Leviticus 16:1-18:30 – Malachi 3:4-24 – Matthew 26:17-30

This week's edition of The Set Table contains:

Questions and Commentary on Acharei Mot
Chayyei Yeshua - A Devotional Commentary on the Besora Reading
In Summary
Looking Ahead

Questions & Commentary on Parashat Acharei Mot

1. In this week's Torah portion , we are commanded "you shall keep my laws and my rules, by the pursuit of which man shall live: I am the LORD" (Leviticus 18:5). How do we attain life by the observance of commandments?

Rabbi Jonathan Kaplan

The Torah portion for this week contains the seemingly obvious instruction Ushemartem et chuqqota ve'et mishpata asher ya‘aseh otam ha'adam vachai bahem "And you shall observe my statutes and commandments which each person shall do and live by them" (Leviticus 18:5). The closing clause - vachai bahem - quite simply can be translated, "he shall live by them." It means in its plain sense that each person should live their lives in obedience to God's commandments throughout their lives.

This statement has, however, engendered much reflection among commentators. The first major trajectory of interpretation has understood them as teaching that obedience to God's commandments leads to life in the world to come. This perspective is seen early-on in Jewish interpretation in Targum Onqelos, an early Aramaic translation of the Torah:

And you shall guard my edicts and my laws, for if a person performs them, he shall live by them in the life of the world to come.

Rashi interprets our verse in a similar fashion:

He shall live by them: that is, in the world to come, for if you say in this world, is not its end death?

Ibn Ezra, likewise, interprets this verse as reflecting eternal reward. He writes:

And what is the reason for the repetition in the verse And you shall observe my statutes and my commandments? To show that there is life in two worlds for those who perform them. For the one who understands their secret, eternal life we shall live and not die forever.

A second interpretive approach to this verse has been to see it as upholding the value and sanctity of life. The Tosefta, in Shabbat 15:17, records,

And one may live by them, and not that one should die because of them.

Thus, this verse is understood as legislating the pursuit of piquach nefesh "the preservation of human life." This rabbinic value concept, understood as deriving from the Torah, teaches that pursuit of human life trumps the Shabbat and all other commandments. Thus, an observant Jew can drive to the hospital on Shabbat if the purpose is to seek medical care for a life threatening illness. Likewise, one can consume a medication of which part is derived from a non-kosher animal, if its purpose is to preserve life.

Yeshua echoes this concern for the value of life in the besora of Luke when he teaches,

On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity." Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, "There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath. The Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?"

Luke 13:10-16 (NIV)

As we seek to emulate our Messiah, let us pursue life as we are obedient to God's path for our life and by doing store up merit for ourselves in the life to come.

2. What is the connection between Shabbat Haggadol and Passover?

Joshua Brumbach

This week is Shabbat Haggadol – the Shabbat that occurs at the beginning of the week in which Passover will be observed. Five special shabbatot are spaced out throughout the year and highlight specific points, holidays, or Torah portions. Every special Shabbat has a special reading from the Torah that is also read in addition to the weekly portion. The only exception is Shabbat Haggadol. Instead of an additional reading from the Torah, Shabbat Haggadol is highlighted by a special Haftara reading from Malachi which concludes with the words: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD” (Malachi 3:23). 

Jewish tradition teaches us that Elijah is a messianic figure who will usher in the messianic age. This is purposely fitting at this season because Passover is our reliving and retelling of our redemption from Egypt. The understanding in Jewish tradition, which was later carried over into the New Testament, is that Elijah represents the coming of messianic redemption. That is why the figure of Elijah is so connected with Passover. Passover today commemorates our connection with not only our physical redemption from slavery, but our spiritual redemption as well.

The New Testament associates the personification of Elijah with John the Immerser:

And it is he who will go as a forerunner before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous; so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

Luke 1:17

So John the Immerser represented the fulfillment of Malachi 3:23 in preparation for the incarnation and revelation of Yeshua the Messiah. Yet, the role of Elijah is still not complete. For there is an expectation that Elijah will yet himself return with our glorious Messiah. This is the reason for Elijah’s mention in so many Jewish traditions, especially in the Passover Seder. During the Seder there is a whole place setting (or in some homes, simply a cup) that is specifically set aside. It is left untouched in the messianic hope that each year we will open the door during our Passover festivities, and welcome in Elijah, who will in turn; usher in the return of our Messiah. 

In the song, Eliyahu haNavi, that is traditionally sung during the Seder, we proclaim, Eliyahu haNavi, Eliyahu haTishbi, Eliyahu haGiladi, Bimhera veyamenu, yavo elenu, im Mashich, ben David – “Elijah the Prophet, Elijah the Tishbite, Elijah the Gileadite, come quickly and come now with Messiah Son of David.” As we sing these words this Passover, let us remember the words associated with Shabbat Haggadol from the prophet Malachi - “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.”

Matthew 26:17-30 - In Good Company

During the feast of one of the most honored celebrations in Jewish life, Passover, Yeshua, who knows of his oncoming death, spends his last meal with his twelve disciples. These twelve had been most faithful as they learned from Yeshua's life through his teachings and his example. Can you imagine at the dinner table, particularly with the celebratory, yet somber mood hovering over the room, thinking to yourself, "He knows everything. He knows I'm going to betray before I even know it! Will it be me?"

Yeshua already knew who would betray him. He already knew how it would take place.

The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about . . . But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born." Then Judas, the one who would betray him said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?" Yeshua answered, "Yes, it is you."

         Matthew 26:23-25

Just a few hours before, Judas had made his plans to give up Yeshua to the authorities. He'd already given him away for a price of thirty silver coins (26:15). Did Judas really think he could really get away with Yeshua not knowing? After this conversation however, what does Yeshua do? There are at least two options:

1. He stays seated with the entire group in the company of not only one betrayer, but two. Peter will deny his knowing and following Yeshua just hours later.

2. Yeshua remains calm, continues with the meal, and includes both Judas and Peter, instead of scolding them and turning them away.

I can't imagine the pain in Yeshua's heart, knowing that two of his closest followers would betray him. Why does he continue to break bread with Judas and Peter at the Last Supper when he could justifiably send them away, knowing the pain that they were bound to cause him?

Yeshua knew exactly what would take place according to the Scriptures (26:24) and he accepted it in order to fulfill his divine destiny. In humility, Yeshua offered himself as the divine-human sacrifice not only in his death (hours later) but in this example of his life. Where he could have easily acted human, he righteously acted divine.

Yeshua saw the role of humanity the Father's divine plan. He loved Judas and Peter in spite of their human downfalls. How many of us would forgive someone enough to sit and dine with them, to break bread with them before they commit an offense that we already know they will commit? What examples can you think of that represent a modern picture of this concept? Maybe one would be inviting a man who I know is about to repossess my house to dinner. Or perhaps dining with a friend who I know is about to gossip about me to others in just a few hours during a social event. These examples seem superficial, and yet, what would we do if we knew ahead of time how people would offend us? I don't imagine that we would dine with them or treat them kindly, but instead we would be angry about their offenses and probably turn them away. Not so with our Lord, who in his omniscient role already knew the part that humanity would play in the divine realms.

NEXT WEEK'S READINGS - SHABBAT PESACH

Exodus 13:17-15:26
Numbers 28:19-25
2 Samuel 22:1-51
Revelation 5:1-14

UPCOMING YACHAD NETWORK EVENTS