] If a man steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it, he shall pay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep."
(Exodus 21:22-27)
SUMMARY OF THIS WEEKS PARASHA:
Chap. 21 Laws of Priestly Holiness
- not to become impure except for in the burial of immediate family members
- not shave off their beards nor cut their flesh
- limitations on who they can marry
- certain physical abnormalities prevent a priest from serving in the Temple
Chap. 22
- not to serve in the Temple while in a state of impurity
- restrictions on non-priests pertaining to the eating of the elevation offerings
- animal offerings of Israelite must be "whole," free of certain physical abnormalities
(comp. 22:18 to 22:35; "ger" [a naturalized immigrant ie. full convert] is distinguished from "ben-nekhor" [non-Israelite])
- not to sacrifice new-born cattle until from the 8th day after birth
- not to slaughter the young cattle and its parent on the same day
- keep My commandments (study) and do them (action)
- don't profain My Holy Name, for I shall be sactified within the People of Israel
- I am YHWH who sactifies you, who took you out of Egypt to be your Authority
Chap. 23 Appointed Times of Assembly
- weekly Sabbath [Shabbath]
- 1st month (counting from the Exodus) on 14th day, Passover [PesaH]
- 15th day of same month, Festival of Unleavened Bread [Hagh ha-Massoth] for a 7 day period.
- the 3omer, an everlasting commandment for all generations in all locations
- count days of 7 weeks of following the barely offering of the 2nd day of Passover
- leave corners of fields and what harvestors left behind for the poor and the immigrants
- 7th month (counting from Exodus) on 1st day, Zikhron teru3a, Rememberance of Sounding [the shofar] a.k.a Rosh ha-Shana (head of the year)
- 10th day of 7th month, Yom ha-Kipurim, day of Atonements, afflict yourselfs [with fasting]
- 15th day of 7th month, Hagh ha-Sukkoth for 7 day period
- 8th day following, "shemini 3Assereth," Assembly of the 8th day.
Chap. 24
- "ner tamidh" (the ever burning lamp)
- attending the lamps an everlasting commandment
- pure frankensense arranged as a memorial for the bread, an offering to YHWH
- the priest shall arrange it before YHWH as an everlasting covenant with Israel
- From Aharon to his descendents, as an everlasting commandment, they shall eat of the offering in a holy location.
- son of the Israelite woman blasphemed and cursed the Name of YHWH
- death penalty for blaspheming the Name of YHWH, whether native born Israelite or immigrant
- "eye for an eye" must be understand in light of Ex. 21:22-27
- there is one law given to you: the naturalized immigrant (full convert) like the native born Israelite
